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    It is a requirement to have an MOT certificate. When is it legal to drive without a valid MOT?

    DVSA-style practice question · Essential Documents

    The answer options

    • Up to 7 days after the expiry date
    • When driving with the owners permission
    • When driving to arrange an MOT
    • When driving to the MOT centre for your appointmentCorrect

    Why that is the answer

    You are legally permitted to drive a vehicle without a valid MOT certificate only when driving directly to a pre-booked MOT appointment. There is no grace period after an MOT expires, making it illegal to drive for any other reason once it runs out. Having the owner's permission or driving to arrange a test does not grant an exemption. Your vehicle must also remain in a roadworthy condition for the journey.

    How this comes up in the real test

    Questions from essential documents appear throughout the 50-question multiple-choice section, and the wording changes between versions. Learn the rule rather than the sentence: the DVSA can ask the same point from the opposite direction, and a memorised answer falls over the moment the phrasing moves.

    The pass mark is 43 out of 50, so seven wrong answers is your entire margin. If a whole category is shaky, run the topic practice below until you are getting every question right for the right reason, then go back to full mocks under the clock.

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