Can You Go on the Motorway During Your Driving Test?

No. Motorway driving is not part of the practical car driving test.

You can drive on roads that lead to or form part of a motorway junction, and you may see motorway signs during your test, but you won't be directed onto the motorway itself.

In Swindon, M4 Junction 16 is a good example. Spittleborough Roundabout can be used during a driving test without joining the M4.

Read the DVSA guidance on motorway driving.

Can learner drivers go on the motorway?

Yes, but only in certain circumstances.

A learner driver can drive on a motorway in England, Scotland or Wales when accompanied by an approved driving instructor (ADI) and driving a car fitted with dual controls.

You can't practise motorway driving with a parent, partner, friend or other supervising driver.

Motorway lessons are optional and you don't need to complete one before taking your driving test.

Check the GOV.UK rules for learning to drive.

When can you have a motorway driving lesson?

Motorway driving will normally come later in your learning, once you're ready to deal with the higher speeds and different situations involved.

You don't have to wait until you've passed your test.

A motorway lesson before your test can give you experience of joining and leaving using slip roads, planning at higher speeds, maintaining safe following distances, overtaking and choosing the appropriate lane.

It also means your first motorway drive doesn't have to be on your own after you've passed.

Can dual carriageways be on your driving test?

Yes. Unlike motorways, dual carriageways can be used during your practical driving test.

A dual carriageway is a road where the two directions of traffic are separated by a central reservation. It isn't defined by the number of lanes or by having a 70 mph speed limit.

The A419 is probably the most obvious example around Swindon, but there are also urban dual carriageways around the town, including parts of Great Western Way and Thamesdown Drive.

Being taken onto a dual carriageway during your Swindon driving test doesn't automatically mean you'll be driving at 70 mph. Dual carriageways can have lower signed speed limits, so you need to recognise the road you're on and the speed limit that applies.

Read the Highway Code rules for dual carriageways.

What if your driving test takes you to M4 Junction 16?

Seeing signs for the M4 doesn't mean you're about to drive on the motorway.

If your Swindon driving test takes you to Spittleborough Roundabout at Junction 16, follow the directions you're given and use the signs and road markings to work out where you need to go.

The M4 slip roads are some of the exits from the roundabout, but they won't form part of your practical car driving test.

You can be tested at a motorway junction without being tested on a motorway.