Since launching the Ready to Pass? campaign in 2022, we've had lots of useful feedback from many of you as approved driving instructors (ADIs). One theme that’s come up is that the campaign feels too focused on passing the test and not enough on the broader skills that make someone a safe driver for life.
That's fair feedback and we've taken it seriously. This post explains the changes we've made to the driving skills section of the campaign website, why we made them and how the new content might be useful in your lessons.
What the driving skills section is
The driving skills section of the Ready to Pass? website is a learner-facing resource that sets out the 27 skills at the heart of learning to drive.
It groups those skills into 8 categories: basics, control and positioning, observation and planning, junctions and crossings, manoeuvres, road types, driving conditions and driving independently. It also provides guidance on how learners can track their progress across 5 levels as they develop each one.
From ‘passing the test’ to ‘driving safely’
The most visible change is the title of the driving skills section itself. It's moved from ‘Skills you need to pass your driving test’ to ‘Learning the skills you need to drive safely’.
It now has a description that reads: "Discover the 27 skills you'll develop with your driving instructor and how to track your progress as you work towards becoming a safe, independent driver."
You'll see that framing carried through the language across the whole section.
Advice on choosing an instructor and checking badges
The section now includes clear guidance for learners on how to find a qualified instructor, what to look for and the difference between a fully qualified ADI and a trainee driving instructor. It also suggests questions learners might want to ask before booking.
A new navigation page
We've added a navigation page for the section, making it quicker and easier to get directly to any of the pages in the section.
This should make it simpler for your pupils to find specific skills quickly.
A recommended learning sequence
The updated section sets out a clear order for learning to drive:
- Choose a driving instructor.
- Start studying The Highway Code.
- Start taking driving lessons with your instructor.
- Start studying and practising for your theory test.
- Book and take your theory test when your instructor thinks you are ready.
- Start doing private practice between your driving lessons, when your instructor says you are ready.
- Book your driving test only when your instructor agrees you are ready to pass and drive on your own.
We've included this because DVSA survey data shows that learners who start professional lessons before their theory test are more likely to succeed. Learners without any lessons before their theory test were:
- 16% more likely to fail the multiple-choice part of theory test first time
- 25% more likely to fail their driving test first time
These figures come from voluntary surveys of learner drivers carried out by DVSA. The theory test data covers responses collected between April 2024 and July 2025. The driving test data covers responses collected between July 2024 and April 2025.
This sequencing reinforces your role as the expert in judging readiness - which is central to what the whole campaign is trying to communicate to learners.
Reflective questions for each skill
Each of the 27 individual skill pages now includes 4 questions under the heading ‘Things to think about’ and 104 questions in total across the section. These follow a deliberate structure:
- do I... (habit)
- would I... (scenario)
- would I ever... (beliefs and values)
- what would happen if... (consequence)
This progression mirrors how the brain processes behaviour and moves learners from surface-level awareness toward deeper self-evaluation skills. The questions are written at an accessible reading level and framed as tools for reflection, not a test.
Although they’ve been designed for learners to use as private self-reflection, you may find some of them are useful as conversation starters in lessons. They might be particularly helpful with learners who find it difficult to talk about their driving, or who need encouragement to reflect beyond the mechanics of what they did.
An ‘ask your instructor’ prompt for each skill
Each of the 27 skills also includes a single prompt under a heading of ‘Ask your instructor’. These are designed to encourage learners to initiate coaching conversations with you, raising topics they might not otherwise bring up.
The questions are intentionally open-ended and aligned with coaching principles, inviting learners to take an active role in their own development rather than waiting to be told what to improve.
Skills updated with content on advanced driver assistance systems
Many modern vehicles include systems such as lane assist, automatic emergency braking and parking sensors.
We've added what learners need to know and understand about them.
Take a look and tell us what you think
View the updated driving skills section.
This content has been shaped by ADI feedback, but we know the real test of whether it works will be in your lessons.
If you try the reflection questions or if your pupils use the ‘Ask your instructor’ prompts, please let us know what happened, such as what worked, what fell flat and what you'd change.
We read every response and your feedback will directly inform how we develop this section further. Email ready.to.pass@dvsa.gov.uk - we'd genuinely like to hear from you.
We’ll now be turning our attention to improving the ‘Helping a learner driver’ section of the website. This is the section for parents, guardians and other people supporting learners. We’ll update you when it’s relaunched.
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