The test is sat on a computer at a DVSA theory test centre and has two parts, both of which must be passed in the same sitting. The multiple-choice part allows 57 minutes for 50 questions, with 43 correct required to pass; three of those questions relate to a short video of an ordinary driving situation such as a town centre or a country road. The hazard perception part follows: 14 clips of everyday road scenes, each containing at least one developing hazard, with one clip containing two. Each developing hazard scores up to five points, giving 75 available, and the car pass mark is 44. Failing either part fails the whole test, and the pupil has to wait at least three working days before sitting it again (GOV.UK, checked September 2026).
A theory test pass certificate number lasts two years. If the pupil has not passed the practical test in that time, the theory test has to be sat and paid for again, whatever caused the delay.
As at September 2026 the car and motorcycle theory test costs £23 through the official GOV.UK booking service, at any time of day or week. Changing or cancelling requires at least three full working days' notice, and inside that period the fee is payable again; Monday to Saturday count as working days for this, Sundays and public holidays do not. DVSA lists limited grounds for a refund at short notice, among them illness or injury with medical evidence, bereavement, a school or college exam at the same time, and a stolen licence. Candidates must arrive 15 minutes before the start and bring their UK photocard licence; arriving late or without the right documents means the test is cancelled and the money is gone. A replacement licence can take up to 15 days.
The term also covers the instructor's own examination. ADI part 1 is the theory element of the qualifying process and costs £81 as at September 2026; once it is passed, the remaining parts of the qualification must be passed within two years or the whole process starts from the beginning. Driver CPC splits its theory element into part 1a multiple-choice at £26 and part 1b hazard perception at £11.
Check that the theory pass is recorded as a structured date field on the pupil record, with the two-year expiry calculated from it. When comparing systems, check specifically: does the pupil list and the diary show theory status and expiry at a glance; can you filter or report on pupils by that status (no pass yet, passed, expiring within the next 90 days); does the system warn when a practical test date is entered close to or beyond the expiry; is the pass certificate number stored alongside the date; and are reminders to pupils automatic, with the cost of any SMS made clear before you commit. Ask how test dates are held, since a test entered as an ordinary diary appointment cannot be reported on, while a test held as its own record type can drive pass-rate figures per instructor. If you run trainee ADIs or vocational courses, confirm the same fields exist for part 1 and Driver CPC deadlines. Finally, check the export: if pupil theory dates cannot leave the system in a usable file, you carry that gap into any future change of supplier.
Figures and rules taken from the GOV.UK theory test guide, the driving test cost page, the change or cancel your theory test page and the become a driving instructor guide, all checked on 6 September 2026; that guidance covers England, Scotland and Wales, arrangements in Northern Ireland are administered separately and are not described here, and DVSA revises fees and rules, so verify before quoting any figure to a pupil.