How parents and supervisors can help

What actually helps a learner preparing for the theory test, the legal requirements for supervising, and what to avoid.

If you are going to supervise practice driving

The legal requirements are specific. A supervising driver must:

• be at least 21 years old;
• have held a full driving licence for that category of vehicle for at least three years;
• not be over the drink-drive limit or otherwise unfit — the same rules apply to you as to the driver.

The car must display L plates visible from the front and rear (D plates are permitted in Wales), and must be insured for a learner driver. Only an approved driving instructor may charge for lessons.

What actually helps with the theory test

Ask “why”, not “what”

The most useful thing you can do is refuse to accept a memorised answer.

“It’s 23 metres.” — “Right. What does 23 metres look like out of the windscreen?”

Turning a fact into a picture is what makes it survive into the test and onto the road.

Narrate your own driving

When you are driving with them in the car, say what you are seeing and why you are doing things. “I’m coming off the accelerator because that van’s front wheels are turned out.” This is hazard perception training, delivered in the only place it fully makes sense.

Take an interest in the weak topics, not the score

A learner who says “I got 44 out of 50” has told you very little. A learner who says “I keep getting motorway signals wrong” has told you exactly what to work on. The progress page shows which topics are actually weak.

Help with the boring logistics

• Check the photocard licence exists and has not expired, days before.
• Work out the route to the test centre and the parking.
• Offer the lift, so getting there is not another thing to worry about.

What to avoid

Do not quiz them the morning of the test. Getting a question wrong an hour before the test does not help anyone.

Do not share your own test stories, especially the bad ones, in the week beforehand.

Do not treat a fail as a disaster. A large proportion of candidates do not pass first time. Your reaction is the thing they will remember, and it will shape how they approach the retake.

Do not teach them your habits. Some of what you do is fine and some of it has drifted over twenty years. Where you and the Highway Code disagree, the Highway Code wins — and the test is marked against the Code, not against experience.

A note on the hierarchy of road users

The Highway Code changed significantly in recent years, particularly around priority for pedestrians at junctions and space when passing cyclists. If you passed your test some time ago, it is genuinely worth reading the hierarchy of road users yourself before teaching anyone else.