Driving Test

cvb03

Hi,

I have my driving test in two weeks and am so nervous. What is good to calm your nerves? and also I am using the instructors car and am really nervous about conking out.

MascotDec85

Firstly, prepare as best you can. The more you put in, the more you get out and if you go into to prepared that should breed confidence.

Nerves aren't necessarily a bad thing, they help keep you focussed. What you don't want is to let them get out of hand.

You can buy things like Kalms or Rescue Remedy from any good chemist. While they won't get rid of your nerves they may just take the edge off them.

As for conking out the car ask your instructor to get you to repeatedly move off and stop in a quiet area. If you do stall on test don't panic. Follow this routine:

Footbrake
Handbrake
Clutch in
Restart engine
Observations
Move off


Best of luck

ADIDriving

Regarding the car cutting out; if you have access to a car that you are more comfortable in, is there a good reason for not using it. If you need to us their car, practice and you will get better in it.
You are going to be nervous, accept that and TRY to continue driving as best as you can regardless. Easier to say (or type) then it is to actually do.

ProudDUB

Get some practice in where you are duplicating the conditions on the day of the test.

Familiarize yourself with the test area, especially the test center itself and the main and secondary roads around it. Have a look at the road signage and road markings and memorize them as best you can, under low pressure situations. That way if there is a hazard such as an improperly parked car at an intersection covering up road markings on the day of the test, it won't trip you up, as you know the road well anyway.

Get to know the speed limits of the test area like the back of your hand. Practice driving around the area sticking to them.

Try and do some driving where there is complete silence in the car. There will be no chit chat happening on test day between you and your tester, so do some driving with someone who won't talk to you and vice versa. Get used to the sound of silence as you drive.

It may sound silly, but then get the person with you, to issue you instructions as to where to go....take the first turn right at the roundabout, take the second left turn etc etc. Get used to not being in control of where you go. That way you are familiar with what the atmosphere will be like when you are actually doing the test. There are a lot of comments on here from people who found the conditions of the test itself just as intimidating as the driving part. The more familiar you will be with them on test day, the less nervous you'll be.

cvb03

Thanks for all the tips, I bought some Kalms today hopefully they make me less nervous :eek: I am well able to drive its just the thought of the test is making me so nervous. I know my nerves will let me down on the day

meathstevie

Get the idea in your head that the tester is just a passenger giving you directions where to go. Don't bother with trying to figure out what and when they're marking it'll only fluster you.

Unfortunately the man or lady who is going to test you is not supposed to engage in social conversation so it will feel a bit awkward anyway.

After that just drive as you normally would. If your driving is of a sufficient standard you'll pass, if it isn't you won't.

Always keep in mind that if you fail that it's for a good reason and you'll quite likely walk away with a few good learning points for the next time around. If you pass consider yourself capable to cover the basic points of safe driving and go and build on your experience as you go on your merry way for the next handful of decades.

Del2005

cvb03 wrote: »

Thanks for all the tips, I bought some Kalms today hopefully they make me less nervous :eek: I am well able to drive its just the thought of the test is making me so nervous. I know my nerves will let me down on the day

I've failed numerous tests due to nerves. I can drive fine but once the test is under way I just mess it up. Only thing is to try and keep calm.

Don't worry about stalling, everyone does it. It's how you react to the stall that they mark you on not stalling

But the most important part is not to worry if you fail, you'll pass eventually.

Borisss

Del2005 wrote: »

But the most important part is not to worry if you fail, you'll pass eventually.

This is the reason we have so many horrible drivers on the road today.

Unlimited attempts at fluking a test.

ADIDriving

Borisss wrote: »

This is the reason we have so many horrible drivers on the road today.

Unlimited attempts at fluking a test.

People could fluke a pass first time round.
People could improve on the mistakes they make eac time.
But the main thing is, people drive properly for the test and don't bother afterwards.

MascotDec85

Another thing to remember is not to panic if you make a mistake or continue thinking about a mistake as you drive along. Forget it, you can't change it!!

If you see yourself making a mistake, fix it. If its too late and you've already made it, forget about it. If you drive along for the next km or whatever mulling it over and worrying about it this will compound your nerves and you won't be fully concentrating on what you are actually doing and what lies ahead. In a circumstance like this, instead of picking up one fault for the original mistake a pupil can often end up picking up 3 or more mistakes.

Above all keep driving to the best of your ability all the way round the route, never give up.

MascotDec85

Borisss wrote: »

This is the reason we have so many horrible drivers on the road today.

Unlimited attempts at fluking a test.

What a ridiculous statement. Would you like to see people banned off the road after a few fails?

loobylou

ADIDriving wrote: »

But the main thing is, people drive properly for the test and don't bother afterwards.

And then add little or no law enforcement.

ADIDriving

MascotDec85 wrote: »

If you see yourself making a mistake, fix it. If its too late and you've already made it, forget about it.
Above all keep driving to the best of your ability all the way round the route, never give up.

I have probably said this to a thousand test candidates at this stage. Always good advice.

Del2005

Borisss wrote: »

This is the reason we have so many horrible drivers on the road today.

Unlimited attempts at fluking a test.

The test is always the same. So if you fluke it on first go or 10th go you've reached the same low standard, the Irish tests are relatively easy compared to most EU driving tests.

So does that mean a person who's only done the basics and passed first time is a better driver than someone who's spent hundreds of Euro to pass?

loobylou wrote: »

And then add little or no law enforcement.

+1

meathstevie

Del2005 wrote: »

The test is always the same. So if you fluke it on first go or 10th go you've reached the same low standard, the Irish tests are relatively easy compared to most EU driving tests.

So does that mean a person who's only done the basics and passed first time is a better driver than someone who's spent hundreds of Euro to pass?


+1

The Irish driving test is no easier or harder than other European tests. What has been lacking here is the driver training aspect which has only recently been remedied to an extent.

Del2005

meathstevie wrote: »

The Irish driving test is no easier or harder than other European tests.

No night driving, no motorway driving, most tests completed in 50/60 zones. In some countries they have also do first aid.

I'm sure there are countries with easier tests but we shouldn't be going that direction. We should be making the test harder and require some sort of retest when renewing.

meathstevie wrote: »

What has been lacking here is the driver training aspect which has only recently been remedied to an extent.

True

Wendy2000

i failed mine in raheny my instructor told me that middle third in killester is not a test route, oo yes it is i ended up goig over a few kerbs as the roads are so narrow this was a straight away fail, a word to the wise know middle third road for piece of mind! X

reversign adn turn about was find i was stressed voer this the most, i thought at one point i was goign on the artane route but when i turned into brookwood i said oo no i dnt know this way at all!

heeres hoping next time goes well!

ITS_A_BADGER

cvb03 wrote: »

Hi,

I have my driving test in two weeks and am so nervous. What is good to calm your nerves? and also I am using the instructors car and am really nervous about conking out.

me too op im doing mine the friday of the bank holiday weekend, i wasnt expecting to get called up so quick

Wendy2000

hi Badger, you will be fine, is this your first time i got rescue remedy it really helps a lot other wise i would have been gettign the brandy out lol!

just remember to stay calm, i laugh now when i look back at wht happend on mine! the best of luck and just remember IF you dont do well majortiy of pple fly it 2nd time cuz they now know wht to expect, just be sure you comfortable in the car, and hit the clutch if you at any time think your goig to stall let me know how you get on, are you doing it in Raheny? if i can help you in any way let me know! x x

ITS_A_BADGER

Wendy2000 wrote: »

hi Badger, you will be fine, is this your first time i got rescue remedy it really helps a lot other wise i would have been gettign the brandy out lol!

just remember to stay calm, i laugh now when i look back at wht happend on mine! the best of luck and just remember IF you dont do well majortiy of pple fly it 2nd time cuz they now know wht to expect, just be sure you comfortable in the car, and hit the clutch if you at any time think your goig to stall let me know how you get on, are you doing it in Raheny? if i can help you in any way let me know! x x

yeah its my first time doing the test, ill be drinking the bottle of rescue remedy!! yeah im kinda looking at it like its a test run, sher if i fail it i fail it, its not the end of the world like i wont be banned from driving, at least i hope not :P nah im doing it in carrick on shannon and thanks for that your very sweet

LizT

I know everyone has said it but try not to let the nerves get to you.

If you conk out, don't panic or get flustered, you'll more than likely just get a grade 2 fault for clutch ( I actually got a grade one fault for conking out coming out of the test centre, examiner said he put it down to nerves )

Try to think of the examiner just as a passenger giving you directions, don't take any notice of them marking their sheet. If you make a mistake, correct it if you can and if you can't just move on from it.

Best of luck!

Babooshka

Del2005 wrote: »

No night driving, no motorway driving, most tests completed in 50/60 zones. In some countries they have also do first aid.

I'm sure there are countries with easier tests but we shouldn't be going that direction. We should be making the test harder and require some sort of retest when renewing.



True

Motorway driving is far easier than some of the routes that are on tests....enclosed areas with lots of children at play and cars parked on both sides, speed bumps and tiny roundabouts, lots of hazards and little time to react to them while trying to keep progress on the road too...so it's actually designed to test your skills at controlling a car under all those situations that the test is designed for, not open roads that are easier to navigate.

I agree about upkeep of skills though, the amount of qualified dangerous drivers on the roads I see every day amazes me.