Show Me Tell Me
During your Practical Driving Test, the examiner will ask you to answer the ‘Show Me, Tell Me’ questions. Luckily, there are only a few and they’re easy to learn!
To successfully pass the “show me, tell me” questions, or vehicle safety section, you don’t need to be an experienced car mechanic. You simply need some basic knowledge on how your training vehicle works by learning the correct answers for the ‘tell me’ questions and knowing how to demonstrate the different ‘show me’ questions.
The vehicle safety section of the test allows the examiner, and yourself, to understand how the cark works and that you can activate the different functions safely whilst driving.
During your driving test, your examiner will as you one show me question, and one tell me question. These questions can come up at any point during the exam – before you get into the car, whilst you are performing your driving test, or once you are back at the driving test centre.
We have outlined some examples of the various ‘show me, tell me’ questions and answers below.
“Show me” questions
- When it’s safe to do so, can you show me how you wash and clean the front windscreen?
- When it’s safe to do so, can you show me how you wash and clean the rear windscreen?
- When it’s safe to do so, can you show me how you’d switch on your dipped headlights?
- When it’s safe to do so, can you show me how you’d set the rear demister?
- When it’s safe to do so, can you show me how you’d demist the front windscreen?
- When it’s safe to do so, can you show me how you’d open and close the side window?
- When it’s safe to do so, can you show me how you’d operate the horn?
Tell me questions and answers
“Without the engine on, if I press the brake pedal it should not feel spongy or slack”.
“I could also drive slowly in a safe place, such as a quiet road and apply the brakes. If they pull to one side they are faulty”.
I can check the vehicle handbook or look inside the front passenger doors for a sticker with the information on. To check the tyre pressure, I’d use a pressure when the tyres, including the spare tyres, are cold.
“The rigid part of the head restraint should be adjusted so it is as high as the eyes or top of the ears, and as close to the back of the head where is comfortable”.
“The whole tyre should have a tread should be a minimum of 1.6mm across the central three-quarters, and there should be no cuts or bulges along the sidewall of the tyre”.
“I would turn on the ignition and walk around the vehicle to make sure all the lights are working”.
“In the dashboard a yellow warning like would appear with the letters ‘ABS’ if there is a fault with the anti-lock braking system”.
“I would turn on the hazard warning button and walk around the vehicle to check that all six indicators are flashing.
“I would turn on the ignition but not the engine and press the brake pedal. I would ask someone to help me check that they are working, or use window or door reflections”.
“To check the power-assisted steering it’s working, I’d apply gentle pressure to the steering wheel with my left hand with the engine switched off. There should be slight movement as the power steering begins to operate once the engine is turned on”.
“I would turn on the ignition, turn on the headlights and press the button beside the headlight with the zig-zag headlight, which will then show an amber light when they’re on. They would be used if the visibility is less than 100 metres in snowy or foggy conditions and not when it is raining”.
“I would turn on the ignition and turn on the headlights. I would then pull the left stalk towards me until it clicks. A blue headlight warning on the dashboard tells me the full beam is on”.
You will need to point at the dipstick to show you know where it is.
Say: “I would take the dipstick out, wipe it, put it back in, take it out again and then check the oil is between the maximum and minimum marks”.
You will need to point at the reservoir to show you know where it is.
Say: “I would check the coolant and make sure it is between the maximum and minimum marks. If I need to add more coolant, I’d make sure the engine is cold”.
You will need to point at the reservoir to show you know where it is.
Say: “I’d make sure the brake fluid is between the maximum and minimum marks”. <div></div>
Under the bonnet checks
“Without the engine on, if I press the brake pedal it should not feel spongy or slack”.
“I could also drive slowly in a safe place, such as a quiet road and apply the brakes. If they pull to one side they are faulty”.
I can check the vehicle handbook or look inside the front passenger doors for a sticker with the information on. To check the tyre pressure, I’d use a pressure when the tyres, including the spare tyres, are cold.