Feeling nervous about your upcoming driving test is only natural. You are far from the first and will certainly not the last to get butterflies in your stomach but the great news is that there are a number of things that can be done about it.
Nerves about meeting the examiner, nerves about the test or the outcome and previous bad experiences are all extremely common feelings during the build up to the big day and all are beatable by trying some of our tips and techniques.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Thorough preparation will help to calm the nerves by instilling confidence and knowledge that you can do everything that you are about to be asked to complete.
Don’t Believe All That You Hear
Perhaps unfairly, driving test examiners had a reputation for being not be very 
sociable and being very strict. Times have move on though and examiners are much better about helping nervous drivers to relax before and during their test.
It’s important to put the driving test into perspective. It’s not a one-off test only. If the worst comes to the worst and things do not work as you hope, you simply have the opportunity to learn from your experience and then book another one and give it another try.
We all put an awful lot of pressure on ourselves regarding the outcome of certain events and therefore it’s not surprising then that driving test nerves often play a significant factor in the outcome of a driving test. Most of us will be nervous on the driving test, what we need to do however is to try and reduce and calm test nerves as much as possible and even use the nerves to our advantage. As experienced driving instructors, providing the premier driving lessons Ashford has to offer, the team at Surrey Driving Force are skilled at dealing with nervous learner drivers and giving advice to reduce driving test nerves.
Preparation, Preparation, Preparation
You can go a long way towards calming driving test nerves by ensuring that you feel fully prepared. By going into the test with a complete belief that you know and can do everything that you will be asked to do, will not only help to boost your confidence, it will also reduce nerves by confirming the fact that you are ready for your test. If you can do what is asked of you during a lesson, why can’t you do it during your test?
A few tips:
- Find out exactly what will happen during your test.
- Practice your driving manoeuvres.
- Practice until you feel comfortable with independent driving.
- Make sure that you are familiar with any potentially tricky areas that you may face on your test route.
- If you are feeling a little under prepared, increase your lessons as the test comes closer.
- Complete as many realistic mock driving tests as possible (a SDF speciality!)
- Keep the pressure down by telling as as few people as possible about your test.
- Book your driving test at the quiet times of day.
Further Information
If you would like any further details regarding the driving tuition available from Surrey Driving Force, please give us a call on 0845 190 2012 & we’ll be happy to answer any of your questions.
