All-in-one Driving Test 2008/2009 software review

Learning to drive is an activity that works particularly well in conjunction with a computer. Obviously you can't learn the practicalities very well, but for the theory test, interactive learning works very well.

GSP's All-in-one Driving Test software covers all parts of the test from the Highway Code onwards. The code sections aren't great – reading chunks of text from a screen is harder than doing it from a book, and although the program can read the text aloud for you it doesn’t add much. It can send some of the read-aloud sections to your portable music player for learning on the move, though.

It includes the full theory test question bank, so learners who go through all of them should be in good shape.

In our opinion, the most useful part of these programs is the hazard perception test. Something alien to anyone who learned to drive more than 10 years ago, this tests the driver's ability to recognise dangers in the road. It's quite tricky and the official guidance is poor at best. This software includes very good guidance for the hazard test as well as several practice tests.

The least useful part is generally practical – it's hard to learn to drive while sat at a computer. But All-in-One Driving Test offers good guidance for the technicalities of cars and driving, as well as explanations of what the examiner will test for. There's also a mock driving test, after which you're asked questions about where the learner driver got things wrong.

The early practical information is nothing a good driving instructor won't give, but it might help to boost confidence before getting behind the wheel. It certainly wouldn't hurt to give this software a spin before getting out on the road.

It's easy to use and to set up, and everything is clearly and colourfully laid out. Given the expense of learning to drive ten pounds is not a great extra cost, and GSP All-in-One Driving Test, with its guidance for all aspects of driving, represents an excellent investment for all beginners and even intermediate students of driving.