~ The Driving test - what to expect on the day ~

So you've been learning to drive for a while now and your instructor says you are ready for your test. But what does this involve?
You will need to book a double lesson with your instructor, the first of which will be a lesson; the second will be the test with an examiner.

When you arrive at the test centre you will sit in the waiting area until the examiner comes out and calls your name. When they do, you will have to sign a green form to say that the vehicle you will be driving is insured and that you are a permanent resident of the UK.

You will then have to read a number plate from a car a short distance away to check that your eyesight is ok. Once you have done this, you will show the instructor where the car is and the instructor will ask you two maintenance questions before you start the car. The test lasts between 35 and 40 minutes, and you will drive in a variety of road conditions.

*When I did my test last December (2006) the practical driving test cost £48.50 on a weekday or £58.00 on weekday evenings and weekends. Plus the cost of a double lesson with your driving instructor.*

~A~
ASK if you are unsure about anything before your test. At times I think my driving instructor thought I was a little strange as I was asking lots of questions about things that I already knew the answer to, just to confirm it in my head. He was really nice about it though and answered them all for me. Also on the day of your test you can ask the examiner questions if you are unsure of the instructions they give you (although they are usually quite clear).

~B~
Don't BOOK your test until you're ready. Even if you feel like you are ready wait until your instructor tells you, as if you don't you might not pass. Remember, the instructor teaches many people to drive and they will know when you are most likely to pass your test.

~C~
Stay CALM. I know this will be difficult as it is a very nerve wracking experience. Take deep breaths and stay as calm as possible. I was really nervous for both of my driving tests but I did try and stay calm for my second test and I was slightly better.

~D~
DRIVE carefully, this may sound obvious but it is important to drive just the same as you have in all of your lessons. I speak from experience as in my first test I changed from third gear into fourth instead of second to go round a bend in the road and I stalled (this is what I failed on). This was a silly mistake that I had never done in any of my lessons and it cost me the outcome of the test.

~E~
EAT breakfast/lunch before your test as you can function better with food inside you. I couldn't stomach breakfast on the morning of my first test (which was at 10.30am) so I only ate a little bit, and by the time it was near the end of my test I was feeling really hungry. I made myself eat breakfast on the morning of the second test (the one I passed) even though I still didn't really feel like it. I wasn't hungry throughout the test so this was one less thing to be thinking about.

~F~
FORGET about little mistakes that you make throughout the test. During my first test I forgot to check my blind spot, the next time I went to pull away I panicked and forgot again, and then again a third and forth time. This accumulation of minors turned into a serious, which also added to my fail. In the second test, whenever I made a little mistake I just accepted it and moved on.

~G~
GET other distractions out of head. Leave all thoughts of home, school, work etc outside the car. You can think about them at the end of your test. You have about 40 minutes to prove to the examiner that you are safe to drive on your own so you should be concentrating only on the test.

~H~
Make sure you are HAPPY (well, as happy as you can be on the day of your driving test!) with everything that you need to do in your test.

~I~
You should learn to drive with an INSTRUCTOR you are comfortable with. They need to provide the right level of support that you need and they are going to get you through your test. If you are not comfortable with your instructor get a new one. There is nothing wrong with changing instructors. A few of my friends have had two or three instructors before finding a one that they can work well with. I was lucky and received a recommendation from a friend who had already had a couple of instructors and had found a really good one who got her through her test.

~J~
Do a JIG :-) (or any form of exercise) in the lead up to your test as exercise helps reduce stress levels and focus your mind, :-) which will help you stay calmer.

~K~
You could also take KALM's in lead up to your test. I know these don't work for everybody, but I found they really helped me. I took 6 a day for about three weeks before my test and found they helped keep me a little bit calmer.

~L~
LOOK after yourself. Don't get yourself so stressed that you make yourself ill, like I did. I was so worried about my driving test that I was getting frequent migraines. I was getting them at least once a week, including the day before each of my tests.

~M~
MAKE the most of your lessons. You are probably paying for the lessons so use the time wisely. Get the most out of the lessons. If there is something you feel you need more practice at, ask your instructor if you can practice that.

~N~
NOT everyone passes first time so if you don't, don't worry about it. As I have already said I passed second time. It would be easy for you to give up but after all the time and effort you have put in it would be a shame not to have your licence at the end. So don't give up, you will get there in the end.

~O~
OBSERVE your surroundings. You will have already passed your theory test so you'll have some practice in looking for hazards. Obviously you need to look ahead, as well as check your blind spots before pulling away so make sure there are no hazards and you are aware of any that are there. You get marks against you if you do not observe appropriately. In my first driving test the examiner kept asking me to pull over and then pull out when I was ready. Before going in for the test I knew I would be asked to do this a couple of times to show I could pull away safely. I started panicking in my test though because he kept asking me pull over again and again. I thought I must be doing something wrong so due to the panic, I was forgetting to check my blind spots every time so I accumulated a serious from 3 minors which contributed to failing my test. Make sure you don't panic if you are asked to pull over more than you expect - prove that you are capable of pulling away safely by observing your surroundings correctly!

~P~
PRACTICE makes perfect (or so they say!). Practice as much as you can up until your test. I would have loved to be insured on my parent's car so I could have extra practice in that, but it was so expensive. You don't have to be a perfect driver to pass your test but you need to show that you are safe to start learning on your own. After passing your test you won't suddenly become a better driver than 40 minutes earlier when you were still a learner, but you have proved to the examiner that you are able to learn safely on your own, through experience.

~Q~
Practice for your maintenance QUESTIONS. Your instructor should provide you with information to help you prepare for this. You will be asked two questions about maintenance of the car. Don't worry if you get these wrong though - you can't fail for it, you just get a minor next to your name. (You are allowed up to 15 minors before you fail)

~R~
REMEMBER to take all your documents with you. You will not be able to sit the test if you do not have both parts of your driving licence. You also need to take your theory test certificate and your letter confirming your booking.

~S~
SWITCH off your mobile phone when you are in the test, as you don't want anyone calling you when you are driving!

~T~
TALK to other people who have passed their driving test or are going through the same as you. Some people will be happy to help. However, if all the advice they can give you is 'You'll be fine' you might want to talk to someone else, as I know how nervous those three words can make you feel.

~U~
UNDERSTAND what you have learned. Make sure you know why you do certain things as if you understand it you are more likely to be able to do it.

~V~
Watch the VIDEO footage, which comes on DVD from the DSA when you book your test. I found this helps you see what a driving test is like. I felt it helped after watching it, though I didn't watch it before my second test, as I already knew what to expect.

~W~
Think about WHY you are sitting your test. If you have a purpose for doing it you will be more likely to pass. Will it make life easier, more enjoyable or is it just something that you have always wanted to do? Keep in mind why you want to do it and it will seem more worthwhile.

~X~
Get eXTRA practice. I know I've already talked about practice, but it really is important that you feel confident when you drive and the best way to do this is practice!

~Y~
YOU can do it! Think positive. If you make a mistake, don't automatically think that means you have failed. When I made a mistake in my first test I was constantly thinking 'I've failed' which meant that I kept doing the same little mistakes over and over again, which led to me failing. However, in my second test I rolled back slightly at a roundabout (I didn't have my handbrake on) and I thought I had probably failed but I tried not to think about and have positive thoughts. It turned out it was only a minor as I got it under control very quickly, so I didn't fail after all!

~Z~
ZZZzzz. Get plenty sleep the night before your test. You don't want to be driving a car if you are half asleep. Go to bed early and you'll wake up refreshed and ready to sit your test!

*Remember once you pass your test you never stop learning. You really start learning to drive once you have passed, as you begin to gain more experience. When I first passed my test and started driving my own car, I thought I was a worse driver than before I passed. This was mainly because I wasn't used to the car but also because I didn't have someone sitting beside me telling me where to go etc. I've now been driving independently just short of a year and although I have gained lots more confidence I know I still have a lot to learn. I'm really enjoying gaining the experience on my own in my own car as I feel like I have more freedom*

I hope this advice helps you or someone you know pass their driving test. I know it is a scary experience but if you persevere you will get there eventually. Good Luck!

Thanks for reading! xx