Show Me Tell Me Questions

Show Me Tell Me Questions: Official Wording + Simple Explanations

During the Great Britain car driving test, the examiner asks one Tell Me vehicle-safety question before you start driving and one Show Me question while you are driving.

This Fast Pass guide keeps the official meaning but adds a simpler explanation of what the examiner is actually asking and how you would do it in a real car.

Reviewed August 2026. Exact control positions vary by vehicle, so practise in the car you expect to use for your test.

Show Me Tell Me
DVSA questions
Simple explanations
Driving test
Vehicle safety

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How the Questions Are Marked

You get one driving fault if you answer one or both questions incorrectly. If your driving becomes dangerous or potentially dangerous while carrying out the Show Me task, that can result in a serious outcome.

Fast Pass rule: know the control before test day so the question does not steal attention from the road.

The 14 Tell Me Questions — in Plain English

The exact official wording is available from DVSA. The explanations below are designed to make the meaning easier to remember.

1. Brakes

Official meaning: explain how you would check the brakes before a journey.

What that means: Simple English: the pedal should feel firm, not soft or unusually loose. When you set off, test the brakes gently and make sure the car does not pull to one side.

2. Tyre pressures

Official meaning: explain where the recommended pressures are found and how to check them.

What that means: Simple English: use the manufacturer’s information, check with a reliable gauge when tyres are cold, adjust them correctly and replace valve caps.

3. Head restraint

Official meaning: explain how to adjust it for protection.

What that means: Simple English: the solid part should be roughly as high as your eyes or the top of your ears and close to the back of your head, where adjustment is possible.

4. Tyre tread and condition

Official meaning: explain how to check legal tread and tyre condition.

What that means: Simple English: look for cuts or bulges and check at least 1.6mm tread across the central three-quarters around the tyre.

5. Headlights and tail lights

Official meaning: explain how you would check they work.

What that means: Simple English: switch them on, then walk around the car to confirm the lamps illuminate.

6. ABS warning

Official meaning: explain how you would know there is an ABS fault.

What that means: Simple English: an ABS warning light should alert you to a fault.

7. Direction indicators

Official meaning: explain how you would check the indicators work.

What that means: Simple English: switch them on, then check around the vehicle that the correct lights flash.

8. Brake lights

Official meaning: explain how you would check them.

What that means: Simple English: press the brake pedal and use reflections in a window/door or ask someone to confirm the lights illuminate.

9. Power steering

Official meaning: explain how to check the assistance works.

What that means: Simple English: steering should become noticeably easier with the system working; unusually heavy steering can indicate a problem.

10. Rear fog light

Official meaning: show/explain the switch and when it should be used.

What that means: Simple English: identify the rear-fog control and warning light; use rear fog lights only when visibility is seriously reduced.

11. Main beam

Official meaning: explain switching from dipped to main beam and how you know it is on.

What that means: Simple English: operate the stalk/switch and recognise the blue main-beam dashboard warning light.

12. Engine oil

Official meaning: open the bonnet and explain the oil-level check.

What that means: Simple English: identify the dipstick or electronic level indicator and explain checking the level between minimum and maximum marks.

13. Engine coolant

Official meaning: open the bonnet and explain the coolant-level check.

What that means: Simple English: identify the coolant reservoir and its minimum/maximum markings. Do not remove a hot pressurised cap.

14. Brake fluid

Official meaning: open the bonnet and explain the hydraulic brake-fluid check.

What that means: Simple English: identify the brake-fluid reservoir and make sure the level sits between the marked limits.

The 7 Show Me Tasks — What You Actually Do

The examiner can ask you to operate one of these while driving when it is safe:

• wash and clean the rear windscreen;
• wash and clean the front windscreen;
• switch on dipped headlights;
• set the rear demister;
• operate the horn;
• demist the front windscreen; or
• open and close a side window.

Simple rule: know where the control is, keep the car safely positioned and do not stare at the dashboard while searching for it.

How to Practise Show Me Tell Me Properly

1. Sit in the actual test car.
2. Find every relevant control while stationary.
3. Say what it does in normal language.
4. Practise the Show Me controls without looking away for long.
5. Repeat the three bonnet checks until you can identify the correct reservoirs confidently.
6. Ask your instructor to mix the questions instead of practising them in the same order.

Instructor observation: learners often know the answer but lose marks because they do not know where the control is in that particular car.

Show Me Tell Me FAQs

How many questions do I get?

Two: one Tell Me before driving and one Show Me while driving.

Do I fail if I get one wrong?

Not automatically. Incorrect answers normally result in one driving fault.

Do I need to open the bonnet?

You need to open it for the oil, coolant or brake-fluid Tell Me questions.

Should I memorise the wording?

Understand the meaning and the actual check. You do not need to sound like a script.

Know What the Question Means, Not Just the Words

Practise in your test car until you can explain the check simply and find the correct control without unnecessary distraction.

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