Show Me, Tell Me Questions and Answers

Show Me Questions

Show me how you wash and clean the rear windscreen

Answer: You should already be able to locate the lever for the rear windscreen washer. Give it a short burst of water and allow the wipers to active briefly.

Show me how you wash and clean the front windscreen

Answer: You should already be able to locate the lever for the front windscreen washer. Give it a short burst of water and allow the wipers to active briefly.

Show me how you’d switch on your dipped headlights

Answer: Turn on your headlights. You can also point out that the light on your dashboard indicates the headlights are on.

Show me how you’d set the rear demister

Answer: Typically, the rear demister is a button that shows an icon of the window with 3 wavey lines with arrows moving up. Press this button to turn on the demister.

Show me how you’d demist the front windscreen

Answer: Your car may have a front demister button, much like the rear demister, but more commonly it will require you to use the heating controls to turn on and manually adjust hot air flow.

Show me how you'd operate the horn

Answer: Press on the horn to give a quick, audible beep. You should aim to avoid doing this close to other road users or pedestrians.

Show me how you’d open and close the side window

Answer: Use your electric or manual controls to open then close your window.

Tell Me Questions

Tell me how you’d check that the brakes are working before starting a journey

Answer: Explain that pressing on the brake as you set off at the start of a journey, lets you check that the brakes don't feel soft, spongy or slack, nor should the vehicle pull to the side.

Tell me where you’d find the information for the recommended tyre pressures for this car and how tyre pressures should be checked

Answer: Explain that the manufacturers guide contains the relevant information and by using a pressure gauge you can check all tyres, including the spare tyre when they are cold. You can adjust pressures as you test. Also note to refit the valve caps once done.

Tell me how you make sure your head restraint is correctly adjusted so it provides the best protection in the event of a crash

Answer: Explain that, if the restraint is adjustable, the rigid part should be eye-level or reach the top of your ears. The head restraint should also sit as close to the back of your head as possible and comfortable.

Tell me how you’d check the tyres to ensure that they have sufficient tread depth and that their general condition is safe to use on the road

Answer: Explain that the type should have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm across the middle 3/4 of the tyres breadth and outer circumference. There should be no visible cuts or bulges on the type

Tell me how you’d check that the headlights and tail lights are working. You don’t need to exit the vehicle

Answer: Explain that, with the vehicle on, you would turn on the lights from their controls and walk around the vehicle to ensure the lights are on.

Tell me how you’d know if there was a problem with your anti-lock braking system

Answer: Explain that a warning light will illuminate on the dashboard control panel.

Tell me how you’d check the direction indicators are working. You don’t need to exit the vehicle

Answer: Explain that, with the vehicle on, you would activate the switch and walk around the vehicle to confirm the indicators are on both the front and rear of the vehicle.

Tell me how you’d check the brake lights are working on this car

Answer: Explain that you would gently press on the brake pedal and observe the brake lights turning on, making use of reflections in windows, doors, walls or other vehicles, alternatively you would ask someone else to check for you.

Tell me how you’d check the power-assisted steering is working before starting a journey

Answer: Explain that if steering were to become heavy, there may be a fault with the system. Before a journey you can put pressure on the steering wheel whilst the engine is on and see slight movement. You can also turn the steering wheel slightly just after setting off.

Tell me how you’d switch on the rear fog light(s) and explain when you’d use it/them. You don’t need to exit the vehicle

Answer: Explain that, after turning on the engine and headlights if required, you would activate the fog light control (usually represented by an icon of a headlamp with a wavy line with slashes through it), then confirm it is active by checking the warning indicator light on the dashboard is illuminated.

Tell me how you switch your headlights from dipped to main beam and explain how you’d know the main beam is on

Answer: Explain that, after turning on the engine if required, you would activate the headlights and then main/full beam. You can also confirm the main beam light is activated by checking the indicator light is illuminated on the car's dashboard controls.

Open the bonnet and tell me how you’d check that the engine has sufficient oil

Answer: With the car bonnet open, point to the oil level indicator and describe how you can check oil level again the minimum and maximum markers on the dipstick.

Open the bonnet and tell me how you’d check that the engine has sufficient engine coolant

Answer: With the car bonnet open, point to the high and low level markers on the header tank or radiator cap and explain, once the engine is cool, you can open the coolant cap to top up to the correct level.

Open the bonnet and tell me how you’d check that you have a safe level of hydraulic brake fluid

Answer: With the car bonnet open, point to the brake fluid reservoir. Explain that you can check the level against the high and low markings.