Show Me Tell Me 2026: Full Question List + Answers

#What are show me tell me questions?

Show me tell me is the vehicle safety knowledge section of the UK practical driving test. Before you drive, the examiner asks one "tell me" question, you answer verbally with no demonstration needed. At some point during the drive, they ask one "show me" question, you demonstrate the relevant control. The DVSA introduced this format in 2017, replacing the old under-the-bonnet quiz that always felt more like a mechanic's exam than a driver's one.

Neither question is a pass-or-fail moment on its own. Get them both wrong and you've added two driver faults to your tally, the same kind of mark you'd get for a slightly hesitant hill start. The test continues. What show me tell me does is drain your fault buffer before the driving even begins. With fifteen driver faults available across the whole test, starting with two already gone is a constraint you could easily avoid.

#Tell me vs show me: what's the difference?

The most common mistake learners make is assuming both questions happen at the start of the test. The tell me question does, it's part of the licence check and pre-drive admin. The show me question can arrive at any point in the next forty minutes. Examiners tend to ask it when you're stationary and not in a complex situation: a red light, a long clear stretch, a quiet moment at a give way. Do not worry it'll land mid-manoeuvre.

#The 7 tell me questions

These are the only questions you'll be asked verbally before the car moves. Learn the answers, not the exact wording, the examiner phrasing varies slightly between centres and individuals. What they want is evidence you understand the vehicle, not a word-for-word script. Here are all seven, with the key points in each answer.

• Brakes: How would you check the brakes are working before starting a journey? → The brake pedal should not feel spongy or have excessive travel before resistance builds. Test them as you set off at walking pace.
• Tyre pressure: Where would you find recommended tyre pressures, and how do you check them? → Vehicle handbook or a sticker inside the fuel cap or door frame. Use a tyre pressure gauge when the tyres are cold, remove the valve cap and press the gauge firmly on the valve stem.
• Tyre condition: How would you check tyre tread depth and general condition? → Minimum 1.6mm of tread across the central three-quarters of the tyre, all the way around. Look for cuts, bulges or embedded objects. A 20p coin works, if the outer rim disappears into the tread groove, depth is sufficient.
• Lights: How would you check headlights and tail lights are working (without getting out)? → Switch on the ignition and lights, then check using reflections in a wall or window ahead. Alternatively, ask someone to look for you.
• ABS: How would you know if there was a problem with the anti-lock braking system? → The ABS warning light on the instrument panel would illuminate and stay on after starting the engine. The car would need to be inspected.
• Direction indicators: How would you check the direction indicators are working (without getting out)? → Switch on the hazards or left/right indicator. The dashboard flasher confirms both sides are working, or use reflections in surrounding glass.
• Power steering: How would you check power-assisted steering is working before a journey? → Turn the steering wheel gently just after moving off, a powered system feels noticeably lighter than without power. A warning light remaining on is the other signal that something is wrong.

#The 12 show me questions

For each of these, the examiner says "when it's safe to do so", you choose the moment. You will not be marked for picking a slightly imperfect moment, as long as you're not taking your eyes off a genuinely hazardous situation to operate a dial. For most of these, a red light or a quiet straight is fine.

• Wash front windscreen: Operate the washer and wiper controls to clean the screen.
• Dipped headlights: Use the light switch or stalk to select dipped beam, a green or yellow icon appears on the dashboard.
• Rear demister: Press the heated rear window button. An amber indicator light confirms it is on.
• Horn: Press the horn while stationary and away from moving traffic.
• Main beam: Push or pull the light stalk to switch to main beam. A blue indicator appears on the dashboard. Mention you'd switch back to dipped when appropriate.
• Rear fog light check: Switch the fog light on, an amber warning light confirms it is active. Note that you'd switch it off once visibility returns to normal.
• Intermittent wipers: Rotate the wiper stalk to the intermittent or delay setting, usually marked INT or a series of dashes.
• Increase cabin temperature: Turn the climate control or heater temperature dial upward.
• Increase air flow: Turn the fan speed control up.
• Demist front screen quickly: Combine maximum fan speed with warm air directed at the screen and air conditioning where fitted, the A/C reduces cabin humidity and clears the screen faster.
• Open or close the side window: Use the electric window switch.
• Hazard warning lights: Press the hazard button, the large red triangle, usually on the centre console.

#Where these questions fit in the test

#How to prepare without wasting time

Read the DVSA list once, cover it up, then say each answer aloud from memory. Do that across two evenings. Then sit in the actual car you'll be tested in and physically touch every control in the show me list: blower dial, windscreen wash lever, fog light switch, rear demister button. Know where each one sits without looking down.

Ask your instructor to quiz you during a lesson, ideally at the very start of a session, when you're a fraction nervous and still adjusting mirrors, because that is exactly the mental state you'll be in on test day. Cold-reciting answers in a bedroom does not replicate the moment the examiner clicks their seatbelt and looks across.

For everything else that happens in those forty minutes, the driving test day checklist walks through what to bring, when to arrive, and what the examiner will do from first handshake to final result. For how faults are recorded throughout, including the difference between a minor and a serious fault, the serious vs minor faults guide covers the marking system in full.

#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.

• Driving test (gov.uk)
• If you fail your driving test (gov.uk)
• "Show me, tell me" vehicle safety questions (gov.uk)
• Driving test manoeuvres (gov.uk)
• Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (gov.uk)
• Open Government Licence v3.0 (nationalarchives.gov.uk)