At Admiral we know taking your practical driving test can be daunting enough, but when you are asked scary questions about the ‘under the bonnet’ parts of your car, you could be left even more nervous. Well, not to worry! We are here to help with our easy to understand guide on the quick, but vital vehicle safety questions included in your test.
‘Show Me, Tell Me’ is what this part of the exam is known as, and it’s an important element of your test you’ll be expected to pass in order to pass your whole practical exam. The ‘Show Me’ questions are where you have to physically demonstrate to your instructor how you would carry out checks on the car. ‘Tell Me’ is where you explain how to carry out a test or check, but are not expected to physically do it.
You will only have to answer two of a possible 19 questions, and they are asked at the beginning of the test. They will be a mixture of one ‘Show Me’ question and one ‘Tell Me’ question. Only your driving instructor will know which of the questions you will be asked, so it’s best to try to learn and understand them all quite well. When you look at the Q&As, it may seem a lot to learn, but once you’ve got it down, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered worrying in the first place!
Let’s start by looking at the ‘Show Me’ questions, there are 9 of these:
1) Show me how to check that the brake lights are working on this vehicle
2) Show me how you would check the indicators are working
3) Show me how you should clean the windscreen when using the windscreen wipers and washing fluid
4) Show me how to check the parking brake, also known as handbrake, for excessive wear
5) Explain, or show if possible, how you would check that the power assisted steering in your vehicle is working before starting your journey
Before you make any journey, there are 2 simple steps that you could do to check your power steering is working properly:
6) Show me how you would check that the horn is working
7) Show me how you would set the demister controls to clear all the windows effectively before starting your journey
8) Show me how you would switch on the rear fog lights and explain when you would use them
9) Show me how to switch your headlights from dipped to full beam, and explain how you know when full beam is on
Next, we will take a look at the ‘Tell Me’ questions, there are 10 of these in total. Four are general, two are about the outside of the car and four are about under the bonnet:
1) Tell me how you would know if there was a problem with your anti-lock braking system
2) Tell me how you would know if your brakes are working before setting off on a journey
3) Tell me how you would make sure your head restraint is properly adjusted so, in the event of a crash, it would provide the upmost protection possible
4) Tell me how you would check the headlights and tail lights are working efficiently
5) Tell me, where you would find the information you need for the recommended tyre pressures for your car and how should they be checked
6) Tell me how you would check the tyres to make sure they have adequate tread depth and that their general condition is safe to use on the roads
7) Tell me where the windscreen washer reservoir is, and tell me how you would check the windscreen washer level
8) Open your bonnet, show where you would inspect the engine coolant level and tell me how you can check that the engine has the correct level of coolant
9) Open your bonnet, identify where you would check the engine oil level and tell your instructor how you can determine that the engine has enough oil
10) Open your bonnet, show where the brake fluid reservoir is and tell your instructor how you can check that you have a safe level of hydraulic brake fluid
And that’s it! Once you know these, and can remember them, you will have no problem successfully moving on to the next part of your practical test. But remember, these aren’t just to learn off by heart and then forget! They are key parts to your car running smoothly and keeping you safe, and they will help you determine if there is ever a problem with your car.
For more information and video explanations visit the GOV.UK website.