The new MOT certificate is your receipt for the MOT test. It shows the information that is held on the MOT database. The certificate is no longer proof of an MOT and should not be relied on as such. Only the computer record can prove a vehicle has a valid MOT.

You can check the MOT status of a vehicle at MOT info

Any recommended advisory work will normally be shown on a new Advisory Notice, which will be given to you at the time of the test.

Your MOT certificate confirms that at the time of the test  your vehicle met, as far as can be determined without dismantling, the minimum acceptable road safety and environmental standards required by law.
It does not mean the vehicle is roadworthy for the life of the certificate nor is it a substitute for regular servicing.

A test certificate relates only to the condition of testable items at the time of the test and should not be regarded as:
    * Evidence of their condition at any other time.
    * Evidence of the general mechanical condition of the vehicle
    * Evidence that the vehicle fully complies with all aspects of the law on vehicle construction and use

A new MOT certificate runs for 12 months from the date of issue, unless there is less than one calendar month of the old certificate unexpired. If this is the case the unexpired time remaining on your current MOT certificate can be added to your new MOT certificate, effectively giving you a new certificate with an expiry date 13 months from the date of the Mot test.

Should your vehicle fail the Mot test in the period  before the current Mot certificate expires it does not invalidate your current MOT certificate.