In November 2010 Road Safety Minister, Mike Penning, announced that DSA is to stop the publishing of multiple choice questions and answers used in live theory tests for all categories, whilst still allowing the publication of revision theory test questions allow Crown copyright licensees access to the knowledge and understanding behind the theory test questions which has, until now, been exclusive to DSA official theory test publications stipulate how revision theory test questions are presented in revision materials.
The move is consistent with the introduction of independent driving into the driving test and DSA’s decision to stop publishing test routes in October 2010. Some theory test candidates learn the entire range of questions and answers by rote, rather than learning about the driving/riding topic (eg traffic signs, hazard awareness etc), which encouraged some people to treat the theory test as a test of memory, rather than understanding.
Along with the theory test multiple choice questions and answers, DSA publishes in its official theory test materials additional information about driving theory, to help the learner understand the context of each question. This is the knowledge and understanding. For example.
Before you make a U-turn in the road, you should:
The knowledge and understanding for this question reads: If you want to make a U-turn, slow down and ensure that the road is clear in both directions. Make sure that the road is wide enough to carry out the manoeuvre safely.
The knowledge and understanding has, up until now, been used uniquely in DSAs own learning materials, but now DSA will allow you to use this text in your own products, under the terms of your licence agreement.
With this additional material comes an obligation to present the revision questions in a specific way and this is covered below at 1.3 Instructions on how to re-use these materials.
DSA will develop new theory test question banks – which will not be published – for use in the live tests from 1 January 2012. The current theory test question banks will continue to be published as revision materials.