According to new rules coming into effect on January 1, 2027, student drivers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) may achieve at least 75 percent on the practical exam but still fail if they commit a dangerous error.
Requirements for residents of the UAE wishing to obtain a driver's license include achieving a minimum score of 75 percent in both the theoretical and practical tests. However, achieving this threshold alone does not guarantee a successful pass, as certain dangerous deficiencies can lead to automatic failure regardless of the overall result.
Article 68 lists errors that can cause automatic disqualification from the test. These include losing control of the vehicle, colliding with a curb or barrier, failing to observe road signs or signals, and performing dangerous maneuvers when shifting gears.
Consultant Judge Hisham Elrafi explained that the new regulations distinguish between serious errors that can trigger an automatic failure and less significant shortcomings that are accounted for in the scoring system by deducting points.
Nevertheless, the law does not establish a uniform assessment system for all driving schools across the UAE; detailed certification criteria are determined by the relevant licensing authorities.
In accordance with Article 68, dangerous errors can lead to a candidate's failure even if they achieved the required overall score. Examples of such errors include losing control of the car, hitting a curb or barrier, ignoring road signs or signals, and performing dangerous actions when changing gears.
If the examiner has to communicate with the student or physically intervene to prevent a dangerous situation, the candidate may automatically fail the test. Furthermore, the regulation does not specify that the exam must be immediately terminated after such an incident, nor does it outline the procedure for providing feedback to candidates who failed, leaving these procedures to the discretion of the respective licensing authorities.
Under Article 69, individuals who fail the practical exam will receive a new testing date from the relevant licensing authority. The regulation does not prescribe a fixed waiting period before the student can retake the test, nor does it require additional driving lessons as a condition for reattempting. It is also not specified whether the candidate must pay a retest fee after failing; these details depend on the procedures of the specific licensing authority.
The new rules come into force on January 1, 2027, and do not provide exceptions for applicants who started training or registered for exams before this date. Consequently, students taking exams from January 1st must expect evaluation according to the new requirements, even if they began preparation several months earlier.
Driving schools and licensing authorities will need to update their testing procedures, although the regulation itself does not specify the concrete preparations they must make before implementing these rules.
