Hazard Perception Test
Once upon a time – before 1996 – if you were learning to drive in England, Scotland and Wales, there was just one test to pass, the practical test.
Times have well and truly change, and now the theory test – a precursor to the main test – is a well established part of the driving process for any learner wanting to earn their stripes. And since that date, the theory test has further developed and now contains two distinct parts: a multiple choice question based test, and a second hazard perception test.
So what is the hazard perception test? It involves being shown a series of 14 short clips on a computer, and having to identify the hazards that occur by clicking with the mouse. One of the clips has two hazards in whilst the others have one each that you need to identify. The sooner that you identify the hazard, the more points you score from 1 – 5. Thus if you spot a hazard straightaway you can score the maximum mark for that hazard, of five. If you click outside the scoring window then you don’t score at all.
To have a good chance of passing the hazard perception test, you need to understand how the test works. Because to some extent when a hazard develops from a potential hazard to an actual hazard, then you might sometimes click slightly before the scoring window. Therefore when you see a hazard it is a good idea to click as soon as you see it, then again a second or two later just in case you came in too quickly. As long as you don’t make too many clicks this is fine. In fact, the earliest click you make during the scoring window is the one that counts, so if you clicked when you score three points and again when you would score one, the score of three is taken.
However, you must not make too many clicks during any one click – if you do then your score for that clip will be zero and you will move onto the next one. This makes sense because it stops someone just continuously clicking the mouse with little awareness or understanding of where the hazards are.
There are two good ways in which you can prepare and therefore give yourself the best possible chance of passing this test. The first is to think in terms of hazards whilst you are driving in your practical lessons, and think about the many hazards you encounter: the cyclist coming off the pavement onto the road, the flashing lights of the ambulance on emergency call coming up behind you, the animal loitering at the edge of the road.
Secondly, look at many practice clips in order to familiarise yourself with the process and how it works. You will get better and quicker at identifying hazards and also tune in to what types of hazard you might encounter in the test. Whilst the DSA that administers the tests does not release the videos that appear in the hazard perception test, as with the multiple choice questions, they do make available under licence some sample clips. 8 of these sample clips can be viewed at Driving Theory Test Questions, and so by working through these clips you can get an excellent idea of the sort of material you might encounter in the actual hazard perception test, along with familiarising yourself with the length of the clips and clicking when you identify a hazard.
In summary, the hazard perception test is something that you should not worry about: whilst it might seem a little daunting, it is important to remember that being able to recognise and react appropriately to hazards is an essential part of safe driving. So see the test as an opportunity to improve your driving prowess and ultimately your road safety, and you will come to embrace the test rather than fear it. And by implementing the advice above, you’ll give yourself a great chance of passing the test first time. Good luck!
Dan is Editor of Driving Theory Test Questions at Driving Theory Test Questions. To view sample material on hazards and to practice your skills, visit the Hazard Perception page.
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hazard perception test