We followed Matthew Atkins of Hawes, North Yorkshire as he passed his tractor driving test.

Power Farming had spoken to Matthew when he rang up to ask us about whether he could drive tractors on the road aged 15.

Following our conversation Matthew got in touch with the relevant people and eventually sat his test almost one year on. We went along to see what happened.

“To get the ball rolling I needed to get in touch with the Driver Standards Agency (DSA), and arrange a suitable time and date for the test to take place,” says Matthew.

Applicants can book the test one month before their 16th birthday and can do this over the phone or on the DSA website. Note that the test fee is £42.

In booking the test a location that is suitable to both the candidate and the examiner will be agreed on. Be prepared for some tedious results here, the agreed time for Matthew’s test was bizarrely 9:27am.

“I managed to borrow a tractor from a local agricultural college – a New Holland TS90 with all the relevant components in working order, including the indicators and brake lights,” he adds.

Before the test got under way Matthew had to sign a form declaring the tractor was insured and fit for the road – this was not the responsibility of the inspector.

Should anything have gone wrong and an accident occurred, then Matthew would have been liable if the vehicle was not insured.

The examiner briefly ran through the tasks he would be asking Matthew to do. These were straightforward procedures, such as turning into a road and performing an emergency stop.

It should be noted that at no time does the examiner enter the cab with the student. It is all judged from standing observation.

However, it is fair to say that just because the examiner is not in the cab, testees should resist the temptation to answer their mobile should it ring. In fact it is probably a good idea to turn it off. And the same goes for the radio.

One of the biggest hindrances while taking the test is going to be impatience of other road users, especially if the test time is fixed for a peak time on the roads.

This was the case for Matthew case, with mums makin the return journey from dropping children at school, which happened to be 200 yards away.

If someone is tailgating you the best advice is to remain calm and in control, don’t be rushed into making a manoeuvre which will likely result in a mistake being made – it could cause you to fail the test.

Before setting off, you should ensure that all your mirrors are fixed in a position that allow you to see clearly and check that all your lights and indicators are working.

From start to finish the test lasted about 40 minutes and at the end of the practical assessment the examiner asked Matthew a few questions from the Highway Code relating to speed limits and road awareness.

“I was asked to perform a few manoeuvres such as turning into a road, both against the flow of on-coming traffic and with the flow of traffic and to reverse around a corner,” says Matthew.

Gladly, the result of Matthew’s test was positive and he passed with ease.

“The category F tractor test is not too complicated and even those with minimal driving experience should pass so long as they put in the preparation time,” says Matthew.

• Read the Highway Code section on road safety and ensure you are familiar with the workings of the tractor you will be driving in the test. Turning the wipers on instead of an indicator will not find much favour with the examiner.
• More on passing the test on Power Farming: Get licensed: Ready for your tractor test?
• Visit the Driving Standards Agency website. General information on driving tests. There is also a help line 08700 101 372.