logo_ida Since 1992

International Drivers Association

Geneva   +41 22 886 01 22
London  +44 204 577 00 37
New York  +1 929 255 11 05
Dubai  +971 50 235 05 81
Almaty  +7 701 115 30 00

The pitfalls of the practical driving test in the UAE or how to pass the exam once?



Currently, more and more foreign citizens are getting a UAE resident visa, which hides some subtleties for drivers.
If you have previously traveled to the UAE and driving a rented car, it is enough to have the national driving license of your citizenship country, additionally with an IDP. But after obtaining an Arab residence permit, you will certainly have to pass exams and get a local driver's license. By the way, this procedure is not just complicated, but also quite expensive.


If you still decide to take exams in the UAE, then our advice described below will save you from failure and retake with a 100% guarantee. Not any driving school will tell you about these subtleties, because they are all collected from our own experience and we are happy to share them with you.


So, preparation for the practical exam (all the actions you perform must be seen by the examiner):


  • If the examiner invited you to get in the car, but he hasn't sat down yet, wait for him and don't touch anything yet.

  • Before the exam starts, when you get into the car with a police officer, be sure to tighten the handbrake (even if it is tightened so that the examiner will definitely see it).

  • The next step is to adjust the location of the driver's seat, even if it is ideally located for you, you still need to correct it at least a little, thereby showing the police examiner a responsible attitude and attention to driving a car.

  • After setting up the seat, you also need to adjust the rear-view mirror and side mirrors with both hands, again, if they are comfortably located for you, you should still pay attention to this.

  • Next, be sure to fasten your seat belt and ask everyone sitting in the car to do the same (you need to say “Fasten your seat belts”), after that, by all means check whether everyone is really buckled.

  • Then put your hands on the steering wheel and tell the policeman that you are ready to take the exam (you should say “I am ready”) and from that moment until the end of the exam, both your hands should always be on the steering wheel.


Passing the exam


  • * Please note that the student is required to drive only in the right lane when passing the exam.

  2. * Drive to the roadway - most likely the car will stand in such a way that you will need to reverse out of the parking space and be sure to turn on the turn signal from the side where you will leave.  Attention, when moving backwards, you do not need to turn on the emergency light, as is customary in the CIS countries, you only need a turn signal.

  • * HEAD CHECK - As in many other countries, there is such an item in the UAE traffic rules, which is called HEAD CHECK (in some countries it may be called Shoulder Check).

  • HEAD CHECK implies the need to make certain head movements when moving to another lane or turning in one direction or another or other maneuvers. Namely, look first in the rear-view mirror, then turn your head and look in the side mirror to the side where you turn, then turn your head even harder and look out the passenger rear window, so that your chin touches the shoulder, and finally return your look in the rear-view mirror. 

  • If you didn't look around exactly in this sequence before the maneuver, it is quite possible that you have already failed the exam.