What "show me, tell me" means
The show me, tell me questions are two short vehicle-safety questions asked on every practical driving test:
- The "tell me" question is asked before you start driving. You explain how you would carry out a safety check, for example, how you would check the tyres have enough tread and are in good condition, without actually doing it.
- The "show me" question is asked while you are driving. You demonstrate a safety task on the move, such as showing how you would wash the windscreen and clear it, or operate the demister.
They are drawn from a published list of routine checks any sensible driver should know, lights, tyres, brakes, steering, fluids, washers and demisters.
How it is tested
You get one "tell me" question at the start and one "show me" question while driving. The marking is gentle compared with the rest of the test:
- Getting either or both wrong results in one driving fault (minor), and that is the total, even if you get both wrong. You cannot fail on these alone.
- However, attempting the "show me" task unsafely while driving, taking your eyes off the road, swerving, or losing control to operate a control, could be marked as a more serious driving fault, because now it is a driving error, not a knowledge gap.
So the safe approach is: know your answers so the "tell me" is easy marks, and perform the "show me" calmly without compromising your driving. See the tell me question entry for the start-of-test detail.
Why it is on the test
These checks reflect the basic maintenance awareness every driver needs to keep a car roadworthy. They are quick, low-stakes, and entirely learnable in advance, there is no excuse for losing the mark on the "tell me", and the "show me" only costs you if you let it disturb your driving. Read more on what the practical test involves.
The full list of topics and what you are expected to know
The published list of vehicle safety questions covers a predictable set of systems. For the "tell me" questions, you describe how to check or what to look for; for the "show me" questions, you physically operate the relevant controls:
Tyres: how to check the tread depth and condition, minimum legal tread depth is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre. You would look for uneven wear, cuts, and bulges as well as the depth indicators.
Oil: how to check the engine oil level, via the dipstick, engine cold, on level ground, with the level between the minimum and maximum marks.
Coolant: how to check the coolant level, via the header tank when the engine is cold, with the fluid between the minimum and maximum marks.
Lights: how to check that the brake lights work, you could switch on the ignition, operate the pedal, and ask a helper to confirm, or reverse close to a reflective surface.
Windscreen wash: how to turn on the front or rear washers and wipers, or how to check and top up washer fluid.
Demister: how to operate the front or rear demister, switching it on and adjusting the heater/fan controls.
Horn: how to check it works, switch on ignition and press the horn.
Knowing the specific answers in the DVSA's own wording makes them easier to recall under pressure. Read them over several times in the week before your test.
How to approach the "show me" question while driving
When the examiner asks you to demonstrate something on the move, activating the rear demister, for example, treat it as a secondary task to be completed safely. Your primary task is driving. Come to a safe, settled stretch of road before operating any control that requires you to look away from the road, and if the road is not clear or you are approaching a hazard, say so and wait for a moment when it is safe to demonstrate. The examiner will not penalise the delay, they will penalise unsafe operation.
Practise the questions before your test
The questions are published and finite, there are no surprises. Spending twenty minutes reading through them the week before your test ensures the "tell me" is a free mark. For the "show me", practise operating each control with your eyes on the road so it becomes automatic on test day.
The broader lesson of these questions is the same one the practical test teaches throughout: a safe driver understands their vehicle and can operate it without taking attention away from the road. The vehicle safety questions test that awareness in the simplest possible context, outside the car, with no movement and no pressure. Use them as an easy win, not an afterthought.