How the f do I pass my driving test?

[LadybirdInTheWindow]

In an auto. Failed twice now. Both times I failed just on really stupid mistakes because I was nervous (eg living my indicator on which I never do in lessons). My instructor is kind of in despair with me because I am completely fine in lessons and don't really have trouble with any one particular thing, but when it comes to the test I go completely to pieces due to nerves and do ridiculous things I would never normally do.

Third test is on Wednesday next week and I'm already shitting it. Only my instructor knows I'm doing it. I haven't told DH or anyone else.

It's not always you, sometimes the examiners have an agenda, my first test I drove almost perfectly but failed on an accumulated minor which my instructor was very suspicious about. Second test I drove mostly ok but there was some issues so I wasnt expecting to pass, examiner was so relaxed in his seat, he may as well have been dozing off, low and behold I passed, examiner said it was a 'cracking drive', I was like 'really?'. Yeah so just go into it with that knowledge, drive the best you can, always be safe, and let the driving test god's be with you. You will pass eventually

Things that helped me pass on my sixth attempt.

Telling no one I was having the test.
Assuming I was going to fail anyway, so meh.
Arranging to do something fabulous that evening so I was looking forward to that and didn’t think about the test.
Pretended the examiner was my instructor.

If I can pass, anyone can

I passed on second go and I'm pretty sure it was down to how lovely the (extremely camp) examiner was. First one was a bitch who totally stressed me out. Maybe you'll get lucky on the examiner next time

Passed 5th time, thanks to not telling anyone and it was last test of the day so schools had let out and we had to drive round for 25 minutes before I could do my emergency stop - and then all the rest of the test. Couldn't believe I'd passed.

Of course my colleagues were terrified I'd been in an accident as I'd been away five hours by the time my instructor got me back in the rush hour traffic!

I feel like having my instructor in the car with me will make me worse because there'll be two people watching me?!?!

We do have an auto car for me to practise in but to be honest I really hate going out with DH as he isn't very patient and makes me feel like I'm rubbish.

How many hours driving have you had in total? I refused to take DS out for practice as I knew we would clash and DH did not have time. So he passed with 15 hours driving in total. My parents didn’t drive so I paid for my lessons and had exactly 40 hours driving time. So he obviously just picked it up far quicker than me.

Half a diazepam (Probs not reccomended) test 5

I passed on my 4th time. I was so nervous the first 3 times that by the 4th I felt deflated and had it in my head I wasn’t going to pass so took the whole test in my stride.
One tip was eat a banana before and chew some gum whilst taking test.

I wish people would stop insisting that OP has to “practice”. I had the same thing when I was learning, it’s not always possible to practice because it’s really expensive! 😂

Well if you aren't at test standard and you cant practice or take any lessons then you won't pass. That's like saying your kids should be able to pass their GCSEs with no teachers and no studying.

As for the insurance, if you can't afford a month of learner insurance then there is really no point passing anyway because actually owning a car is way more expensive and insurance is higher for new drivers than it is for learners who are supervised. My driving lessons cost me 200 a month. My car costs me just under 400 a month on average, taking into account the cost of actually buying it, petrol, insurance, road tax and thats without MOT, tires, repairs etc.

My car is a very small automatic, 1.2L, 10 years old and I've been driving 2 years so have a couple years no claims bonus. As a new driver it cost more to insure than it did this year. I'm not trying to be discouraging but if you can't afford to take a weekly lesson or even insure a partners car, you will struggle to afford to run one.

if you can't afford to take a weekly lesson or even insure a partners car, you will struggle to afford to run one.

OP might not want to run a car. They might just want to be able to hire one sometimes, or use Zipcar, or one of those apps where you borrow a car from your neighbours.

I failed 4 times due to nerves. I got rescue remedy and calm balm and even if it was just the placebo effect, it did the trick.

I failed twice as I was desperately nervous. My leg was shaking so much I had trouble using the clutch. However I realised that my third test instructor was new and got lost during the test and took me through a huge roundabout 4 times (I was so nervous about roundabouts) and I just thought 'I can do this!'.

Herbal Kalms start taking a couple of days before hand

As others have said, beta blockers all the way. I passed on my sixth attempt!

I can afford a weekly lesson- I'm doing 2 hours a week! But I cannot afford to practice every day.

The thing is I'm totally at test standard, there's literally nothing I need to work on except nerves. I'm not a nervous driver, I'm just shit under test conditions. I've always been the same. Practical exams of any sort have always been a disaster for me - I used to cock up my piano exams monumentally despite knowing the pieces inside out.

Seriously OP twice is nothing. I did my test 5 times. Also terrible under test conditions.

Narrate it! I swear to god it helped me pass third time.
I told the examiner I was going to do it before we set off - I just didn’t want to fail on anything silly like not looking in my mirror obviously enough so I basically narrated everything:
Right, look in my mirror nothing there, indicate check again and move off
Sort of thing.
Worked.

Very difficult if you don’t have a car.
My DD refused to learn in my manual so bought herself a little auto that was about 6 years old.
In our state you have to log 120 hours practice in a log book before you can book your test.
Good luck

I guess I need to clarify...

People were saying I needed to “practice” between my weekly lessons. I couldn’t, because I didn’t have access to a car. That didn’t stop people insisting, which was very aggravating. The only other option would have been daily lessons, which I couldn’t afford. So I just did my weekly lessons and I passed the test on my third attempt. My first attempt I mucked up a manoeuvre I’d been having consistent trouble with, my second I mucked up within minutes because of horrendous nerves, the third I absolutely sailed through.

I literally just carried on until I passed. Eventually I did. 5th time I had the same issue as you. Failing because of tiny things and nerves but fine in my driving lessons.

I'm not an advanced driver at work

I failed my first test (auto) I only done lessons with my instructor and I failed the test for stupid things. 2nd time around I didn't have lessons with instructor, my partner just took me out in his car every single day. I booked a lesson with a different instructor the day before my test just to see if i was where I needed to be. I passed my test! I think confidence is key. In my opinion you don't really gain that with an instructor.

I was the same as you OP. Failed twice over stupid things. 3rd time I used rescue remedy that you drop on your tongue and passed. I was tested by the chief examiner that day to which added to my nerves! But I breezed it and I swear it was the rescue remedy that helped.

I really feel your pain... This was me nearly 20 years ago (except I was in a manual) - completely fine in lessons, a really confident and proficient driver but lost it in the tests (eg, turning right when the examiner told me to turn left, which meant I was driving the wrong way up a one way section of road, going UP the gears instead of down up a steep hill etc). (Having said that I still think the arsehole examiners sometimes made shit up so they could fail me. My first test, for eg, was virtually perfect but he made something up so I failed.)

Anyway, it took me 6 times to pass my test. It took me a while to actually accept it was nerves getting the better of me and eventually settled on the idea of not telling a soul I had (what turned out to be) my last test. No one knew, my mum, my partner, I even told my boss I had a dentist appointment... I think having to tell people I'd failed - again - every time was weighing heavily on me. It worked and I passed and I've been driving - confidently and proficiently - since.

For what it's worth, I'm actually really proud of myself - it's one of the things I mention to people of they ask 'what's your proudest moment?'. It took a lot of tenacity and guts to keep picking myself up and trying again every time I failed. And I got there in the end. So yeah, go me. And also, go you - you CAN do this.