1. You need the right attitude to pass the driving test. I have been in this learner driver training instructor business for a long time, and I have seen my fair share of candidates who have turned up and think they know it all just because they can confidently drive a car! The DSA examiners can within the first 5 minutes of you starting the vehicle sense what type of driver you are. To pass the driving test you need to drive the way the DSA says you should, and not the way your dad, friend taught you or says is ok.
You do not have to take professional driving lessons to pass the driving test, but they will greatly improve your chances especially if you have been taught to drive by family or friends. The other option is to buy one of the official DSA guides that explains what the examiners will be looking for.
The examiners is Mill Hill are strict, and will fail you if you do not meet the required standard, especially if you have an attitude problem.
2. The next tip is to deal with all your weaknesses, before your driving test date. There is no point in turning up at the driving test centre if you are not confident doing the reverse round the corner exercise. There is a 25% chance you will get it, and more importantly it will affect you concentration until this part of the assessment is out of the way, meaning that there is a greater chance of a serious fault being recorded during the general drive.
If your driving instructor is not able to give you advice or break down a manuever into simple enough steps for you to understand, then find someone who can, but don't hope that you will not get a particular exercise on the test, you are not fully prepared.
3. Get rid of unecessary pressures leading up to your test date. Don't tell family or friends your test date if that makes you uneasy or pressurised. Leaving your test late till a few weeks before your theory test certificate expires is not a good idea, as I have seen many candidates think more about what will happen if they do not succeed compared to just trying to do their best on the test.
4. Practice, Practice and more Practise! There is a lot to cover: Junctions, dual carriageways, country roads, understanding road markings and signs, so do not leave your preparations to the last week before your appointment and try and cram things in.
5. Get some knowledge of the local area where the driving test will take place. For this tip to be of use, you need to either be an experienced driver who can deal with the unexpected safely, or ask a qualified driving instructor to point out some of the more tricky parts of the local test routes as used by the examiners. I am not saying you should just memorise routes, but there are some locations that can easily trip up an inexperienced learner, and having an instructor point this out, and explain how do do these safely will not only help pass the driving test, but could help you avoid being in an accident once you are out on the roads unsupervised.
I have for example made a video of one of the tougher routes in Mill Hill because even experienced drivers can not handle some situations safely, how much more drivers with only 40 hours of tution!
Mill Hill Test Route Video
Mill Hill Full Driving Test Route Video Buy Now £3.99
I hope that you have found these driving test tips useful, and are now more confident in dealing with the DSA examiners. Remember if you make a mistake, correct it if possible, otherwise let it go, and continue to do your very best until the end (you might find out that it was not a serious fault).
Don't forget the highway code is the standard expected, so master it as it could save you from make a simple error that would result in failure, revise it when not taking practical lessons!
Links
Mill Hill Contact Number.
Weekend Driving Tests. Read this if you have a test booked for Saturday.
Hendon Test Centre. Another place to get a full UK licence, with a slightly higher pass rate.
Hire A Vehicle For The DSA Test.
