Tips on passing the driving test
Before the driving test
Observe other people driving
Not for tips on how to drive as they may have bad habits. Imagine yourself in the driving seat. What procedures you would use at various situations.
Stress
Put the test into perspective. It’s not the end of the world if you make a mistake or even fail the test. The test can always be taken again.
Ready for your test?
If you don’t feel confident with your ability to control the car and react with your surroundings in a safe and controlled manor, then the chances are you’re not ready. Spare as much time as you can to practice. If however your instructors tells you that you are ready then you are. Your driving instructor is experienced and should only allow you to take the test when you are ready.
Driving test routes
During the course of your driving lessons whether with your parents or your driving instructor, study test routes. Here you will find the test routes for Cambridge. Having a good idea of the test route roads will give you a huge advantage for passing the driving test. A great deal of tests are failed close to the test centre. Making sure you are familiar the the roads around the test centre will be of huge benefit. Also use Google Maps. Locate your test centre and take a look for any complicated roundabouts, junctions or one-way-systems. Study these to get a better understanding. If you are taking private driving lessons in Cambridge, here are details of some of the difficult areas of the test routes in Cambridge. The test routes around the various driving test centres vary enormously. The learner drivers help and tips site www.drivingtesttips.biz will provide extra tutorials on learning to drive, provide information on your driving test centre and also may provide driving test routes in your area.
Manoeuvres
The biggest disadvantage learner drivers have is lack of experience. If at any point during the driving test a situation occurs that the learner has not come across before, they may panic and/or take the wrong course of action. Performing a manoeuvre on the driving test is where you have most control. By practising the manoeuvres until you are completely confident you can do them with ease will put you in a much higher position of passing. Tutorials, tips and advice can be found for performing your manoeuvres:
How to do a Turn in the road / Three point turn manoeuvre
How to do a Reverse around a corner / Left reverse manoeuvre
How to do a Reverse park / Parallel parking manoeuvre
How to do a Bay parking manoeuvre
Know what you are getting into
The driving test only lasts for around 40 minutes or so. Ensure you know all the Show Me Tell Me driving test questions and answers and how to perform the Show me part such as how you would show the test examiner how you would check the oil in your car. You will only be asked 2 of the 19 Show Me Tell Me questions. One Show Me and one Tell Me. You will be asked these just before you take the car out for a drive. Fully understanding these will provide you with confidence. If you do happen to get one or both wrong, you will only receive a minor. So just forget about it and move on. Having a good understanding of what to expect during the driving test will allow you to know what to expect and leave no unexpected surprises.
During the driving test
Confidence.
During your test, driving with confidence is certainly a good thing. Driving with confidence doesn’t mean driving at inappropriate speeds given a certain situation such as roundabouts and junctions for example. Many tests however are failed due to lack of observation. Approach junctions, roundabouts, crossroads and left and right turns at an appropriate speed. Give yourself enough time to observe other traffic and your surroundings.
Mistakes.
If you make a mistake on your test, don’t give up. Put it to the back of your mind and persevere. Many learner drivers make mistakes during the driving test, it’s quite normal. The problem is, is that many learners dwell on the mistake they have made. This in turn removes their attention to what they should be doing and results in making further mistakes. Ensure you forget about it and concentrate on the task ahead. You can get away with a surprising amount. If a manoeuvre goes wrong, say to the Examiner “I’m just going to try this again” Get it right, and the chances are you will pass.
Don’t be afraid to ask.
If you are a little unsure what the Examiner says, ask him to repeat, even during the independent part of the driving test.
Manoeuvres.
Examiners can be surprisingly lenient when it comes to manoeuvres. If during your manoeuvre you feel that you have over-shot a reference point for example, don’t be afraid to pull forward to correct. Just tell the examiner so as they are aware of what you are doing and make sure you correct it safely. If all goes wrong and you end up mounting a curb for example, ask the examiner if you can try the manoeuvre again. Time permitting they may well let you. Essentially, do what ever it takes to get the manoeuvre done and don’t give up.
Independent driving.
It is with popular opinion, even with the examiners themselves, that the introduction of the independent part of the driving test has made the driving test easier. Remember, this part of the test isn’t to test your ability to navigate. If you forget where you are supposed to go, simply ask the examiner, he or she will provide you with directions. If you happen to take the incorrect direction, don’t worry, the examiner will once again give you directions to put you back on course. Don’t worry about where you are supposed to be going or getting lost, providing you do it all safely by following the correct procedures outlined by your driving instructor, no faults will be made on your report sheet.
Wrong turn.
Another common test fail is to take a different lane or direction that the Examiner requested, panic and abruptly change lanes without appropriate observation. If you do take an incorrect lane or direction, remain calm and try to take the correct lane by using the appropriate observation and indication. If it is unsafe to do so, then continue on your current path. The Examiner will then alter the route to put back on track. An incorrect turn isn’t a test fail. Lack of observation / indication is.
Look well ahead.
Try not to focus only what is directly in front of you. Look well ahead. Look for any potential hazards. Spotting a pedestrian crossing from a distance for example. Talk yourself through what might happen. Look for people gathered around the crossing. You might see the ‘wait’ sign on the crossing illuminated, making the chances of the lights changing far greater. Look well ahead for road signs or road markings. If a roundabout is approaching, talk yourself through the correct procedure before you get there.