Just gone and put signed myself up for my car theory test in a couple of months time - yikes!!

Any hints and tips on what are the best resources etc to use. Plus are people having "theory lessons" or is it mostly self taught?

When my son had to do his theory his driving instructor advised him to read it from front to back..then back again..mind this was over 3yrs ago now i believe there are three parts to the theory test..

I passed my test 2 years ago and i used this pack of 3 books from BSM which were very helpful, one of the books had every question and answer for the theory test which i read over and over and passed no problem! Think the pack was like 70 odd quid though, but well worth it when you think how much they charge these days for lessons, tests, car hire etc.

Go out and buy yourslef one of the DSA books that have all the questions in them.....then just read and learn it all, get your family/friends to test you on each section or get them to pick out 35 ramdonly and see how you get on.  I did that and also there is a brill site which changes each day for you to have a practice on, I'll have a look for you :)
This is what I did, it was the only book I read for a few months and I passed my theory first time with no wrong answers :D

Try this one http://www.2pass.co.uk/questions.htm Its not the one I had in mind but its  a start!

Found it :D http://www.2pass.co.uk/239old.htm Good luck, and have fun :) I can't imagine not being able to drive, I love it so much I am going to train to be a driving instructor!

Ailsa you can get a theory test C D -rom called driving test success .It does cover all the
subjects and allows you take tests !!!. It worked for me got 100 % pass. Your find it in
W H Smiths.       Good Luck J P .

Hubby's just passed his theory test and used the CDrom.  He passed (thank gods or I'd have never been able to stand the sulking and woe is me attitude :D).  I'm just glad he doesn't sit in the car reciting EVERY single road sign anymore LOL

hi ailsa,

i bought a theory test cd thingy for my pc. I studied the book religiously every day, and did the dummy theory tests on the cd every night for an hour or so. I did that those for about 2 weeks solid up til the test. Must have done me some good-i'd finished the real test in 3 minutes and got them all right :D ! Luckily, when i did it, there was no hazard perception test-i think i saw some similar software in PC world the other day for that.

good luck!

nicola

(edited to say- i found the software  i used on amazon.com for £8.99- this is it . I found it much better than the book because the mock tests are just like they appear in the test centre-it includes some stuff on hazard perception too)

Try http://www.dsa.gov.uk/mockpaper/theoryintro.htm

Daisy

I bought one of the recommended books and had a read through it coz I didn't have a clue about cars and I also borrowed a CD rom which was great.  It selects questions at random and is very similar to the test in the format that is presented to you when you sit the theory test.  the hazard perception is really easy - you just hit the button whenever you see something that might be a hazard e.g. road markings or sign or pedestrian and you keep hitting the button when the hazard is getting closer to you. BUT do not hit the button continiously or you will fail.  Good luck - generally its common sense but there are questions that seemed daft to me as a learner driver will never encounter them e.g. what colour are the various cats eye things on motorways and what do they symbolise?  I drew a wee diagram to continually remind myself but have still never ventured on to a motorway since passing my test a few months ago.  Good luck

My eldest daughter used the theory test book and cd and got 33/35 two years ago.  My 2nd daughter used same cd and got 35/35 few months ago. 

My daughter has just failed hers she passed the first bit but not the hazard perception as she did not click enough.

The driving test success disc helped me no end :-) i scored 35 out of 35 on the questions :-D  it also helps you with the hazzard perception test.

Ive failed twice now :D both on the hazard perception, got the 3rd test tomoro, hope its 3rd time lucky :D

wendles - I have the LDC (Learner driver centre) Theory Test/Hazard Perception CD ROM and in the Hazard Perception bit you can get it to show the scoring windows - it freezes the frame and says at this point you get 5 marks then at this point you get 4 marks and so on down to zero marks (this gives an insight as to how the scoring system works). As far as I can see they suggest clicking several times with a "developing hazard" to make sure you don't miss the scoring windows (you get the highest mark that you clicked on for that particular hazard). Mind you I realise this is tempered with if you click too much throughout the clip you get a score of zero. I read somewhere that when the Hazard Perception test first came out Driving Instructors scored zero as they spotted the hazards so early they clicked before the scoring windows began!!

I have other CD ROMS and the DVD one. I have tried the DVD one (DSA) but not the other CD's yet (including focus multimedia one).

Awwww, you should try going on the motorway... perhaps you could contact your instructor for an hours 'drive' if you're unsure about going with friend or family.

I was nervous about the motorway but my hubby suggested we go on it just a few hours after I passed my test... off we went and to be honest, its easier than driving on the normal roads - slip roads are the hardest part but once you have done them a few times you feel more confident about getting on the motorway.

As for driving on them, I think it's easier because you don't have to watch out for opposite direction traffic, children, animals etc and once your on, you stay on till you get off.. No turning or anything lol.

My aunt passed her test 20 odd years ago and still won't drive on the motorway!

Like others I used the cd rom, I thought the book was boring and it didn't really go in... With the cd rom you can learn from recognition as well as reading the info. Plus the 'practice tests' are great because they are just like the real thing so it's all familiar :)

I passed 100% correct :) try ebay for a copy, once you have passed you don't need it so people sell them.

Thanks to everyone for their replies. Just got in from work plus a driving lesson so feeling knackered!!. I am now 41 and have opted for automatic lessons this time round. Took manual lessons way back in the early 80's but didn't like the instructor and stupidly instead of changing instructors I gave up. My dad has an automatic car so have been practising in that.

I have the DSA Theory book, the DSA Theory Cd, the DSA Hazard Perception DVD. Also had Focus multimedia stuff from a couple of years back but have ordered the most recent ones from Amazon.

Just need a few extra hours in each day to cram it all in!!!!!!!

Thanks again to all who took time to reply. I will print out this thread and study each and every reply.

I learnt through BSM, I bought the books, which were brilliant, then my instructor lent me a CD which was a database of all the questions that you could ever get on the test. Day before my test sat and went through the whole CD, every question I got wrong I wrote down and went over it. Day of test passed flying colours, got one wrong, test only took me like 10 minutes, found it dead easy, because I had seen all the questions before.

Rachel