ADI Part 1 Dont get caught out - READ the question
ADI Part 1 - Do you read the questions?
Why Do I Keep Getting Caught Out by the Wording of Theory Questions?
If you’ve ever finished a mock test thinking,
“I knew that one — how did I still get it wrong?”
you’re not daft, and you’re not alone.
It’s not that you don’t understand the Highway Code. It’s that you’re reading the question too quickly — or worse, you’re reading what you expect to see instead of what’s actually written.
The DVSA theory test is a game of focus, not speed. And yet, most trainees rush through it as if there’s a medal for finishing early.
Don't Speed Read
Let’s look at why that happens — and how to slow your brain down enough to start scoring the marks you actually deserve.
ADI Part 1 questions aren’t just checking what you’ve memorised; they’re testing how precisely you understand the language of the Highway Code and DVSA standards. Words like may, must, should, could — and phrases like “least likely,” “most appropriate,” “in these circumstances” — aren’t filler. They’re the exam.
This article shows you how to read like an examiner, not guess like a candidate.
The examiner’s toolkit: words that change the answer
The examiner’s toolkit: words that change the answer
Keep this mini-glossary in your head as you read:
Must / Must not → Law. Linked to specific legislation; non-compliance can lead to prosecution.
Should / Should not → Strong advice (best practice). Not necessarily an offence to ignore, but poor practice and often unsafe.
May / Could → Possibility. Use judgement; not every situation warrants the action.
Always / Never → Absolutes. Treat with caution; absolutes are rarely correct unless tied to law/safety-critical rules.
Least / Most (likely, appropriate, effective) → Comparative. You’re ranking options, not spotting a single true/false
In these circumstances / In good conditions / On a dry road → The conditions are part of the question. Change the conditions and the answer changes.
The “I know this one!” trap
The “I know this one!” trap
The biggest cause of silly mistakes? Overconfidence. You see a familiar topic — speed limits, crossings, overtaking — and your brain goes, “Oh yeah, I know this!”
Before you’ve even finished reading, your thumb’s hovering over the answer.
But here’s the problem: theory questions often look familiar but contain a twist.
ADI Part 1 Questions
It might be a single word — except, only, until, when safe — that completely changes the meaning.
Example:
“You must not stop on a clearway except to pick up or set down passengers.”
A rushed reader sees “must not stop on a clearway” — clicks “You can never stop on a clearway.”
Bang. Wrong.
Because the question wasn’t testing if you knew what a clearway was — it was testing if you’d read the full sentence.
How your brain plays tricks on you
How your brain plays tricks on you
Your mind is a pattern-spotting machine. It tries to save energy by predicting the next bit.
That’s useful when you’re reading the news. It’s a disaster in a theory test.
You read:
“When approaching a roundabout, you should—”
…and your brain fills in the rest: “—slow down and give way.”
So you pick that option, feeling confident.
ADI Part 1 Read the whole question
But if you’d read the whole question, you’d have seen it actually said:
“When approaching a roundabout where traffic lights are controlling the junction…”
Now the correct answer isn’t “give way” — it’s “obey the traffic lights.”
You knew it. You just didn’t see it.
The problem with rushing
The problem with rushing
Some trainees boast they can do a mock in ten minutes.
But the top-scoring candidates take closer to 25–30 minutes.
Why? Because they’re not just answering — they’re checking the wording twice, especially for those sneaky twists that change everything.
Here’s what rushing does to you:
You skim instead of read.
You guess instead of reason.
You see patterns that aren’t really there.
And you miss marks that were yours for the taking.
Common speed-reading mistakes
Common speed-reading mistakes
Let’s run through a few examples I see all the time:
1️⃣ The “except” blind spot
“You may not park on the verge except in a lay-by.”
Rushed readers see “You may not park on the verge” — and miss the exception.
The “only when safe” twist
2️⃣ The “only when safe” twist
“You should only overtake when it’s safe to do so.”
In a question about overtaking, some trainees pick “Signal early” because they see the word overtake and jump to a familiar action. But the actual question was testing judgement, not procedure.
The “most / least” mix-up
3️⃣ The “most / least” mix-up
“Which of these signs are you most likely to see on a dual carriageway?”
Speed readers fixate on “signs you see on a dual carriageway” and click any that look right — forgetting that “most likely” means you’re choosing the best match, not every possible one.
The “double negative” disaster
4️⃣ The “double negative” disaster
“When must you not use your horn in a built-up area?”
A quick reader sees “use your horn” and picks the wrong condition. The correct answer is the one that matches the “must not” part — not the one that seems logical in general.
How to fix it: slow is smooth, smooth is fast
How to fix it: slow is smooth, smooth is fast
You can train yourself to read more accurately without losing time overall.
Here’s how the best trainees do it:
1️⃣ Finger-read.
Use your finger or cursor to follow along as you read the question. It stops your eyes from skipping lines.
2️⃣ Read the question twice — answers once.
Don’t look at the answers until you’ve read the full question twice.
Your brain can’t think clearly while it’s half-looking at the options.
Read every question twice
3️⃣ Spot the keyword.
Circle or mentally highlight the tricky bit — words like except, only, most, least, unless, safe, when.
4️⃣ Cover the options.
Say out loud what you think the answer is before you look. Then pick the one that matches. This kills guesswork.
5️⃣ Treat every question like new.
Even if it looks familiar, assume there’s a catch until proven otherwise.
Try it yourself
Try it yourself
Here are two questions. One’s easy to misread if you rush.
1️⃣ You are on a motorway. When should you use the hard shoulder?
A) To overtake slow vehicles
B) When you’re tired
C) In an emergency or when directed by police
D) To check your phone
If you skim it, you might see “hard shoulder” and think “breakdown” — but the correct answer is C, because it’s only for emergencies or police direction.
Read it properly
2️⃣ You are approaching a zebra crossing. Pedestrians are waiting to cross. You should…
A) Wave them across
B) Stop and let them cross
C) Accelerate to clear the crossing quickly
D) Flash your headlights to warn them
Many rushers pick A — waving feels friendly. But that’s wrong. The safest and most professional answer is B — stop and let them cross.
Simple, right? But only if you read it properly.
Don't jump the lights!
The golden rule
Reading carefully isn’t slow — it’s smart.
Most trainees who fail Part 1 don’t lack knowledge; they lack focus.
So next time you sit a mock, don’t race the clock.
Breathe. Read slowly. Question what you think you saw.
Because in the theory test, it’s not the Highway Code that catches you out —
it’s your own brain jumping the lights.