For many people passing their driving test is one of the milestone achievements of their lives.  Some reach age 17 and get their driving licence and pass their tests straight away, while others leave it until later in their lives.  There is not a right or wrong age to start to drive, you'll just know when you are ready.

Passing your test will bring you freedom and independence but it's not always that easy to achieve.  Some people will pass first time while others may take several attempts before they pass, some people will never even attempt to drive.

The regulations covering driving licences have steadily been getting tougher and tougher.  This is being done as one step to help reduce the number of accidents on the roads each year.  When I passed my test back in 1986 there were not as many regulations as there are today and there certainly wasn't a theory driving test.  The new drivers these days have to go through a few extra steps and will be better drivers than previous generations as a result of this. 

The theory driving test is made up of two parts, the first part is a multiple choice questionnaire, usually 50 questions and there is a time limit of 57 minutes, not why it's not an hour, but like everything else it is very exact....and to pass you have to correctly answer at least 43 of the 50 questions, which are all based on the highway code and road safety.

The second part of the theory driving test is a hazard perception test.  The test is conducted on an 'interactive' or 'touch screen' computer.  There are 14 different scenarios that you will need to correctly identify the hazards within each.  One of the videos will have more than one hazard, while the rest all have just then one hazard.

Once you have successfully passed both elements of the theory driving test you will then be able to concentrate on the practicle driving test and go forward in your quest to gain a full driving licence and get your own freedom and independence that having your own car can bring.