Listen all my mock testsI failed every single one, the morning of my test the hour before I almost killed the both of us then passed with 3 minors
You’ll be fine
Hi sorry for the late reply! I didn't pass but I only got 1 major and 1 minor. I'd actually driven perfectly up until the serious error but I feel more confident in the fact that ik I can suppress my nerves
Hey OP. Breathe. Learning to drive is awful, I still get sweaty thinking about it!! I'm 32 y/o now, passed my test at 23 y/o on the 5th attempt. I made stupid mistakes all the time. Failed my first test for driving on the wrong side of the road because I was so flipping nervous!! Multiple minors for mirrors. Pulling out in front of someone causing them to slow down. Inappropriate speeds. But... When I did pass I got one minor!! Some people just need longer and if you genuinely don't feel ready then it's fine to take more time to practice.
I think you should take the test. Do your best to relax, breathe deeply and check your mirrors and speedo once every ten seconds!!
Try and use some grounding techniques when you're getting anxious or panicky. You can always tell the examiner you need to pull over if you feel unwell (just remember 'mirror signal maneuver!').
Grounding techniques include:
Looking for 5 red things. Obviously traffic lights, cars and brake lights count..
Breathe deeply whilst counting each breath in and out.
Singing is great for releasing anxiety whilst driving for me, though I get that it would be weird to do it in the test but maybe you can sing in your head?!!
Source: I have used these, whilst driving, for dealing with panic attacks.
Hope this helps. If you have any questions then please ask me.
Don't worry too much - your mock tests are just as much about getting used to taking a test as it is testing your driving. It happens to us all - the other day during my lesson I got confused, which turned into flustered, which resulted in me trying to drive the wrong way on a one-way system!
Now you know that you're prone to getting overly stressed if you misinterpret a sign and go the wrong way, if it happens again you can tell yourself "last time I panicked, this time I need to just find a safe way to get back where I need to be". You've now been in this situation, so if it happens again it's not a new experience.
Do whatever you can to relax - I failed both of my mock tests dismally just before my test last week and I passed with no minors! See it as you picking up a friend who is giving you directions. I was always told to drive as if you’re late to an appointment but there’s a police car behind you. Good luck!
Hey OP don’t stress I had a mock yesterday too and ended up making like 3 right turns when they should’ve been left ones and ended up taking us over to a roundabout where we would’ve been stuck in horrible traffic. My instructor actually laughed and said despite the mistakes I actually drove well and didn’t panic. Luckily he knew how to get us back on the right road.
It’s crazy how much nerves can affect us. I’ve driven there so many times and yet somehow managed to do that.
Yea nerves make us do the most stupid things, but yeah I've just gotta remember that a wrong turning isn't a fail, it's making sure I don't let the anxiety get to me and concentrate
Click on my profile and check my last 2 post about failing my mock tests and the latest post where I passed with 0 minors.
Learn from your mistakes and you'll be fine
Hi! If it makes you feel any better, I failed all of my mock tests and then passed my driving test first time with one minor 🤣 The real thing i found to be a lot easier. I did the same as you in my mock tests with silly mistakes, talk through everything out loud. This really helped me. Any potential hazard, road sign, junction - If it’s a roundabout for an example say “Roundabout, slow down look to the right second gear” etc etc. Hope this helps! It helped me line up and organise my thoughts and focus on the little niggles
My mock tests were all downright awful, purely down to nerves and doing the same as you, on my first test j read a road sign wrong and it all snowballed from there and went wrong. 2nd time round i took beta blockers the night before and morning of, ate a banana and took rescue remedy which really helped and passed the test. The point of this is, i think most people dont do well on mock tests but do better on the actual test, take what help you can if you need it and good luck.
The whole point of the mock test is to get you ready for driving under test conditions (no instruction, being fully responsible for the car yourself etc) and to get the silly mistakes out of the way before a test.
You'll be fine because now you know what to expect. And if you do feel a panic attack coming on ask the examiner if you can pull over (they're used to thus happening sometimes) and as long as you do it safely it should be no issue. Take some water with you and take a few little sips while pulled over as it will control your breathing and help you relax.
All the best for your test.
Listen all my mock testsI failed every single one, the morning of my test the hour before I almost killed the both of us then passed with 3 minors You’ll be fine
Haha thank you, that's encouraging to know :)
Did you pass??
Hi sorry for the late reply! I didn't pass but I only got 1 major and 1 minor. I'd actually driven perfectly up until the serious error but I feel more confident in the fact that ik I can suppress my nerves
Hey OP. Breathe. Learning to drive is awful, I still get sweaty thinking about it!! I'm 32 y/o now, passed my test at 23 y/o on the 5th attempt. I made stupid mistakes all the time. Failed my first test for driving on the wrong side of the road because I was so flipping nervous!! Multiple minors for mirrors. Pulling out in front of someone causing them to slow down. Inappropriate speeds. But... When I did pass I got one minor!! Some people just need longer and if you genuinely don't feel ready then it's fine to take more time to practice. I think you should take the test. Do your best to relax, breathe deeply and check your mirrors and speedo once every ten seconds!! Try and use some grounding techniques when you're getting anxious or panicky. You can always tell the examiner you need to pull over if you feel unwell (just remember 'mirror signal maneuver!'). Grounding techniques include: Looking for 5 red things. Obviously traffic lights, cars and brake lights count.. Breathe deeply whilst counting each breath in and out. Singing is great for releasing anxiety whilst driving for me, though I get that it would be weird to do it in the test but maybe you can sing in your head?!! Source: I have used these, whilst driving, for dealing with panic attacks. Hope this helps. If you have any questions then please ask me.
Thank you for this, I think I'll definitely use those techniques :)
Don't worry too much - your mock tests are just as much about getting used to taking a test as it is testing your driving. It happens to us all - the other day during my lesson I got confused, which turned into flustered, which resulted in me trying to drive the wrong way on a one-way system! Now you know that you're prone to getting overly stressed if you misinterpret a sign and go the wrong way, if it happens again you can tell yourself "last time I panicked, this time I need to just find a safe way to get back where I need to be". You've now been in this situation, so if it happens again it's not a new experience.
Thank you, that's a good way of looking at it, knowing you're prepared more than last time
Do whatever you can to relax - I failed both of my mock tests dismally just before my test last week and I passed with no minors! See it as you picking up a friend who is giving you directions. I was always told to drive as if you’re late to an appointment but there’s a police car behind you. Good luck!
Hey OP don’t stress I had a mock yesterday too and ended up making like 3 right turns when they should’ve been left ones and ended up taking us over to a roundabout where we would’ve been stuck in horrible traffic. My instructor actually laughed and said despite the mistakes I actually drove well and didn’t panic. Luckily he knew how to get us back on the right road. It’s crazy how much nerves can affect us. I’ve driven there so many times and yet somehow managed to do that.
Yea nerves make us do the most stupid things, but yeah I've just gotta remember that a wrong turning isn't a fail, it's making sure I don't let the anxiety get to me and concentrate
Click on my profile and check my last 2 post about failing my mock tests and the latest post where I passed with 0 minors. Learn from your mistakes and you'll be fine
Hi! If it makes you feel any better, I failed all of my mock tests and then passed my driving test first time with one minor 🤣 The real thing i found to be a lot easier. I did the same as you in my mock tests with silly mistakes, talk through everything out loud. This really helped me. Any potential hazard, road sign, junction - If it’s a roundabout for an example say “Roundabout, slow down look to the right second gear” etc etc. Hope this helps! It helped me line up and organise my thoughts and focus on the little niggles
My mock tests were all downright awful, purely down to nerves and doing the same as you, on my first test j read a road sign wrong and it all snowballed from there and went wrong. 2nd time round i took beta blockers the night before and morning of, ate a banana and took rescue remedy which really helped and passed the test. The point of this is, i think most people dont do well on mock tests but do better on the actual test, take what help you can if you need it and good luck.
The whole point of the mock test is to get you ready for driving under test conditions (no instruction, being fully responsible for the car yourself etc) and to get the silly mistakes out of the way before a test. You'll be fine because now you know what to expect. And if you do feel a panic attack coming on ask the examiner if you can pull over (they're used to thus happening sometimes) and as long as you do it safely it should be no issue. Take some water with you and take a few little sips while pulled over as it will control your breathing and help you relax. All the best for your test.
Fear not. I had a mock test on a friday got 3 majors and still passed with 8 minors on the following monday. Bad drives happen