Show Me Tell Me Questions and Answers

You get two of these on the day. One “tell me” question before you drive off, where you explain a check, and one “show me” question on the move, where you actually work a control. There are only 21 in the whole list, so it’s worth knowing all of them in the car you’ll be testing in.

The 14 ‘tell me’ questions

Asked before you start driving. You only have to explain — you don’t get out and walk round the car. For the last three the examiner will want the bonnet open.

1. Tell me how you’d check that the brakes are working before starting a journey.

DVSA answer: Brakes should not feel spongy or slack. Brakes should be tested as you set off. Vehicle should not pull to one side.

In practice: press the pedal before you start the engine, then brake gently in the first few metres once you’re moving.

2. Tell me where you’d find the information for the recommended tyre pressures for this car and how tyre pressures should be checked.

DVSA answer: Manufacturer’s guide, use a reliable pressure gauge, check and adjust pressures when tyres are cold, don’t forget spare tyre, remember to refit valve caps.

In practice: most cars also have the pressures on a sticker inside the driver’s door frame or the fuel filler flap. Look before test day so you can point to it.

3. Tell me how you make sure your head restraint is correctly adjusted so it provides the best protection in the event of a crash.

DVSA answer: The head restraint should be adjusted so the rigid part of the head restraint is at least as high as the eye or top of the ears, and as close to the back of the head as is comfortable. Note: Some restraints might not be adjustable.

4. Tell me how you’d check the tyres to ensure that they have sufficient tread depth and that their general condition is safe to use on the road.

DVSA answer: No cuts and bulges, 1.6mm of tread depth across the central three-quarters of the breadth of the tyre, and around the entire outer circumference of the tyre.

In practice: the number to remember is 1.6 mm. Say you’d use a tread depth gauge, or the tread wear bars moulded into the grooves.

5. Tell me how you’d check that the headlights and tail lights are working. You don’t need to exit the vehicle.

DVSA answer: Explain you’d operate the switch (turn on ignition if necessary), then walk round vehicle (as this is a ‘tell me’ question, you don’t need to physically check the lights).

6. Tell me how you’d know if there was a problem with your anti-lock braking system.

DVSA answer: Warning light should illuminate if there is a fault with the anti-lock braking system.

In practice: it’s the light marked “ABS”. It comes on briefly when you switch on the ignition and should then go out.

7. Tell me how you’d check the direction indicators are working. You don’t need to exit the vehicle.

DVSA answer: Explain you’d operate the switch (turn on ignition if necessary), and then walk round vehicle (as this is a ‘tell me’ question, you don’t need to physically check the lights).

You can also mention the hazard warning lights, which flash all four at once.

8. Tell me how you’d check the brake lights are working on this car.

DVSA answer: Explain you’d operate the brake pedal, make use of reflections in windows or doors, or ask someone to help.

In practice: reversing up to a garage door or a shop window at night and pressing the pedal works well.

9. Tell me how you’d check the power-assisted steering is working before starting a journey.

DVSA answer: If the steering becomes heavy, the system may not be working properly. Before starting a journey, 2 simple checks can be made. Gentle pressure on the steering wheel, maintained while the engine is started, should result in a slight but noticeable movement as the system begins to operate. Alternatively turning the steering wheel just after moving off will give an immediate indication that the power assistance is functioning.

This is the one people forget. Learn the first check word for word: hold the wheel gently while you start the engine and feel it move slightly.

10. Tell me how you’d switch on the rear fog light(s) and explain when you’d use it/them. You don’t need to exit the vehicle.

DVSA answer: Operate switch (turn on dipped headlights and ignition if necessary). Check warning light is on. Explain use.

The “explain use” part comes from the Highway Code: fog lights are only for when visibility is seriously reduced — generally when you can’t see more than 100 metres — and you must switch them off when it improves, because they dazzle drivers behind and hide your brake lights. On most cars the rear fog switch won’t work until the dipped headlights are on.

11. Tell me how you switch your headlight from dipped to main beam and explain how you’d know the main beam is on.

DVSA answer: Operate switch (with ignition or engine on if necessary), check with main beam warning light.

In practice: on most cars you push the indicator stalk away from you. The main beam warning light on the dashboard is blue.

12. Open the bonnet and tell me how you’d check that the engine has sufficient oil.

DVSA answer: Identify dipstick/oil level indicator, describe check of oil level against the minimum and maximum markers.

The dipstick usually has a brightly coloured handle (often yellow). Mention you’d check on level ground with the engine off. Some newer cars have no dipstick and show the level on the dashboard instead — check yours.

13. Open the bonnet and tell me how you’d check that the engine has sufficient engine coolant.

DVSA answer: Identify high and low level markings on header tank where fitted or radiator filler cap, and describe how to top up to correct level.

Worth adding that you’d only do it with the engine cold — the cap shouldn’t be opened when the system is hot.

14. Open the bonnet and tell me how you’d check that you have a safe level of hydraulic brake fluid.

DVSA answer: Identify reservoir, check level against high and low markings.

The brake fluid reservoir is usually small and towards the back of the engine bay, on the driver’s side. Find it in your test car beforehand; under the bonnet is where people freeze.

The 7 ‘show me’ questions

Asked while you’re driving, and every one starts with “When it’s safe to do so…”. That phrase matters: you pick the moment. A straight, quiet stretch is better than doing it straight away on a bend.

All seven are one-hand, one-second jobs if you already know where the control is. They only go wrong when you look down and search. Spend ten minutes in the stationary car finding each one by feel.

How to get these right on the day

• Learn them in the car you’ll test in. The answers are about this car — where its dipstick is, which way its stalks move. If you’re testing in your instructor’s car, ask to open the bonnet and go through 12–14 in a lesson.
• Keep the tell me answers short. The DVSA answers above are only a sentence or two. Saying that much, clearly, is enough.
• For show me, mirrors and road first. Check it’s safe, do it, look back up. If something happens on the road halfway through, leave the control and drive.

The rest of the test

The vehicle safety questions are a small part of the test. The bigger risk for most people is the reversing manoeuvre — you’ll be asked to do one of parallel parking, reverse bay parking, forward bay parking, or pulling up on the right and reversing. The faults that fail the test covers how those are marked.

Questions and DVSA answers contain public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.