By The Acclaim Team on 18th April 2023 in News
Learning to drive can take a lot of time and effort, so when it comes to the time you are ready to take your test, you want to pass first time. It can be an intimidating experience the first time you go to take your driving test, however with proper preparation, and these tips, you can increase your chances of passing first try.
Know your theory
So you’ve passed your theory test and you’re ready to tackle your practical test, but don’t forget everything you learnt for your theory test. Knowing your theory well helps you to avoid common mistakes during your practical test. Avoiding making mistakes that could lead to you getting minor faults or even major faults during the test, sets you up in a better place to pass your driving test first time. Additionally, showing that you know your driving theory well will increase the faith your examiner has in your ability to drive as you will be actively showing that you are a safer driver.
Prepare for all Manoeuvres
During your test you will be required to perform one of three reversing manoeuvres, along with an emergency stop. You will have practiced each of these during your lessons, and your instructor will have made sure you are able to complete them safely and correctly before recommending you take the test, but you don’t know which of the following will show up on the day:
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Parallel park at the side of the road
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Park in a parking bay - either by driving in and reversing out, or reversing in and driving out (the examiner will tell you which you have to do)
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Pull up on the right-hand side of the road, reverse for around 2 car lengths and rejoin the traffic.
Being well prepared for all 3 reversing manoeuvers will make sure you are not flustered by whichever you have to do during the test, giving you the best chance to succeed, when also executing a well performed emergency stop, and pass your driving test first time.
Know your ‘Show me, tell me’ questions
Through your lessons your driving instructor will have prepared you for the ‘show me, tell me’ questions that you will be required to undertake during your test. Ensuring you know the proper procedure for the safety checks required to answer these questions is vital to succeeding in this part of the test. Providing a wrong answer or an insufficient demonstration can result in a fault during your test, so it is important to ensure you have studied these in enough detail to give yourself the best chance of success.
Show the Examiner what they need to see
When you are taking your test the examiner needs to see everything you do to make sure you are ready to pass your driving test. As intimidating as a driving test can be, the examiner is human, and some things are harder for people to perceive than others. A key example of this is checking your mirrors. You may be looking into your mirrors, but are you making head movements that the examiner can see? In order to make sure they know you are doing this properly, make the conscious effort to make sure you are moving your head so they can definitely see you doing regularly so you don't end up with a minor fault for lack of observation.
Keep Calm
We know how nervous you can feel when going for your driving test, however keeping calm will help you to be more likely to pass your driving test. When you’re feeling anxious, your mind may start to wander, making it harder to concentrate on your driving, remaining calm helps you make better decisions, thinking more clearly and behaving less impulsively. Ensuring you have a calmer mental state can be difficult, however following the advice from these tips, and making sure you are well prepared for your test can help reassure you and reduce anxiety around your test.
Have a preparation lesson
You may wish to have a practice lesson on the day of your driving test. Having a preparation lesson just before your test can help to boost your confidence that you know what you’re doing, reducing any anxiety and helping contribute to the calm mindset that will help during the test. Whilst you should be well prepared, having this lesson can give you the opportunity to ask any last minute questions you may have, in order to double or triple check that you know everything you need to, alleviating any concerns or doubts about any choices you make during your test.
Practise, Practise, Practise.
Our final piece of advice on how to pass your driving test first time is to ‘practice, practice, practice’. This sums up many of the points we have covered in these tips but at the end of the day, the best way for you to prepare yourself for your driving test and maximise your chance of passing first time is to be well practiced in all different aspects of the driving test. Your driving instructor is there to help you to ensure you are practising the correct driving technique and get you safely on the road.
You can’t predict the weather on the day of the test, so make sure you practice driving in a range of different conditions in order to be prepared for whatever conditions there are on the day of the test. Rain or shine, busy or quiet, be prepared for all road conditions so you can focus on the parts of the test you can control, yourself.
Alongside these tips, familiarise yourself with the most common driving test faults and how best you can avoid them, to give yourself the best chance of passing your test first time.
Remember, if you don’t pass the first time, don’t let it get you down. You have worked hard for this and can try again. Our instructors at Acclaim Driving are here to help you get the best results from your driving test. Call us on 0800 838 440, book a lesson or get in touch for more information.
