Pass Your Driving Theory Test (Nintendo DS) Review

It must be stressed from the start that those jumping to the 'final score' at the end and looking confused must try to realise that such a product on a gaming system should not really be classified in the same way traditional games are. Therefore, obviously seeing the outcome of this review does not mean it is being recommended over portable titles such as Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure, Big Bang Mini or Broken Sword (for want of naming a few recent high scoring DS releases). This is a tool dedicated to helping people revise and eventually pass their Driving Theory Test, which just so happens to be the first major hurdle on the way to driving a car.

As soon as 'Pass Your Driving Theory Test' (or PYDTT as it will be henceforth called for the purposes of brevity) is booted up, players are given two save files so a friend can set up a profile as well. Upon setting up your own personal file there are four main options to choose from: Quick Test, DSA, Custom Test and Mock Theory. There is also a Help button that explains what each mode consists of, Options so players can change the question set from 'Car' to 'Motorbike' and back again, as well as modify their preferred hand setting (the DS is held like a book, so altering the orientation for using the touch-screen if left-handed is obviously essential), plus standard Credits and Back to the Main Menu choices.

Going step-by-step through the main modes, Quick Test is for anyone in somewhat of a hurry, letting people test themselves on a limited number of randomly selected questions from the official Driving Standards Agency database (of which there are 1,265 on offer). Within this, and the other practice modes, there is the ability to avoid the duplication of already correctly answered questions so as to prevent boredom setting in. Moving onto the DSA mode, this is a rather more in-depth part of the package. When the DSA publishes its official test questions, they are broken down into fourteen different groups, each focusing on a particular area of the competence required. This mode serves up a way for candidates to identify certain specific sectors of the test that they are presently weakest and ensure these can be worked on at a later stage. In order to keep a track of where the underachievement is occurring, PYDTT keeps a track of results, presenting data in the form of a statistics chart that clearly highlights where improvements need to be made.

After finding out where you are going wrong it is time to move on to the Custom Test, where you yourself can take control of which category of questions is best to target so as to wipe out those deficiencies in the education process. Simply increase or decrease the number of questions chosen by the computer from the fourteen skill bases and away you go. However, again there is a stats screen to monitor progress, meaning you are never left blind. In addition, any questions answered correctly or otherwise are also fully explained should you wish to understand more behind the right response. The hand-holding process really does help for those who get easily overwhelmed by the learning process. Finally, there is the actual Mock Test, where you must answer fifty questions in fifty-seven minutes. Questions can be flagged and returned to later if initially stuck, but there is no help in this - just as there is nobody to help you along in the real-life test. PYDTT definitely has everything you need to pass your driving theory test, so the lack of flashy graphics, any distracting soundtrack or pointless mini-games can be forgiven. However, perhaps a two-player head-to-head question competition might have been a nice inclusion, or even a few video clip examples. Yet at the end of it all, you will be paying a mere £19.99 or under for a product that is DSA-approved and co-developed with the Learner Driver Centres, the UK's third largest driving school, plus comes with a free driving lesson voucher worth £26.