In Dubai, one can’t buy let alone drive a car without a valid licence. If caught driving without a licence, drivers face penalties and fines according to the Emirate’s law. The process of acquiring a Dubai driving licence is simple and straightforward, but you have to clear a few tests. While the main tests assess your driving skills and knowledge, there is a mandatory eye test as well.
Applicants can enrol in authorised Dubai driving schools to prepare for the driving licence test. This guide will give you a preliminary idea of the three main tests you have to pass.
Vision Test
In order to drive, it is imperative that you have good eyesight. To ascertain whether your eyesight is good enough, you need to pass the vision test from centres approved by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
The eye test for RTA driving licence is like any general eye exam. The optician asks the candidate to read specific materials from different ranges and ensures that the applicant’s eyesight is not impaired. As vision is the most important factor in deciding whether it is safe for the driver to drive on the roads, the inability to pass this means you won’t be eligible for a driving licence in Dubai.
Some of the eminent RTA approved eye test centres include Barakat Optical, Rivoli EyeZone, Grand Optics, Multispeciality Max Vision which charge around 150 AED for an eye test.
Theory Test
Before you actually adhere to traffic regulations, it is imperative that you are aware of all those rules. That’s what the RTA driving theory test is all about. Here are few important things to know about the test:
- RTA’s driving theory test comprises 35 questions: 17 questions in the first segment and 18 questions in the segment.
- The first section focuses on general roadway scenarios, whereas the second segment includes questions about the specific vehicle licence.
- The test can be taken in English, Urdu, Arabic or Telegu language.
- Applicants who manage to score 65% (minimum of 11 in the first segment and a minimum of 12 in the segment) or more clear the test.
This test is designed to gauge your understanding and knowledge of driving and traffic injunctions. The questions put your driving knowledge to the test by giving you various scenarios and asking what you would do if you were a driver in that particular situation.
For applicants residing in Dubai, sample questions of RTA’s driving theory test are easily available on RTA driving test app (Android | iOS). It can give applicants an idea of what they can expect in this test. For example, the test applicant may be asked about roadway risks recognition, different kinds of traffic signals and road signs and what these traffic light signals or road signs indicate.
Requirements
Applicants must carry their Emirate ID, driving file, AED 200 and two photos along with them to the test in order to be allowed entry in the test centre. Those with any disability or special needs are accommodated by the invigilators in the test centre accordingly..
Practical Training
Before the test, applicants have to enrol into practical training classes depending upon the validity of the licence they hold (if they have any).
- Applicants who do not have any driver’s licence are required to enroll in 40 classes.
- Applicants who have held valid licence in another country for 2 to 5 years are required to take 30 classes.
- Applicants who have held licence valid for 5 or more years must take 20 classes.
Parking Test
After completing the abovementioned tests, the next test examines your driving on the road. Prior to RTA’s parking and road tests, the driving school also conducts internal parking and road test of the applicant. After you have reached your destination, you have to park your car. It is highly unlikely that knowing only one parking method would suffice for drivers to park their cars. Therefore, the test applicants are asked to park the vehicle in different ways. Some of the main parking methods which the parking test checks are as follows:
- Parallel Parking: Parking vehicle parallel to the road and in line with the other parked vehicles
- Reverse parking: Parking your vehicle back into a parking spot rather than pulling in head first without colliding with the cars or curb nearby.
Road Test
As its name implies, in the road test, the test applicant takes out the vehicle on the streets alongside the instructor. The instructor asks the driver to drive on a street alongside other vehicles on it and make right, left, and U-turns.
If the driver convinces the instructor that they can drive smoothly on the roads with the traffic, they move on to the next stage. New drivers often experience road anxiety during this part of the test, but they can overcome road fear if they strive to ensure that they tick all the boxes of the RTA driving checklist.
What if you don’t get the license on the first go?
Understandably, learner drivers might think that passing the RTA driving test and stringent criteria is tedious. As a matter of fact, even the good ones are not immune to mistakes and can end up making mistakes that one should avoid while driving a car.
However, they need to understand that the very purpose of licenses is to ensure that only those drivers can take out vehicles on the streets who are well-qualified to do so, which in turn significantly decreases the likelihood of road accidents. If drivers are unable to bag the license in the first attempt, they are recommended to readdress the reasons behind failing the driving test, polish their driving skills and apply for the final road test again.
FAQs
Where to get an eye test for RTA’s driving test?
In order to get a driving licence in Dubai, you are required to take an eye test from an RTA-approved eye test centre. Some of the RTA approved eye test centres include Grand Optics, Rivoli EyeZone, Barakat Optical and Multispeciality Max Vision.
What you must not do on RTA’s driving test?
Poor preparation for the theory test and basic driving mistakes during the road test are some of the most common reasons why drivers fail RTA’s driving test. Hence, drivers must make sure that they avoid these mistakes.
What is the minimum number of wrong answers on RTA’s driving theory test?
You need to get a minimum of 11 correct answers out of 17 in the first segment and 12 correct answers out of 18 in the second segment in order to clear RTA’s driving theory test.
For drivers who have a licence but wish to purchase a car in future, they can find a vast variety of used cars in Dubai at reasonable prices. If you find this guide helpful, stay tuned to the UAE’s leading auto blog for more information related to automobiles in Dubai.
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