Quick answer: You can pass with no more than 15 driving faults, but any serious or dangerous fault means a fail. The examiner judges the circumstances and risk, not a fixed list that turns every repeated minor into an automatic major.
Learners often call faults “minors” and “majors”, but the official result uses driving, serious and dangerous faults. The label depends on what happened, who was affected and how much risk was created.
Use fault categories to improve judgement, not to calculate how many mistakes you can afford. Safe, independent decisions are the target.
At a glance
- Pass standard: no more than 15 driving faults.
- Any serious fault means a fail.
- Any dangerous fault means a fail.
- The result email identifies assessed areas and recorded faults.
Driving faults
A driving fault is a lapse that was not potentially dangerous in the circumstances. Examples vary because the same action can have different consequences on an empty road and in busy traffic.
Do not panic if you notice a small error. Correct it safely and return attention to the road. Trying to guess the examiner's mark can cause the next, more important observation to be missed.
Serious and dangerous faults
A serious fault is potentially dangerous. A dangerous fault involves actual danger to you, the examiner, the public or property. Examiner intervention—verbal or physical action to avoid an incident—will be recorded on the result.
Context is central. Poor observation at an empty junction may be assessed differently from pulling into the path of another road user, even if the underlying routine was similar.
Areas the examiner assesses
The official result guide covers awareness and planning, control, junctions, mirrors, positioning, progress, response to signs and signals, following distance, manoeuvres and more. These headings help translate one result into a useful lesson plan.
Look for a pattern across areas. A fault recorded under junction observation may share a cause with a mirror fault: rushed approach speed that left too little time to look.
Turn the result into practice
For every recorded area, write the situation, the safe routine and the earliest clue you missed. Practise the decision under varied conditions rather than repeating one junction until it feels familiar.
Ask an instructor or supervising driver to observe one priority at a time. A focused drive on approach speed and scanning is more useful than a vague instruction to “make fewer mistakes”.
Your checklist
- Read the official result email before relying on memory.
- Separate the recorded fault from its underlying cause.
- Prioritise any serious or dangerous risk first.
- Practise the skill in different roads and traffic levels.
- Rebook when safe performance is consistent, not after one good drive.
Frequently asked questions
Do 16 driving faults always mean a fail?
Yes. The pass standard allows no more than 15 driving faults, with no serious or dangerous faults.
Does repeating a driving fault automatically make it serious?
The examiner assesses the circumstances and risk. Repetition can show a pattern, but there is no simple public conversion formula to game.
Official sources
Rules, fees and service availability can change. This guide was checked on 24 July 2026. Confirm the latest position before you act.
