Learning to drive is one of the things most 17 year olds look forward to do however for some the whole process can also be quite daunting because there is so much to think about, many things to consider and a lot to learn.

The first thing you need to do is get your provisional licence, you have to do this before you can legally drive a car,  you can get your provisional licence form from the post office or you can apply online with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Once you have your provisional license you can start to learn to drive, you can either choose to have a family member or friend teach you however they must be over 21 years of age and must have held (and still hold) a full licence, in the relevant vehicle category, for three years. You must also display ‘L’ plates in a conspicuous position on the front and rear of the vehicle you are driving. You can also choose to enrol at a driving school in Cardiff and have an instructor who must be registered with the Driving Standards Agency (DSA).

Once you have started to learn to drive you need to take your theory test, this is compulsory and has to be taken and passed before you can take your practical driving test, your instructor can help you with any questions you may have with your theory test.

Once your instructor from your driving school in Cardiff feels that you are suitable prepared and you have assed your theory test you can book your practical test, this can be done online or over the phone, they will make sure you can drive safely and have knowledge of the Highway Code and can demonstrate this through your driving. Your practical test will last about 40 minutes and the examiner will be looking for an overall safe standard of driving, including when you are carrying out the set exercises.

Now if you have passed your test successfully first time you can now send off for your full driving licence, your examiner will fill in the appropriate forms and send it off for you, if you did not pass your practical first time, do not become disheartened instead go ahead and book it again and get more practice at what you failed at.