A few minutes of checks can prevent unnecessary failures on lights, wipers and visibility items. This guide is general advice; your tester follows the official DVSA manual on the day.
Lights and signalling
- Walk around the car with someone pressing the brake pedal — check brake lights.
- Test indicators, side lights, dipped and main beam, fog lamps if fitted, and number-plate lamps.
- Replace blown bulbs; clean cloudy lamp lenses.
Tyres and wheels
- Inspect tread across the width; legal minimum is 1.6 mm in the central three-quarters.
- Look for cuts, bulges and foreign objects.
- Ensure wheels are secure and check tyre pressure if you have a gauge.
Visibility and wipers
- Top up washer fluid; ensure wipers clear the screen without smearing.
- Remove large stickers or obstructions in the swept area of the windscreen.
- Check rear-view mirrors are secure and glass is not excessively damaged.
Inside the car
- Test the horn.
- Seatbelts should latch, retract and show no serious fraying.
- Clear boot clutter if testers need access to emergency equipment on some vehicles.
Before you arrive
Book with a DVSA-approved station such as Bourn Hill. If you want faults fixed before the certificate, ask about a pre-MOT health check or combine with a service and MOT bundle.
Book your MOT
Online booking
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