Tips to Help Pass Your Road Test

Pass it the First Time!

Andrew Berry
Many pepole fail their road test one, two, three, or even more times than that. I, personally, passed it on my second try by using very easy to remember tips from my Drivers Education teacher, as well as tips from other sources and common sense as well. In here I will give you some ideas on how to pass the road test, so you can be worry free and get your license as soon as possible! These tips to pas your road tets are somewhat common sense to experienced drivers, but to newer drivers, taking their road test for the first time, this may not be common sense after all.

Practice

Practice makes perfect, right? Even in the sense of a road test this statement holds true. From what i've seen, they don't usually make you go on very busy roads for your road test, so make sure to practice on side roads which are usually less busy. This is also safer since you're less prone to an accident overall due to less influx of traffic i the same area. However, you have to be careful on side roads as well since there are more children around who may walk into the street without thinking about what might happen.

Stay Calm

One big thing that the person judging whether you should get your license is to see is if you're calm behind the wheel. Don't be a white-knuckled nervous wreck! You should be observant, but not over-observant either, that may signel nervousness behind the wheel which may make you fail your road test. Before the judge steps into the car take a deep breath and remember everything that you have learned and practiced.

Sometimes when people get nervous they also speed, this is bad, you do not want to be a road runner here. Stay at a nice, even speed throughout the entire road test session.

The Start

The prior information was stuff that happens before the actual driving. Staying calm is essential throughout the whole drive, do not forget that.

In the beginning make sure your car is off before starting. If the car is on, this may sometime make the test failed automatically, or so i've heard. When the judge says it's ok, turn the car on.

At the start you must pull away from the curb. Use your blinker when pulling away from the curb. Check your mirrors for other traffic that might be coming from your direction. If there is traffic coming, do not go and wait for that other car to pass. Do not go over the middle lines when pulling away from the curb, this shows you are in fact in control of the vehicle in which you are operatiing.

The Middle

The actual drive is the longest part. My drive was about 5-10 minutes. Check all signs including speed limit signs, stop signs, and so on. If there's a school zone around, make sure to go at that speed, or a little bit slower. Stop fully at all stop signs to ensure that you do not get penalized. No rolling through stop signs, and stop at the stop line if applicable. When at a stop sign it is ok to "creep" up after stopping fully at the stop line to see around a corner if there's something in the way of your vision (examples: a car, a tree, a sign, ect). These are essential tips for passing your road test since they span throughout the whole road test itself.

Listening is a big part of the test as well. Listen to the judge clearly to ensure you get all instructions right. If you make a mistake, that can be bad.

Take all precautions when doing your 3-point turn and your parallel park (if applicable). Use your blinkers, check your mirrors and your blind spots.

Something major that people forget to do is look out their back mirror when they are going in reverse, This is a must, and the judge make penalize you heavily for not looking out the rear window when going in reverse since it serves as a potential threat to civilians that may walk behind your car unknowingly of the danger they are in. if you're looking back you can see a civilian easily and stop immediatley, essentially saving their life overall.

The Finish

You're almost done with the road test. You may be excited and/or nervous, but watch that speed dial! When pulling back towards the curb be careful not to hit the curb, but also don't park in the middle of the street either (me on my first road test). When you pull near the curb straighten out the car a bit if needed, and put the car in park. I suggest turning the car off as well, but I don't believe this is required.

If you pass, good job! If not, there's always next time, it's not the end of the world to not pass the first time. But these tips to help pass your road test should definitly help you with passing your road test.

What To Practice

-Acting calm.

-Beginning procedures.

-Checking your mirrors once in awhile, especially on turns.

-Using your blinker for every single turn, including 3-point turns and parallel parking.

-Not getting cocky at the end, no matter how well you think you did during the rest of the road test.
-Ending procedures.

Questions/comments? E-mail me at chem1calburn@yahoo.com or simply message me via Associated Content.

Published by Andrew Berry - Featured Contributor in Technology

Andrew Berry has acquired his Fire Fighter 1 Certification from the Yaphank Fire Academy and is currently an active volunteer firefighter in a department residing in Suffolk County, NY. He has also earned hi...  View profile

  • Stay calm!
  • Learn all the basics such as checking your mirrors and blind spots.
  • If you fail, there's always next time.
Many people do in fact fail their first time, and some people even fail more than once. Practice and knowledge is the key to passing the first time.

111 Comments

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  • Dereck4/11/2012

    i faild my first time and will be taking it again soon.. when i got done with the test he told me the things i needed to work on... now when i do take my test again is that the only things they will test me on or will i be doing the hole test again.. the two things were right turns and parallel parking.. please if someone could i would like to know so i pass my secound time.

  • abby3/14/2011

    Soory my test is on 3/17/2011

  • Abby3/14/2011

    Im taking my road test on 3/14/2011 im so nervous does anyone have any tips for me pleasee !!!!

  • DJ2/24/2011

    Honestly, days before my first driving test I bragged to everyone that I'd pass, especially my friends since they all passed their tests and had their licenses. I was feeling confident until the instructor walked in the car. Then I started feeling nervous. I even hit the snow a little on ym parrallel parking but quickly readjusted. But I just cleared my head and did my own thing. And BAM, I passed on my first test.

    Tip: Keep your cool. Thats really all there is to it.

  • TQ12/27/2010

    Thank you everyone for your comments! It's nice to see that I'm not the only one with a driving test problem! I'm taking my third driving test tomorrow and am really nervous, but reading these comments makes me feel more prepared and confident =)

  • ralph12/17/2010

    thank for sharing this information with us this is a big help . thank you!

  • Jill11/19/2010

    I failed my first time a couple months ago. I ran an inch over the stop sign, hit the curb while backing up in a straight line and I didn't keep my blinker on long enough when making a lane change. The instructor told me to bring a piece of candy or come the next time I take it to help calm my nerves. I'm taking it again tomorrow morning. Hopefully this helps!! GOOD LUCK

  • Pre10/9/2010

    Hey everyone! I failed my driver’s test 3 times...for nine months I failed over and over again and watched as all my friends got their licenses, it really sucked for me and there were times when I felt like I would never get it! But then I did...on my fourth try. I know what it feels like to put your everything into something and to fail...and I know what it’s like when you wanna block your ears and not look at your fb page because there are more people advancing when you keep failing...there was a time when I was so nervous that my leg started to shake and the clutch just rattled... and it happened on my last test too...but I knew I could do it and that wasn't going to stop me..Know that you will get it...trust me...because I have been there...the trick is to amp yourself up because being nervous will cause you to do things you would never normally do! listen to eye of the tiger if you have too :) tell yourself you can do it...talk yourself through things when you are doing your

  • Faiiiiil:(10/6/2010

    I took the test for the first time today.
    Of course, I failed. I was confident until I saw the lady giving the test.
    I drove for two hours before the test and felt amazing in every aspect that the test consists of.
    Points deducted for: not turning the wheel away from the curb when "overnight parking", not checking my blind spot when pulling out from parallel parking, and "roll and stop" at a stop sign.
    It sucked but, apparently the judge fails everyone the first time.

  • Troy Muehlethaler9/24/2010

    I Fail.

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