Driving test tomorrow but I can’t drive

[Toottootbang]

Do I cancel? There are still times (not often but at least once or twice a lesson) when my instructor has to brake for me or tell me to steer away from a parked car. My test is tomorrow. I’m not ready am I? I still can’t reliably reverse park either. I feel like crying. I have 1 hour before test tomorrow to somehow magically learn how to drive. Instructor says she thinks I’m ready. I just don’t see how.

I would also mention to look into possibly changing your instructor?

I remember I was with one instructor for well over a year and I decided to take a break before my third test and then this time I went with a private local driving instructor (as opposed to the driving school I was learning with before) and I found my new instructor made driving seem so easy. He found a way of simplifying manoeuvres and roundabouts (that was my downfall) that I passed the test with ease.

Op, if you can't get a refund then just give it a go. Try not to stress. It's ok to fail. Everyone I know including dh, who is an always has been a very good driver, has failed at least once. The only person I know who passed first time is the only one among my friends who has had a few minor accidents and one serious one. My friend who failed six times is the safest driver. So just don't let the pressure get to you. It's ok to fail..if you do something when unsafe your instructor or the examiner will break. Just do the test.for fun.

Here are some practical tips..it's been a while that I took my test so some things light have changed. Someone correct me please if I'm wrong:

When I took my test the most important thing that the examiner wanted to see was that I could drive safely. It wasn't about following instructions or doing manoeuvres elegantly or driving confidently. Just drive safely. So this might mean:

1. At a junction or round about if you aren't sure if it's a good time to go then just wait. For however long. Always wait. Don't feel rushed into taking that turn unless you are sure that it's safe.

1. If you can't follow an instruction because you are getting confused or don't know how just tell the examiner that you will drive straight on as you feel that you can't follow that instruction safely. I tried to carry out ah instruction (turn right at the roundabout) at any cost even though I was in the wrong lane and no one let me change lanes. I failed my first test because of that. In hindsight I should have just gone straight ahead).

1. Don't worry too much about manoeuvres. I thought I sucked at them and stressed so much about them but honestly j think very few people fail because of them. My driver instructor also said he's never known anyone to fail because of a manoeuvre. If you can do an emergency stop you are fine. Remember your instructor will only ask you to do an emergency stop if it's safe so relax, don't think about anything else and as soon as they say stop or whatever hit the brakes.

1. Check your mirrors and make it obvious that you are checking your mirrors.

1. It's ok to drive slowly. If you aren't confident hitting the speed limit then don't. Just don't speed.

Good luck and fingers crossed.

It’s important not to take on trust what other drivers intend to do. Wait and see your way is clear before proceeding. That’s a very basic rule in driving.

I was often quite iffy with parallel parking- I just couldn't seem to locate the spot she was talking about.

When I got into the car for my test I started the engine made a big deal of checking my mirrors but couldn't work out why I wasn't going anywhere in my panic. Once I'd got a grip and actually put the car into gear I parallel parked fine and proceeded to cut up a dust cart. I guess he could see I could drive and I passed. Good luck.

Do it. It will be good experience. I've recently passed on my 3rd test and I feel I learnt a lot from the two failed ones.

It'll be good experience if nothing else. I failed my first test due to hesitation just because I was nervous to be doing my test and overly cautious. It will give you a feel for what it's like. If you pass then amazing, if not then that's what you expected but you got added experience

Me again

Another piece of advice is to try another test Center.

I had both my first tests at one centre in a busy town that had a lot of roundabouts (as that was my downfall) my new instructor booked me at a different test Center which only had routes on quiet roads, only one major roundabout and barely any traffic.

This is so true

Definitely don’t cancel!
try it, if you fail, you’ll be better prepared for test 2, if you pass, tell your instructor you’d like some more lessons afterwards.
in hindsight I wasn’t really ready for my first test, I failed it for something stupid, BUT I’m so glad I did it anyway as I was much more relaxed on test two as I knew the drill (I passed).

If it makes you feel better last night I watched one of those motorway/traffic cop tv shows and this poor lad got pulled over on the way to his test for doing an illegal turn. Update later said he passed!
also girl I went to school with was involved in a car accident the day before her test, she also passed!
good luck ☺️

I took my test years ago, my instructor told me on my last lesson that I should defer my test, I passed! Just take it steady abd and even if you don't pass it will have been good practice. Good luck 🤞

I failed 3 times (due to silly mistakes) but I only ever once had an instructor brake for me. If you don’t know when to brake you don’t know how to drive

You might as well do it, if you’ve only ever driven with your instructor it’ll be good practice to drive with someone else if nothing else.

It’s not like if you fail they’ll ban you from doing it again, I had a friend who passed on his 10th test!

You have nothing to lose by trying.

I wouldn’t have thought that your instructor would let you go for your test if he/she didn’t feel you were ready?

Nobody is perfect at driving. You’re maybe just overthinking it.

Go and give it a try, you may pass and even if you don’t, it’s valuable experience. Good luck!

Also, I doubt they’d give you your money back if you cancel now.

You have to be told to steer away from parked cars 🤣 I hope you aren't learning near me!

No seriously you aren't ready for your test.

Well, you could just go to learn how a test goes. That's a valuable learning experience. It doesn't matter if you fail. If you do pass, you can still take lessons until you feel more confident in driving. See it as a testing lesson.

This clip really helps with road positioning, especially around 2 minutes in. Just find a reference point on the car when parked 50cm from the curb.

Yes you’re probably right. I think I’ve decided driving isn’t for me. I left it so late to learn because I knew I’d be crap at it. And I am.

@Toottootbang can I ask how old you are? It's never to late to learn. You can do this 🌺

I’m 35 @JimmiChoux. I just feel like I should have done this or not started and wasted thousands of pounds.

My driving instructor was an retired police pursuit driver who worked to the policy that he wouldn't let his students book a test until they'd had three drives with him which would count as test passes, and was clear from the outset that with a 2 month waiting time for a test, this meant it would take two months longer with him than with most instructors (the flip side of that was that he had a 95% pass rate compared to about 60% typical, so you knew you'd not be learning forever!).

He said he'd "scraped up" too many young drivers from the roads to be putting people in for a test when they only had a 60% chance of passing.

I wouldn't sit the test. Even if you pass, you're going to be an extremely nervous driver until you feel completely secure. Your "driving isn't for me" comment is wrong though. You're not ready (and a semi-intensive course is a hard way to do it). Take your time, and you'll get there.

Ignore the negative comments on here, OP. It sounds like maybe the course isn't great - 5 hours of driving in a day would leave me totally befuddled and exhausted. Even my two-hour lessons would tire me out and I'd be making mistakes at the end. It's a long time to try and concentrate in such a high-stakes situation. Maybe you're not ready - but that's okay, too. It won't hurt to take the test. It's good experience and you'll be more confident next time because it won't be unknown. You can find another instructor who has a bit more patience. If you do pass, then at least it's out of the way, and you can still take a few more lessons to build your confidence. Good luck tomorrow!

Please give it a go OP! I did an intensive course when I learnt to drive and I didn't feel ready for my test either but I passed 1st time and 20 years later I love driving!
Please just at least give it a go and let us know how you get on! Good luck

You might as well give it a go @Toottootbang , like others said treat it as a mock. If you do fail, keep learning. If you do pass, you can have more tests to give you confidence. Best of luck