Driving MasteryTheory categories
Vehicle handling: what the DVSA theory test category covers
Vehicle handling is one of the 14 DVSA theory test categories. What it covers, from gears to fog, and where learners lose marks.
Practise vehicle handling questionsQuick answer
- Vehicle handling is one of the 14 DVSA theory test topic categories, answered as multiple-choice questions.
- It is about control in changing conditions: braking, steering and gears, hills, fog and darkness, reversing and towing.
- Some of it is law, such as when you may use fog lights. Most of it is Highway Code advice.
Vehicle handling is the most practical of the theory topics: what you do with the brakes, steering and gears when the road, the weather or the light changes. It is hard to revise from the passenger seat, because the right answer often depends on how a car behaves on a slope or under braking.
What the category covers
Our vehicle handling lesson works through these areas:
- Smooth control: braking, steering and gears, and keeping your speed in check on hills.
- Seeing and being seen: fog, night driving and dazzle.
- Reversing, towing and traffic calming: manoeuvres, trailers, road humps and chicanes.
Where learners lose marks
- Thinking of the gears only as a way to go faster, not as a way to control speed.
- Mixing up fog lights and dipped headlights, and when to use each.
- Choosing a sudden reaction, such as braking or steering hard, when the situation calls for keeping the car stable.
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DVSA theory test categories
Part of Driving Mastery's guide to the DVSA theory test categories, explaining what each topic covers and how to revise it.
What are the 14 DVSA theory test categories?
Learn the DVSA theory test topic categories and how to use them to organise your revision.
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Rules of the road: what the DVSA theory test category covers
Rules of the road is one of the 14 DVSA theory test categories. What it covers, the difference between law and advice, and where learners lose marks.
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Vulnerable road users is one of the 14 DVSA theory test categories. Who it is about, what it covers, and where learners lose marks.
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Alertness is one of the 14 DVSA theory test categories. What it covers, from mirrors to tiredness, and where learners lose marks.
Attitude: what the DVSA theory test category covers
Attitude is one of the 14 DVSA theory test categories. What it covers, from courtesy to crossings, and where learners lose marks.
Safety and your vehicle: what the DVSA theory test category covers
Safety and your vehicle is one of the 14 DVSA theory test categories. What it covers, from tyres to seat belts, and where learners lose marks.
Motorway rules: what the DVSA theory test category covers
Motorway rules is one of the 14 DVSA theory test categories. What it covers, from joining to breakdowns, and where learners lose marks.
Essential documents: what the DVSA theory test category covers
Essential documents is one of the 14 DVSA theory test categories. What it covers, from insurance to the MOT, and where learners lose marks.
Incidents, accidents and emergencies: what the DVSA theory test category covers
Incidents, accidents and emergencies is one of the 14 DVSA theory test categories. What it covers, from breakdowns to first aid, and where learners lose marks.
Vehicle loading: what the DVSA theory test category covers
Vehicle loading is one of the 14 DVSA theory test categories. What it covers, from roof racks to trailers, and where learners lose marks.
Other types of vehicle: what the DVSA theory test category covers
Other types of vehicle is one of the 14 DVSA theory test categories. What it covers, from lorries to trams, and where learners lose marks.
Driving Mastery's learner guidance is written and reviewed by Niall Cullen, a UK approved driving instructor, so it stays practical, safe, and grounded in real driving lessons.