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.

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