First time driving test at short notice-any advice please?

[CanIHaveChocolatePlease]

Hi there (I hope that this is an okay place for this topic, I couldn’t find a driving section!),

I applied for my driving test just over a month ago and since the waits were averaging 15 weeks, I put myself down on the cancellation list, however, yesterday (Thursday the 14th of March) I got a letter inviting me for my test on Monday week (the 25th of March)!.

Initially I was going to reschedule it, but since it is very close to the cancellation deadline and there’s two weekends and a bank holiday between now and then so it probably wouldn’t get processed in time (and I’d probably end up losing my fee), I’ve decided to go ahead with it (and I checked with my instructor and he recommended that I went ahead with it since they’re so hard to get.

So now I’m nervous and panicking and just wondering what should I be doing/learning/practicing in the meantime? I’ve read that you need to be able to open the bonnet etc, is that true?

It has been 15+ years since my parents did their test and I don’t really have anyone else who has recently passed a test that I can get advice/tips from.

Obviously I’m going to squeeze in at least one more lesson (starting today) and I’ll try to practice with my parents but just want to know what else I can be doing to make sure I pass it!

Thanks in advance!

During the test you will have to do one parking mannouvere.

You may get asked to perform an emergency stop

You will get asked general questions about the car, such a tyre thickness, etc.

You will have to follow a sat nav for 20 minutes.

Good luck!

There’s great info including two videos on the show and tell questions on the DVSA website so spend some time on that.

Are you able to practise without your instructor with a friend or family member? Any extra experience you can get is useful. Otherwise ask your instructor to do you a practise test, so include the show and tell questions in that. The under the bonnet stuff is easy, it was 4 things to remember I think, like where the oil is and how to top it up.

The test is about 40 minutes, 20 of which is either following signs to somewhere or a satnav. Brush up on your manoeuvres in your lesson, parking, reversing up the right side of the road etc.

On the day, have a wee before you start, something sweet to eat, take lots of deep breaths, chat to the examiner if that helps, and try and treat your first test like a trial run so you’ll know exactly what to expect the next time if you don’t pass. I suck under any test conditions so told myself I was doing it to get an idea of how it all worked and I failed but only on one really stupid thing then resat a couple of weeks later and passed, at 38 weeks pregnant, with one minor, in torrential rain!

I’m naturally chatty, the more so the more under pressure I’m feeling, so I just concentrated on wittering away and asking the examiners about themselves which really relaxed me and I think it made me seem norw confident as I was looking over at them and talking away while driving.

I followed signs on my first one and satnav on my second, which I was more worried about as I hadn’t done it before. But it was actually good as the satnav was crap and old and didn’t give me instructions in time so he had to keep giving me pointers and I got to ask questions so it was all quite nice and relaxed.

If your usual lessons are an hour, the test passes in the blink of an eye. It’s literslly about 40 minutes from when you sign the declaration in the centre, includes reading the number plate, them double checking your car, then the driving bit and arriving back at the centre.

I was right down to the wire being so pregnant and nearly puked several times beforehand but I actually really enjoyed it once it had started!

Good luck

Make it dead obvious when you are checking your mirrors. Get your instructor to run through all of the show me/tell me stuff as you need to do it using his car if that's the vehicle you'll be tested in.

Thank ye for all yer advice!

Unfortunately I’m not a chatty person so probably won’t end up chatting much on the day.

I should be able to get to practice between lessons but my mam has to go to the nearest city twice a day to collect my brother and sister from college and my dad’s at work all day so sometimes it’s hard to squeeze in practice during the day (and I’ve a part time job so have to work around that too!)

I can double check everything with my instructor today, but I’d say I’ll do the test in my own car as I’m more used to that (today will only be my third time having him as we moved towns a few months ago so had done all my basic lessons with a different instroctor in the town I had been in.

I have a lesson today so am hoping he will do a practice test with me or as near to it as possible.

My lessons have always been an hour so at least the test is shorter than that!

I’m in Ireland so hopefully those DVSA videos will show the same stuff as I need to know here, I’ll check them out later!

Thanks again for all yer advice and help!