Photo: Lina Kivaka / Pexels. Illustrative photograph.
The most common reason people fail the car driving test in Great Britain is not making effective observations at junctions. DVSA’s latest list covers tests in England, Scotland and Wales between April 2024 and March 2025. This guide takes each of the 10 reasons in turn: what the examiner sees, and what to practise so it doesn’t happen to you.
Key facts
- Source: DVSA, “Top 10 reasons for failing the driving test in Great Britain”, updated 14 August 2025.
- Period covered: April 2024 to March 2025.
- Number 1 and 2: junction observations, then mirrors when changing direction.
- How you fail: one serious or dangerous fault, or more than 15 driving faults. See driving test faults explained.
- DVSA’s advice: if you regularly make these mistakes in lessons or practice, you are not ready for your test yet.
The DVSA top 10 at a glance
| Rank | Reason | How the examiner records it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Not making effective observations at junctions | Junctions: observations |
| 2 | Not using mirrors correctly when changing direction | Mirrors: change direction |
| 3 | Not moving off safely | Moving off: safety |
| 4 | Incorrect positioning when turning right at junctions | Junctions: turning right |
| 5 | Not responding appropriately to traffic lights | Response to signals: traffic lights |
| 6 | Not having proper control of the steering | Control: steering |
| 7 | Not responding correctly to road markings | Response to signals: road markings |
| 8 | Not responding correctly to traffic signs | Response to signals: traffic signs |
| 9 | Poor positioning on the road during normal driving | Positioning: normal driving |
| 10 | Not driving at a safe and reasonable speed | Use of speed |
1. Not making effective observations at junctions
What the examiner sees: pulling out in front of approaching traffic, misjudging how fast something is coming, looking too late, or not looking properly at crossroads and when joining from a slip road.
Fix it: slow down early enough that you have time to look. Look right, left and right again, and keep looking as you creep forward if the view is blocked. If you are not sure the gap is big enough, wait. More on emerging at road junctions explained.
2. Not using mirrors correctly when changing direction
What the examiner sees: no mirror check before leaving a roundabout or changing lanes, so another driver has to slow down or swerve.
Fix it: mirrors before you signal, turn or change speed, every time. Then act on what you saw. A glance you don’t react to still counts as a fault. See mirror, signal, manoeuvre.
3. Not moving off safely
What the examiner sees: moving off into the path of traffic, skipping the blind-spot check, or not checking behind after an emergency stop.
Fix it: mirrors and the right shoulder blind spot every time you pull away: from the kerb, on a hill, from behind a parked car and after the emergency stop. Check again just before you actually move.
4. Incorrect positioning when turning right at junctions
What the examiner sees: the wrong lane at a roundabout, waiting too far left so traffic behind can’t pass on your left, or blocking following traffic.
Fix it: when turning right, position as close to the centre of the road as is safe. Read the lane markings and signs early so you are in the right lane before you need to be.
5. Not responding appropriately to traffic lights
What the examiner sees: going through a red light, stopping beyond the advanced stop line for cyclists, not moving off on green when it is clear, or driving into a junction that is blocked.
Fix it: stop at the first white line, not in the cycle box. On green, check the junction is clear before going. Know your traffic light sequence so amber doesn’t surprise you.
6. Not having proper control of the steering
What the examiner sees: not steering enough on left turns or bends, swinging wide on right turns, mounting the pavement when pulling up, and steering late around parked cars.
Fix it: get your speed right before the turn so steering is smooth, look where you want to go, and practise pulling up close to the kerb without touching it.
7. Not responding correctly to road markings
What the examiner sees: following a lane arrow the wrong way, straddling lanes on roundabouts, crossing solid white lines without good reason, entering a box junction when the exit is not clear, and driving over the centre of a mini roundabout.
Fix it: read the arrows painted in each lane well before the junction. Brush up on road markings and mini roundabouts.
8. Not responding correctly to traffic signs
What the examiner sees: passing the wrong side of a keep left sign, ignoring stop or no entry signs, driving in a bus lane when it is in use, choosing the wrong roundabout lane, and reacting late to a change in speed limit.
Fix it: scan far ahead for signs, not just at the road in front. Independent driving often follows signs, so this matters even more there. See UK road signs explained.
9. Poor positioning on the road during normal driving
What the examiner sees: driving too close to the kerb or to the centre line, staying in the right lane of a dual carriageway for no reason, or going straight across a roundabout instead of following its curve.
Fix it: keep to the middle of your lane, return to the left lane after overtaking, and only change lanes when you need to. See lane discipline.
10. Not driving at a safe and reasonable speed
What the examiner sees: going over the limit (including temporary limits at roadworks), not slowing down in busy areas or bad weather, and taking bends too fast.
Fix it: drive at a speed where you can stop well within the distance you can see to be clear. See UK speed limits.
A quick self-test before you book
Ask your instructor or supervisor to watch for these during a mock test drive. You are close to ready when they can tick every line:
- Every junction: slowed early, looked properly, no one had to brake for you.
- Every change of direction or speed: mirrors first.
- Every move off: mirrors plus blind spot.
- Right turns: positioned near the centre line, right lane on roundabouts.
- Lights, signs and markings: obeyed without prompting.
- Steering: no clipped kerbs, no wide swings.
- Speed: within limits, adjusted for conditions, not hesitant.
If you have just failed: what to practise next
Start with what actually happened, not with a verdict on yourself. “I missed the cyclist check on two left turns” is something you can practise; “I am a bad driver” is not.
- Use your test report. Go through the faults the examiner marked and the explanation they gave, ideally with your instructor.
- Find the cause. Ask whether the fault came from observation, speed, position, priority, control or planning. A lane-change fault caused by planning too late needs earlier planning, not just more lane changes.
- Set one clear goal for the next lesson, practise it somewhere suitable, then build it back into mixed driving.
- Look for consistency. You are ready to rebook when you can do it repeatedly without prompts, using the self-test above.
A tidy manoeuvre does not cancel out a junction problem, and one bad manoeuvre does not mean relearning everything.
Common questions
What is the number one reason for failing the driving test?
Not making effective observations at junctions. It has been top of DVSA’s list for the latest period, April 2024 to March 2025.
Does one mistake from the list mean an automatic fail?
Only if the examiner marks it as a serious or dangerous fault. A minor slip that puts no one at risk is a driving fault, and you can have up to 15. Repeating the same driving fault can turn it into a serious fault.
Are reverse parking mistakes still in the top 10?
Not in the April 2024 to March 2025 list. Older DVSA lists included control during reverse parking. Manoeuvres are still assessed, so see driving test manoeuvres.
Is taking a wrong turning a fault?
No. DVSA says a wrong turn is not a fault, and the examiner will help you get back on the route. Just don’t make an unsafe late lane change to correct it.
Does this list apply in Northern Ireland?
No. This is DVSA data for Great Britain only. Northern Ireland tests are run by DVA. See learning to drive in Northern Ireland.
Where can I find the full DVSA data?
DVSA publishes a yearly data set of the top 10 faults for car tests on GOV.UK, under “Car driving tests with zero faults and top 10 faults data”.
Back to the main guide: Learning to drive in Great Britain. Booking soon? Read the 2026 booking rules.
Sources
- DVSA, “Top 10 reasons for failing the driving test in Great Britain” (gov.uk)
- DVSA, “Car driving tests with zero faults and top 10 faults data” (gov.uk)
- DVSA, “Driving test: cars: What happens during the test” (gov.uk)
- DVSA, “Understanding your driving test result: car driving test” (gov.uk)