Which mistakes fail the category B practical test?
The practical test has no error count like the theory: the examiner decides the outcome. Dangerous behaviour ends the test, such as the instructor using the controls, failing to give way or running a red light. In 2025, 16.18 per cent of tests were not passed. Source: Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport data.
Read also: the checklist before the driving test
Is there a maximum number of mistakes?
No, and the contrast with the theory test is sharp. The theory threshold is three errors out of thirty and it is arithmetic. In the practical test the examiner judges the driving as a whole, following the criteria of European directive 2006/126/EC, annex II, which asks whether the candidate drives safely, watches the traffic and respects the rules. The same mistake can weigh differently depending on the context: a forgotten indicator on an empty street and the same forgotten indicator at a busy junction are not equivalent.
Which behaviours end the test at once?
Those that create real danger or clearly break a rule. The instructor using the dual controls is the clearest case, because it means the candidate was no longer in control. The same group includes ignoring a stop sign or right of way, crossing on a red light, driving the wrong way, failing to stop for a pedestrian on a zebra crossing and clearly exceeding the speed limit.
| Type | Examples | Typical effect |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate danger | Instructor intervention, failure to give way, red light, wrong way, pedestrian not respected | Fail |
| Initial checks | Seat belt not fastened, mirrors not adjusted | Counts in the judgement |
| Manoeuvre | Untidy line, missing observation, rolling back on a hill | Counts, can become serious if it creates danger |
| Driving in traffic | Mirrors rarely checked, forgotten indicators, lane position, pace | Counts if repeated |
What counts without failing the test on its own?
Observation and vehicle control errors. Mirrors checked rarely, forgotten indicators, a lane position too far right or left, a pace so slow it obstructs traffic, rough gear changes, stalling when moving off. Individually they weigh little, but together they describe driving that is not yet independent and can lead to a fail.
Does stalling the car fail the test?
Usually not, if the candidate restarts calmly and moves off safely. It becomes a problem when it happens in a dangerous spot, for example in the middle of a junction, or when it happens so often that it shows poor clutch control. No public rule lists this case explicitly: the judgement stays with the examiner.
What happens if a mistake is made during the test?
The weight of the mistake decides. Two concrete cases.
A candidate in Modena forgets to signal when pulling out of a parking space, but she checks the mirror and the road is clear. Otherwise she drives tidily, gives way correctly and completes the manoeuvres well. The mistake is noted but, isolated and without danger, is not enough on its own to end the test.
If a candidate in Pescara approaches a roundabout too fast and does not give way to a car already on it, the instructor brakes with the dual controls and the test ends in a fail. The foglio rosa stays valid, but the next test cannot come sooner than one month later (article 121, paragraph 10, of the Codice della Strada).
Can the result be challenged?
Exams are public under article 121, paragraph 7, but in ordinary practice a candidate does not obtain an immediate new exam by disputing the judgement. Anyone who thinks the test was irregular should contact the local Motorizzazione office, which explains the options available. The quickest route is almost always booking the next test.
How many practical tests fail?
In 2025, 16.18 per cent of category B practical tests ended in a fail, the complement of the 83.82 per cent pass rate published by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport across 734,553 tests. The figure counts tests sat, not people. The share varies widely between offices, from 60.94 per cent of tests passed in Sassari to 99.43 per cent in Enna: the values are on the statistics page. What happens after a fail is set out on the page about failing the practical test.
Legal source: Articolo 121 del Codice della Strada e direttiva 2006/126/CE, allegato II. The consolidated text of the Codice della Strada is on Normattiva.
Which other questions are related?
- Which manoeuvres are asked in the category B test?
- What happens after failing the practical test?
- How does the category B practical test work?
The full list is on the driving test questions page.
For information only, not a substitute for the law: legal notes.