Using the Sat Nav on Your Driving Test in 2026: How Independent Driving Really Works

For roughly 20 minutes of your practical driving test, the examiner stops giving you turn-by-turn directions and asks you to follow a route independently. In about four out of five tests, that means following a sat nav. It is the part of the test that generates the most anxiety and, in practice, causes the fewest genuine problems — but only if you understand what is actually being assessed.

Here is how the independent driving section works in 2026, what the examiner is marking, and how to practise it properly.

What Is the Independent Driving Section?

Independent driving was introduced to test whether you can drive safely while making your own decisions, rather than reacting to instructions fed to you one junction at a time. It lasts around 20 minutes of a test that runs roughly 38 to 40 minutes in total, so it is over half your driving time.

There are two versions:

• Following a sat nav — used in approximately four out of five tests.
• Following traffic signs — used in the remaining tests, typically where sat nav reception is unreliable or the local road layout makes signs the more sensible option.

You do not get to choose which one you get, and you cannot use your own sat nav. The examiner supplies and sets up the device.

The Sat Nav Itself

The DVSA uses its own sat nav unit, historically a TomTom Start 52, mounted by the examiner on the windscreen or dashboard before you set off. The examiner selects the route and enters the destination. You never touch it.

Practical points worth knowing:

• The examiner will position it where you can see it without leaning forward. If you genuinely cannot see it from your normal driving position, say so before you move off.
• You are allowed to ask the examiner to confirm where you are going if you are unsure. Asking is not a fault.
• You will not be asked to enter a destination, change settings or interact with the screen while driving.
• The volume is set so you can hear it. If it is too quiet, mention it early.

What the Examiner Is Actually Marking

During independent driving the examiner is assessing exactly the same things as the rest of the test:

• Observation and mirrors — especially before any change of speed or direction prompted by the sat nav.
• Signalling — correct, timely, and not left on afterwards.
• Lane discipline — getting into the right lane early rather than swerving at the last moment.
• Speed — appropriate for the limit and the conditions, not dictated by the sat nav’s suggestions.
• Planning — reading road signs and markings, not staring at a screen.

That last point matters more than any other. The classic independent-driving fault is looking at the sat nav instead of the road. A quick glance is fine. A three-second stare at a junction is not.

When the Sat Nav and the Road Disagree

Sat navs are not perfect. Occasionally the device will tell you to do something that is unsafe, illegal or simply out of date — a road that has become one-way, a turn that is now banned, or an instruction that arrives too late to act on safely.

Road signs and road markings always win. If the sat nav says turn left and a “no entry” sign says otherwise, obey the sign. You will not be penalised for ignoring the device; you absolutely will be penalised for following it into a banned turn.

The same applies to speed. If the sat nav displays a speed limit that does not match the signs on the road, the signs are correct.

Following Traffic Signs Instead

If your test uses the traffic-sign version, the examiner will ask you to follow signs to a particular place — for example, “follow the signs for the town centre”. The rules are the same: if the signs run out or you lose the route, the examiner will help you, and taking a wrong turn is not a fault.

Practise reading direction signs at a glance. The information you need is usually on the sign a long way before the junction, which gives you time to get into the right lane calmly.

How to Practise Independent Driving

1. Use a sat nav in lessons. Ask your instructor to set a destination and stay quiet for twenty minutes. The silence is what you need to get used to.
2. Practise glancing, not staring. Train yourself to take the information in a fraction of a second, the same way you check a speedometer.
3. Listen more than you look. The spoken instruction usually arrives well before the visual one. If you listen properly you barely need to look at the screen at all.
4. Deliberately go wrong. Have your instructor let you take a wrong turn and then recover. Experiencing it once removes almost all the fear.
5. Practise lane choices early. When the sat nav says “in 400 yards, take the second exit”, act on the information immediately rather than waiting.
6. Drive routes you do not know. Familiar roads defeat the purpose. The point is unfamiliarity.

How the Exam Routes App Can Help

Practising independent driving means practising unfamiliar roads with a voice telling you where to go. That is precisely what the Exam Routes App provides, on real test routes around your centre.

• Real test routes recorded around the centre, not guesswork.
• Turn-by-turn navigation so a supervising driver can focus on your driving.
• Offline access for rural stretches where signal drops out.
• Route notes flagging the junctions and roundabouts that catch learners out.

Frequently Asked Questions