Staying calm in your driving test
There is no doubt that many people get extremely nervous before the driving practical test, and whilst this can be frustrating or disconcerting, it is not necessarily a bad thing. Many people perform their best when they have a little bit of nerves beforehand: for instance Olympic sprinters and top athletes or performers at any level learn to channel nerves to improve their performance.
The key is not to let the nerves affect you DURING the driving test, and this is where many learners let themselves down. Nerves can stop you thinking clearly, and in many cases for instance a driver taking their test is so nervous and just focussing on steering the wheel that they forget the simple things like performing observations before and during manoeuvres, leading to them failing their test when in practice they knew perfectly well when and how to use their mirrors and did so correctly.
There is nothing more frustrating than feeling that you failed not due to a lack of driving ability, but due to not being able to conquer your nerves. So what can you do if you are nervous as a driver to stop those nerves beating you?
Well, the main and most important thing is to be as prepared as you possibly can for the test. The more confident you are in your driving ability and the more you believe that you can and should pass, the more you will be able to control the nerves, as for many nerves come through not being confident in their ability or having control over the situation.
Secondly, take some deep breaths and try to relax just before the test. For many, the nerves fall away as they start the test and concentrate. And that really is the key: concentrate so hard on your driving and keep a clear head, and you should find you are too busy to remember the nerves. Don't tell yourself in your head "oh my God I'm doing my driving test...aarghh!" or some variant of that. Rather, keep things in your head simple: concentrate on your driving.
Have mental checklists that you go through in your head and stick to them: for instance some learners are so nervous they forget to put the seat belt on or to look in the blind spot before pulling away and so on.
Be as prepared as you can, relax before the test, then steel yourself to focus 100% on your driving in the test and banish all other thoughts, and you give yourself a good chance of controlling those driving test nerves. Good luck!
Related Articles...
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...
What different cats eyes mean
There are market studs, which are usually referred to as multi-coloured studs or even more usually as cats eyes, along certain areas of motorways and optionally on other parts of motorways...
Car Driving Test Fees
This article looks at the costs, which were correct as of October 2009.
A standard car and motorcycle theory test costs £31.
In terms of the practical test, the price is a good deal...
Why new drivers are more likely to be involved in an accident
It is a well known statistic that new drivers are more likely to be involved in accidents, and indeed insurance companies definitely know this as you'll see by comparing premiums as a new driver...
Insurance for learner drivers
If you wish to learn to drive and you ever plan to use a private car then
you need to ensure the car you are going to use has the appropriate cover.
There are various levels of cover, the...
What causes accidents: overtaking
When you overtake a vehicle, there are often many things to consider.
First of all you need to ensure that it is, as far as you are aware, safe to do so. Therefore don't overtake close to...
Your ignition system explained
The ignition system is of course an essential part of the technology that allows cars to function, and without it you would not get very far. But what does it do? Well the system provides the...
Vehicle's registration certificate
A vehicle has a document called a V5C, and this is the registration certificate for the vehicle. However this document by itself is not alone proof that the person selling you a vehicle actually...
What to do at a box junction
The box junction is quite common but despite this there are a whole wide range of ways in which different drivers interpret what they are supposed to do at them so you will see different behaviours...
Reading or hearing difficulties and the theory test
If you have some sort of reading difficulty, which might be but is not limited to dyslexia, then do not panic. You can get the questions read to you in English or Welsh (or indeed if you want the...
Back to home page of driving theory test questions
