ADI Part 1 is the first of the three tests you have to pass to qualify as an approved driving instructor, and it catches people out for a reason that has nothing to do with how hard the questions are. There is a second pass mark hiding behind the obvious one, and every year candidates walk out having scored well above the headline requirement and still failed. Here is how the test is actually structured, both pass marks, and how the booking works.
The short answer
ADI Part 1 is a theory test in two parts — 100 multiple-choice questions and a hazard perception video test. You book and sit them as a single test, and you must pass both. The multiple-choice questions are split into four categories of 25, and here is the part people miss: you need 85 out of 100 overall and at least 20 out of 25 in every one of the four categories. Score 90 overall but 18 in one band and you fail.
- Multiple choice 100 questions in 1 hour 30 minutes
- Structure 25 questions in each of 4 categories
- MCQ pass mark 85/100 overall AND at least 20/25 in each category
- Hazard perception at least 57 points out of 75
- Both parts must be passed to pass the test
- Arrive 15 minutes before your test starts
- Take with you your UK photocard driving licence
- Pass certificate valid 2 years — you must qualify as an ADI within that time
- Rebooking after a fail at least 3 working days after your last test
All of the above is DVSA's own published standard. Always confirm current details on the GOV.UK ADI Part 1 page before you book.
The four categories — and the trap
The 100 questions are divided evenly across four categories, 25 in each:
- Road procedure
- Traffic signs and signals, car control, pedestrians and mechanical knowledge
- Driving test, disabilities, and the law
- Publications and instructional techniques
The trap is the band minimum. DVSA states it plainly: you fail if you get an overall score of 85 or higher but do not score high enough in each of the four categories. You can only drop 5 marks in any single band.
That changes how you should revise entirely. A candidate who is excellent on road procedure and signs — the material most people arrive already comfortable with — can bank a very high overall score and still be sunk by band 4. In practice, your weakest category is your pass mark, not your average.
Why band 4 catches people
Publications and instructional techniques is the category furthest from ordinary driving experience. Everything in bands 1 to 3 is at least adjacent to being a competent driver; band 4 is about the reference material an instructor is expected to know and the business of teaching someone else. If you are coming to this as a good driver rather than as someone who has already been trained to instruct, this is the band to over-invest in.
And band 2 is broader than its name suggests
Read the full category title. It is not just traffic signs — it is signs and signals, car control, pedestrians and mechanical knowledge. Mechanical knowledge sits quietly at the end of that list and is easy to skip when you are revising signs, which is exactly why it costs marks.
The hazard perception part
The second half of the test is a video test about spotting developing hazards on the road. You need at least 57 points out of 75, and it is scored separately from the multiple-choice questions — a strong MCQ score does not carry a weak hazard perception score.
The ADI threshold is materially higher than the learner-driver one, which trips up instructors-in-training who assume the hazard perception test is the same one they sat years ago. It is not the same standard.
You get a break of up to three minutes between the two parts.
Booking your ADI Part 1 test
You can book Part 1 once your application to start the ADI qualifying process has been accepted — not before. That is the step that catches people who try to book first and apply later.
After booking you can change the date, and if you lose the confirmation you can check your appointment details online. If you fail, you can rebook, but you have to choose a date at least 3 working days after your last test.
One note if you are in Northern Ireland: DVSA states the ADI Part 1 test works differently there, so check the NI process rather than assuming this one applies.
On the day
- Arrive 15 minutes early. If you are late the test is cancelled and you lose the fee.
- Bring your UK photocard driving licence. With a Northern Ireland licence, bring the photocard and the paper counterpart. Turn up without the right documents and the test is cancelled with no refund.
- Changed your name since booking? Bring proof of the change.
- You get instructions and a practice question before the real questions start, and you can flag questions to return to and change any answer before you finish.
What happens after
You get your result at the test centre. If you pass, you receive a pass certificate letter, which you need in order to book and take ADI Part 2. Your pass certificate number lasts two years — you must complete qualification as an ADI within that window or start the application process over.
If you fail, the letter tells you which parts you did not score enough points on, so you know exactly what to work on. Given the band structure, that feedback is worth reading carefully: it is usually one category rather than a general shortfall.
How to revise for the band minimum
Because your weakest category decides the outcome, the revision strategy is different from a normal theory test:
- Score yourself by category, never as a single percentage. An 88% overall that hides a 68% band is a fail, and an average conceals it perfectly.
- Revise your worst band first, every session. The instinct is to practise what you are good at because it feels productive. Here it is actively counterproductive — marks above 20 in a strong band are worth nothing towards the band you are failing.
- Do not treat band 4 as an afterthought. Publications and instructional techniques is where the marks most often go, and it is pure study rather than experience.
- Practise hazard perception separately. It has its own pass mark and its own skill, and the ADI threshold is higher than the learner one.
- Book once your application is accepted, then work backwards. A dated test is what converts intention into revision.
Practise by category. PassNova's free ADI Part 1 questions are organised by the same four categories DVSA uses, with a worked explanation on every answer — so you can see which band is your weak one.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass mark for ADI Part 1?
For the multiple-choice part you need at least 85 out of 100 overall and at least 20 out of 25 in each of the four categories. For hazard perception you need at least 57 out of 75. You must pass both parts.
Can you fail ADI Part 1 with 85 or more?
Yes. DVSA is explicit that you fail if you score 85 or higher overall but do not score high enough in each of the four categories. The band minimum is a separate hurdle from the overall mark.
How many questions are in the ADI Part 1 test?
100 multiple-choice questions in 1 hour and 30 minutes, split into four categories of 25, plus a separate hazard perception video test.
How long does the ADI Part 1 pass certificate last?
Two years. You must qualify as an approved driving instructor within that time, or you have to start the application process again.
How soon can I retake ADI Part 1 if I fail?
You can rebook, but the date has to be at least 3 working days after your last test.
Is ADI Part 1 harder than the learner theory test?
Substantially. There are 100 questions rather than 50, the pass threshold is 85% with a per-category minimum on top, the hazard perception requirement is higher, and it covers instructional material a learner never meets.
When can I book the ADI Part 1 test?
Once your application to start the ADI qualifying process has been accepted. You cannot book beforehand.
One point of clarity: PassNova is a practice and revision site. We are not a DVSA-approved training body and we do not book or deliver the test — you book it through GOV.UK. Test details here come from DVSA's published guidance and were checked on 28 August 2026; confirm them on the official ADI Part 1 page before booking.