Show Me Tell Me UK: 19 Questions and How They're Marked

#Why two questions, not one

Until 2017 the test had two "tell me" questions before driving. DVSA split them: one is asked stationary, one while moving. The aim is to test whether you can multitask safely.

#The "tell me" question

Asked once you are sitting in the driver’s seat before starting the engine. The examiner asks you to explain how you would carry out a safety check. You answer verbally without doing anything to the car.

• How would you check the brakes are working before starting a journey?
• How would you check the tyres have sufficient tread?
• How would you check the headlights and tail lights are working?
• How would you check the direction indicators are working?
• How would you know if there was a problem with the anti-lock braking system?
• How would you check the power-assisted steering is working?

#The "show me" question

Asked while you are driving, usually mid-test. You must perform the action safely while continuing to drive. If your action is dangerous, even briefly, it is a serious fault.

• Show me how you would wash and clean the rear windscreen
• Show me how you would wash and clean the front windscreen
• Show me how you would switch on dipped headlights
• Show me how you would set the rear demister
• Show me how you would operate the horn
• Show me how you would demist the front windscreen
• Show me how you would open and close the side window

#How they are marked

Each wrong or missed question is one minor fault. Get both wrong and you have two minors before the drive even properly starts, eating into your 15-fault budget. The "show me" question is more dangerous: doing it badly while driving (taking your eyes off the road for too long) can become a serious fault.

#Practising properly

Sit in your instructor’s car (or your own) and run through every show-me action without driving. Memorise the answer to each tell-me. The full DVSA list contains around 14 questions, and the examiner picks one of each.

#Common errors

• Stopping in the road to do a "show me" task instead of doing it on the move
• Saying "I would check" without saying how (for example, "I would check the brakes" rather than describing pressing the pedal)
• Looking down for several seconds to find a switch instead of glancing briefly
• Pressing the wrong control and abandoning the answer
• Trying the action with both hands off the wheel for several seconds
• Saying "I do not know" when a partial answer earns more credit than silence

#When show-me becomes a serious fault

The show-me question is normally a single minor fault if you get it wrong. It can upgrade to a serious fault if your attempt creates real danger: taking both hands off the wheel for several seconds while drifting across a lane line, swerving while reaching for a control, missing a pedestrian crossing because you were looking down. The faults explained guide covers the upgrade criteria.

The safe approach: practise each show-me action so you can do it with one hand on the wheel and a single brief glance away from the road. If a control needs both hands or sustained attention, the examiner will either time the question for a stationary moment (such as at a red light) or accept a refusal. Saying "I will do that when it is safe" and waiting for a safe moment is acceptable; ignoring the question entirely is not.

#How to revise the full list in 1 to 2 hours

The full list contains around 14 to 19 questions depending on the car category. The official DVSA list at gov.uk shows each question with the model answer. A focused 1 to 2 hour revision session covers the lot: read the list aloud, write out the action for each tell-me, physically perform each show-me in your instructor's car or your own car. Do this once a week in the run-up to the test and the answers become automatic.

The pattern of answers matters more than the specific words. For tell-me questions about checks, the answer is usually: 1) what you would press or look at, 2) what indicates a problem, 3) what to do if there is a problem. For show-me actions, the answer is doing it correctly with appropriate hand position and minimal eye time off the road. The test day morning routine guide covers the final revision approach on test morning.

#Sources and further reading

The figures, fees, and procedures referenced in this article are verifiable on the official gov.uk pages below. PassRates.uk is built on the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s open data, published under the Open Government Licence.

• Change or cancel your driving test (gov.uk)
• "Show me, tell me" vehicle safety questions (gov.uk)
• Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (gov.uk)
• Open Government Licence v3.0 (nationalarchives.gov.uk)