Top Tips For Anyone Booking Their Practical Driving Test
All learner drivers look forward to the day that they’re able to take their ‘L’ plates off their car and drive independently, so when their driving instructor tells them that they’re ready to book their practical driving test it’s no surprise that they’re really excited. However, this will likely be one of the biggest and arguably most important tests that the majority of learner drivers have ever taken so booking it can also be quite daunting and nerve-wracking too.
Whilst lots of people book their theory test without hesitation and are fairly confident going into the test centre, the same can’t be said for their practical test and knowing this is the final hurdle that stands between them and their full driving licence can make things much more stressful. It doesn’t have to be this way though and there are a few things that you can do to make booking your practical driving test much less of a ‘big deal’, so to speak. So, if you’re going to be booking your driving test in the next few days, below are some useful tips to take into consideration.
Use a driving test cancellations finder
When visiting the DVSA website to book your test, you will probably find that there are long waiting times for the test centre that you’re wanting to use. This can be upsetting and having to wait weeks or even months is the last thing that you will want to do, but don’t worry, book a test at a convenient time and then simply search for earlier driving tests.
Thankfully, people change and cancel their driving tests all the time, and you shouldn’t struggle to find driving test cancellations that are only a couple of weeks away rather than a couple of months. Instead of having to continually refresh the DVSA website, you can use a handy driving test cancellations finder too and they will text and email you when new dates become available to book. So, if you’re not happy with the first date that you book, it’s really easy to change.
Don’t tell people the date of your test
It can be really tempting to tell people when you’ve booked your practical driving test and you may even find that people ask you if it’s something you’ve done yet, but it can be best to keep the date of the test to yourself. Often, telling people will make you much more nervous and you may feel like there is more pressure to pass the first time too.
Once you have booked your test, even if you’ve got a last-minute cancellation, only tell the people who actually need to know, this will prevent a lot of unnecessary stress during the lead-up to the test. You can then surprise people once you have your pass certificate and enjoy telling them after your test. This way, if you don’t pass the first time, you don’t have to worry about telling lots of people and you can simply rebook without anyone knowing as well.
Go back over your driving theory
Just because you have passed your theory test doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be reminding yourself of what road markings or road signs mean. It is so important to keep your theory knowledge fresh in your mind for your practical test and it can help to prevent you from second-guessing yourself when you’re driving around with the examiner.
So, as soon as you have booked your practical driving test, make sure that you’re taking some time to refresh your theory knowledge and check that you still know absolutely everything that you should in this regard. You never know what you’re going to come across during your practical test and the last thing you want is to be caught out on something that you used to know. Some basic theory revision is always worthwhile doing.
Practice all of the manoeuvres
There is no denying that practice makes perfect when it comes to driving and you should keep up with your driving lessons once you have booked your practical test. In particular, make sure that you’re going over all of the manoeuvres that you could be asked to do during the test and check with your driving instructor that you’re completing them to a test standard.
The manoeuvres are often what catches people out during their test and many are nervous to find out what manoeuvre their examiner wants them to do. In an attempt to prevent any problems in this regard, ensure that you’re equally as good at all of the manoeuvres an examiner might ask for, this way it doesn’t matter what they say on the day of your test, you can be confident in your ability to complete the manoeuvre flawlessly.
Familiarise yourself with potential test routes
Another brilliant thing to do during your driving lessons once you have booked your practical driving test is get to know the potential routes you could be taken on by the examiner. All driving test centres have a handful of approved test routes and it can be undeniably useful to drive these at least once before you take your test.
Ask your driving instructor if they know the routes, it is highly likely that they will, and ask if they can take you on them during your driving lessons. Getting used to anything that is particularly challenging on these routes can be really helpful and it will put your mind at ease that you’re not going to come across anything you don’t know how to deal with on the test day. This is particularly important to do if you’re not local to the test centre you’ve booked your test at.
Get to know your driving instructor’s car
Until you get to the stage where you’re ready to book your practical driving test, it is likely that you weren’t really aware of what this test actually entails. Many don’t know about the ‘show me’ and ‘tell me’ questions, and you need to make sure that you will be able to answer these correctly when you’re asked them by your examiner.
Taking some time to go over the different questions that you’re likely to be asked, checking that you know where the different parts of your driving instructor's car are and how to do certain things before your practical test is absolutely essential. Your instructor will be able to tell you more about what you’re likely to be asked in this regard and they can help you to ensure that you’re prepared for whatever might happen during this part of the test.
Booking your practical driving test
If you’re planning on booking your practical driving test soon, hopefully, the information above will come in handy. All of these points are beneficial in their own right and you can guarantee that you will thank yourself for listening to all of them, especially once you’ve passed your test and you’re given your full drivers licence.
Should you want to go ahead and book a driving test cancellation and you’d like some assistance when doing so, make sure you take a look at the Earlier Driving Test website. We specialise in helping people get earlier test dates and ultimately, pass their driving test much sooner, so we are the perfect people to contact when you’re wanting to get your driving test booked for a much sooner date.
We are in no way associated or affiliated with the DVSA, DVLA or any government agencies, but we have helped so many learner drivers who would usually have to wait weeks or months, get a much better driving test date. Searching for driving test cancellations couldn’t be easier as we will do all of the hard work for you and you’ll no longer have to worry about the long waiting times on the DVSA website.
To find out more about finding test dates with the help of our team, feel free to get in touch with us today, we will happily answer any questions that you have.