Essential Documents quiz: 35 free theory test questions

1. Fully comprehensive
2. Third party only
3. Third party, fire and theft
4. No insurance is needed for vehicles over 40 years old

Answer: B. Third-party cover is the legal minimum: it covers injury to others and damage to their property, but not damage to your own vehicle. Driving uninsured is a serious offence. Reference: The Highway Code — Annex 3: Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements

1. After one year
2. After two years
3. When it's three years old
4. Only when it's sold

Answer: C. Cars normally need their first MOT three years after they were first registered, then every year. You mustn't drive a car that needs an MOT without a valid certificate — the only exceptions are driving to a pre-arranged test, or to a garage for repairs needed to pass it. Reference: The Highway Code — Annex 3: Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements

1. Anyone with a full driving licence
2. Anyone over 18 with any licence type
3. A person at least 21 years old who has held a full licence for the category for at least 3 years
4. Only a DVSA-approved driving instructor

Answer: C. A supervising driver must be at least 21 and have held (and still hold) a full licence for that category of vehicle for a minimum of three years. The learner must also display L plates (or D plates in Wales) and be insured. Reference: The Highway Code — Annex 3: Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements

1. The vehicle will be roadworthy for the next 12 months
2. The vehicle met the minimum road-safety and environmental standards on the day of the test
3. The vehicle is insured
4. The vehicle's service history is complete

Answer: B. An MOT is a snapshot, not a warranty: it confirms minimum standards were met on test day. Keeping the vehicle roadworthy between MOTs remains the driver's responsibility. Reference: GOV.UK — MOT testing guide for test stations: introduction

1. Nothing, if your doctor doesn't object
2. Tell the DVLA
3. Only tell your insurance company
4. Stop driving for one month, then resume

Answer: B. You must tell the DVLA about any health condition likely to affect your driving. If you don't, you can be fined up to £1,000, and you could be prosecuted if you're involved in a crash. If you're unsure whether a condition counts, check on GOV.UK or contact the DVLA. Reference: The Highway Code — rule 90

1. Reading a number plate from 5 metres
2. Reading a number plate (post-2001 style) from 20 metres, with glasses or lenses if you need them
3. Passing an optician's test every year
4. There is no legal standard after passing your test

Answer: B. You must be able to read a current-style number plate from 20 metres. If you need glasses or contact lenses to do it, you must wear them every time you drive. Reference: The Highway Code — rule 92

1. The policy costs £500 a year
2. You must pay the first £500 of any claim yourself
3. You're covered for a maximum of £500
4. You get £500 back if you don't claim

Answer: B. The excess is the part of a claim you pay yourself. With a £500 excess, you cover the first £500 and the insurer only pays the amount of the claim above that.

1. A speeding penalty notice
2. A Statutory Off Road Notification — a declaration that a vehicle is kept off public roads and untaxed
3. A certificate of roadworthiness
4. A short-term insurance policy

Answer: B. Making a SORN tells the DVLA you're keeping a vehicle off public roads, so you don't need to tax or insure it. It mustn't be kept or used on a public road — the one exception is driving it to or from a pre-booked MOT or other test appointment, and it must be insured for that journey. Reference: The Highway Code — Annex 3: Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements; GOV.UK — When you need to make a SORN

1. 15 years and 9 months
2. 16 years
3. 17 years
4. 16 years and 9 months

Answer: A. You can apply for a provisional licence from 15 years and 9 months old, so it can be ready in good time. Most people can't start driving a car on the road until they're 17. Reference: GOV.UK — Apply for your first provisional driving licence

1. Never, until you've passed your practical test
2. With any supervisor who's over 21
3. Once you've passed your theory test
4. With an approved driving instructor, in a car with dual controls

Answer: D. Learners in England, Scotland and Wales may drive on motorways only with an approved driving instructor in a car fitted with dual controls. Practising on a motorway with family or friends is illegal, however experienced they are. Reference: GOV.UK — Driving lessons and learning to drive

1. 70 mph, the same as for any car driver
2. 45 mph, the learner limit
3. 50 mph, until you pass your test
4. 60 mph, which is 10 mph below the normal limit

Answer: A. In England, Scotland and Wales, learners keep to the same speed limits as qualified drivers, so the normal 70 mph dual-carriageway limit applies. Only Northern Ireland has a special learner limit, of 45 mph. Reference: GOV.UK — Driving lessons and learning to drive

1. Red L plates only — D plates aren't legal
2. Green D plates on the front and back
3. Red D plates, red L plates, or both
4. Green P plates

Answer: C. Learners MUST display red L plates, but in Wales red D plates, red L plates or both can be used. Whichever you choose, they must be clearly visible to others from in front of the car and from behind. Reference: The Highway Code — Annex 3: Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements

1. Yes, because she isn't the one driving
2. Yes, as long as the road is quiet and she's quick about it
3. Yes, if she keeps one hand free to help you
4. No — a supervisor mustn't use a hand-held phone

Answer: D. You MUST NOT use a hand-held phone or similar device when driving or when supervising a learner driver. A supervisor needs to watch the road and be ready to help — replying to a text makes that impossible. Reference: The Highway Code — rule 149

1. Yes, his age and experience are enough
2. No — he must be qualified to drive a manual car
3. Yes, as long as he sits in the front passenger seat
4. Only if he's also a driving instructor

Answer: B. A supervisor must be at least 21, have held a full licence for 3 years, and be qualified to drive the type of car you're learning in. An automatic-only licence doesn't qualify someone to supervise you in a manual car. Reference: GOV.UK — Driving lessons and learning to drive; The Highway Code — Annex 3: Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements

1. Every 10 years
2. Every 3 years
3. Every 5 years
4. Only when you reach 70

Answer: A. You must renew a photocard licence every 10 years, and DVLA sends a reminder before the current one ends. There's a separate process for renewing your licence once you're 70 or over. Reference: GOV.UK — Renew your driving licence

1. Your new full licence, which DVLA sends in the post
2. Green P plates on the car
3. Insurance that lets you drive without supervision
4. A pass certificate from your theory test

Answer: C. You can start driving as soon as you pass — you don't need to wait for your full licence to arrive. But you must have an insurance policy that allows you to drive without supervision. Reference: GOV.UK — Learn to drive a car: step by step

1. Only your driving licence
2. Only the log book (V5C)
3. Your driving licence and the vehicle's log book (V5C)
4. Nothing — your insurer tells DVLA for you

Answer: C. You MUST tell DVLA when you change address. As registered keeper you need to update both your licence and your V5C. Changing the address on your licence is free, but you can be fined up to £1,000 if you don't tell DVLA. Reference: GOV.UK — Change the address on your driving licence; The Highway Code — Annex 3: Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements

1. Surrender your licence to DVLA
2. Keep your licence but avoid motorways
3. Tell only your insurance company
4. Wait until the four months are up, then tell DVLA

Answer: A. You must surrender your licence to DVLA if your doctor tells you to stop driving for 3 months or more. You can apply to get it back once you meet the medical standards for driving again. Reference: GOV.UK — Medical conditions, disabilities and driving

1. The test continues, but you must wear glasses for the rest of it
2. You get a minor fault and the test carries on as normal
3. The examiner lets you retake the eyesight check at the end
4. You fail, the test ends, and your licence is revoked

Answer: D. GOV.UK says you must correctly read a number plate on a parked vehicle at the start of the practical test. If you can't, you fail, the test doesn't continue, DVLA is told and your licence is revoked. When you reapply, DVLA will ask you to take an eyesight test with DVSA. Reference: GOV.UK — Driving eyesight rules

1. Update the colour on your V5C with DVLA
2. Nothing, as colour isn't recorded anywhere
3. Tell the police within 7 days
4. Take the car for a new MOT

Answer: A. Your V5C log book describes your vehicle, and colour is one of the changes you must update on it — along with the engine, cylinder capacity, fuel type and seating capacity. Reference: GOV.UK — Change vehicle details on a V5C registration certificate (log book)

1. Cover for accident damage to your own car, whoever is at fault
2. Cover for your own injuries in a crash
3. Cover if your car is stolen or damaged by fire
4. Free breakdown recovery

Answer: C. Third party, fire and theft is like third-party cover but also protects you if your vehicle is stolen or damaged by fire. It won't pay to repair your own car after a crash — for that you need comprehensive insurance. Reference: The Highway Code — Annex 3: Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements

1. Third party only
2. Third party, fire and theft
3. Any policy, once you've paid the excess
4. Comprehensive

Answer: D. Comprehensive insurance covers other people and their property, and also damage to your own vehicle (up to its market value) and injury to yourself. Third-party policies, including fire and theft, don't pay for crash damage to your own car. Reference: The Highway Code — Annex 3: Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements

1. £300 and 6 penalty points
2. £100 and 3 penalty points
3. £1,000 and 12 penalty points
4. A verbal warning for a first offence

Answer: A. Police can issue a £300 fixed penalty and 6 penalty points for driving uninsured. If the case goes to court you could get an unlimited fine and be disqualified, and police can seize and, in some cases, destroy the vehicle. Reference: GOV.UK — Vehicle insurance: driving without insurance

1. None — it's on private land, so the rules don't apply
2. None, as long as nobody drives it
3. It must be insured unless it's declared off the road
4. It only needs a valid MOT to be legal

Answer: C. Under continuous insurance enforcement, a vehicle must be insured unless it's been declared off the road with a SORN. As registered keeper you could be fined £100, and the car could be clamped, impounded or destroyed. Reference: GOV.UK — Vehicle insurance: uninsured vehicles; GOV.UK — When you need to make a SORN

1. Nothing, because their policy automatically covers any driver
2. That the MOT has at least six months left
3. That you've held your licence for three years
4. That there's insurance cover for you to drive it

Answer: D. Before driving any vehicle, make sure it has insurance cover for your use. Even if the car itself is insured, you can be penalised if you personally aren't correctly insured to drive it. Reference: The Highway Code — Annex 3: Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements; GOV.UK — Vehicle insurance

1. For up to 14 days after it expires
2. To a pre-arranged MOT test, or to a garage for repairs needed to pass
3. On roads with a 30 mph limit or lower
4. Whenever it's taxed and insured

Answer: B. You MUST NOT drive a vehicle without a valid MOT when it needs one. The exceptions are driving to a pre-arranged test or to a garage for repairs required for the test. Otherwise you could be fined up to £1,000. Reference: The Highway Code — Annex 3: Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements; GOV.UK — Getting an MOT

1. Up to three months before the current certificate runs out
2. Up to a week before it runs out
3. Up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out
4. Only on the day it runs out

Answer: C. You can get an MOT up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out and keep the same renewal date — for example, from 21 May if it expires on 20 June. Testing earlier than that moves your renewal date. Reference: GOV.UK — Getting an MOT

1. It needs an MOT every six months
2. It needs an MOT every two years instead of every year
3. It can't be used on public roads
4. It's exempt, but must still be kept roadworthy

Answer: D. Cars built or first registered more than 40 years ago don't need an MOT unless they've been substantially changed. You must still keep the vehicle roadworthy — using one in a dangerous condition can bring a fine of up to £2,500 and 3 penalty points. Reference: The Highway Code — Annex 3: Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements; GOV.UK — Historic (classic) vehicles: MOT and vehicle tax

1. Tax it with DVLA anyway
2. Nothing — exempt vehicles don't need taxing
3. Make a SORN every year
4. Display an exemption disc in the windscreen

Answer: A. You must tax your vehicle even if you don't have to pay anything because it's exempt. If you keep a vehicle off the road instead, you make a SORN — and a SORN doesn't need renewing. Reference: GOV.UK — Tax your vehicle; GOV.UK — When you need to make a SORN

1. Nothing until the five months run out
2. Ask the seller to send you the tax disc
3. Tell DVLA within 14 days of buying it
4. Tax it yourself

Answer: D. Vehicle tax isn't transferred when a vehicle changes hands. You must tax a vehicle you've bought before you drive it, or declare it off the road. The seller gets a refund for any full months left once DVLA is told about the sale. Reference: GOV.UK — Tell DVLA you've sold, transferred or bought a vehicle

1. You can't renew the tax until it passes an MOT
2. None — tax and MOT are completely separate
3. You must pay a surcharge on the tax for the late MOT
4. You can only tax it for six months

Answer: A. You can't renew vehicle tax if the MOT has expired. Get the vehicle tested and passed first — and if the tax is about to run out meanwhile, register the vehicle as off the road (SORN) rather than leaving it untaxed. Reference: GOV.UK — Getting an MOT

1. You get a warning letter from DVLA
2. You must attend a speed awareness course
3. Your licence is revoked and you must pass both tests again
4. Nothing yet — disqualification only happens at 12 points

Answer: C. Under the New Drivers Act, reaching 6 or more points within 2 years of passing your first test means your licence is revoked. You'd need a new provisional licence and to pass both the theory and practical tests again. Reference: The Highway Code — Annex 5: Penalties; Annex 8: Safety code for new drivers

1. Your licence is revoked, because the total is now 6
2. Nothing — learner points are wiped when you pass
3. You'll get a warning, as only points after the test count
4. You must retake the practical test only

Answer: A. Unexpired points on a provisional licence carry over to your full licence. If further points bring the total to 6 or more within 2 years of passing your test, your licence is revoked — points from before the test count too. Reference: GOV.UK — Penalty points (endorsements): new drivers

1. A fine, with the points staying on their licence
2. A compulsory eyesight test
3. Their points reset to zero
4. Disqualification for at least 6 months

Answer: D. Anyone who builds up 12 or more penalty points within 3 years MUST be disqualified, for a minimum of 6 months — or longer if they've been disqualified before. Points act as a warning that a ban is getting close. Reference: The Highway Code — Annex 5: Penalties

1. Accept 3 penalty points on the spot
2. Take them to a police station within 7 days
3. Email copies to the officer within 24 hours
4. Leave your car at the roadside until you fetch them

Answer: B. You MUST be able to produce your licence, a valid insurance certificate and, where relevant, an MOT certificate when a police officer asks. If you can't do this there and then, you may be asked to take them to a police station within seven days. Reference: The Highway Code — Annex 3: Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements

The DVSA doesn't publish per-topic counts. Your 50 questions are drawn across all 14 official topics, so revise every category.

You need 43 out of 50 multiple-choice questions correct (86%), plus 44 out of 75 on the hazard perception clips. You must pass both parts in the same sitting.

No — these are original practice questions written to the current DVSA syllabus and The Highway Code. Official revision questions are Crown Copyright and only available from licensed providers.