The practical driving exam
The same 2017 Act and 2019 rules govern the road test, with the same instruction to test competency — and here it produces a real, if thin, standard rather than total silence. This page covers the training every candidate must complete first, and what the standard means with no fault count behind it.
A real standard, with no number behind it
You are held to a competency judgement, not a fault count
After the drive
Retaking it
The same silence covers what happens if you do not pass the first time.
Neither the waiting period before a retake nor a cap on how many attempts you get is stated anywhere in the amending Act or its implementing rules. Nothing on this page tells you to expect a specific wait or a specific limit, because nothing in the law sets one.
Before you can sit it
Training you must complete first
The Act sets this in MONTHS of instruction, tied to which route you are taking — not in a number of driving-lesson hours.
← swipe to see the whole table →
| Route | Minimum instruction |
|---|---|
| Non-professional licence | 1 month |
| Professional licence | 5 months |
Either route also requires a valid student-driver’s permit before this instruction period begins — see licence classes, ages and fees for what that permit requires.
A commonly quoted hour count is not confirmed here
Driving-school advertising frequently quotes a fixed number of hours for a practical driving course. No government instrument this research reached states an hour count for that course — only the months-long instruction periods above, which come from the amending Act itself. This site prints the months and not the hours, because only the months are sourced to law.
The written exam that comes before this one, and its own silence on question counts and pass marks, is covered on the theory exam page. For what a licence actually costs, see licence classes, ages and fees.