How the practical exam works
Flow, roles, assessment and result
About 55 minutes that pay off
The class B practical exam takes about 55 minutes in total: welcome and ID check, technical preparation (pre-drive check), around 45 minutes of driving including the basic manoeuvres, and a short feedback talk at the end. The exam is held in German only. The goal is not perfection but safe, independent and eco-conscious driving.
The flow step by step
- Meeting point: usually the driving school or test centre.
- Examiner checks your ID and the training certificate.
- Technical preparation: seat, mirrors, pre-drive check.
- Exam drive in town, out of town and often on a motorway or expressway.
- Basic manoeuvres at a suitable spot on the route.
- Return, engine off, feedback talk.
- Passed: licence or test certificate (BF17).
Who sits where – and does what?
Examiner (TÜV/DEKRA)
- Usually sits in the back seat
- Gives directions in good time
- Assesses continuously in the electronic report
- Decides pass or fail
Driving instructor
- Sits in the passenger seat with dual pedals
- Legally counts as the driver (§ 2(15) StVG)
- Intervenes only in danger
- May not help you or give hints
The electronic test report
The examiner records on a tablet – positive and negative observations alike. Tapping does not automatically mean a mistake. Don't let it distract you and don't look back. Directions come early enough: “Follow the road” means go straight on or follow the priority road. If you don't understand an instruction, simply ask.
The 5 assessment criteria
- Traffic observation: mirrors, shoulder checks, looking into junctions
- Vehicle positioning: lane, distances, stop line
- Speed adjustment: limits, visibility, weather – not too slow
- Communication: timely indicating, eye contact, clear behaviour
- Vehicle operation: shifting, steering, braking, parking brake
- Eco-conscious driving: upshift early, anticipate and coast
- The overall picture counts, not every small detail
This ends the exam
A serious mistake means fail – the examiner usually ends the drive early. Typical: instructor has to intervene, right of way ignored, red light run, no full stop at a stop sign, pedestrian at a zebra crossing overlooked, more than 5 km/h too fast in town or 10 km/h out of town, dangerous overtaking, wrong way in a one-way street. Many repeated minor mistakes can also be enough.
Feedback talk and result
At the end you get brief feedback on your strengths and weaknesses – even if you passed. Use it for your first solo drives. Failed? A retake is usually possible after two weeks at the earliest. Important: no more than 12 months may pass between passing the theory test and the practical exam.
Automatic or manual?
If you take the exam in an automatic car, code 78 applies (automatic only). With code 197 you may still drive manual cars – provided you completed at least 10 driving lessons in a manual car and passed a 15-minute test drive with your instructor.
Outlook: reform from 2027
On 20 May 2026 the federal cabinet adopted the “Affordable Driving Licence” reform: the practical exam is to be shortened to the EU minimum of 25 minutes, and mandatory special drives will be reduced. The plan is to start in early 2027 – the Bundestag and Bundesrat still have to approve. Until then, everything in this lesson applies.
Mock exam in the simulator
Drive a complete exam route with instructions like a real examiner – including an assessment based on the 5 criteria.
This specific scenario is not implemented in the web edition yet. exam_drive
What always leads to failing the exam?
- The instructor has to brake because you overlooked a child.
- The examiner taps on the tablet during the drive.
- You drive 12 km/h over the limit in town.
Check answer
The instructor has to brake because you overlooked a child.
You drive 12 km/h over the limit in town.
A necessary instructor intervention and exceeding the limit by more than 5 km/h in town are serious mistakes. Tapping on the tablet does not automatically mean a mistake.