MOT coming up and feeling nervous it's not going to pass?

We feel your pain.

But luckily there's a few things you can do to try and avoid that dreaded failure certificate.

Vehicle experts from LeaseVan.co.uk have pulled together a few helpful tips.

What is an MOT?

MOT stands for Ministry of Transport, and it is the test that all vehicles must go through to ensure they are road safe.

There are 21,000 test centres throughout the UK and not all of them service cars, meaning they’re independent and have no commercial incentive to fail the vehicles.

What do mechanics do during an MOT?

The actual test will take between 45 minutes and an hour.

However, if the vehicle fails and repairs need to be made the length of time it will take soon adds up.

During the MOT, important parts on your vehicle will be checked to make sure they meet the legal standards.

This includes lights, tyres, fluids and Steering and suspension.

Steering cheks include the strength and condition of the wheel and looking for wear and tear in steering components.

Shock absorbers will also be checked for excessive corrosion and anything that would be deemed unsafe.

How much does it cost?

The maximum cost is £54.85 for cars and campervans, and £29.65 for motorbikes.

You can ring around your local test centres to see how much they charge but remember prices will soon increase if any repairs need to be made.

What can I do to avoid my car failing the MOT?

There's three tips for you to try:

1. Lights

30% of all MOT faults are due to lights and signals.

They should be correctly positioned, show the correct colour with no tints and nothing obscuring them, and most importantly light up with only one operation of a switch.

TIP: Before a test have someone walk around your car whilst you switch each light on individually, meaning you can pre-empt any potential problems.

2. Tyres

Just as it’s illegal to have tyres which don’t come up to the mark when out on the road, you can equally fail your MOT if you have the wrong tyres on or if they’re not within the legal tread depth limit. The 20p coin check will help with this.

TIP: If you can put a 20p coin in the tread and see the outer ring of the coin your tyres need changing.

3. Fluids

An easy check for anyone pre-test is to ensure that all the fluids in the vehicle are at least at their minimum level or fill them up to save a job later.

This includes steering fluid, water and oil.