doodleauto.

WHAT THE RULES SAY

Two pedals
or three?

The car you pass in shapes your licence.

In Great Britain, a driving test taken in an automatic or semi-automatic car leads to a licence for automatics only. More learners than ever are choosing it, so it is worth knowing what that means before you book.

Check your licence Read the short answer
A hand resting on an automatic gear selector set to P in a modern car interior, soft daylight through the windscreen
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.
01 Two pedals is automatic02 Same test, different licence03 Upgrade by retakingKnow before you book

THE SHORT ANSWER

Pass in an automatic,
drive automatics.

The test itself is the same.
What changes is the entitlement on your licence.

THE CAR

Count the pedals

GOV.UK describes a manual car as having 3 pedals and an automatic or semi-automatic car as having 2 pedals. Either can be used for the test.

Check your situation

THE LICENCE

Code 78 on the back

Code 78 on a driving licence means restricted to vehicles with automatic transmission. GOV.UK calls this entitlement category B auto.

What to do

THE HABIT

Use park on a hill

Highway Code rule 252 says to park close to the kerb, apply the handbrake firmly and use 'park' if your car has an automatic gearbox.

See the numbers

A QUICK LICENCE CHECK

Which car did you
take your test in?

Pick the situation closest to yours. The bar shows how restricted your car entitlement is by the gearbox you passed in.

Based on GOV.UK guidance on driving licence codes, licence categories and the car driving test in Great Britain. General information, not legal advice.

Licence check

Choose a situation
I passed in a manual carNo gearbox code

A test in a manual car (3 pedals) gives category B with no code 78, the code that restricts a licence to automatic transmission.

I passed in an automatic carAutomatics only

Your licence shows category B auto: you can drive a category B vehicle, but only an automatic one. Code 78 records the restriction.

I passed in a semi-automatic carAutomatic and semi-auto

GOV.UK says a test passed in a semi-automatic car lets you drive only automatic and semi-automatic cars afterwards.

I have an automatic licence and want manualUpgrade test

You need an upgrade test from automatic to manual car. GOV.UK says to call the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to book it.

Sources: GOV.UK Driving licence codes, Driving licence categories, Driving test: using your own car, and Book your driving test.

TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

Automatic tests are
no longer rare.

One figure on how many learners choose automatics,
one on how often they pass.

SHARE OF TESTS · DVSA DATA

Car tests taken in automatics, 2024/25

≈ 26<small>%</small>

DVSA figures quoted by AA Driving School show 479,556 automatic car tests in 2024/25, about 26% of all tests, up from 6.1% in 2012/13.

PASS RATE · DVSA DATA

Automatic test pass rate, 2024/25

43.9<small>%</small>

In the same year the pass rate for automatic tests was 43.9%, against 48.6% for all car tests. Automatic pass rates have sat below the overall rate in every year of the table from 2012/13 to 2024/25.

Figures from the AA Driving School's September 2025 newsroom table, which cites DVSA's car driving test data on GOV.UK. Automatic driving tests and a separate licence group for automatic vehicles were introduced on 2 June 1969.

A small hatchback parked close to the kerb on a steep residential street, front wheel turned in towards the kerb
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

FOUR THINGS TO DO

Choose the gearbox
with your eyes open.

None of this is about which car is better. It is about making sure the licence you end up with matches the cars you expect to drive.

  1. Think about the cars aheadIf you may need to drive a manual car for work, family or a hire car, remember an automatic pass will not cover it.
  2. Check the car you will test inTwo pedals means automatic or semi-automatic. The test is the same for both manual and automatic cars.
  3. Read the back of your licenceCode 78 means restricted to automatic transmission. GOV.UK lists every code and what it means.
  4. Call DVSA to upgradeTo move from automatic to manual you need an upgrade test, booked by phone with DVSA rather than online.

WHY IT IS GROWING

Electric cars
have two pedals.

AA Driving School links the rise in automatic tests to electric vehicles, which it notes are all automatic. In 2012/13 about 5% of car test passes were in automatics; by 2024/25 it reports 23.5%.

The same source says that before 2019/20 around three-quarters of automatic tests were taken by women, a share that has fallen every year since as more men choose automatics.

A low view of a car footwell with just two pedals, a driver's trainer resting on the wide brake pedal
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK

Frequently asked

What does code 78 mean on my driving licence?

GOV.UK lists code 78 as restricted to vehicles with automatic transmission. It appears when your car entitlement covers automatic cars only.

Is the driving test easier in an automatic?

The test is the same for both manual and automatic cars, according to GOV.UK. DVSA figures quoted by the AA show a lower pass rate for automatic tests: 43.9% in 2024/25, against 48.6% for all car tests.

Can I drive a manual car with an automatic licence?

No. GOV.UK says category B auto lets you drive a category B vehicle, but only an automatic one.

How do I change an automatic licence to manual?

Take an upgrade test in a manual car. GOV.UK says you must call DVSA to book an upgrade test such as automatic to manual car.

What does a semi-automatic car count as?

GOV.UK groups automatic and semi-automatic cars together as cars with 2 pedals. Pass in a semi-automatic and you can drive automatic and semi-automatic cars only.

SOURCES

Where the facts come from

Each figure on this page comes from the sources below. Check them for the full detail and context.

  1. GOV.UK: Driving licence codes
  2. GOV.UK: Driving licence categories
  3. GOV.UK: Driving test, using your own car (manual and automatic cars)
  4. GOV.UK: Book your driving test (upgrade tests)
  5. GOV.UK: The Highway Code, waiting and parking (rules 238 to 252)
  6. AA newsroom: UK driving tests shift gears (DVSA test data table)