Show me, tell me questions: how to prepare for your Sevenoaks driving test

The "show me, tell me" questions check that you understand basic vehicle safety checks and can use the car's essential controls safely.

You don't need to be a mechanic. You do need to know your test car: where the controls and components are, what they do and how to use them.

I give my pupils a guide written for Penny, my manual Volkswagen Polo, and we practise the questions during lessons, so they feel familiar long before test day. You can download it free below.

How many questions will you be asked?

During your car driving test, the examiner asks:

• One "tell me" question at the start, before you drive, asking you to explain a safety check.
• One "show me" question while you're driving, asking you to use a control.

If you can't answer one or both questions correctly, you'll get one driving fault in total, often called a minor. On its own, that won't fail you.

The show me question is different, because you do it on the move. If you don't operate the control safely, you can get a serious or dangerous fault, and either of those means you fail. For example, if you're distracted looking at the controls and the car swerves towards oncoming traffic, that's a fail, however well you knew the answer.

What happens at the start of the test?

After the eyesight check, follow the examiner's instructions.

They may ask you to get into the car and make yourself comfortable before asking your tell me question. Or they may ask you to open the bonnet for a question about a fluid level.

If you're told not to start the engine, leave it off. And listen to the whole question before doing anything: explaining how you'd check something is different from physically carrying out the check.

For most questions, a clear explanation is enough. For an under-bonnet question, you need to point out the right component and explain the check.

Can your instructor help open the bonnet?

Yes. The examiners' own guidance (opens in a new tab) says the ability to open the bonnet isn't one of the skills being tested, and if you have difficulty, the person who came with you can help. Instructors are still expected to teach it, so I'll show you how Penny's release catch, safety catch and bonnet support work before your test.

Help with the bonnet doesn't answer the question for you, though. Pointing out the component and explaining the check is still down to you.

You don't need a word-perfect answer, but preparation shows

You don't have to recite every answer exactly as it's written in the guide. What matters is showing you understand the check. Examiners are told not to push for precise wording.

On one test I sat in on, the examiner asked how the pupil would find the recommended tyre pressures and check them. The pupil replied along the lines of: "I'd look in the instruction manual, then go to the garage and use the air-pressure thingy."

The examiner accepted it. But I'd encourage you to prepare a fuller answer:

"I'd find the recommended pressures in the manufacturer's information, then use a reliable pressure gauge to check and adjust the tyres when they're cold. I'd also check the spare if there is one, and put the valve caps back on."

A considered answer shows you understand the check and have taken your preparation seriously. That's the confident, responsible approach I want my pupils to have.

You don't need impressive terminology. Use your own words, but cover the important points. Sounding polished doesn't replace knowing how to do the check.

The "tell me" questions to prepare

There are 14 tell me questions, all on familiar safety checks. These are the main points to understand.

Under the bonnet: point it out and explain

In Penny, we'll practise finding the oil dipstick, the coolant reservoir and the brake fluid reservoir.

Learn what each one looks like, rather than relying on "the bottle on the left". The layout may be different if you change cars.

Don't remove caps or handle hot parts unnecessarily, and never open the coolant cap while the engine is hot. These questions are about understanding a safe check, not doing maintenance in the test centre car park.

What if you take your test in an electric car?

A fully electric car has no engine oil to check, but the safety checks still matter. You still need to know the car's tyres, lights, brakes, washers and demisters, and electric cars still have coolant and brake fluid reservoirs, so don't assume everything under the bonnet is irrelevant.

If you're taking your test in Rene, my electric Renault 5, we'll prepare using Rene's own controls and checks rather than Penny's layout.

The seven "show me" tasks

While you're driving, the examiner will ask you to show them one of these:

These are for my Polo, and they're similar in a Seat Ibiza, Skoda Fabia or Audi A1. Switches vary between cars, though, so practise in the car you'll take your test in. The full answers for the Polo are in my free guide (opens in a new tab).

Why is opening the side window a safety question?

People often wonder about this one. When the examiner asks, "Can you show me how you'd open and close the side window?", all they want is your own window, not every window in the car.

The reason is simple. Sevenoaks has plenty of closed junctions where you can't clearly see whether it's safe to pull out, such as turning left from Burntwood Road into Ashgrove Road. At junctions like that, you're expected to open the window slightly and listen for approaching traffic. Sometimes hearing what's coming is just as important as seeing it.

"When it's safe" means you choose the moment

The examiner's request isn't an instruction to reach for a button straight away.

Keep looking and keep the car under control. If you're going round a bend, approaching a junction or dealing with a hazard, deal with that first. Then do the task when you can do it safely.

A quick glance at a control may be necessary. Staring at the dashboard while the car keeps moving is the danger to avoid.

If you're not sure which control to use, stay calm and tell the examiner. Don't keep searching while your speed, steering or observations slip.

A small fumble isn't a problem

I've been on many tests where a learner was asked to wash the rear window and washed the front windscreen first. They realised, corrected themselves and washed the rear window, and the examiner simply said something like, "That's absolutely fine, I've got two for one." It wasn't recorded as a fault. What matters is that you keep your eyes on the road as much as you can while you find the control.

Drive first. Show me second.

The mistakes I want you to avoid

Preparation prevents a few common problems:

• Knowing the written answer but not being able to find the control in your car.
• Mixing up the front and rear demisters.
• Relying on automatic headlights without knowing how to select dipped headlights yourself.
• Looking down for too long.
• Rushing the show me task while approaching a hazard.
• Thinking one wrong answer means the test is lost.

If you do get one wrong, bring your attention straight back to your driving. It's one driving fault, and there's nothing to gain from replaying it through the next junction.

How to revise without it feeling overwhelming

Read the guide in small sections, then explain the answers out loud in your own words.

While parked safely, find the controls and components. On lessons, we'll practise the show me tasks on the move, so you can do them while keeping your observations and control. And every mock test I run includes a tell me question at the start and a show me question on the move, just like the real thing.

If you change test cars, give yourself time to learn the new layout. Knowing Penny's switches won't tell you where everything is in another car.

Frequently asked questions

Finally…

The show me, tell me questions are very manageable with preparation. Aim to arrive knowing your test car so well that a safety question feels like a familiar task, then put all your attention back on the driving. That's how my learners prepare, and it's part of why they had an 87% pass rate in 2026 (53 of 61 tests).