How Many Serious Faults On Driving Test UK?

In the UK, just one serious fault during your driving test will result in an automatic fail. Serious faults are considered dangerous and could lead to hazardous situations.

How Many Minor Faults On Driving Test UK?

You are allowed up to 15 minor faults on your driving test in the UK. If you exceed 15 minor faults, you will fail the test.

What Are Major Faults In Driving Test UK?

Major faults, also known as serious or dangerous faults, involve mistakes that pose a significant risk to safety. Examples include failing to give way, not following road signs, or dangerous lane changes.

What Happens If You Get A Minor Fault On Your Driving Test?

A minor fault, also called a driving fault, means a small mistake that doesn’t pose an immediate danger. You can pass the test with minor faults as long as they don’t add up to more than 15.

How Many Faults Are Allowed In Driving Test UK?

You can have up to 15 minor faults, but any serious or dangerous fault will result in an immediate fail, no matter how many minor faults you have.

What Is The Difference Between A Minor And Major Fault In The Driving Test?

A minor fault is a small mistake that doesn't pose a danger, such as hesitation at a junction. A major fault, however, is a serious or dangerous error, such as running a red light or failing to check mirrors before changing lanes.

How Can I Avoid Major Faults In My Driving Test?

To avoid major faults in your driving test, ensure you consistently check mirrors, follow road signs, keep control of the vehicle, and demonstrate safe driving practices at all times.

Can You Fail Driving Test With Only Minor Faults?

You will not fail your driving test if you only accumulate minor faults, provided they are 15 or fewer. However, if the minor faults suggest a pattern of bad driving, the examiner may still fail you.

What are Major and Minor Driving Test Faults?

Making a mistake during your driving test won’t necessarily mean that you fail.

This will depend on what your examiner classes as a major or minor fault.

A driving test fault is an error the driver makes during their test.

You can receive 15 minors during your driving test and still pass - but receive one major fault and it's an instant failure, regardless of how many minors you've picked up.

Read on and find out which faults are classed as minor and major, and what to do if you fail.

Page Contents

What are Driving Test Major Faults?
What Counts as a Minor Fault on the Driving Test?
How Many Majors and Minors Can I Get and Still Pass the Driving Test?

What are Driving Test Major Faults?

Technically, there is no such thing as a major or minor fault.

If you make a mistake during your driving test, then the examiner will class it as one of the following:

A dangerous fault
A serious fault
A driving fault

Committing a dangerous or serious fault – both of which are generally referred to as major faults - will result in an instant fail.

Even so, you will be expected to continue with the test, and will find out your result at the end.

Driving test major faults can lead to dangerous situations on the road, which is why you should always take your time and remember what you have learned during your driving lessons.

Examples of major faults include:

Failing to observe traffic signals or road signs
Endangering other road users
Losing control of the vehicle

What Counts as a Minor Fault on the Driving Test?

Whilst minor driving faults may cause an inconvenience to other drivers, these are mistakes made by the driver that don’t pose an immediate danger to other road users.

It could be potentially dangerous, and if you keep making the same fault then it could turn into a serious fault.

Remember, any more than 15 minor driving faults will see you fail the driving test.

Driving Test Minor Faults List

Examples of minor faults include:

Failing the sight test
Not checking mirrors frequently enough
Driving too slow
Stalling
Hesitating
Touching the kerb
Incorrect use of handbrake
Crossing hands over on the wheel

How Many Majors and Minors Can I Get and Still Pass the Driving Test?

While the goal is always to pass with a clean card, this is very difficult to do, so there is always a little leeway. The number of major and minor faults you can get and still pass the driving test is as follows:

15 minor faults
0 major faults

If your examiner told you to do something or took control of the car to avoid an accident, then your result will show that the ‘examiner took action (ETA)’.

You should talk to your driving instructor about your result so that they can focus any future lessons or Pass Plus training you may need to develop the right skills, especially if most of your minors focus on a specific area of driving.