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...
Driving and Eyesight Requirements
If you require glasses in order to meet the requirements for driving legally, then you must ensure that you wear them whilst you drive (or corrective lenses).
There are some conditions that...
When to use hazard warning lamps
Hazard warning lamps, are by their nature, lamps that you should not use routinely. However it is important to know when is the correct time to use them, and how to switch them on.
They are...
The ABC of dealing with casualties
The ABC refers to how to treat casualties if you are involved in an accident but not injured, or indeed if you are at the scene where an accident occurs.
The A refers to the word airway. This...
Tips on buying a vehicle
When it comes to buying a car, many people buy second hand in order to save the costs of a new car which of course often come at a premium having had no previous owner.
However there are risks...
Tips on driving with a heavy load
When you have passed your test and been driving for a while, you might find yourself driving with a heavy load.
For instance if you are going on holiday then you might have lots of stuff that...
Nervous Driver Tips
Many people who learn to drive have a combination of nerves and excitement. Even if someone says they have no nerves and are perfectly confident when it comes to driving, the first time you get...
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...
The photocard driving licence
The new type of driving licence is a photocard, and it has several features on it that it is worth understanding once you are issued with your photocard driving licence.
It contains your...
Professional driving instructors
When you learn to drive, you have the choice who teaches you. The majority of people decide to learn through a professional driving instructor and often through a major school of...
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...
Back to home page of driving theory test questions
