33% of UK car owners admit they can’t check their own brake fluid, one of the most common Show Me Tell Me questions examiners ask. Mastering these questions isn’t about memorising answers, it’s about truly understanding your car. That’s exactly what we focus on at Driving Lessons.
The Important Bits to Remember
- Two questions, every test: one ‘tell me’ before you set off, one ‘show me’ while driving — there’s no avoiding them.
- Knowledge gaps are common: most drivers never learn basic checks like tyre tread or oil levels, which is exactly why examiners test for it.
- A wrong answer isn’t an instant fail: it adds a driving fault, but two wrong answers can tip you over the limit.
- Practice kills the nerves: rehearsing answers out loud during lessons means no surprises on test day.
- It’s predictable: Show Me Tell Me is one of the fixed parts of the test, just like manoeuvres.
- Visual learners, we’ve got you: Our teaching materials cover every answer with clear diagrams and step-by-step guidance
- Short on time: an intensive course gets these locked in fast alongside everything else you need.
The Show Me Tell Me Questions, Explained
The Show Me Tell Me questions are two vehicle safety checks that form part of every UK practical driving test.
The ‘tell me’ question happens before you touch the ignition — you explain in your own words how you’d carry out a specific safety check.
The ‘show me’ question comes once you’re out on the road — you physically demonstrate something like activating the rear demister or cleaning the windscreen, all while keeping your eyes focused on the road.
Getting to grips with these questions starts with understanding that split. Mix them up and you’ll stumble over your answer even when you actually know it.
Why Most Learners Aren’t Ready for These Questions
Here’s something most people won’t admit: most people who’ve held a licence for years still couldn’t tell you how to check their engine oil. Around 9% of car owners admit they have no idea how to check the oil level — and that’s adults, not nervous seventeen-year-olds on test day.
Tyres are even worse. Roughly 10% of drivers don’t know how to check tyre tread, and 38% only swap them out when they absolutely have to, rather than checking regularly.
This isn’t about intelligence — it’s simply never been taught properly. That’s why we weave it into every learner’s individual syllabus, rather than assuming you’ll pick it up along the way.
Preparing for the Show Me Tell Me Questions Before You Sit Your Test
The most effective way to prepare for the Show Me Tell Me questions is repetition out loud — not silent reading. Say the answers in the car, hands on the controls, exactly as you would on test day.
We run through the full question bank early in your lessons, then bring them back at random moments so you’re answering under mild pressure rather than reciting from a quiet script. That’s how the answer becomes second nature instead of something you’re scrambling for in the moment.
Slowing down and actually reading the question — rather than blurting the first thing that comes to mind — cuts out a lot of the nerve-induced mistakes. A calm, focused brain handles these questions far better than a tired, anxious one.
A few things that make the difference:
Cover both question types in the same session, not separately, since the test mixes them. Practise your answers out loud in the car, not just in your head at home. Ask your instructor to drop in random questions across several lessons.
Does Getting One Wrong Fail Your Test?
One wrong answer records as a driving fault — not an automatic fail. Staying composed when the examiner asks is key.
This is exactly why we build these questions into lessons from the start. Getting them test-ready early means one less thing to worry about when the nerves kick in on the day.
Staying Composed When the Examiner Asks
Managing your nerves is key to success here. Most learners know the answers perfectly well when practising with their driving instructor but react differently when placed in front of an examiner.
Slow down, take a deep breath before answering, a calm learner makes far fewer mistakes than a tired one.
