Driving test checklist for Ireland

What is on a driving test checklist?

There are four layers: documents, the car, the checks the tester asks for, and the set-up in the driver’s seat. The RSA tests the last two on the day, so rehearse them. Tick through this page a week out, the night before and on the morning.

Documents and discs

• Learner permit: valid, correct category, matching your identity.
• Certificate of motor insurance for the test car (digital copies are acceptable). Bring an insurer’s letter or email as well if you are not named on it.
• Insurance, tax and NCT discs clearly displayed and in date.
• L-plates front and rear, not faded.
• Booking confirmation: address, time, centre.

The full explanation is in what to bring to your driving test.

Which car checks does the RSA ask for?

On a visual inspection, the RSA says tyres should meet the legal minimums with no obvious bulges, cuts or severe uneven wear, and be at the correct pressure. Brake and indicator lights must work, indicators show amber, the handbrake works, and the windscreen is clean with working wipers and washer fluid. A space saver spare wheel is not acceptable. Any dashboard warning light that shows before or during the test leads to the test not going ahead or being cut short.

Car requirements for the driving test has the full list.

What are the technical checks, and is there an under-the-bonnet check?

The practical test has three kinds of check, according to the RSA: technical checks (including tyres, lights and oil levels), in-car checks (including seat and mirror adjustments) and secondary controls (including windscreen washers, wipers and lights).

The regulations say the tester can run a random technical check on tyres, steering, brakes, fluids such as engine oil, coolant and washer fluid, lights, reflectors, indicators and the horn. The Rules of the Road adds tyre air pressure and fuel to the list. The tester picks, so you need to know all of them.

Learners say the order goes like this: the tester checks your brake lights and indicators, then, weather permitting, asks you to open the bonnet and show where the engine oil goes. That is why this page is the one people search as “bonnet check”. The RSA wording is technical checks, so learn the whole set, not just the bonnet items.

For each one, be able to say what you are checking and what a problem looks like:

• Tyres: pressure from the manufacturer’s specification, cuts, cracks and bulges. The legal minimum tread is 1.6 mm over the main tread, and the RSA suggests thinking about replacement near 3 mm.
• Oil, coolant, washer fluid: where the cap or dipstick is and what the level should show.
• Lights and indicators: two headlights, sidelights, brake lights, amber indicators.
• Brakes and handbrake, steering, horn.

Your instructor can run through the technical checks on your own car. The pre-test checks quiz lets you test yourself.

Which secondary controls do I need to know?

The Rules of the Road lists these as ones you might have to work: windscreen wipers and washers, de-misters, rear window heater, lights, air conditioning, fans, rear fog lights, air vents and temperature control.

Find each one in the test car. Controls sit in different places in different makes, so learn them in the car you will use. Practise turning each on and off without looking down for long.

How are the checks marked?

The marking guidelines put the oral questions, hand signals, technical checks and car set-up together in one section.

• One technical check you cannot describe is not recorded. One secondary control you cannot demonstrate is not recorded.
• Being unable to describe three technical checks, or demonstrate three secondary controls, is a grade 2 fault.
• Three or more questions not answered or answered wrongly, hand signals included, is also a grade 2. Only one fault is recorded for the section.

So a slip on a check is not a fail. See how the test is marked.

What do I do in the car before I move off?

The regulations list these set-up steps:

1. Adjust the seat to a correct seated position.
2. Adjust the rear-view mirrors, seat belt and head restraint.
3. Check that the doors are closed.

Keep the mirrors clean and properly adjusted. Then do your look around, signal if needed and move off. A missed look when moving off is marked under Observations, and that includes pulling out of your space at the test centre. Our guide on observation and mirrors shows how to make each check clear.

What should I do in the first minutes on the road?

The tester stays quiet by design. Learners say a calm start helps: take your time with the mirrors and the look around before moving off, then settle into the speed limit. The default limits per the Rules of the Road are 50 km/h in built-up areas, 60 on local roads, 80 on regional roads and 100 on national roads, unless a sign says otherwise.

If you do not understand a direction, ask the tester to repeat it. The RSA says that does not count against you.

How can I practise the checks?

Turas Study has a technical checks deck, so you can practise the questions on your phone, and routes around more than 50 test centres let you practise the drive. See the centre list or the test-ready quiz.