AIBU to be petrified... Practical test tomorrow.

[pinkstinks]

First driving test tomorrow!
I keep scaring myself, I am 25 and have been learning for a year, but what If I get a left reverse??? Or forget the show me tell me questions???
My stomach is in knots, I swear I also get nervous IBS!
Any words of wisdom or stories about tests to put my mind at ease? Won't be able to sleep for a while...

No stories, just a BIG GOOD LUCK

1st junction the examiner asked me to take a left turn
i got mixed up between indicators and windscreen wipers and wiped the windows instead of indicating left
he sighed, i laughed and thought "ah well, i'll just resit next week"

i passed!!

think the early mistake totally relaxed me lol

good luck!

I totally understand how you feel. My first test I was physically shaking, vomited on the way there and could barely control the car. I failed because I let the nerves get the better of me. 2nd time round, I knew what was expected of me, and even though I stalled as I left the test centre I passed with 4 minors

I know its easy for me to say, but do everything you can to stay relaxed. Find something to focus on, and if you find yourself getting stressy, turn your mind to it to calm yourself down. I know its scary, but you'll be great

Have a search on here, there was a thread called "park over here" or something similar, and there is loads of advice on there. I went through the full test for someone, so if you can find it, you'll know what to expect

I've been on the road 10 weeks now, and its changed my life. Focus on that - tomorrow is a means to an end. Good luck

ah bless, my examiner asked me 'what should you check after going through deep water'

my answer ' don't splash anybody' still think that's right but apparently it's the breaks!! daft question anyway.

still it made him laugh and I passed at 17.., years and years ago!!

good luck chik.

I'm currently on the thread that Jim is talking about. Someone suggested bananas I think. Good luck!

Thanks all, will check out other thread!
Breathing exercises, a good breakfast and a sense if humour about it all will come in handy I think. Test not until 10:24 (such odd times!) so not too bad!

Oh I feel your pain. It took me two years to learn and find the confidence to take my test. After a horrible instructor who swore at me and literally made me cry I was about to give up :( until I found another lovely instructor.

I passed fourth time around and do you know what? It was the hardest out of all my tests (loads of obstructions, roadworks, many cyclists etc) but it gave me confidence to know that if I could pass a driving test on a particularly difficult day then I must be an ok driver.

This was one year ago and I still can't believe I passed :) if I can do it so can you hun. It's amazing the abilities we never knew we had suddenly surface when we are under pressure. Give it all your best that's all anyone can do :)

Good luck and let us know how you get on!

I think you'll be fine. Even if you don't pass this time you'll know what to expect for next time. I was so nervous beforehand test. I felt physically sick and just awful, but as soon as I got in the car with the examiner I was calmer than I had been for any driving lesson. Despite a lovely instructor I hated lessons so is was a shock that I enjoyed my test. You may surprise yourself. Good luck!

How did it go??

Did you pass?!

I passed mine despite lots of mistakes but I was 40 weeks pregnant with DD2 and did a lot of moaning/ stomach rubbing

Oh I bloody failed :( sorry been sad all day but just snapped myself out of it.
I had six minors and then a serious for the bloody left reverse which is an automatic fail. I'm so mad at myself.

However I have booked again for the 2oth and will be getting straight back on the horse!!

ah petal that's tough.

never fear you will pass next time have and

What do you mean left reverse?

Have you booked another test?

Sorry to hear of your bad luck. [win]

Wine! Sorry, what a bad typo

I recommend camomile tea, I had two mugs of it and passed first time :) I also told the examiner I felt sick when he asked how I was at the beginning of the test!

Ahh just seem you didn't pass this one, better luck next time

Please don't be sad. Focus all your energy on the new test. Visualize yourself driving, doing that left reverse perfectly... you get the idea. Good luck!

I took my iPod and before I went in to the test centre, I popped to the loo, stuck head phones in and did a vigorous jig to beyonce's "put a ring on it".

It basically got rid of my nervous energy.

I passed first time, only one minor (I was 31, had lessons for about 8 months).

What's left reverse? My stomach is in knots as I am about to take my test in a few weeks.

Commiserations, and well done for booking the next one! It's horribly easy to fail on a single 'major' (they're not really that major, are they) but if you only got a few minors, all you have to do is keep up the good driving. There's a website called 'how to fail your driving test' (I think) which is tongue in cheek and goes through the common reasons for failing and how to avoid them! Lists the 'show me tell me' questions as well. Good luck!

Sorry I missed your update :(

Don't worry, you'll be ok! Just drive as a chauffeur would and give yourself time before the maneuvere to plan how you'll do it.

Thanks all! Will have to do a dance to get rid if the nervous energy!
Left reverse is the reverse around a cornir, for some reason I have a real block with this, and I did it five minutes in, and mounted the kerb! I have never done that before!

Ah well the examiner was lovely and I will be less scared next time, the 'independent driving' part was quite fun!

Had a mulled wine at the German market so a bit happier now! If at first You don't succeed....

Hugs, and all the best for the 20th.

I've been driving 28 years and I bet my left reverse would fail. I still lock for easy parking places.

Try talking through it under your breath if you get the left reverse. I hated that one!

I passed on my fourth attempt at Garston. During this test, the examiner

asked me to pull in and do my 'three point turn' and not to laugh as it put him off his marking
told me to stop driving like a learner
told me off for speeding (after previous remark)
asked me if I could have stopped any faster after my emergency stop - my bf (whose car I was using) warned me just before the test that the brakes were pulling to the left, and told me to take care to stop in a straight line

asked me what I'd do if on my own - I had one of those very curved corners to reverse around, and it was slightly uphill - so I swore to myself, convinced I'd failed, and just drove forward and out of the road.

He told me he'd been transferred from Ellesmere Port centre and took his first tests with the a to z on his lap as he didn't know the area. He took someone into Allerton cemetery to do their 3-point turn, and they stalled and couldn't start the car - in the path of a funeral on its way to the grave.

Due to road works, I couldn't drive back into the centre's car park, and he'd found out it was my bf's car (now dh) and he'd got too stressed out to stay in the waiting room so was walking out. The examiner said to him "Are you Mr b, she's out there, I've had enough". His first offer was to tell him I'd wrapped his car around a lamp-post and go in limping...

He asked me to confirm that it was the best test I'd had. Despite breaking all the rules - none of this 'turn the car round using forward and reverse gears, and stop the car as you would in an emergency' he'd made sure I could talk and drive at the same time, and that I didn't take my eyes off the road when I was talking to a passenger in the car.

Still makes me laugh - over 30 years ago.