What is a driving test fail? Majors and minors explained

Passing your driving test isn't a totally clear cut issue as there are times when you can wrongly assume a minor mistake as a major one, making you incorrectly think you have received a driving test fail.

There are many occasions when a learner driver can still rescue victory from the jaws of defeat after making a mistake during your driving test.

The key thing to understand is what makes your examiner view a mistake as a fail?

To help you understand what to avoid on your test, we look at what makes a fail and how mistakes can be identified as a major fault.

How many minors can I get and still pass?

In your driving test you can receive 15 minors and still pass, only a major or three of the same minor will result in a fail. There are several driving test minor faults - however, you should try to avoid them to give yourself the best chance of passing.

Driving test major faults

Strictly speaking there is no such thing as a major or a minor fault.

When you make a mistake an examiner will class it as one of the following: 

• A dangerous fault - this involves actual danger to you, the examiner, the public or property
• A serious fault - something potentially dangerous
• A driving fault - this isn’t potentially dangerous, but if you keep making the same fault, it could become a serious fault

Both dangerous and serious faults come under what people would normally refer to as a 'major' and just one of either of these faults will result in an instant fail - although you will be expected to continue the test and will only find out the examiner's decision at the end.

All driving test major faults can cause hazardous situations out on the roads and motorways. Be safe, take your time, and remember what your instuctor has taught you.

An examiner's driving test report