I've got my first driving test this tuesday...?

Question

my instructor thinks i'll pass 1st time but i'm worried my nerves will get the better of me, any advice on overcoming this

hello thanx for all your advice i passed today with 3 minors, really chuffed and still cant believe it. thanx again xx

Answer 1

be calm, get as much practice as you can to reassure yourself that you CAN actually do this.
eat well before you go for your test and ask the examiner questions (even ones like can you repeat the question?) as this makes your brain focus on the job at hand

do not go to the test pissed, hungover, on drugs, without your trousers or attempt to bribe the examiner ( this p1sses them off and its an automatic fail)

Answer 2

Just remember what your instructor has taught you.The examiner is there as an accompanying driver. You have passed,unless you do something drastic.Everybody makes mistakes sometime or other when driving. If you can show that you can drive a car competently without encouragement or advice then you will be OK!
Most of all don't take any notice of anyone saying "the examiner did this" or "the examiner did that" or "if you do this" or "if you do that"
If you have been taught properly,and have had good tuition then there is no reason why you should not pass.
Good Luck and come back with the result

Answer 3

i had my driving test 2 weeks ago, i was also extremley nervous and hardly slept the night before.
The best advise i can give you is to try and stay relaxed even if you make a mistake ( i actually stalled the car 10 minutes into the test) i almost freaked out but decided to take a deep breath and show the examiner that it was just a mistake and that i was confident enough to carry on.
Thankfully i passed with only 4 faults! After the test the examiner praised me for keeping my composure after stalling and said that no examiner expects you to be a 100% perfect but the most important thing is how you deal with your mistakes!

Good luck and remember to just concentrate on your driving and if need be just pretend that the examiner is't there!

p.s. i was also 32 weeks pregnant at the time so that really didn't help with the nerves either

Answer 4

I passed first time. Just know your theory in and out, do what you normally do the night before and on the day don't study at all. If your mind starts thinking about it, distract it with something else. Then say an hour before you leave do some good study over the stuff you found hardest to remember- get a friend to ask you the questions.

PS- Be friendly but not overly friendly with the instructor. A lot of them prefer to be formal.

Answer 5

I think that is irresponsible of your driving instructor to say that to you - getting your hopes up and putting unnecessary pressure on you. Many things about the driving test are unfair and out of your control so it is a silly thing to say.
My instructor always said to me the test is about 50% skill and 50% luck. If you have the luck you will pass first time if you don't then who knows??
I failed 4 times but each time failing with 5 or less minors and then I let myself down with nerves by doing something silly with things I'd never done before.
I must admit it is easiest to pass first time as the pressure gets worst each time. I took kalms for the last test and I took a few more than the stated dose just for luck. They seem to have worked.
I wish you all the best but if you dont pass you must keep it going, I can't tell you the amount of times I thought of jacking it in but I kept with it and they will give it to you eventually. I sympathise with you totally it is a truly horrible experience!!!

Answer 6

I suffer from anxiety and nerves almost everyday of my life and I'm having therapy for it.

The therapists told me the best way to control anxiety/nervousness is to use breathing exercises, listen to rlaxation CDs and write down why I'm worried/nervous e.t.c and then write down any irrational thoughts I am thinking and then write down rational thoughts I should be thinking(because generally when you worry you think irrational thoughts like "I can't do this" instead of your normal rational thoughts - "I can do this"). This will make you feel better and means you are more in the mood to do well (I find when I'm worried I just want to stop what I'm doing and get away from it because I want to get away from the situation and feel I can't carry on doing it(Sometimes called Fight or Flight..In my case - flight!).

Once you have done this you believe in yourself which means you are more likely to succeed anyway. The more confident you are the less likely you will be thrown if you make any mistakes in the test.

Revise. The more you revise the more confident you feel you will remember it. Get your friends to test you and search up for any sites on the internet from which you can test yourself and revise more. Preparation is everything.

Wake up as normal as if nothing is happening on that day. If you get reminded of it will niggle at you until you start worrying again (trust me, I know).

And REMEMBER: If your instructor thinks you'll pass, then you must be good. Keep that thought in your mind and it (and the stuff above) will pull you through the test (and I believe you will pass with flying colours!).

Answer 7

As has been said, the examiner is there to see you can drive safely without guidance. If youre faced with an option with several solutions, do whatever is safest, even if it means waiting a few more minutes. The examiner will mark you on specific criteria, and youre allowed to make the same mistake a couple of times. As long as these mistakes dont endanger yourself or other road users then things will be fine. If you do make a mistake then the examiner will look to see how you react to it, if you respond confidently then the examiner wont be too harsh on you.
At the end of the day enjoy it and youll be fine.
Good luck

Answer 8

Its never easy getting over nerves - even if you know exactly what you're doing!

My first driving test I got something in the region of 3 major and 15 minor marks (as in a massive fail!), but the second one I took my time, until I was confident in myself, and passed with just 2 minor marks, which is pretty good ;)

I think the best thing that helped me settle down was thinking things like "there's thousands of people driving, if they can, so can I." Just psyching yourself up in your head can go a long way to getting you ready for stressful situations like exams.

Answer 9

Don`t worry, be calm, and think about what you`re going to do before doing it. Don`t think to much otherwise you may hesitate. I failed my test the first time but I passed the second time, and that was because I used my own car. I found that to be better because I had more practice in my own car than the instructors.

Eight months later, I passed my coach driving test after three attempts. So go for it!!! Get as many driving qualifications as you can while everything is fresh in your memory.

Make sure you know your highway code, buy books and get the cd roms. Practice makes perfect!!! If you get the jitters just tell yourself you can do it, and concentrate on the road ahead. Look in your mirrors before indicated. MSM!!!

Good Luck!!!!

Answer 10

Hiya,
Its great when you pass your test,i passed 1st time last month with also 3 minors and 2 days before my wedding.
The bloke who took me had had a crash with the learner before me so he cancelled my test,i was gutted.
Luckily my instructor knew him and managed to talk him into toking me out,i passed thank god and now im driving everyday.
The only advice i can give you is to expect the unexpected,there are some fruit loops out there.
I went on the motorway for the first time last week,i had this massive lorry behind me right up my backside but i managed to keep it together and drove fine.
Good luck to you and be safe,
christy

Answer 11

Hi

I passed my driving test first time just over a month ago. I was really nervous and thought it would let me down, however i bought a spray from boots called rescue remedy spray and i was so calm it was so nice. I passed with 1 minor. If you can't manage to get the spray i did or it's too late just act like your on a driving lesson, remember what road signs mean what and what speed limits are. Just think to yourself I can DO this because everybody can if you put your mind to it!.

Good luck!!!!!
:)