Learning to drive is a huge step for any teenager or adult learners – it’s the key to independence and once you have passed your car driving test, it opens up a whole new world.
You no longer rely on parental taxi rides or public transport, as you gain a certain independence along the way too.
But there are strategic steps that need to be followed in order to gain your DVLA driving test certificate.
Firstly, book a course of lessons. Make sure it is a reputable company and while parents and friends may offer lots of guidance and tips while sat next to you for added tuition, not all that advice is good. After all, they have had years to pick up bad habits and you don’t want to have any of those before your driving test.
While lessons are not cheap and, on average, you will need between 35 and 50 hours of tuition, it is worth paying for the best in order to have the highest chance of passing the driving test first time.
Your instructor will advise on when it’s the right time to book the driving theory test – this is a desk-bound test where you will need to answer a number of driving-related questions in a set time period. You must have a Provisional driving license to book the driving theory test which is split into two sections called multiple choice and hazard perception.
The current pass rate for the driving test theory multiple choice is 86 percent so you will need to get 43 out of 50 questions correct. These will include questions on road signs, safety, attitude and alertness. There is also a Hazard Perception section where the pass mark is 44 out of 75. Learners need to pass both sections before they can go onto taking the practical driving test.
However, the theory pass certificate only lasts for two years. If you do not pass your driving test in that time, you will need to re-sit the theory part again.
If you fail the theory section, you will receive a letter indicating which areas you scored poorly on so you can revise further on weaker topics before re-sitting the test.
Instructors will also offer guidance on when to apply for your practical driving test, although be warned, since the COVID pandemic, the waiting lists have become much longer.
When it comes to taking your car driving test, here’s a few simple pointers: try to stay as calm as possible, remember the basics that your instructor has practiced over and over, be confident but don’t ever drive aggressively, ask the instructor to repeat an instruction if it’s unclear and always try to think ahead.
And if you do fail the first time round you are not in the minority with more than 50 percent of learner drivers having to re-sit their test more than once so don’t be disheartened.