Automatic driving test: what changes, and what your licence lets you drive

What counts as an automatic

For the test, an automatic is a car in which the gear ratio can only be varied by the accelerator or brakes; in everyday terms, a car with no clutch pedal. GOV.UK puts it simply: manual cars have three pedals, while automatic and semi-automatic cars have two.

Electric cars have no conventional gearbox and no clutch to disengage the motor, which is why examiner guidance treats them as automatics. They're fine for the test as long as they meet the normal rules for test cars.

Is the automatic test easier?

The test itself isn't. The content, the length and the marking are identical, and the examiner applies the same three fault levels and the same limit of 15 driving faults. What changes is your workload. With no clutch pedal there's no stalling and no hunting for the biting point on a hill, and in a fully automatic or electric car there are no gear changes to time either. That leaves more attention for observation, planning and positioning.

That doesn't mean an automatic removes control faults. Examiner guidance sets out techniques it expects in automatics, and when they're missed the fault is recorded under the parking brake, footbrake or accelerator. GOV.UK also publishes separate automatic pass rates for each test centre if you want to compare.

Automatic habits examiners look for

• Secure the car on longer stops. Apply the parking brake when a wait is likely to be long, such as at a red light, at a junction or in a queue. Short stops may not need it.
• Control creep. An automatic in drive tends to edge forward, and the parking brake may be needed to hold it. Faults here are marked under the handbrake.
• Use your right foot for both pedals. It's the recommended technique for normal driving. Left-foot braking isn't marked as a fault unless you brake against the accelerator.
• Keep manoeuvres gentle. Using both feet in a confined space is acceptable if your speed stays controlled, with no big bursts of throttle or heavy braking.

Electronic parking brakes and hill-start assist are both allowed on the test. With hill-start assist you still have to co-ordinate the controls and take proper observation when you move off, and any self-parking feature must stay switched off so that you carry out the manoeuvre yourself.

On the day in an automatic

• Starting up. Examiner guidance expects the parking brake to be on and the selector in neutral before the engine starts; in most automatics that means park or neutral.
• Moving off. The same checks apply as in a manual: mirrors, blind spot and a signal if needed. The test always includes moving off at an angle from behind a parked vehicle, and a hill start where a suitable slope is available.
• Reversing exercises. Let the car creep and use the footbrake to keep the speed down, rather than pressing the accelerator, so you have time for all-round observation.
• Emergency stop, if it comes up: react promptly and brake firmly without locking the wheels. A short skid that you correct is a minor; one that leaves the car out of control is serious.

Your licence: category B auto and code 78

Passing in an automatic gives you category B auto: you can drive category B vehicles, but only automatic ones. Code 78 on the back of your licence shows the restriction to automatic transmission.

Code 78 is the administrative code for simply passing in an automatic car. Drivers who need automatic transmission because of a disability get a different code, 10 for modified transmission, as part of their adaptation codes. If that applies to you, our guide to the driving test with a disability explains how adaptations are recorded.

Upgrading to a manual licence later

1. Take manual lessons until clutch control, gear changes and hill starts are second nature. Our post on clutch control covers the core skill.
2. Skip the theory test. GOV.UK says you don't need to pass another theory test if you're upgrading an automatic car licence to a manual one.
3. Book by phone. Upgrade tests, such as automatic to manual, can't be booked through the online service; the GOV.UK booking page gives the number to call.
4. Pass the practical test in a manual car, and the automatic-only restriction no longer applies.

Should you learn in an automatic?

It depends mostly on what you'll drive afterwards. If the car you'll use, buy or share is an automatic or electric, learning in one is a sensible match, and you'll spend your lessons on judgement rather than gears. If you might need to drive manual cars, for a job or a family car, a manual pass covers both types and saves taking a second test later.

Whichever you choose, the preparation looks the same: the four test manoeuvres, long spells of independent driving and the roads around your centre. SteerClear works the same in any car, with practice routes around your test centre, a mock test scored by fault type, and drive scoring for braking, cornering, speed and smoothness, which matter just as much without a clutch. SteerClear is independent of GOV.UK and the examiners.

If you'll test in your own automatic, check the rules for using your own car. Lesson prices and test fees are in our guide to the cost of learning to drive, and the practical driving test guide covers the day itself.