Dealing with nerves

Learning to drive can make people nervous, and even if you are a confident driver then you may get nervous before the driving test itself. If this happens to you, then don't worry. It is only natural to get nervous before an important event such as a driving test, so don't let it make you even more anxious than you already are.

By knowing that virtually everyone who takes the test gets nervous that in itself could provide some form of comfort to you. And remember that the driving test assessors expect candidates to be nervous.

Also remember that when the test proper starts and you are busy concentrating on driving, you will soon get into the swing of the test and whilst you may still be nervous, you should try to focus that nervous energy into driving as well as you can and remembering everything your instructor told you - whilst listening carefully to and following the instructions of the driving test assessor sitting alongside you.

The main reason that people get nervous before a driving test is fear of failure. Many have a what if scenario that runs through their mind: what if I crash the car? What if the assessor thinks I'm useless? What if I simply fail the test, will my mates laugh at me as they passed first time? Where will I get the money from for another test?

There are all sorts of questions that can arise. So you should just try to be calm and take some long, deep breaths before the driving test. Controlling your breathing can help to calm you down - there are many websites out there that can give you detailed breathing methods to calm you down and make you feel more in control.

Related Articles...

driving theory test
Driving Test and Independent Driving
Independent driving - where the candidate is not following the directions given at each stage by the instructor but rather following a route, e.g. following road signs to Town X until the instructor...

Tips on passing your theory test
It is up to each individual who takes a theory test to do the necessary work and preparation to put themselves in the best position to pass the test. Rather than attempting to 'cram' the night...

What to check on your car daily
A car is a sophisticated piece of machinery, although it is commonplace and therefore taken for granted by many there are considerable elements working together to make it work. And if one...

Theory test case studies
One of the relatively new elements added to the driving theory test is what is called the case study element. This was introduced on 28th September 2009, and there is one case study in the theory...

What to do at a ford
This article is about driving through a ford, not about driving a Ford car. When you see a warning sign for a ford you should naturally slow down. Then look at the ford and assess the depth...

Working out what a road sign means
There are many signs that you will see day in day out as a driver and are obvious to understand. For instance signs that tell you the maximum speed limit on the road you're on. For some reason,...

How to get your provisional driving license
In order to take the theory test, and ultimately the practical driving test, you will need to have a valid provisional driving license. Indeed you need the provisional license in order to be able...

Tips on driving in the country
Driving in the country can be quite a different experience to driving around towns and on motorways. Firstly, depending where you are, the road quality can be very variable and bumpy and...

Towing a load such as a caravan
When you tow a vehicle such as a caravan, it is clearly the case that driving conditions will be very different, and much more so again than simply having a heavier load or having a roof rack...

Typical brake faults outlined
The brakes are a mechanical object and so it is possible that they will develop problems and not function the way that they should be. This is clearly very dangerous because brakes are one of the...


Back to home page of driving theory test questions