Coping with test day nerves
It’s not unusual to be nervous about the driving test - everyone has nerves to some degree. For some people, though, nerves become overwhelming to the point it affects their chances of passing. So here are our top ten tips for keeping test day nerves under control.
1) Be sure you are ready. Serious test day nerves are usually caused by lack of confidence. If you don’t feel absolutely sure you can do all the examiner will ask, with no help, then somewhere in the back of your mind is the thought it could all go disastrously wrong. If you are driving confidently, with little or no help from your instructor, you are ready for your test - and you will know it! I have found that even the most nervous pupils actually start to look forward to their test when they feel they are ready. Nothing better for calming nerves.
2) Accept you will be nervous. Look around when you’re in the waiting room before the examiner comes out. All the other candidates are also nervous, it’s inevitable. Some nerves are a good thing - they help to heighten the senses - particularly concentration. If you had no nerves and were to blase, it would be much worse!
3) Get a good night’s sleep. Don’t stay up late the night before. Go to bed at your usual time and take the Highway Code with you - that’ll put anyone to sleep! But seriously, when you close your eyes, go through some of the manoeuvres in real time in your mind - imagine doing them without your instructor. Go through them as you’ve been taught and go through them perfectly. Take a little ‘mind’ drive as well, it will help you go to sleep and reminds you that you ‘can’ do it. Oh, and don’t forget to have all your documents ready the night before so you are not panicking the next morning,
4) Book your driving test for mid-morning. Early tests tend to get cancelled in winter because of frost and icy roads. But, most importantly, if you book an early test you may not sleep well the night before because of worrying about oversleeping in the morning. For an early test you may be rushed - this doesn’t put you in a good frame of mind. Also, the traffic is heavier and faster during the early morning rush. There is usually a traffic lull mid morning, this will help you to be relaxed.
5) Arrive at the test centre in good time. Get there a good ten minutes early. This way you will have plenty of time to park the car in a good position, make sure you have all your documents to hand and go to the loo if necessary. When you are in the waiting room, close your eyes and do a little more ‘mind’ driving - see yourself driving calmly - it’s been proven to work. Try a few deep breathing exercises.
6) Don’t tell people about your test. If you tell friends and relatives when your test is, you’re just putting extra pressure on yourself. Only tell those that have to know.
7) The examiner is on 'your' side. Think about it - would you rather tell someone they had passed rather than failed? Examiners are human too - they are hoping you are a good driver who they can pass with flying colours. They don’t want to fail you, honestly. Remember they are your friend.
8) Do a mock test. A mock test with your instructor will help you appreciate what the real test will be like. It will probably be the first time you drive with no help at all (other than in an emergency). This will highlight any weak areas you have and, provided your mock test was a couple of weeks before your test, will give you time to work on them. This will help your confidence enormously.
9) A mistake may not be a fail. If you make a mistake on your test, don’t panic. Provided it wasn’t dangerous and the examiner didn’t have to use the dual controls, assume it didn’t fail you. Remember you can make up to 15 minor errors and still pass. If, for example, you stall, deal with it calmly and safely and you will be fine. Only the examiner knows if you have failed - drive as though you will pass and keep concentrating until the examiner tells you the test is over. It’s amazing how many candidates thought they had failed only to be told they had passed!
10) Think positive. Go to your test looking forward to being told you’ve passed. If you think you are going to fail, you probably will.
