Video 3
About this clip
Driving through town, you see a silver car emerging from the junction to your right. You gently slow down and allow the driver to safely join the traffic.
How the hazard perception test works
The hazard perception test is the second part of the UK theory test, taken at the same appointment as the multiple-choice questions. You watch 14 video clips filmed from the driver's point of view, each around a minute long and showing everyday road scenes. Thirteen clips contain one developing hazard and one clip contains two, giving 15 scoreable hazards in total. To pass the car version of the test you need at least 44 points out of a possible 75.
Scoring and the five-point window
Each developing hazard is worth up to five points. As the hazard unfolds, the scoring window is split into five bands: respond at the earliest moment and you earn five points, with later responses scoring four, three, two or one point until the window closes. Clicking before anything has started to develop earns nothing, and clicking continuously or in a set pattern scores zero for that clip.
When to click
Click the moment a potential hazard becomes a developing one — the point at which you would actually need to slow down, brake or change direction. A lorry parked at the side of the road is a potential hazard; a pedestrian stepping out from behind it is a developing one, and that is when your click earns points.
Making the most of practice clips
Watch each clip more than once. Respond naturally on your first attempt and note your score, then work out exactly when the scoring window opened and which early clues you missed. Keep scanning the whole scene — junctions, parked vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians — and aim for consistent scores across many clips rather than a perfect score on one.