Driving Test Tips

TheRob

I recently passed my first driving test. Here’s a few hints and tips for anyone that will be doing the test soon.

There are essentially 4 parts to the driving test – the theory test, the car test, technical driving section and the drive itself.

1. The Theory Test
This is where you are asked to identify various road signs, road safety questions and hand signals. If you learn these and rehearse with someone they are quite easy to learn. Be able to answer quickly and without hesitation. <SNIP>

2. The Car Test
Make sure your car is in perfect health. Learn what all the knobs and buttons do. Be able to identify the parts of the engine and how to perform basic maintenance. Have a look at <SNIP> for all the need to know questions.

3. Technical Driving Section
You will need to practice all of these parts and be able to do them with ease.
a) Reverse around a corner
• Wind down your own window – so you can hear traffic approach.
• Turn off all indicators.
• Don’t just look in the left wing mirror – scan all mirrors.
• Have a full look around – be like a spinning top.
• If any traffic approaches from behind - stop.
• Keep a set distance from the kerb.

b) Turn about
• You don’t need to do this in 3 points.
• When practicing, get someone outside to tell you when you’re about to hit the kerb. This way you will learn the size of your car.
• Have a good look around when moving.
• During the manoeuvre you have right of way – but if anyone passes you out just let them.
• Practice on a very narrow road.

c) Hill Start
• Make sure you check your blind spot and all your mirrors before moving off.
• Practice on different hills to get good at clutch control

4. The Drive
• Before moving off check mirrors, signal, mirrors and blind spot – then move off. Move your rear view mirror so that you have to turn to look into it.
• Make all mirror glances dramatic – make sure that the tester sees you doing it.
• Turn your entire body when checking your blind spot.
• Before signalling check the mirrors.
• If changing lanes, show that you are observing all around.
• Don’t drive too slow.
• Be prepared to stop at all traffic lights.
• Drive for about 30 mins before the test to loosen up.
• If it is raining after a good spell of weather, be prepared for oil on the road.
• Get into 3rd gear as soon as possible – it uses less fuel
• Make gear changes smooth
• Go around mini-round-a-bouts – and indicate off.
• Put the dipped headlights on for the full drive.
• Learn as much about your car as possible – know it well – only when you master the machine can you attempt to master the environment.
• If your stopped at the lights, and are the first, second or third car have 1st gear selected, clutch down, handbrake up and be ready to go quickly.


The driving section is the only part that luck is needed. You can rehearse the other parts and get them down to a T. Drive as much as possible before hand – the experience will pay off. For about 2 weeks before the test, go to the test centre every day, park and feel yourself becoming nervous as if you are about to do the test now – it builds up the muscle memory and makes you less nervous on the day. If you make a mistake, just go on, no point in letting one mistake get you down. Remember the tester can write good things about you as well as bad. So don’t get but off by that.

Get as many driving lessons as possible – they will pay off. The driving testers change their minds about small road safety points all the time – it is worth getting a driving instructor that will tell you what to watch out for. <SNIP>

Best of luck with the test – hope this helps.

Rob

Alanstrainor

Nice post. Thanks for posting.

I've had to remove references to your driving instructor and other sites from your post as it's against the forum charter.

LeMaverick

Good post.

What do you mean by "Go around mini-round-a-bouts – and indicate off."?

I was under the impression you indicate on approach to a mini roundabout (unless going straight) and you don't need to signal left when leaving - just signal as if it's a crossroad.

TheRob

You should indicate when approaching a roundabout [unless going straight], go around the mini-roundabout [not just drive straight over it] and indicate left when leaving it.

Most people completely ignore a mini-roundabout and drive over it.

Rob

MascotDec85

TheRob wrote: »

b) Turn about
• You don’t need to do this in 3 points.
• When practicing, get someone outside to tell you when you’re about to hit the kerb. This way you will learn the size of your car.
• Have a good look around when moving.
• During the manoeuvre you have right of way – but if anyone passes you out just let them.
• Practice on a very narrow road.


Rob

Sorry, that's incorrect. When carrying out a manoeuvre other, approaching traffic has the right of way hence the fact you can be marked for Right of Way

An applicant should turn the vehicle around on the road in a competent manner, taking the best possible
observations, and allowing the right-of-way as required, or a fault may be recorded for ‘Turnabout’ as
appropriate.

(b) Where an applicant obliges another road user to slow or stop, a fault may be recorded for
‘Observation’ or ‘Right-of-Way’. (not both).