is the driving test in the uk harder than in america?

Question

if you dont know what is like in america then just is it hard in the uk
and about how many driving lessons do ppl take till the pass
thanx

Answer 1

I heard that the test is alot longer and harder, which is why the laws are more lenient..

Answer 2

The UK test is the hardest in the world, the American test is a joke. Basically if you show up for the test and dont crash you will pass and just about every car in the USA is an automatic so all you have to do is steer not drive. Why bother taking a test anyway if you already hold a licence or is it a legal requirement after a certain time in the USA

Answer 3

A mate in Scotland told me there are several levels to the driving test. The more you can pass the less you pay for different requirements. I know in New Zealand you have to drive with a big 'L' in your back window for a full year and not drive at night, no matter how old you are. I am originally from the states and it is Way too easy to get a license there. The licenses are now good for 25 years without renewal and if you can drive a straight line you can get one. As far as rules, everyone pretty much does there own thing and residents of different states follow their own 'rules' (that's why they hate tourists that don't know them). There are laws (vary by state) but not enough police to enforce them so few people follow them, if they even know what they actually are.

Answer 4

It depends. In the states, you have to take a theory, then drive for a bit, then you take an actual test with a car.
In the UK, there is a cottage industry based around teaching people to drive. That could be more difficult, in a sense. Just the hassle of having to take lessons. You can get your license once you've proven to someone you're paying that you can drive. You have L plates in the UK, which alert other drivers to get out of the way. There are none in America.
In America, you may take driving lessons in school but it isn't compulsory. You usually learn by taking the written, then having a licensed driver take you out to teach you how to drive.
There aren't very many driving schools because there is so much space that it would be laughable to pay someone to teach you what you could learn out on an empty road in the middle of nowhere. There are driving schools in the bigger cities, like New York or LA, though.
Driver's in the states follow set rules no matter which state they are travelling through. In the UK, people sometimes take matters into their own hands, ie: Letting pedestrians cross in the middle of a straight away. That is a personal choice of the driver. Not so, in America, the pedestrians have their rules and the driver's have theirs.
Hope this clarifies things a bit.
Oh, and the driver's license's in America are usually only good for 4 years, then you have to get it renewed.
The ones in the UK - unless, it's changed - are good for life.
Keeping in mind as well, that there are actual traffic cops who issue tickets and citations at the drop of a hat.

Alanengli... You have described the American driving test. All the things you stated are only part of the US test. It isn't a competition. It was a legitimate question concerning the 2 tests. If you don't have a US license, then how would you know?

Answer 5

The driving test is far harder in the UK than USA. It involves both a multiple choice traffic code test which you will have to revise for and driving test on public roads. You will have to demonstrate skills including reversing around a corner, reverse parking and a hill start. As most people in the UK drive manual transmission cars, so all these skills involve changing and using the correct gears.

The plus side of all of this is that once you have mastered these skills I think you'll agree that you are a much better driver than the average American!

Answer 6

There's quite a bit of incorrect information been given in answer to this -- check it through carefully on the relevant UK government websites.

Licences do last for a long time in the UK but not for life -- they cease at age 79 and have to be re-issued on satisfactory evidence of health.

What you can drive on any given licence is fast-changing -- the standard licence is getting more and more restricted.

The computer-based hazard perception test is much stricter than the typical US written paper.

The failure rate in the UK is dramatically higher than in the US -- a pass in the UK is the exception, rather than the rule.

There is usually a long wait for tests in the UK

Learning to drive is a VERY expensive exercise in the UK

Answer 7

On a side issue, did you see Jeremy Clarkson showing you the driving test in Pakistan (or it may have been india).
The driver set off, after 20 yds took a bend to the left, then to the right, then stopped.
That was it - passed.
No proper turns, roundabouts, traffic signals, reversing, or even getting out of second gear.
Of course it could have been for the cameras I guess.

Just a thought, can you take it there, and then hire a car in the UK!!!!

Answer 8

There are details of the test at the two links below.

It is in two parts. You have to pass the Theory Test before the Practical Test

Answer 9

in america you can use automatic cars...i think in the UK you have to have a manual....they regards automatic vehicles intended for invalids lol
if you study the book and practice you s hould pass no matter what country
i failed every driving test in Canada 1 time before i passed total of 3 fails lol ....

Answer 10

I passed on my 6th test here in the UK, kids at 15 are on the roads in the US!

Answer 11

its not easy in UK but it depends on the person taking the test like all people when your under practical supervision your nerves can play hell and you make a balls up but generally its OK