3 Tips to pass UK driving test!

Tip 1

Practice, practice practice!
When trying to reach any goal we need to put in the effort and hard work to help us reach them.

One of the main reasons why people fail their driving test is whilst performing the reverse manoeuvres. Don't rush to book your test and make sure you're confident with all the reverse manoeuvres and know them inside out!

Make sure you know how to operate all the car controls and are familiar with how to set the set mirrors,
adjust your seat, steering wheel as well as all of the safety checks that you need to do.

If you've been learning with family or friends, it's really important to make sure that you have some
lessons with a professional driving instructor to make sure that you haven't picked up any
dangerous habits as well as helping you to prepare for the test.

The video below will give you some tips to help you find a great driving instructor.

Tip 2

Don't try to learn test routes!

One of the main reasons people fail their driving test is lack of observations at junctions and not
responding to road signs and road markings.

Studies show that drivers are more likely to crash on roads that they are familiar with because they
are more likely to drive in ‘autopilot’mode.
It is important to get plenty of experience driving on roads that you don't know which will help you to
develop those essential planning and observation skills.

Tip 3

Relax!

Whilst this is an obvious tip, it is easier said than done!  

Do you know what happens to your brain when you are highly stressed?  

Well, you go into what we call ’fight or flight’ mode which is a natural survival mechanism,
where the thinking part of your brain shuts down and survival mode kicks in.

Whilst this is helpful when you are running away from a tiger this is not so helpful when you're
trying to concentrate on your driving test!

Try not to put too much pressure on yourself, failing your driving test is not the end of the world.
If you are somebody that gets very anxious there are lots of tips and techniques that you can use
to help you to relax and I will be going through some tips in a future blog post!

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I hope you have found these tips helpful!

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UK driving theory test - Part 2 Hazard Perception

Welcome to part-2 of the UK theory test - Hazard Perception,  if you have not read part-1 about the multiple choice questions then click here.

The Hazard Perception test, tests how quickly you respond to developing hazards.
There are 14 one minute video clips, 13 have one developing hazard and one clip has two
developing hazards.

What is a hazard?

A hazard is anything that makes you change speed or direction, there are moving hazards such

as pedestrians, animals, and cyclists and there are static hazards which don't move such as
road signs, pedestrian crossings and roadworks.

A potential hazard is a hazard that could happen and a developing hazard is a hazard
that is actually happening.

What is Hazard Perception?

I always teach my clients to expect the unexpected!

Hazard perception is about planning ahead and anticipating what other road users may do
and respond accordingly. It's like being a detective, spotting the clues if you can spot the clues
you might be able to anticipate what could happen but if you miss the clues you may have to
respond at the last minute.
For example, if you went past a parked car with exhaust fumes at the back, you could anticipate
that someone's in the car and that the car could move away or the door could open. However if you miss the clue of the exhaust fumes then should the door
open suddenly it will be totally unexpected.

How to prepare for the test

There are plenty of free resources and apps, I recommend the complete DVSA theory kit.
Make sure you get used to doing mock tests and sitting down and doing 14 video clips in a row. This is important as you cannot pause the real test, the film clips come one after the other.

At the beginning of the hazard perception test you will be shown this short video which explains about the hazard perception test.

You will need to click on the computer mouse whenever you see any hazard, be aware that if the
computer detects too many clicks or a rhythm you may score 0 for that clip.

You are only scored on hazards that actually develop but you should click for all potential hazards.
The highest mark you can get for each clip is 5 marks and the minimum pass mark is
44 out of 75 points. At the end of the test you will get your results and you have to pass both
the multiple choice and the hazard perception on the same day to pass so if you fail one you fail
the whole test. Should you be unsuccessful you will get a letter explaining which sections you did
not score enough points in so you will know what to practice.

You will have to wait three days three working days before you can rebook your theory test.

If you have passed you will receive your theory test certificate which you must keep hold of it as
you will need it when you take your driving test.

You will have two years from the date of your theory test to pass the driving test otherwise you
will have to retake the theory test.

Check out the video below to find out a little bit more about how the hazard perception test works
and for some helpful tips.

Booking the theory test 
Please, Please, please only use the official gov.uk website to book your theory test! There are other unofficial websites but they charge a small fee to use them and may not even book the test for you, so BEWARE!

When you use the official gov.uk website you only pay the current fee which is £23. 

Click here for official gov.uk website 

I hope you have found this information useful!

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UK driving theory test - Part 1 Multiple choice questions

Not sure what the UK driving theory test involves well let's have a look!

The UK driving theory test is a two-part test, part one is the multiple choice section and part two is the hazard perception test, on this blog we will look at the multiple choice part of the test.

The test is a 50 question multiple choice test, you will be tested on your knowledge of 14 different categories:

Accidents


Alertness


Attitude


Documents


Hazard awareness


Motorway rules


Other types of vehicles


Rules of the road


Road and traffic signs


Safety and your vehicle


Safety margins


Vehicle handling


Vehicle loading


Vulnerable road users


So how do you prepare for the theory test? Well, you already have some previous knowledge as a road user, cyclist, pedestrian, motorcyclist or passenger, but you will need to study for the theory test. 

The mistakes some people, make which results in them having to take multiple tests is that they use the online resources, apps etc to go through the questions but they never study the information where the questions are actually taken from.


So where are the questions taken from? 
3 books

The highway code Click here for FREE DOWNLOAD


Know your road signs Click here for FREE DOWNLOAD


Driving the essential Skills Buy here  

So it makes sense to study the books first and then use the apps, etc to test your knowledge after, to see what you can remember and identify what you need to study further. 

‘The highway code’ explains road signs, road markings, and the Road Traffic laws.

‘ Know your road signs’ is a really clear book which explains further about the road signs in an easier to understand format.

‘Driving the essential Skills’ book is every driving instructors ‘Bible’ and is vital to help you with your driving, whether you are a new driver or you've been driving for years. It covers many topics including driving abroad and what to do if your vehicle breaks down so it is a must have all drivers!

You will need to test yourself, although there are many free online resources and apps that you can use to test your knowledge we recommend the official DVSA Theory Test Kit BUY HERE , the DVSA (Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency’ are responsible for setting and conducting the driving tests.

Once you've studied and you've gone through multiple tests I would then recommend that you take several mock tests so that you're getting used to sitting down and going through 50 questions in 57 minutes because that's how long you have on the real theory test to complete it.

Once you are happy that you're consistently passing the mock test then you're ready to book your driving theory test!

Booking the theory test
Please, Please, please only use the official gov.uk website to book your theory test! There are other unofficial websites but they charge a small fee to use them and may not even book the test for you, so BEWARE!

When you use the official gov.uk website you only pay the current fee which is £23. 

Click here for official gov.uk website

If you have any learning disabilities, reading difficulties or health issues make sure that you supply information when you book the theory test, they may be able to make arrangements for you to have you extra support, you such as giving you longer to complete the test.


What happens on the day of the test
I highly recommend that you visit the theory test centre before the actual day of the test, just so that you know where it is and you don't end up getting flustered on the day by getting lost!

You will need to take your driving licence and your driving test confirmation letter or confirmation email,if you have the old style licence you will also need to take a valid passport. 

The Multiple test is conducted in English, Welsh or British sign language, you get 57 minutes to answer 50 multiple choice questions and the pass mark is 43 out of 50. At the beginning of the test you will get 15 minutes to practice I highly recommend that you take this time just to familiarise yourself with the system and just to relax into it.

See the video below about the Multiple choice test:



I hope you found this information useful please feel free to comment and ask any questions that you may have.

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Coming soon............ on the next blog I will be looking at the hazard perception test!



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3 Tips to find a great Driving Instructor!

You may have heard stories from people that have had a poor experience whilst learning to drive, so I hope that you find the following tips useful and that they help you to avoid making the most common mistakes when you start learning to drive! 

Many Driving Instructors are honest, hardworking and very good at what they do, but how do you know that the person teaching you is not someone passing themselves off as a registered Driving Instructor? 

There are currently over 40,000 qualified, registered driving instructors in the UK. Furthermore only qualified or trainee instructors can legally accept payment for giving driving lessons. 

Here's 3 tips to help keep you safe and find a Great Driving instructor! 

Tip 1 -Referrals

Personal recommendation often proves to be an excellent way to find a driving instructor, as those involved can offer first-hand experience. Ask family and friends who have recently passed their driving test for details of their Instructor.

TIP 2- Check the badge!

Only fully qualified or trainee driving instructors can legally take payment for lessons and must display their registration badge in the left-hand corner of their windscreen. 

A valid green badge means they are fully qualified and a valid pink badge means they are a trainee. 

Tip 3 -Have a trial lesson!

I highly recommend that you book a 2-hour introductory lesson to see how you get on with your instructor and to make sure they are able to teach you in a way that you like to learn. Not all instructor's issue refunds and there's probably nothing worse than having to complete a block of 30 hours that you've pre-paid, whilst dreading every lesson!

I hope you have found these tips helpful, this video goes 

into a little more depth about the tips.

To get more tips about finding Great Driving Instructor, download our FREE PDF.

Click here to download FREE PDF '6 Tips to finding a Great Driving Instructor'

Please let me know if you found these tips helpful and feel free to leave any comments or questions. You can contact me directly if you have any questions at info@beefree.co.uk

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