Revising for the Practical Driving Test

Can you revise for the Practical Driving Test?

When learners think about preparing for their practical driving test it is tempting to think that the only preparation is to keep practicing with their instructor or possibly in their own car with parents. There are however a number of other ways that the learner can prepare/practice as well as actually in a vehicle.
We will look at what I consider are the most useful methods that can greatly increase the learner’s confidence and the chances of them passing the driving test first time.
The areas we will look at are:
1. Driving Test Revision Cards.
2. Writing notes and using diagrams.
3. Talking through the drive.
Revision Cards are often used by students to revise for a subject, by using the cards on a regular basis the facts become more fixed into the memory and are able to be recalled more quickly.
As with my own Driving Test Revision Cards these should cover all the key areas of the drive from mirrors to manoeuvres. Each subject will have the key points listed together with advice on what should or should not be done. By reading a card and thinking about their drive the learner can (and through experience does) become more confident in what they will need to do, both when driving and on the driving test.
Regular use is essential to gain the best from this excellent tool. The cards are small enough to be carried by the learner, enabling regular revision, such as when travelling to and from school/work or in free periods during the day. I would strongly suggest professionally prepared Driving Test Revision Cards as the learner can then be sure that important information is not missed out and you will also get important advice from a qualified ADI.
Writing notes and using diagrams is another great way of fixing important information into the learner’s memory. Possibly the best way of describing how to use this method is to look at an example. As an Approved Driving Instructor I regularly see pupils doubting what they should do on a manoeuvre, even though they do know exactly what to do. In this instance I will often (after possibly recovering the manoeuvre) suggest that the learner takes the time after the lesson to write down what they need to do. If practising the turn in the road, the learner should first write that they would prepare the car to move (selecting first gear etc). Then leave a line or two (use lined paper!) and then write the next key stage such as carrying out effective observation prior to moving the vehicle. After finishing writing the complete manoeuvre the learner should read through carefully, and ideally using a different colour pen fill in (on the lines left free) any information missed out. These pieces of information are the areas that the learner is also likely to miss out when actually practicing the manoeuvre.
Writing something down makes the learner think harder about the subject and in doing so enabling them to remember it when actually driving.
Diagrams can also be useful to help the learner to visualise a junction or manoeuvre. For instance with the bay park the learner can draw out the parking spaces and even use a toy car or any suitable size object to act out the manoeuvre helping them to think about when they start steering and what to do if the manoeuvre starts to go wrong.
Talking through the drive is the final method I use with my own pupils. We can use this to help us remember what to do at junctions etc, or just to put any problems in the drive into perspective.
If the learner is worried about, for instance a particular type of junction, then talking through their worries with an experienced driver (possibly parent or friend) can help enormously to reinforce what they should do. I should add at this point that if a learner is worried about a particular junction etc, they really should make sure that their driving instructor knows about their worries, so that they can help them with it.
The other aspect of talking through the drive is when the learner has convinced themselves that they cannot do something. Again another example:
The learner says that they cannot deal with roundabouts. The person they are talking to should try and find out exactly what the problem is. After talking through how they approach the junction, their understanding of how roundabouts work, it appears that they understand these areas but are worried about judging traffic on the roundabout. This is clearly a very important area, but still much better than simply not being able to deal with roundabouts. After further discussion it transpires that the learner does actually know how to judge the other traffic, but occasionally misses small potential gaps to emerge onto the roundabout. On the driving test this is not necessarily a big problem as the examiner only needs to see the learner emerge into reasonable spaces. So discussing this puts the learner’s worries into perspective and hopefully their mind at rest. It also now means that the actual minor problem can be discussed and addressed so that the learner becomes more confident.
Conclusion
By using the methods detailed above the learner will become more confident in their driving and hopefully feel more able to cope with the pressures of the driving test.
So can you revise for the practical driving test? Yes.
Is it worth using methods such revision cards etc? Yes.
Can it make the difference? Yes.
http://www.your-online-driving-school.co.uk/

Driving Test Pass Limits?

Driving Test Pass Limits?

As an Approved Driving Instructor since 1996, I’m very used to being asked certain questions regarding the driving test. One of those regularly asked questions is; can driving examiners only pass a certain number of driving tests a week? This is a question I can remember asking my driving instructor some 26 years ago. I could just answer this with a simple yes or no, however that would lead to a very short article and may not completely convince you. So let’s look at some facts.
The average (overall) pass rate for UK driving test centres is normally around 45-50 %. However if you look around the country you will find widely differing pass rates. These differences may be due to the difficulty of the roads or volume of traffic near to the test centre. Also the affluence of an area can make a difference, as the learners may be able to afford more lessons prior to taking their driving test.
Here are a couple of examples:
1. Birmingham (Kings Heath) as very busy area has a pass rate of 30.13% for the year 2007-2008.
2. Gairloch (Highlands, Scotland) a rural area, which for the same period had a pass rate of 70.59%.
If there were driving test pass limits, then shouldn’t they have the same pass rate?
Now the question has possibly changed to have particular test centres got set driving test pass limits? Let me give you a recent personal experience. At the beginning of the year (2009) I had a run of 10 tests all passing in a row (most 1st time). Then I had a fail and then another couple of passes. If my local test centre had a set pass rate, then wouldn’t I have had some of my first 10 tests fail, as the normal pass rate for this test centre is close to the national average?
However, as is often the case, there may be some, if possibly only small, element of truth about driving test pass limits. First imagine you are a driving examiner. You know that over the course of any given week/month or even year, the test centres pass rate is normally around 45-50%. However you know that you have recently been passing a lot higher % than this. This may lead you, or senior examiners to wonder if you are marking the tests differently to the other examiners at the same test centre. The examiner may, in this instance decide to adjust their marking slightly as they believe they are being too lenient. This does not however mean failing someone who has done nothing wrong. Instead it may be that in a slightly grey area, which could be either a driving fault or possibly a serious/failure mark, the examiner decides to be stricter and puts down as a failure mark!
Please remember that this is only my opinion; however it is one gained from experience, having listened to a great number (hundreds) of debriefs at the end of the driving test, as well as sitting in the back during dozens of tests over the years.
So what do I mean by grey areas and how can you avoid them? Grey areas will be situations where different people could view the learner’s actions differently, such as one person/examiner feeling that a learner is travelling slightly too close to parked cars and another simply too close. It is down to the examiner’s own perception of the situation and, as in most situations this can be slightly different from person to person.
So how can a learner avoid falling the wrong side of this decision? Well the obvious answer is to drive correctly. However one of the key areas to look at is what the examiner believes the learner’s attitude is to their driving and other road users. If the learner appears to be trying to drive well, using good observation, planning well ahead and considering other road users, then the examiner is much more likely to give the learner the benefit of the doubt if there is a decision to make.
In conclusion, if the learner drives correctly then they will pass the driving test and they don’t need to worry about possible driving test pass limits. The better prepared the learner is the greater their chances are of passing the driving test.
For more details on learning to drive, together with lots of practical information and advice please visit us at: http://www.your-online-driving-school.co.uk/

Driving Test Fees Increase From 30th March 2009

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) have announced an increase in driving test fees from 30th March 2009 as follows;

Theory Test;
£31.00

Practical test;
£62.00 (daytime Monday to Friday)
£75.00 (weekday evenings and weekends)

Extended driving test (following disqualification);
£124.00 (daytime Monday to Friday)
£150.00 (weekday evenings and weekends)

The fee increases will apply to theory and practical driving tests booked on or after 30 March 2009.

DETAILS OF ALL TEST FEE INCREASES CAN BE SEEN AT DSA - Driving Standards Agency announces changes to test fees

The fee for the tests are currently;

Theory test £30.00

Practical test
£56.50 (daytime Monday to Friday)
£67.00 (weekday evenings and weekends)

Extended driving tests
£113.00 (daytime Monday to Friday)
£134.00 (weekday evenings and weekends)

How To Find A Good Driving Instructor - Questions To Ask

What questions should you ask to help you choose a driving instructor?

Don't be afraid to ask relevant questions...but you need to know what you're asking and more importantly what the answers you get actually mean....

You may have seen long lists of suggested "things to ask about", including,

"What are your pass rates?" and,
"What grade will my instructor be?"

A word of advice about those particular two questions though!

The "driving instructor pass rates" question is meaningless for all practical purposes, as statistics can mean anything you want them to mean! I've heard driving instructors quote a "100% Pass Rate", justified on the basis that "everyone passes eventually". Is it true? Of course not...some people give up learning and never pass...some people pass first time and some pass after several attempts, so how do you measure a "pass rate"??????

A "pass rate" is only relevant if everyone is interpreting statistics in the same way...but they don't, so using a test pass rate as a basis for choosing an instructor is pretty pointless!

Much the same can be said of the "driving instructor grade" question. You wouldn't ask a doctor or a solicitor or a plumber or any other qualified professional person what their "grade" is would you?... so why ask a qualified driving instructor that question? The qualification process to become a driving instructor is VERY challenging and involves not only the ability to drive to a very high standard, but also to teach to a very high standard. Approved Driving Instructors (ADI's) have passed all three of the qualification exams required and they are also regularly re-assessed by the Driving Standards Agency to ensure that the standards of their instruction remain consistently high. Newly qualified instructors aren't even graded at all...

Examples of better "relevant questions" to help you choose a driving instructor include;

* do tuition vehicles have dual controls (and if you'll be learning to drive in the summer, air conditioning :) )?

* if you have any specific needs such as wanting a female instructor or an automatic vehicle etc, ask whether the driving school or instructor can supply your needs

* can you be picked up from one place and dropped off somewhere different (e.g picked up from work/college and dropped off at home etc)?

* are there any discounts available?

* can you have a reduced price introductory lesson to see how
you get on with the instructor?

* how long are lessons?

* what is the lesson cancellation policy? (you may well be charged if you do not give adequate notice if you need to cancel a driving lesson, so this question is well worth asking)

* will you be the only pupil in the car? (some instructors still "piggy-back" i.e pick up or drop off their next pupil during your lesson time...this is rare now thankfully but there are still some driving instructors out there who continue the practice...see "Piggybacking?" for more details)

* (this isn't a question as such, but having spoken to the instructor, you'll be in a position to know the answer) - can you understand what the instructor is saying? It's vital that you can understand what you're being asked to do
and be understood in return...

Further guidance on "relevant" questions you might like to ask can be found at - A Few More Things To Think About When Choosing A Driving Instructor!.

Driving Test Fees Rising From 30th March 2009

The Driving Standards Agency propose to introduce new fees for theory and practical tests booked on or after 30 March 2009.


Theory tests for learner car drivers and motorcycle riders;

£31.00 (currently £30.00 - an increase of £1.00)


Practical tests for learner car drivers;

£63.50 - daytime Monday to Friday (currently £56.50 - an increase of £7.00)

£75.00 - weekday evenings and weekends (currently £67.00 - an increase of £8.00)


Extended practical tests for learner car drivers (following disqualification);

£127.00 - daytime Monday to Friday (currently £113.00 - an increase of £14.00)

£150.00 - weekday evenings and weekends (currently £134.00 - an increase of £16.00)


Please see A CONSULTATION PAPER - DRIVING STANDARDS AGENCY FEES 2009 for more details.

Driving Test Nerves!

Driving test nerves...getting nervous and stressed out is the reason that many learner drivers fail their driving tests!

"How can I overcome driving test nerves?"

As someone who works in the UK driver training industry, I come across this question on a regular basis!

No matter how well prepared they are, nearly everyone gets nervous about taking their driving test!

Even people who are normally "cool as a cucumber" no matter what life throws at them, can find themselves reduced to a nerve-wracked, quivering, nail biting, stressed-out jelly as the day of their driving test gets closer and closer...

Why do people get so nervous about taking a driving test and what can be done to help those who suffer from nerves as the day of their driving test approaches?

I've written a webpage that looks at the subject of how to cope with driving test nerves. It examines the reasons why people get so nervous about taking their driving test and outlines ways to reduce and maybe even eliminate driving test nerves, anxiety and stress. You'll find lots of hints and tips, self-help, videos and a selection of commercially available products designed to help you try to cope with driving test nerves!

So if you're suffering from nerves, stress or anxiety in the run-up to your driving test and want to know how to deal with how you feel and try to find effective ways to stop your nerves adversely affecting the way you drive on the day of your test, please have a look at How To Overcome Driving Test Nerves

How too!

How too, Reverse Park into a parking space, Reverse Park beside the road (parellel park), Left and right reverse around a corner and finally how too carry out the Turn in the Road (3 point turn). To find the answers to these and many other questions visit www.your-online-driving-school.co.uk