Taking your driving test is, undoubtedly, one of the most nerve-wracking things you will ever have to do. You’re under pressure to get everything right. One wrong move and you’re at risk of failing your text and having to re-take it at a later date.
It’s likely that you’ll want to pass as soon as you can so that you can grab the brand-new vehicle you’ve got your eye on at one of the Heber City car dealerships and enjoy the freedom of being a legal driver.
To ease your nerves, it’s best to practice practice practice. And if you want to pass the first time and avoid any retakes, you will need to know your stuff.
Once you’ve completed several driving lessons, you might finally feel confident to give your driving test a go. Your driving instructor will help you book a time and date, and get you best prepared to pass.
Even with the best preparation, it’s normal to feel anxious and overwhelmed on the day of your test. But to make things as stress-free as possible, here are some top tips on how to pass your driving test the first time you give it a go.
Arrive Early
There’s nothing worse than arriving late to your driving test.
Not only does it put you at risk of being turned away, but rushing around at the last minute leaves you feeling flustered. It gives you no time to calm your nerves prior to the test and may cause you to lack concentration while driving on the roads.
Make sure to arrive at the test center 15 minutes early so you can compose yourself and sign the necessary paperwork. Remember to bring your provisional driver’s license along with you as you will need to show this as proof of ID before your test commences.
Prepare for the ‘Show Me, Tell Me’ Questions
‘Show me, tell me’ questions are designed to test your practical knowledge.
The driving instructor will ask you the ‘tell me’ question at the start of your test and the ‘show me’ question at some point during the driving test.
The ‘tell me’ questions can range from ‘tell me how you would check the oil levels within your vehicle’ to ‘tell me how you’d check the brakes are working before you set off’.
The ‘show me’ questions are likely to be something like ‘show me how you would perform an emergency stop’ or ‘show me how you would wash the windscreen if it’s dirty’.
Although you won’t know which questions the instructor will ask, consider the answers for a range of example scenarios that might come up to best prepare yourself.
Know Your Road Signs
As part of your theory test, you will need to learn the road signs, and you’re still going to need this knowledge after you’ve successfully passed your theory exam.
Make sure to run through each of the road signs and take a look over the Highway Code before you take the practical test.
Revisiting your theory questions will help you to feel more confident while you’re driving and ensure you don’t misread any important signs along the way. Your driving instructor will notice if you do!
Try and Stay Calm
When you’re finally sitting in the driver’s seat with the instructor sitting right next to you, the nerves are bound to kick in.
Try to stay as relaxed as possible. Being anxious and worried will only make it more difficult to stay focused on the road, and this could lead to you slipping up and making a mistake.
Make sure you get a good nights’ prior to the day of your test, stay hydrated, and eat a healthy breakfast to fuel your brain and body with nutrition. Practice some deep breathing exercises just before your test to calm your nerves and give you the best chances of passing.
Get to Know the Regular Test Routes
Although the official driving test routes are not published, your driving instructor will usually indicate the vague areas that are likely to come up during your test.
Get to know the roads near your test center and pay particular attention to the roads that have unique or unusual features, such as 60mph speed limits, double roundabouts, comped junctions, or hills. Your test is likely to involve something a little challenging so be prepared to meet these challenges somewhere in your test drive.
Exaggerate Your Actions
It’s a good idea to exaggerate every action you take during your driving test. You are marked against specific criteria, and your driving instructor will be looking out for you to perform actions or movements that indicate your ability to safely navigate the roads.
You might feel silly making large gestures just to check your mirrors or turn on your indicator, but you want the driving instructor to notice everything you do. If they didn’t see you perform a certain action, it didn’t happen! So, make everything as clear and obvious as possible.
Practice as Much as Possible
Practice really does make perfect when you’re driving. The more hours you accumulate behind the wheel, the more confident you will feel when it comes to taking your driving test.
Don’t rush into booking your test just because you want to get it over with. Make sure you have enough lessons to properly learn everything you need in order to successfully pass. Otherwise, you risk failing your test and having to pay to retake it in a few months’ time.
Taking adequate time to practice your maneuvers (the three-point turn, bay parking, and parallel parking) is essential to ensuring that you pass the first time.
You will be tested on one of these three key movements at some point during your test, so you must make sure you are confident in all three of them before you book your test. Failing to successfully complete your maneuver could lead to an overall test failure, no matter how perfect the rest of your driving is.
You must also practice doing your mirror checks, navigating roundabouts, performing hill starts and emergency stops, and following sat nav instructions.
Only you know when you’re truly ready, so be sensible and make sure you feel fully prepared for your driving test.
