TCR Auto Insurance Blog

What is a Theory Test?

The theory test is mainly to test your knowledge of the Highway Code, but it also tests your attitude and common sense.

Who needs to take the Theory Test?

If you are a learner driver you must take and pass your theory test before you book your practical test. If you already have a driving licence you might not have to take another theory test if you want to start driving a different vehicle.

How much does it cost?

From the 1st April 2008 the standard fee for car and motorcycle is £30.

Where do I book?

You can book directly with the DSA.

What to expect on the exam day

The theory test is made up of two parts; the multiple choice part and the hazard perception part. You need to pass both parts to pass the theory test. Once you have passed the theory test you can then apply to take your practical driving test.

Part 1: Multiple Choice

Before the test starts you’ll be given instructions on how the test works.

You can also choose to go through a practice session of the multiple choice questions to get used to the layout of the test. At the end of the practice session the real test will begin.

A question and several answer options will appear onscreen and you have to select the correct answer to the question by touching the screen. Some questions may require more than one answer.

For cars and motorcycles you’ll be asked 50 questions in 57 minutes and the pass mark is 43 out of 50.

You can navigate between questions and ‘flag’ questions that you want to come back to later in the test. After the multiple choice part you can choose to have a break of up to three minutes before the hazard perception part starts.

Part 2: Hazard Perception

After the break you’ll then be shown a short tutorial video clip about how the hazard perception part works.

The hazard perception part is also delivered on a computer but you respond by clicking a button on the mouse. You’ll be presented with a series of 14 video clips which feature every day road scenes. In each clip there’ll be at least one developing hazard, but one of the clips will feature two developing hazards.

To achieve a high score you’ll need to respond to the developing hazard during the early part of its development. The maximum you can score on each hazard is five.

You won’t be able to review your answers to the hazard perception test; as on the road, you’ll only have one chance to respond to the developing hazard.

The pass mark for the car and motorcycle hazard perception part of the theory test is 44 out of 75

After the Test

At the end of the hazard perception part of the theory test you’ll be invited to answer a number of customer survey questions.

You don’t have to answer the questions if you don’t want to, and any information given is anonymous and confidential. The survey questions don’t affect the result of the test.

When you have finished the test you may leave the examination room. Once you have left the room, you’ll not be allowed to enter it again. You’ll then be given your result by the test centre staff.

How to prepare

We advise you to have taken some driving lessons with an instructor before before taking your Theory Test. We would also recommend that you do some Practice Theory Tests on software or on our website Theory Test Pass. It will also allow you to practice your Hazard Perception.

 

Rancho’s experts on off-road suspension have introduced the first of its kind suspension system in the industry that is intended for use in the vehicle, Hummer H3. This great production is considered as an outstanding technology which allows the owners of Hummer H3 to rival the off-road capabilities of the Hummer H2 models that are also Rancho-equipped.

The new package is evolutionary since it allows the customers to an upgrade of 37-inch tires. There is also an exclusive feature called the Rancho/Realift. This is a state-of-the-art torsion bar relocation technology. This technology reduces the requirement of relocating the factory torsion bar cross member. As such the need for cutting and welding is done away with.

The esteemed engineers of Rancho also cleverly developed a cross member design consisting of two pieces which allows the precise relocation of the installer to differential. This ensures an optimal zero-bump steer and secures suspension geometry without it needing to be removed from your automobile.

Rancho also packaged the cross member ultra-precisely and helps the vehicle to maintain maximum clearance of the ground. Once combined with the technologies being offered by the Rancho/Realift, the departure and approach angles are substantially improved. Each lift kit also includes the Hummer-inspired skid plate armor of Rancho that offers protection for the vehicle’s front differential.

Here is a listing of this new Hummer Lift Kit for H3 by Rancho:

- Two-piece cross member – easy installation and maximum ground clearance

- Differential skid plate armor that is Hummer-inspired

- Front differential drop brackets – ensures the correctness of the pinion angle and minimizes the vibration of driveline

- Maintenance of factory location of pinion and rack

- Well-preserved OE geometry for simple alignment, optimal handling and ride, and zero bump steer.

- High-clearance aft braces – maximizes the ground clearance and provides additional strength.

- No exhaust or drivetrain modification required

- New rear low friction competition leaf spring packs

- Can hold up to 20-inch wheels

- Can hold a tire of up to 37- inch tall.

- Rancho/Realift technology – no torsion bar relocation for improved ground clearance.

- CNC-machined cast ductile iron steeling knuckles that has the industry’s highest quality design

- Allow the reuse of OE front skid plate

The Dodge brand under the Chrysler Group manufacturer of Jeep window regulator is planning to downsize its advertising slogan from “Grab Life by the Horns” to simply “Grab Life” in an effort to portray Chrysler’s best-selling marquee as more than just a truck brand, according to a reliable source familiar with the plan.

For the past couple of months, Dodge has rolled out the Avenger midsize sedan, the Caliber hatchback, and the Nitro small SUV, for fear that its not gaining many sales because the brand is so associated with the trucks like the muscular Dodge Ram pickup.

A Chrysler official refused to give his views on the shift, by saying that it is not the policy of the company to discuss future marketing plans. But according to a person that is familiar with the plan has told The Detroit News that new slogan is to be revealed in a series of television ads scheduled to air in the coming weeks. Some dealers have also said that they were aware of the change but requested for their identity to be kept secret.

The new campaign is being developed by BBDO in Detroit. It is not yet sure whether the new marketing approach will attract new buyers but some experts say that it still depends on the execution of the said ad. According John Henke, a marketing professor at Oakland University who follows automotive advertising, “They need something with the same cachet. If they’re going to make a change, it should be a bigger change that should be more apropos.”

The change in slogan is being planned as Dodge car sales are growing with new model rollouts while its truck sales are declining amid volatile gasoline prices. While the Ram remains to be Chrysler’s best-selling single model, it is also one of the oldest designs in the pickup segment. Some of its main rivals such as Ford F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado have both been redesigned in recent years.

Last March, the Dodge brand sales decline by 4 percent with demand for trucks off by 6.6 percent whereas car sales increase by 3.4 percent. The biggest gains were recorded by the Caliber hatchback, which Dodge’s smallest and most fuel-efficient model increasing by 32 percent while the Charger sedan was able to post a 40.8 percent increase. Ram sales decline by 1.1 percent.

Dodge is also seeking other markets such as women car buyers and younger car buyers. According to Auto Pacific, the marketing and product consulting firm that has offices in California and Southfield, 78 percent of Dodge buyers are men, compared to the industry-wide 65 percent. It was also found out that the median age of Dodge buyers is 53.

The shift in tagline and new ads also come against a backdrop of dealer dissatisfaction with recent Dodge brand commercials which they felt have completely failed to differentiate Dodge models from its other competitors especially when the commercial showed a vehicle flying into midair after getting a jump from a Dodge Nitro.

The President of Wilson Dodge in Flowood, Miss. Doug Wilson is not aware of the plans to change the slogan of the Dodge commercial however he said that if it is true then there’s always some room for improvement in Dodge ads.

A non-executive Chairman of the consulting firm Courland Automotive Practice in Rochester, Vic Doolan said that if Dodge is determined in attracting buyers it has to change the perception of consumers of the brand. He also said that Chrysler needs to let consumers see beyond the manly façade of Dodge and it will take more than just a shift of slogan. “It’s not a marketing exercise,” said Doolan, who headed BMW North America for nine years. “It’s a complete brand exercise.”

Doolan to illustrate his point said that Chrysler can learn from some auto brands like Saturn that have successfully shaped consumers’ thinking and are now famous for their no-haggle dealership experience. Mazda is another brand from which Chrysler can learn a thing or two, Ford has advertise the brand emphasizing on its quality such as sporty and affordable.