Services

Melbourne School of Motoring provides comprehensive tuition services, aimed at new drivers.

Before You Start

You will need a valid provisional driving licence – you can apply for this up to 3 months before your 17th birthday BUT it will not become valid until your 17th birthday.

Lesson Format

Lessons are normally given in regular weekly blocks of 2 or 2.5 hours duration.

At your first lesson, you will be required to undertake the standard DVSA eyesight test, which is to read a new style vehicle number plate from a distance of 20 metres. If you normally wear glasses to assist with long distance vision, then please ensure that you have these with you for your lesson. Mark will also require sight of your provisional driving licence.

Normally a first lesson would start in a quiet area, learning how to use the main controls to start and stop the car. Mark has dual controls so nothing can go wrong!  As your confidence increases we will move out onto busier roads and you will start to negotiate junctions & manoeuvre in more challenging conditions.

As your test approaches we will often go to the test area in Chippenham, where you will learn the roads and junctions that are included in typical test routes, together with practising the specific skills required.

Throughout all lessons we will pause at regular intervals to review the last period of driving: what went well and what needs more work. At the end of each lesson we will review the lesson overall, talk about things you might practice (if you have the opportunity) and think about the things we might focus on in the next lesson.

Before or after your driving test you may want to have a motorway lesson – see below.

My aim is to give you the skills not only to pass your test but to be a careful and considerate motorist more generally.  Your driving skills should continue to improve many years after you have passed your test, so your ability to assess & reflect on your own performance is critical.

Theory Test

You will need a valid provisional driving licence in order to take your theory test, which is a two part test as follows:

  1. 50 question multiple-choice test; time allowed – 57 minutes; pass mark – 43
  2. hazard perception test, in which you will be required to watch 14 short video clips featuring everyday road scenes, each showing a developing hazard (or in one case, 2 developing hazards), which you will be required to respond to, as soon as you see it occurring. Each hazard carries a maximum score of 5 – score dependent on how quick you are to respond; pass mark 44 out of 75

You need to achieve a pass in both parts in order to pass the theory test and you need to have passed your theory test before you can apply for your practical driving test.

Practical Test

The practical driving test is designed to test your knowledge, understanding and practical application of the Highway Code and your ability to drive safely in different road and traffic conditions.

Prior to the start of the test, you will be required to undertake the standard DVSA eyesight test (see above) and to answer one ‘tell me’ question about vehicle safety checks.

The test lasts about 40 minutes, approximately half of which you will be required to drive independently (following road signs or directions from a satnav). You will also be required to undertake one of the following manoeuvres:

  • reversing into a parking bay
  • driving into and reversing out of a parking bay
  • reverse parallel parking
  • pulling up on the right-hand side of the road, reversing about 2 car lengths & moving off again

and a candidate may also be required to perform an emergency stop (1 in 3 practical tests).

Your instructor can sit in on your practical test with you, if you would like them to. This can often be helpful in terms of understanding performance during the test but is entirely at the pupil’s discretion.

Further comprehensive information about learning to drive can be found at: http://www.gov.uk/learn-to-drive-a-car

Here you can book your theory and practical tests online, look at an online version of the Highway Code, learn the ‘show me, tell me’ vehicle safety questions and take an official practise theory test.

Motorway Driving

Motorway driving is not examined as part of the standard DVSA test but is an essential driving skill in its own right.

Melbourne School of Motoring offers a tailored 3-hour lesson specifically focused on motorway driving, which is a worthwhile investment particularly for those who have recently passed their DVSA test but who have no motorway driving experience.