What Happens After You Pass Your Theory Test?

After spending hours reading the Highway Code cover to cover, trying practice question after practice question, and crying over the hazard perception section, you've finally passed the theory test! Congratulations! You're that much closer to becoming a fully qualified driver. But what's supposed to happen next?

Though it's clear that you'll have to take the practical test, you might not be entirely sure what you need to do to get to that point. Fortunately, we're here to help. Keep reading to find out what your next steps should be!

First things first…

Give yourself a pat on the back

Before taking the next step on your learning journey, we recommend giving yourself a couple of days to really savour the feeling of being a winner. As pass rates have shown, the theory test is hard. Many learners end up failing it at least once. So, you should give yourself a big round of applause for coming out with a pass. Your hard work and revision have paid off and now you've got your theory test pass certificate!

Avoid taking a long break

As tempting as it might be to sit back and rest on your laurels for a while, you'll want to start looking ahead as soon as possible. Your theory test pass certificate will expire after two years. This means that if you don't pass the practical test within this timeframe, you'll have to go back to square one and take the theory test again. Yes, you read that correctly. (Just imagine the agony of having to go through all of that theory test revision again!)

It might be frustrating, but it actually makes a lot of sense. The rules of the road are prone to change and the Highway Code is frequently being updated to include new regulations and guidelines. It's not enough for learners to rely on knowledge that they accumulated years ago for the theory test, they need to be up-to-date if they intend to take to the roads. If not, they run the risk of endangering other road users through their ignorance.

Now that you know time is of the essence, you have two options. You can make your way through the necessary steps to get test-ready by yourself, or you can get a driving school like PassMeFast to help you. We'll walk you through both...

If you're riding solo…

Find an instructor

So you've got two years to learn to drive and pass the practical test. The first thing you need to do is find yourself a driving instructor. No matter how confident you feel, you won't be able to pass the test without one. You need their professional knowledge and advice in order to not only pass the test, but also become a safe and responsible driver.

Don't just head online and pick the first (or cheapest) driving instructor in your area. You'll want to check with the DVSA's instructor database in order to make sure they're DVSA-approved. This means that they've taken official tests to become certified and have undergone DVSA assessments. It also means that they know exactly what the DVSA are looking for from learner drivers during the practical.

Start your lessons

Once you've found yourself a driving instructor, it's time for you to start your lessons. You'll need approximately 40 to 50 hours in total in order to get up to test standard. You should try to decide early on what kind of approach you want to take with your lessons. What we mean is, do you want to take hourly lessons once a week? Or, are you looking to get through your lessons as quickly as possible? By figuring this out early on, you and your instructor can schedule your lessons around your calendar.

Make sure you practise driving

If you're leaving gaps between your lessons, you'll want to make sure you're keeping your skills sharp and continuing to build up your muscle memory in your downtime. The best way to do this is by practising driving with friends or family. There are a few important things to note here, however:

• You need to be supervised by someone over the age of 21 who has held their licence for at least 3 years. They also need to have a licence for the same transmission you're learning in.
• The car you're driving in needs to have the right insurance cover. It doesn't matter if you're only using it for half an hour at a time. You need to have learner driver insurance in place.
• You need to prioritise the advice of your instructor. If the driver supervising you tells you something that contradicts what your instructor has taught you, politely ignore them. (You don't want any backpedaling here!)

Book your driving test

Once you're getting towards the end of your lessons, you'll have a rough idea of when you want to take your driving test. You'll need to head on over to the DVSA's practical test booking page. Make sure you have your theory test pass number to hand for this. You should also be aware that with how long waiting times can be, you should try to be flexible with your test centre choices—try to look at a couple in your local area in order to increase your chances of getting a test date.

Of course, if you'd prefer to keep things simple, your best option might be to hand the reins over to PassMeFast.

If you're letting PassMeFast do the heavy lifting...

If the thought of searching for your own instructor and booking your own test has you sighing in despair, why not get someone else to take care of it for you? With PassMeFast, you get to concentrate your efforts entirely on learning to drive—we'll take care of all the admin for you!

We'll book your test

If you book one of our courses, we'll start things off by booking you a fast-track practical test right away. This means that you'll have a date to work towards when taking driving lessons—ensuring that there won't be a big gap between your last lesson and the test. We'll take your test centre preferences and date/time requirements into account when finding you a test slot. You can also rest assured that we'll do all we can to help you find one with time to spare before your theory test pass certificate expires.

We'll assign you a top instructor

Once we've booked your test, we'll then match you up with one of our DVSA-approved instructors. They'll pick you up from home or your workplace, and take you back as soon as you're done with your lesson. During your lessons, you'll build up your driving experience and skills on your local roads. You'll also get to familiarise yourself with the routes around your chosen test centre.

We'll let you set the pace

You'll even have the opportunity to decide how intensively you'd like to learn with PassMeFast. If you've got heaps of free time, you could complete your course in mere days. If, on the other hand, you're busy with work or have a hectic social life, you can opt to take your course at a semi-intensive pace instead. No matter what your circumstances are, we'll work your course around you!

If you want to avoid having to take your theory test again, you can book an intensive or semi-intensive driving course with PassMeFast today. Whether you're a beginner or close to test-ready, we've got you covered. To see what's on offer, simply head on over to our course prices page. You can then book online, or give us a ring on 0333 123 4949.

Don't forget to stay on top of your theory knowledge

It doesn't matter if you're still learning to drive or if you've already passed your driving test, it's important that your theory knowledge remains up-to-date. As we've discussed, it's this knowledge that will help keep road users safe across the UK. With driving laws and safety regulations frequently being updated, you can't afford to depend on out-of-date knowledge.

The best way to do this is by reading up on the Highway Code every year or so. Even if you're just skimming through it, it's still helping to jog your memory. If that's not interactive enough for you, we'd recommend checking out some of the practice questions and mock tests in our theory test revision resources. Whilst you don't have to take the theory test again, it's a good way to keep your theory knowledge up to snuff.