Having been a DSA approved driving instructor for many years I am more than familiar with taking nervous pupils up to the driving test centre to take their very first practical driving test. Even the most able of pupils arrive at the test centre feeling uneasy or nervous.
This is a common feeling amongst the vast majority of candidates taking their practical test for the first time. In fact thinking back at my own experience some 15 years previous, I can remember going through the same set of emotions on the journey when accompanied by my instructor.
Positive Attitude
If I could go back in time, what advice would I have given myself in the days and months leading up to my practical driving test? I would first of all have to analyse my reasons for why I was actually so nervous?
I began taking driving lessons shortly after my memorable 17th birthday. The excitement of getting into the driving seat of a car for the first time was sufficient to lead me astray from my intended goal of actually passing my test. I would have one lesson a week with my instructor who also happened to be my neighbour. My father would pick up the bill for my driving lessons so I was not overly bothered about how many lessons it took me to reach the required level in order to pass the practical test.
Each lesson I would get into the driving seat of my instructors vehicle and just couldn't wait to experience the feeling of driving. I discovered that I actually enjoyed driving but didn't enjoy learning to drive according to the high standards set out by the DSA. A bad attitude is therefore the first reason I was poorly prepared and thus nervous for my first driving test.
When taking lessons with my instructor I remember there being a loose structured programme but generally I was allowed to drive without well needed supervision and guidance. In hind sight I might not have cared how many lesson I took to pass and from a financial perspective neither did my instructor. The second reason that I was nervous was that I had chosen a poor quality driving instructor who neither increased my confidence as a driver nor criticized me for my failings. I know it is easy for every student to blame their teacher for a poor result when in fact the problem lies within themselves. In my case it was a bit of both. So I should have found a driving instructor who provided the appropriate level of supervision which would be delivered in a fully structured programme that included briefings and debriefs.
Although I often requested that a member of family take me out for private lessons, my father was far too busy and would give me the odd lesson here and there. These lessons were actually vital to my performance as I later learnt. When you are in a car with a friend or family member without the use of duel controls you are inclined to be much more alert. If not to impress them then because you understand that one false move could risk both your lives. You are put in a position where you have to take serious control of the car and not be in passenger mode as I like to call it. So comes the third mistake which was insufficient number of hours of private practice.
Most pupils are happy to bin their Highway Code book straight after they have passed their theory test. It is however vital to be able to transfer your knowledge to the practical part of the test. You may think that the Highway Code is just a boring set of rules and laws but its far more than that and should become something you adhere to the rest of your driving career. This was my forth mistake, completely separating my theory test knowledge from my practical driving test.
My fifth and final mistake was probably the most crucial of them all. It is absolutely fundamental to the outcome of your first driving test or any test for that matter, to know what is actually required and expected of you during the test. I had turned up to the test centre like a huge number of candidates with absolutely no idea what skills the examiner expected from me and how I was supposed to demonstrate those skills. No surprise then, I was unsuccessful at my first attempt. So before even thinking about booking your driving test, avoid my fifth mistake and make sure you are fully informed in what is expected of you on the day of your driving test. The form DL25C (Driving Test Report) is readily available from your instructor or from the internet. Carefully look though the assessment sheet long before your test date and ensure you fully understand how your test is marked.
A brilliant minded driving instructor once told me that "some students need to fail that first test, just to get them through the nerves of the second test" Having been a driving instructor now for many years I know that there is a clear distinction between being nervous because your anxious about the test and being nervous because you are completely unprepared for your driving test.
Which category do you chose to fall into?
5 Simple Tips To Prevent Shaky Nerves On The Day Of Your Practical Driving Test
For more information on this topic and to access translations of the driving theory test and the practical driving tests in Turkish, Chinese, Polish, Arabic, Bengali, Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu & Gujarati visit [http://successfuldriver.com/]
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