Vehicle Road Test Sheet
Turn 'took it round the block, seemed fine' into a record of what was actually tried, on what road, by whom — before the car goes back to its owner.
GV-23 1 page
Garage and vehicle workshop · GV-24
Vehicle Test Pre-Check Sheet
A free printable MOT pre-check sheet — lights, tyres, brakes, steering, interior and body walked through before the test, with a table for what to fix first.
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2 pages. Choose your paper size — both versions are laid out identically, so neither one gets shrunk to fit.
Print it and write on it
Fill it in type and save
The fillable versions have real form fields — open them in any PDF reader, type into them and save. Printing help.
What this sheet is for
Find the blown bulb, the split wiper and the empty washer bottle before the tester does, so the car goes in once instead of twice.
Who it is for
Garages that pre-check cars before sending them to test, mobile mechanics, and anyone who looks a car over for a customer before its test date.
How to use it
- Fill in the car, the mileage and the test date at the top.
- Work through each group with the car on a ramp or over a pit where you can.
- Tick each item checked; leave anything doubtful unticked.
- List every unticked item in the attention table with what was found and what was done.
- Sign it and clip it to the job card so the test result can be read against it.
What is on the sheet
2 pages, in this order:
Page 1
Printed under the title: The look-over before a car goes in for its annual test — every item the tester will reach for, ticked as checked or flagged for attention, so the test is not the first time anyone looked.
A pre-check, not a pass. This is not the test and prints no pass marks. What fails, what is an advisory and how each item is measured is set by the inspection manual of the scheme you test under, and changes — this sheet is the walk-round that finds the blown bulb before the tester does.
Write-on lines: Reg · Make / model · Mileage · Test booked · Checked by · Date checked · Job card no. · Fuel type
Lights and signals
- Headlights, both beams, aim looks right
- Side, tail and number plate lights
- Brake lights, including high level
- Indicators and hazards, all round
- Fog lights and reversing lights
- Lenses intact, correct colour, not misted
Tyres and wheels
- Tread checked against the scheme's figure, all four
- Sidewalls free of cuts, bulges and cracking
- Matching size and type across each axle
- Wheel nuts present, rims undamaged
- Spare or inflation kit, if the car carries one
Brakes
- Pedal feel and travel
- Handbrake holds and releases
- Pads, discs and drums seen through the wheels
- Pipes and hoses: no corrosion, chafing or weeping
- Warning light goes out
Page 2
Steering and suspension
- Play at the steering wheel
- Track rod ends, ball joints and bushes rocked
- Shock absorbers, no leaks, car settles after a push
- Springs not broken or corroded through
- Power steering fluid level and belt
Inside the car
- Seatbelts pull out, latch and retract, webbing sound
- Seats secure, driver's seat adjusts and locks
- Horn works
- Mirrors present, secure and adjustable
- Wipers clear the screen, blades not perished
- Washers reach the screen and the bottle is full
- Warning lights come on and go out
- Screen: no cracks or chips in the swept area
Body, structure and underneath
- Doors, bonnet and boot open, close and latch
- No sharp edges or loose panels
- Number plates secure, legible, correct format
- Sills, chassis legs and mountings prodded for rust
- Exhaust secure, no blowing, no excessive smoke
- Fuel cap seals, no fuel smell or leak
- Battery held down, terminals covered
- Tow bar secure if fitted, electrics work
Attention needed before the test
Table, 7 rows: Item · What was found · Action · Done
Questions
Why does it not say what fails?
Because that is the inspection manual's job, not this sheet's. What counts as a fail, a major, a minor or an advisory is set by the scheme you test under and changes over time — the sheet reminds you to look, and you judge against the current manual.
Why no tread depth figure?
The legal minimum differs between countries and vehicle classes, and printing one here would be wrong somewhere. Check tread against the figure your scheme sets and note anything close to it in the attention table.
Related sheets
Vehicle Workshop Job Card
Keep one piece of paper with the car from booking in to handing back, so the invoice is built from what was actually done rather than from memory.
GV-26 2 pages
Tyre and Brake Record
See wear as a trend, so you can plan replacement instead of being told at a test that it is already too late.
VE-07 2 pages
Vehicle Service Record
Keep a service history in your own hands, so it survives changing garages and is there when you sell.
VE-01 1 page
