A driving lesson syllabus is a list of all the skills you need to learn in order to pass the practical driving test. This driving lesson syllabus is for the UK driving test, for both automatic and manual cars and is ideal for providing a visual reference for your learning to drive progress. It can also be used as a reference guide if you’re teaching someone to drive without a driving instructor.
| Gear Changing (Manual Cars) |
| Changing up gear in sequence |
| Changing down gear in sequence |
| Block gear changing |
| Effective use of gears on an uphill gradient |
| Effective use of gears on an downhill gradient |
| Signals |
| Give clear, well-timed signals when necessary |
| Respond correctly to the signals from other road users |
| Use of Speed |
| Assessing speed limits for all road types and environments |
| Choosing an appropriate speed for the conditions |
| Following Distances |
| Understanding how to maintain a safe following distance (2 second rule) |
| Adapting following distance to weather conditions |
| Road Positioning and Lane Discipline |
| Maintain a safe road position on all road types |
| Being considerate and safe when changing lanes |
| Reading and understanding road markings |
| Junctions: Left and Right Turns from Major into Minor Roads |
| MSPSL (Mirror, Signal, Position, Speed, Look) driving routine |
| LADA (Look, Assess, Decide, Act) driving routine |
| Turning left (Open and closed left turns) |
| Turning right (Open and closed right turns) |
| Junctions: Emerging at T-Junctions |
| Turning left (Open and closed T-junctions) |
| Turning right (Open and closed T-junctions) |
| Stop junctions (Emerging left and right) |
| Emerging left and right at a T-junction on a hill |
| Meeting Approaching Traffic |
| Passing parked vehicles on the left side of the road |
| Passing parked vehicles on the right side of the road |
| Passing parked vehicles on both sides of the road |
| Giving a safe and adequate clearance when passing parked vehicles |
| Crossroads |
| Unmarked crossroads; left, right and ahead |
| Marked crossroads; left, right and ahead |
| Controlled crossroads; left, right and ahead |
| Traffic Lights |
| Approaching and dealing with traffic lights (left, right and ahead) |
| Dealing with box junctions at traffic lights |
| Pedestrian Crossings |
| Understanding and dealing with Zebra crossings |
| Understanding and dealing with light controlled pedestrian crossings; Pelican, Puffin and Toucan |
| Supervised crossings |
| Anticipation, Planning and Hazard Awareness |
| Looking and assessing into the near, mid and far distance |
| Anticipation |
| Awareness |
| Planning ahead |
| Reading and understanding road signs |
| Scanning left and right |
| Awareness of other road users to the side and behind |
| Awareness of pedestrians |
| Emergency Stop |
| Stopping promptly and under control |
| Moving off safely after the emergency stop |
| Roundabouts |
| Turning left |
| Following ahead |
| Turning right |
| Going full circle |
| Mini Roundabouts |
| Turning left |
| Following ahead |
| Turning right |
| One Way Streets |
| Turning left at the end of a one way street |
| Turning right at the end of a one way street |
| Independent Driving |
| Following traffic signs |
| Following sat-nav route directions |
| Dual Carriageways |
| Joining a dual carriageway using a slip road |
| Following the road ahead |
| Overtaking |
| Exiting a dual carriageway using a slip road |
Show Me / Tell Me Vehicle Safety Questions
You should introduce the show me / tell me vehicle safety questions that the examiners ask along with the appropriate answers at an early stage of the learning to drive process. Throughout the driving course, refer back to the questions to ensure the learner driver answers appropriately.
| Show Me / Tell Me Vehicle Safety Questions |
| Cover the show me / tell me questions and answers and where necessary demonstrate inside and outside the car and under the bonnet |
Rural Driving
Rural roads are the most hazardous roads in the UK. Not all driving test centres feature rural roads on their driving test routes, for example, if the test centre is located in the centre of a large city. Where possible, always incorporate rural driving into the driving lesson syllabus regardless of whether they are part of the practical driving test.
| Rural Driving |
| Driving on country lanes |
Manoeuvres
Manoeuvres should be introduced to the learner driver at the earliest possible stage in which they have enough control over the vehicle to carry them out. This should ensure that the learner driver has sufficient time to perfect the manoeuvres.
| Reversing in a Straight Line |
| Straight line reverse |
| Reversing, moving away from the kerb and straightening up |
| Reversing towards the kerb and straightening up |
| Reverse Bay Parking |
| Reversing into a bay from the left |
| Reversing into a bay from the right |
| Forward Bay Parking |
| Driving into a bay and reversing out to the left |
| Driving into a bay and reversing out to the right |
| Parallel Parking |
| Parallel park on a level road |
| Parallel park on a on an incline / road camber |
| Pull up on the Right and Reverse |
| Pull up on the right side of the road and reverse on a quiet road |
| Pull up on the right side of the road and reverse with approaching traffic / pedestrians |
Manoeuvres that are No Longer Carried Out on the Driving Test
The following manoeuvres are no longer requested by examiners during the driving test but can still prove beneficial to teach on driving lessons due to their usefulness in everyday driving.
| Manoeuvres No Longer Used |
| Turn in the road |
| Reverse around a corner |
Eco-Driving
Eco-driving should be taught and used once the learner driver is capable of sufficient control of the car.
| Eco-Driving |
| To drive in such a way as to minimise fuel consumption and the emission of carbon dioxide. |
| Additional Tuition |
| Passengers and loads |
| Security |
Hi my name is Tabs, newly qualified ADI.
I have read through the above topics and find them really good to follow and understand.
I would like to kindly ask, if its possible to email each of the topics above so i am able to download these and use them as a ref at all? It would be much appriciated.
Many Thanks.
Hi Tabs,
Congrats on becoming a newly qualified ADI. Hope it’s working out well for you.
Unfortunately we don’t have any content that we can email.
However, you can save webpages in PDF format which is an ideal format for reference.
Depending on your browser, if you select the option to print the page, but rather than printing, choose the option to save as PDF.