You can apply for your provisional driving licence up to three months before your seventeenth birthday (however, it will not become valid until you are seventeen). You can start your driving lessons as soon as your provisional driving licence becomes valid. You can either take driving lessons while studying for your theory test or pass your theory test before starting driving lessons. The latter option suits pupils who want to pass quickly on an intensive course. The theory test needs to be passed to book a practical test as the theory certificate number is needed to book it. The practical test is booked at the start of any course and the hours are worked back to fit pupil / instructors schedule. Most pupils take regular driving lessons whilst studying for their theory test then book the practical test when they are ready.
