Tips for passing a practical driving test
**A contributed post as written for The Safe Driver.
**Editor’s note** Although driving tests are different from one jurisdiction to another, these tips should be able to give you some insight to passing your test.**
If you have aced your theory test and now ready to take the practical driving test, congratulations. It is always a great feeling when your instructor tells you that you are now ready to take the practical exam. No doubt, this can bring a feeling of accomplishment. For others, it can also bring anxiety.
You don’t have to feel nervous when it is time to take your driving test. If you pass your theory test and have gotten enough driving practice test, there is no reason why you should not ace your driving test. Besides, with the tips written in this article, you can easily overcome this one last hurdle and go on to enjoy car-based freedom.
In the past, some people who did well in their theory exam failed the practical driving test. The reason is that they are nervous. To be honest, you are bound to be nervous but you shouldn’t be. A practical driving test is simply a way to show in reality everything you’ve learned so far. If you have listened to your instructor and paid attention during practice test, then you should be fine when you face ICBC for the practical driving test.
The tips below will help you ace your practical driving test at the first attempt. Keep on reading to find out more.
Top Tips To Pass Your Practical Driving Test At Your First Attempt
- Prepare for Eyesight Test
You must pass the eyesight test before you pass the overall practical driving test. Before you start driving, your instructor will ask you to read a number plate of another vehicle from a distance of about 20m. You need to read the number plate correctly. If you wear glasses or contact lenses to improve your eyesight, it is important you bring them along with you to the test venue. Remember, the test is over the moment you fail the eyesight test.
- Prepare For “Show Me, Tell Me” Test
After the Eyesight test, your examiner will ask you to do a basic vehicle safety check. Anyone can pass this part of the exam if you have prior preparations. For the “Show Me” part of the test, your examiner will ask you to do a various simple vehicle safety check. Then for the “Tell Me” part, he will ask you some simple questions to check your understanding of how safety check is done. For instance, he can ask you a question like “Show me the location of the oil filler cap? Show me how to check the oil level?
Like we mentioned above, it is very easy to pass this part of the exam. However, if you fail, you will automatically receive one fault on your test.
- Practice Reversing Multiple Times
Your examiner will most likely ask you to do various types of reversing. He can ask you to do a parallel park at the side of the road or pull up on the right-hand side of the road. Similarly, he can ask that you reverse for roughly 2 car lengths. Reversing can be scary for a beginner especially when you are on a busy road. During practice, ask your instructor to take you to a slightly busy road so that you will get enough reverse test. This will help to improve your overall confidence.
- Prepare for Independent Driving Test
Your examiner will ask you to drive to a location on your own following the road signs and situations. The purpose of this part of the test is to make sure you can drive on your own when you finally get your driving lesson. Your examiner will ask you to follow traffic signs or a sat-nav. ideally, you should pass this part of the test if you have enough practice.
- Get To Know the Area Around Your Test Center
Before you go for the practical driving test, ask your instructor that you want to get some practice time around your test center or on the road where your examiner will take you. If you get familiar with these routes, you will become more confident in the actual exam day.
- Keep Your Nerves Under Control
It is very common to see people get very nervous on the test day. You are likely to make mistakes when you are nervous. Some examiners know that drivers are nervous on their practical test day and will do their best to put you at ease.
You can take some step to ensure that you don’t get nervous. For instance, get enough practice, book your test when you will have a lot of free time, make sure you get enough sleep the night prior your test, avoid taking too much caffeine before your test, read the reasons why people fail, and ask your examiner questions if there’s anything you are not sure about.
Pass or Fail?
You will pass the test if you don’t get up to 15 driving faults or one dangerous fault. However, if you get 15 driving faults, you will fail the test and will have to re-take it. Depending on your area, you can retake the test every 10 days. The best way to ensure you pass your practical driving test at the first attempt is to ensure you get a good instructor and enough practice before your test day.
Thanks for sharing this information. This will be very helpful for every learner who is going for a driving test.
It is a very nice post, thanks for sharing with us!!