Booking your ADI Part 1 test

Part 1 is the ADI theory exam: 100 multiple-choice questions and a hazard perception test, booked and sat as one appointment. Part 2 and Part 3 are separate tests with their own booking pages, so book each one when you reach it. This page covers how to book Part 1, what you need, and how to tell you are ready.

Where to book

Part 1 is booked through the official DVSA service on GOV.UK. Use the link at the top of this page.

What you need to hand

• Your driving licence details.
• Your personal reference number (PRN). DVSA issues your PRN when it accepts your application to join the ADI qualifying process, so you already have it before you book Part 1. It is the same number for all three parts.
• A payment card. The fee is shown on GOV.UK when you book. Fees are set by DVSA, so check the amount there rather than relying on a figure you were quoted months ago.

What you are booking

Part 1 is one test with two sections, and you must pass both in the same sitting:

• Multiple choice — 100 questions, 25 in each of the four bands, in 1 hour 30 minutes. You need 85 out of 100 overall and at least 20 out of 25 in every band.
• Hazard perception — 14 clips containing 15 scoreable hazards, scored out of 75. The ADI pass mark is 57 out of 75, higher than the 44 a learner needs.

What the Part 1 test covers breaks the four bands down, and hazard perception explains how the clips are scored.

Ask for adjustments when you book

If you need support during the test, request it at the point of booking, not on the day. DVSA can provide headphones with the questions read in English or Welsh, extra time on the multiple-choice section, a member of staff to read out or reword questions, a British Sign Language video, a BSL interpreter or lip speaker at no extra fee, and a hearing loop.

A reading difficulty needs evidence — from an educational professional, a doctor, an occupational therapist or an online dyslexia screening product — sent in when you book. There is more detail in disability and equality.

On the day

Arrive 15 minutes before your start time. This is a DVSA requirement, not a way of settling your nerves: if you are late the test is cancelled, you lose your money, and you have to book and pay again. You get your result immediately after the test. Test day tips covers the rest of the day.

Are you ready to book?

These four indicators will help you decide whether now is the right time.

Confidence in knowledge

Knowing you are ready begins with feeling confident across all the material in the exam: road safety, driving law and instructional techniques. If you have consistently scored well on practice tests and mock exams, especially in areas where you previously struggled, that is a strong sign.

Teaching and instructional skills

Band 4 covers publications and instructional techniques, so your ability to explain driving concepts clearly matters even in a written exam. If you can teach these ideas, or picture yourself teaching them to a pupil, you have absorbed the material rather than memorised it.

Hazard perception readiness

If you have practised with clips and can spot a developing hazard early and consistently, you are close. Scoring 57 or more out of 75 repeatedly in practice is the indicator to look for, not a single good run.

Emotional readiness

Feeling calm and prepared, rather than anxious, is a good sign you are mentally ready. Confidence backed by thorough preparation is the right mindset to book in.

Book your test

Once you are confident across all four areas, book your ADI Part 1 test through the official GOV.UK service linked at the top of this page. Once you pass, Part 2 has its own booking route — see booking your ADI Part 2 test.

One timing point worth knowing: if you plan to use the trainee licence (pink badge) route later on, you must have passed Part 1 within the last 2 years when you apply for it. The full rules are in trainee badge vs going straight to Part 3.