The UK Driving Test Eyesight Check Explained

#How the check works

After meeting you in the centre, the examiner walks you outside and points to a parked vehicle. You must read the number plate aloud from a distance of 20 metres for new-style plates (issued from September 2001) or 20.5 metres for old-style plates.

You can wear glasses or contact lenses if you need them. If you do, you must wear them for every drive after the test as well, and the examiner will note this on your licence record.

#What counts as a pass

Reading the plate correctly on the first attempt is a clean pass. If you misread, the examiner gives you a second go on the same plate, then a third on a different plate measured precisely with a tape if needed. Three failures end the test.

#What happens if you fail

• The test ends immediately at the centre, before you even start driving
• You lose the full test fee
• DVSA notifies DVLA, which can revoke your provisional licence until you provide medical evidence
• You will need an eyesight test from an optician before retaking

#When to worry beforehand

If you can read a number plate at 20 metres in normal daylight without strain, you are fine. If you find yourself squinting in supermarket car parks or struggling with road signs at distance, get an eye test before booking the practical, not the day before. Eye tests are free for under-16s and over-60s in England, Scotland and Wales, with concessions for many others.

#Standards beyond the number plate

DVLA also requires drivers to meet wider visual standards: a minimum visual acuity of 6/12 on the Snellen scale (with glasses if worn) and an adequate field of vision. Your optician checks these, the examiner only does the number plate test.

#Borderline eyesight: what to do

Get prescription glasses or contacts well before the test. Practice reading number plates at known distances during lessons. If you wear glasses occasionally for driving, take the test with them on, do not try to manage without to "look more independent". The examiner cares only that you meet the standard.

#Common eyesight test mistakes

• Forgetting glasses on test day
• Trying to guess letters when squinting (any error is a fail)
• Choosing a test in low evening light if your night vision is weak
• Assuming a school sight test from years ago is still accurate