Doing a driving test can be a nervous and stressful experience
I want to share with you now, some advise, that hopefully
will help you to manage your driving test nerves
Firstly, make sure to get professional driving lessons
from an Approved Driving Instructor
This will help you to familiarize yourself with the local routes
and if it makes you feel better
ask the Instructor to do a mock/sample driving test with you
this will give you a good idea of what to expect in the actual driving test
Being familiar with the local area can help
but if you've built up some general experience from
practicing in different towns and cities
and at different times of the day
then you will more than likely be better able to handle
any challenges, surprises or obstructions
that might pop up on your driving test
Do not apply for your driving test unless your driving instructor says you are ready
being ready for the test, and knowing that you are ready
can help eliminate the driving test nerves
because it helps eliminate the uncertainty that creates the nerves
And as your driving test approaches
try and tell as few people as possible
The world doesn't need to know that you have a driving test coming up
If you tell too many people, you could be putting yourself under unnecessary pressure
On the test day make sure to keep your energy levels up
by drinking plenty of water
and eating sensibly in the hour or two before your test
Fruits like blueberries and strawberries
are good for concentration and can help you focus better
As your driving test time approaches
make sure you are early, but not too early
because the waiting room is very often where the nerves are most keenly felt
Arriving about 10/15 minutes before your appointment time is perfectly fine
and having a distraction can be good
such as a rules of the road book or some notes to read over
but remember the nerves only really appear before the test
once you start driving, you'll find that you'll be so busy concentrating
on what the tester is saying to you that the nerves will gradually fade away
And as you are driving along in your test
try and take it one stretch of road at a time
there's no point worrying about what could happen 10/15 minutes in the future
when it hasn't happened yet
In this example here I'm approaching the brow of a hill
so my main focus would be being aware of the speed limit
watching out for the road markings
keeping an eye on the two joggers here on the left
and preparing for any possible danger on the other side of the brow of the hill
Think of it like eating a bar of chocolate
you wouldn't stuff the whole bar down your throat in one go
you'd break it into little pieces and eat it bit by bit
Visualization techniques can also help you to manage your driving test nerves
let's say for example, you're worried or stressed about the reverse around a corner
If you visualize yourself doing a really good reverse around a corner
with proper observation and really good clutch control
you're more than likely then to actually do
a really good reverse in reality on the practical driving test
Deep breathing could also help you
especially if you're nervous in the waiting room before the tester calls you in
breathing in slowly through the nose
holding it for a few seconds, and then letting it out
could be a great way to manage
and handle the anxiety of the driving test
Try and remember that being nervous before your driving test is not an entirely bad thing
Being nervous can help you concentrate more
because it shows that you are taking the event very seriously
If you are not successful in your driving test
don't worry or stress about it too much
what's the worst that can happen? Just re-apply, try again and learn from the experience
failing the driving test is not the end of the journey
It's just part of the journey.
So that's nearly it for now
If you enjoyed this video, why not check out some of my other videos
on screen now, about some driving test tips
and one on driving test myths
thank you for watching and I will see you very soon for another driving lesson video.