How do I Know if I'm Prepared for my Driving Test?

Most new drivers are in a rush to get qualified and take their test as soon as possible. This may be a mistake, as tests can be expensive and you do not want to waste your money on a test you are not yet prepared to take. The most common reason why young leaner drivers fail their test is because they are not fully prepared and probably haven't even thought about car insurance.

Your Driving Instructor

The best thing you can do to judge whether you are prepared for your test is to heed the advice of your driving instructor. Your instructor is the person best placed to see if you are a safe driver on the roads. Remember that an examiner will fail you if he or she believes that you will be a danger to other drivers or pedestrians. If you disagree with your driving instructor's assessment of your abilities, you can always get a second opinion from another instructor.

Mock Tests

A mock test is a great idea for assessing your readiness for the official practical test. You can ask your driving instructor to give you a mock exam which will resemble the real thing. This should last approximately forty or fifty minutes with your instructor playing the mainly silent role of the test examiner, only giving you instructions but no advice.

At the end of the mock test, your instructor will give you feedback, tell you where you went wrong and if you are likely to pass your test within the next few months. Remember that it takes about nine weeks to get a booking through for your test, so you can plan in advance. But seek guidance from your instructor about the possible time frame you may face before you are able to take your test.

In addition, before you take your practical test, you will need to have passed your theory test. You will not be able to take your practical test without showing your theory pass certificate. There are many ways you can practice for the theory test.

You can study the Highway Code and get your driving instructor or a friend or family member to quiz you on it. There are also free practice tests on the Driving Standards Agency website. You can even get computer game simulations of the hazard perception part of the test to practice on. In this way, you can experience what the theory test will be like before you sit it for real, and you can see what your score is likely to be. By doing this, you should get a good idea if the knowledge you currently possess is enough to pass the theory test, and be able to assess how prepared you are for the real thing.

If you are a particularly nervous person under test conditions, it would be a good idea to practice under mock exam conditions with your driving instructor as much as possible. In this way, the conditions of the real test should not come as a surprise to you or throw you off your driving. If you are aware that you may be overconfident, it may be a good idea to be extra cautious in your driving.

Ultimately, the best person to judge if you are prepared for the driving test is you. If the worst comes to worst, and you fail your practical test, the good news is that you can retake it as many times as you need to. The bad news is that taking driving tests can be very expensive, so you really want to avoid taking your test if you are not ready.

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