Passing your driving test is an important rite of passage in any young person’s life. With a single step, you can unlock a new level of freedom that will make you feel like a proper adult. Passing one test could allow you to go anywhere, with reasonable limits of course, much more conveniently than Britain’s famously unreliable public transport system. It’s okay to be nervous! This is an important thing that you’ve spent countless hours practising for. But, if you feel like you still need advice, here are some top tips for passing your driving test.

1. Sleep

Driving requires focus and concentration, so it’s important to get a good night’s sleep! You’ll already know from your lessons that driving is tiring. It’s easy to feel completely drained after a two-hour driving lesson, and your test will inevitably be a little more intense. Make sure that you have a relaxing evening the night before your test, and go to bed early.

Even better, make sure you’re well-fed on the day of your test, whether it be after breakfast or after lunch. Good food will give you the energy you need to keep up the level of concentration required to drive effectively.

2. Revise Theory

You might have completed your theory test months before you take your practical, so it never hurts to brush up on your theory! You’ll need to be able to recognise and react to road signs, among other things, during your test, so it’s important to keep yourself familiar with them.

3. Use a familiar car

You might already have a car that you’ve been able to do hours of practice in. If so, use it! Alternatively, use your instructor’s car. Nowadays you will be tested on your ability to perform actions such as turning on and off lights and other functions of the car while driving, so knowing where all the knobs and switches are will be a serious help to you passing this part of the test. Even more importantly, familiarity with the car’s clutch biting point will help you avoid excessive stalling, and help you change gear smoothly.

4. Practise

Make sure you’ve had the number of lessons you need before you take your test. Thankfully, most driving instructors will be proactive on this front, and more than able to advise you when you should take your test, based on how you have been learning with them throughout the process. 

Also, be sure you’ve had as much private practise that you feel you need before you book your test. This isn’t always necessary, but it will only make you even more familiar with driving, and make your technique look more polished and practised when it comes to your test.

5. Have a lesson beforehand

Taking a lesson beforehand will ease you back into driving, eliminating those preliminary nerves that come with sitting yourself behind the wheel again. You can also practice any techniques of manoeuvres you might feel unsure about with your instructor, so you can enter your test feeling confident about your weaker areas. 

6. Take your instructor

It’s not compulsory to take anyone with you, but you can bring your instructor if you want! Some might feel that this adds an extra layer of pressure that they don’t want. This is fine! But, if you don’t mind having them there, taking your instructor along with you can be helpful. They can’t give you any advice during the test, but if you were to fail, it will be helpful to have someone there who is familiar with you and how you drive, so you can have an extra perspective on where you went wrong.

7. Know the test route

Ensure that you’re familiar with the test route before you take your test. Routes vary wildly depending on where you are in the country, and it’s certainly true that some areas of the country have routes that are much easier to pass than others. You could certainly pick a good place in the country to do your test, but this isn’t a viable option for most, and it’s best to simply stick with where you’ve been learning. After all, picking the easier option won’t necessarily make you a better driver in the long run!

8. Avoid common mistakes

There’s a set of common mistakes that many make on their test that you should try to avoid. Hopefully, your instructor will have familiarised you with much of this during your lessons. Keeping your speed appropriate, not just in terms of the speed limit, but also your speed when approaching roundabouts, junctions, or performing manoeuvres is one. 

Another is making the correct observations. Check your mirrors regularly, and make it obvious that you are doing so. Your test supervisor will be paying attention to ensure you’re doing this, but it doesn’t hurt to make it as clear as possible that you’re doing it!