Checked against DVSA guidance on GOV.UK in October 2026.
Pulling over during the test
GOV.UK says you'll be asked to pull over and pull away during your test, including:
- a normal stop at the side of the road
- pulling out from behind a parked vehicle
- a hill start
You might also be asked to carry out an emergency stop. The guidance for examiners says every test should include at least two normal stops and always include moving off at an angle from behind a stationary vehicle.
These stops are separate from the reversing exercise. That's one of three: parallel parking, parking in a bay, or pulling up on the right, reversing about two car lengths and rejoining the traffic.
Choosing where to stop
The examiner's wording, from the DVSA's test wordings, is usually "Pull up on the left at a safe place, please". They expect you to stop in the first place that is safe, legal and convenient, close to the kerb, where your car won't obstruct the road or create a hazard. Don't rush into a poor spot, but don't drive past several good ones either.
Sometimes the examiner names the place instead, such as "Pull up on the left just before you get to the next parked car, please". That sets up moving off at an angle, so leave enough room to pull out.
The Highway Code lists places you shouldn't stop. Rule 243 includes:
- opposite or within 10 metres of a junction
- at or near a bus or tram stop or taxi rank
- near a school entrance
- on a bend, or near the brow of a hill or a hump bridge
- where the kerb has been lowered for wheelchair and mobility scooter users
- in front of an entrance to a property
You must never stop on a pedestrian crossing or its zig-zag lines (rule 240), and you must not wait on yellow lines during their hours of operation (rule 238).
The DVSA's guide to understanding your driving test result lists the most common faults for normal stops: partly or completely blocking a driveway, obstructing other road users, parking with wheels on the pavement, and parking too far from the kerb. It also notes pulling up behind a queue of parked vehicles as an awareness and planning fault, because it leaves you boxed in.
How to pull up
- Mirrors. Check the interior mirror and the left door mirror so you know what's behind and beside you, including cyclists.
- Signal if it helps. Signal left if it would help other road users. Pulling up without signalling to following traffic when you should have is a recorded fault. But don't signal just before a side road you aren't turning into: rule 103 says to wait until you're passing it.
- Steer gently to the kerb. Slow down smoothly and bring the car close to the kerb and parallel to it, without touching it. Repeatedly mounting the pavement when pulling up is one of the steering faults in the DVSA's top 10 reasons for failing.
- Secure the car. Apply the parking brake, select neutral and cancel your signal.
Moving off again
"Not moving off safely" is the third most common reason people fail, according to the DVSA's top 10 list. Highway Code rule 159 sets out the checks before moving off:
- use all mirrors to check the road is clear
- look round to check the blind spots
- signal if necessary before moving out
- look round for a final check, and move off only when it's safe
When you're moving off from behind a parked car, you'll be pulling out at an angle into the traffic lane, so judge oncoming traffic as well as traffic behind. On a hill, use the controls so the car doesn't roll back.
The controlled stop
On your result, the emergency stop is marked under the heading "Controlled stop". (Examiner guidance also uses "controlled stop" for pulling up just before a parked car, as above, which can be confusing.) It doesn't happen on every test: examiner guidance says the emergency stop is carried out in 1 out of every 7 driving tests, chosen at random.
The examiner asks you to pull up first and explains the exercise. They tell you they'll give a signal and say "Stop", and that you should then stop as quickly and as safely as possible. They look round to make sure it's safe before giving the signal, so wait for it.
The marking guide asks you to stop the car safely, promptly and under full control, avoiding locking the wheels, and reminds examiners that it can take twice as long to stop in the wet. You're marked on:
- Promptness. Reacting too slowly is one of the most common faults.
- Control. Locking the wheels and skidding briefly, then regaining control, is an example of a driving fault. Braking so harshly that the car keeps skidding with no real attempt to regain control is an example of a serious fault.
The Highway Code says in an emergency you should brake immediately but try not to brake so hard that you lock the wheels. If your car has anti-lock brakes, rule 120 says to press the footbrake firmly and keep the pressure on until you've slowed down. ABS should help you keep steering control, but don't assume it will stop you in a shorter distance.
Afterwards, you'll be stopped in the middle of the lane. Before moving off, make full checks all round, including your blind spots. The DVSA's top 10 list gives moving off after an emergency stop without any rear observations as a "move off - safety" fault.
Questions
Does every driving test include an emergency stop?
No. DVSA guidance for examiners says the emergency stop exercise is carried out in 1 out of every 7 driving tests, chosen at random.
Should I signal when pulling up on the left?
Check your mirrors first, then signal if it would help other road users. Don't signal just before a side road you aren't turning into, because it can look as if you are turning.