Throughout my career in the driver training industry, I’ve had a number of questions put to me by candidates who are on the verge of taking their practical driving test. Some of these questions are straight forward; questions such as simply enquiring as to how many other candidates are likely to be taking their driving test at the time, what the chances are of the Supervising Examiner being in attendance during their test, and does the driving test centre have hygiene facilities . . . ! (this last question being asked on a surprisingly regular basis!)
All of the above are very valid questions; however, there are also a fair number of myths out there surrounding the ‘big day’.
For those of you who are currently preparing for test, I have compiled a list of some of the most common driving test myths –
Myth #1 – Examiners simply fail everyone as soon as their ‘quota’ is used for the month . . .
NOT TRUE! – Simply put, there is no quota. If you’re good enough on the day then you’ll pass.
Myth #2 – Some driving test centres are easier to pass at than others . . .
NOT TRUE! – All driving test routes will use a variety of different roads. The rules of the road are the same wherever you are in the country.
Myth #3 – You have much less chance of passing a test on a Friday . . .
NOT TRUE! – See myth #1!
Myth #4 – It’s better to drive slowly on test so the Examiner can see that you’re a careful driver . . .
NOT TRUE! – Driving too slowly for the road conditions can actually be just as, if not more, dangerous. You should drive in the same manner and at the relevant speeds as you do on your lessons.
Myth #5 – It’s best to adjust the mirrors in order to exaggerate your head movements. This way the Examiner can be sure you’re using the mirrors . . .
NOT TRUE! – The Examiner, just like your Instructor, is trained to observe eye movements and actions without looking directly at you. If you’re using the mirrors effectively, then the Examiner will know.
Myth #6 – No one ever passes first time with ‘Mr Bloggs’ (insert relevant name here!) . . .
NOT TRUE! – See myth #1!
So, as they say, the moral of the story is simple . . . regardless of what you may have been told, you can be confident of passing the test if you have taken a sufficient amount of quality training, you keep calm on the day and drive in the same manner as you have during your lessons.
Aside from a bit of ‘Lady Luck’ on your side, the only other thing you need is BELIEF in your own driving ability!
Think of it this way . . .
You have dedicated a lot of your time, money and effort to get to this stage, so you should strive to do yourself justice by making the very most of your opportunity to show the examiner your recently acquired driving skills. Furthermore, I firmly believe that any driving instructor worth their salt will only present their candidate (you) for test when they believe that their candidate is both fully capable of passing the test on the day, and more importantly, sufficiently able and experienced for a lifetime of safe driving on the roads beyond the test; from there on, what happens on the day, happens on the day!
Best of luck, always believe, and stay safe folks!
Chris
Chris Chambers School of Motoring