How to Pass Your Driver's Licence Test the First Time
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Speedfreak…
Below is a list of things that will save you failing your driver's licence exam, and from wasting a lot of money going back to apply for new appointments.
Keep in mind that this article is largely based on my experiences with driving exams in South Africa. But read this article anyway, even if you don't reside here, just for interest's sake if you wish.
1. The External Inspection
i. You will start off with the external inspection of your car, where you go counter-clockwise around the car from the driver's side (walk left).
ii. Check underneath the car and say that there are no obstructions or leaks.
iii. Here you say that the wheel is the correct pressure, the valve cap is on, there are no cuts or slashes on the side wall, the wheel nuts are secure and there is enough tread.
iv. You then move on to the windscreen wiper and say that it is free of damage and in good working order.
v. The headlights, parking lights and indicator lights are clean and undamaged.
vi. The bonnet is secure.
vii. Underneath the bonnet, the oil, water, brake fluid and drive belts have been checked.
viii. The front left wheel is the same as the other.
ix. The petrol cap is secure.
x. The left rear wheel is the same as the others.
xi. The rear lights are clean and undamaged.
xii. The right rear wheel is the same as the others.
2. The Internal Inspection
i. Inside the car, after closing the car door, you say that all the doors are closed.
ii. The seat and mirrors are adjusted.
iii. The handbrake is on
iv. The car is in neutral.
v. There are no obstructions by the feet and pedals.
vi. You will be asked to indicate right, and then left.
vii. You will be asked to put your headlights and parking lights on.
viii. Then to put your fog lights on.
ix. You will be asked to turn on the windscreen wipers.
x. You will be asked to honk the horn.
xi. The examiner will then move to the rear of the car and ask you to indicate right and left, and then push the brake pedal.
3. The Yard Test
Many are of the opinion that this is the hardest and strictest part of the test. You would have practiced parking often if you attended a driving school. There is a time limit on this course.
i. You start off with a hill start. If you roll back, you fail. The proper way is to put the car into first, with the hand brake on; rev slightly and release the clutch slowly. Do your full observation. Release the clutch even more until you feel the back of the car sink in, then, release the handbrake while pushing down more on the accelerator. Remember that the clutch and accelerator work like a seesaw. When one comes out, the other goes in, and vice versa.
ii. Next is the first alley docking procedure, either from the right or left, where you go in backwards.
iii. Then the second one.
iv. Then the two parallel parking moves.
v. The three point turn.
For tips on how to do parallel parking, alley docking and three point turns, visit the appropriate hubs in my profile, or click the links above.
The Driving Series...
Getting a Driver’s Licence
Getting a Learner’s Licence Like it's Easy
How to Alley Dock in a Car
How to do a Three Point Turn
How to Parallel Park Properly
How to Pass Your Driver's Licence Test the First Time
Surviving Driving School
What to Expect on the Day of Your Learner’s Licence Exam
How to do a Hill Start in a car
How many tries did it take you to pass your driver's licence test?
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4. Starting procedure (Optional)
I was advised that sometimes the official will ask you to do what's known as a starting procedure. This is simple and similar to the internal check. I wasn't asked this by my examiner.
i. The handbrake is on.
ii. The car is in neutral.
iii. Turn the key until the dash lights up, and say that there are no warning lights on (hopefully!).
iv. Turn the car on and check that there are still no warning lights.
v. State whether the car has a manual or an automatic choke (automatics are much less hassle, especially in winter when it's cold).
5. The Road Test
There are a lot more things that can go wrong here, and there is a minimum time you have to stay on the road, but they can take you for longer. You will have to drive around your local area, or where the traffic department is located anyway.
i. Stop the whole car behind the white line at stop streets, not just the wheels.
ii. Before turns, mirror, blind spot, indicate, then second blind spot before turning the wheel.
iii. Don't cross your hands, rather use the shuffle method for turning the wheel. They'll take one point off for crossing hands.
iv. Try not to stall. They take one point off for stalling each time.
v. Don't let the car roll anywhere at any time. This will lead to a fail.
vi. When stopping, use the foot brake, keeping your hands on the steering wheel until you come to a full stop, clutch in before you stall, then handbrake.
vii. Do a full observation after stopping and using the handbrake before taking off (mirror, right blind spot, mirror again and left blind spot).
viii. When on the road, check your mirror and then look right and left at any intersections, business entrances and the like. Driveways are the exception to the rule.
5.1. Hand signals and emergency brake (optional)
Some examiners may ask you to do emergency hand signals and an emergency stop. For the right hand signal: Mirror, right blind spot, indicate right, second blind spot and hold out your arm straight. For the left: Mirror, left blind spot, indicate left, right blind spot, put your arm out the window and make a circular motion with your hand. For the stop: Mirror, blind spot, and put your arm out and hold it up in a L shape, pointing to the sky. The emergency brake is simply pushing in the clutch and the foot brake together and coming to a stop quicker than you usually would. I was asked to do all of these above except for the emergency brake because the roads were wet.
6. After the test
After the test is done, you will be back in the yard where you started, and the examiner will add up all your points, and tell you whether you passed or failed. I passed my mine the first time.
If you passed, then you'll go inside, and you have to have:
- your ID
- money
- your driver's test appointment slip
- your learner's licence
- photos.
After the thumb printing and signing, at least where I did my test, they gave me a temporary driver's licence and told me to come back in a few weeks to get my proper permanent licence.
7. Finally getting your Driver’s Licence
In my country at least, you have to get the new credit card format licence from the traffic department. I waited about four weeks to get mine. On the day, I took my ID, my temporary driver’s licence and my notice that I received in the post.
I was told that you need to pay yet more money to get your new card, but that wasn’t the case when I went there. Either it’s different in some places or else somebody got scammed… Make sure you remember that. This is all I can think of right now, and that’s quite a bit of information. My advice is to go to a driving school where you’ll learn all of this and more.
"When buying a used car, punch the buttons on the radio. If all the stations are rock and roll, there's a good chance the transmission is shot." - Larry Lujack
© Copyright 2008 - 2012 by Anti-Valentine
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CommentsLoading...
I'm doing my drivers license today at 2 .. And I'm soo nervous most about the yard test than anythin.. I turned 18 yesterday.. What ever happens happens though so yeah.. Bt I can find my appointment letter.. Will I need it?
I was super nervous about my first lesson today,which led to me Googling just about everything that has to do with Driving in SA. With 9 more lessons to go and after reading your articles,I'm already feeling a bit more confident
My test is on 28 May at he Sandton Testing Centre.
Wish me luck!
Who has that much money? The driving school?! I barely paid half that for all my lessons. You must have taken a bunch. Then again the price of everything is going up nowadays, not so?
Thnx4da tip.i failed my test doing incline on road2dys ago.still cnt get over it.i rebooked for8th may but im more nervous than i was.vry disapnted with driving school cs nw they gving me a new instructor.its stressing me big time.i feel they setting me up4another fail.so little time2change driving schools+they alsohv R1500 of my money afraid of loosing that
Thanx a lot hub, I wish I had seen this way earlier!I am doin my test in 2hrs and I am petrified!I am hoping 2 get my licence 1st tym round because its b'coming a bit 2 expensive and I desperately need my own car!really appreciate this info!
Thanks for the info! Taking my test in about 3 hours and I'm very nervous. This helped me a lot though. :D
And don't forget to check over your shoulder!
South Africa. And the bad news is that it's going to get a lot more complicated in years to come. The process of obtaining a learner's licence through to finally getting a driver's licence and being able to drive alone on the road will take about 4 years.
A lot of this isn't required in the states, you just locate your lights rather than turning them on, we back up 50 feet slowly on the side of a road without hitting the curb and then drive for about seven minutes around the neighborhood that surrounds whatever DMV you choose to go to. All in all the U.S. license test takes about 10 minutes, not much more. What country are you from?
Ah, maybe not in the States, but in most provinces here in SA, it is required. :)
My nephew is looking forward to getting his license now that he's 16. Doing all this isn't required in most states.
Thanks for the great information!
I'm doing my driver's test tomorrow and I hope all goes well :)
Hey man! Thnx 4 tht knwlage! ,im goin 4 my drivers licence test on 1 march,so far i dd 1 lesson i ws gud at it d instructor said.ive bin drivin 4 past 11yrs sins i w 10yrs bt i wont tke advantage of tht. Plz plz wish me luck ppl.
I am testing tommorow at trompsburg. So nervous, thanks for this site! It helps a lot!
Hi gr8 article!! I have a test booked for tomorrow and bec of complications my learners license expires in a weeks time. Unfortunatly if I fail I have to go through the full routine again :( sux so bad! I'm struggling to sleep. I've done 15 lessons and I've been driving for 2 years so far. I'm hoping I pass and I'm enjoying the revision I'm getting from your article thank you. It is now 03:00 am and I do my license at 08:00 and must be up at 06:00 to drive through to humansdorp for my lisence. Wish me luck guys.
thanx 4 the article. great tips. i test tommorow. yikes!! i know! i hope i will do well
I would imagine so. I'd be damn sure that everything works the way it should. That's why it pays to use the car the driving school uses. They check everything for you.
hey i was wondering....do all your windows have to work?? plus, if there's a little crack on your front view window, can you still take your drivers test??
I would say that the answer to that is likely no, unfortunately. It would be one thing to pass the eye exam when you apply for a learner's licence, never mind a driver's licence. And I don't think it would be legal, let alone safe for other motorists if someone who is partially sighted is behind the wheel. I have a brother who is partially sighted and he is not allowed to drive as far as I know. He doesn't anyway.
Sorry Hlogi. But there are other options to you. There are always options.
What if i have a sight problem with 1 of my eyes,like if it doesnt see at all will i manage to have a driver's license?
It's better to take the test and be a little under-confident rather than overconfident.
The answer if probably "no", but as long as you've had enough practice and taken a number of driving lessons (recommended), you should be fine. Many people fail the test their first time though. Just make allowances for this possibility, and remember that you can try again as many times as you like if you fail.
Hi Anti-Valentine,
i am still learning how to drive and think im ready for the test...just want to know if you think that an individual will ever be fully confident when taking the test?
This is good got my licence first time.
tx
Hey there Anti-Valentine
I am going for my driving test tomorrow and I am super nervous!! I read your article and took as many mental notes as possible. Crossing fingers that I pass. Thanks for all the info :)
Hey Anti im about to book for my learners licence and all i do now is reading k53 manual...and i think im ready:)
Oh!this article is so helping.i'm struggling with the hill and my test is on january 13.will i ever make it.
Wonderful Article
my test is bookd on da 23 janaury 2012, gosh its goin 2 b on monday morning! Im so excited bt at da same time nervous
That depends on the individual. Nobody knows when you're ready except you. ;)
how much time do u need before cn say you are ready, or time doesnt realy matter!
You're welcome.
Your a life saver, Thank you! Failed my license awhile back and only have re-booked now but forgot some things but you have just re-freshed my memory!!! Thank you!
You can try this article I wrote, Nicolette: http://anti-valentine.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-do-a
Hi, i am testing on Friday 2nd Dec and have no idea about the 3point turn. My driving school has not taught me. Please help
If you stall the car on an incline, immediately grab the handbrake and pull it up.
The best way is to avoid stalling the car. Push in the clutch and the brake pedal before you come to a dead stop.
Is it really possible not to roll when you stall the car on an incline?
Thank you for all this info.I am doing my test in Randburg next Friday the 18th of Nov.This is the first time that I am hearing about most of the stuff that you mentioned.Thank you.
this insofrmation is so helpful. i'll be pasing it on to my friends. getting a driver's license is not as scary as it sounds.....i'll be doing my test on the 6th of December and with these tips i know i'll pass it.
You welcome :) My test is booked at the Rossburgh testing grounds in Durban.
I have my drivers booked at Fish Hoek driving center for 8 November, I don't want to have to pay for driving instructor to teach me how helpful is this info. Need help badly. Any comments will be welcome.
Thanks to the both of you, Anri and Fathima! Good luck on your driving tests too. Whereabouts are you taking your exams?
Thanks for the advise Anti-Valentine. This is a great site! Good luck Anri :) I also need the luck, my test is booked for the 24th of November and time sure flies by.. *nervous*
Hi guys.
I'm doing my test on the 10 Nov 2011. Please think of me. I am so nervous. This is a brilliant site I must add. ;-)
Hmm, I am sorry to hear about that, Nazley.
Just remember when starting on an incline, that you must push in the accelerator while gently releasing the clutch. Then when you feel the car hunker down, you can then release the handbrake and push the accelerator a little harder and the car should get up the incline no problem.
Any jerky movements and shakiness is sure to make things go less smoothly.
Hi i went for the 1st time last mnth 30/09/2011 and i faild cause the car rolld in ally dckng.i went bck the 4/10/11 and faild again at incline same thing i rolld now i realise that im battlng with clutch contrl.I aslo have this problem were my left leg starts to shake and gets worse as im moving in the yard.I WAS ALMOST OUT BY THAT GATE AND I BLUE IT YORRRR
Well here's about all I know concerning manual and automatic transmissions:
It's a better idea to do the test with a manual transmission and get your licence. That way you can drive either a manual or an automatic. If you get a licence for an automatic, you can only drive an automatic. I've been told this by a couple of people in the past.
Automatics are easier to drive generally, but if something goes wrong with it, it costs a small fortune to repair. You can't tow an automatic, so it has to go on a flatbed. I've seen this time and time again in the aftermath of traffic collisions.
A manual is cheaper to repair, in comparison.
Automatics are thought by some to be more economical, but it's been found by some that the MPG (mile per gallon) is actually higher with automatics, generally.
I learned to drive a manual. All I've ever driven is "stick shift". But would I drive an automatic given the chance? Probably.
One more teeny advise... In your opinion, which is better and/or more economical to drive in the city. An auto or manual? And why?
Aah ok.. Well wish me luck and thanks for the great feed, your articles are great. Keep it up :) Take care
All right. Well then I guess that might be okay. We've all done it at some point.
Observation, the way I learned it, is mirror (rear view mirror), right blind spot, mirror again and left blind spot when the car is stopped and the handbrake is on. I would do a full observation on the yard test anyway. I think you must.
Sigh, to be honest it's been so many years since I did all this and wrote these articles!
Lol don't worry I am a teetotaller however i was told by the pharmacist that calmettes is 100% herbal and lots of learner drivers consume it to calm their nerves.
What advise can you give me on the yard test? Also which is the correct steps of observation? For instance when you are alley docking from the right side, do you still have to do the full observation?
It's a bad idea to drive under the influence of any drugs or alcohol, Fathima. Consider an alternative such as meditation or breathing.
My drivers test is booked for next month and I am nervous as hell, I am getting the hang of clutch control, just need to practice more on hills and parking. I am worried about the 20 minute time limit on the yard test. Seems like so much to do in a short period of time... Do you think taking calmettes will help? by the way, great page :)
Correct me if I'm wrong, but observing refers to looking in the mirrors, blindspots, etc. Right?
You have to physically turn your head all the time. Just looking somewhere with your eyes isn't enough. You have to exaggerate it a bit. The examiner wants to see this sort of thing. When you check your blindspot, turn your head and look over your shoulder. Hope this all makes sense.
If this isn't what you mean by "observation", then get back to me, okay?
im about to test also but im worried about observing last time I failed because of how I observe please give me a better way of observing
@mosa: Yeah, sometimes you get a bad instructor when it comes to driving lessons. I had a bad traffic official on the day of the test. That's even worse!
As for his not teaching you specific things mentioned in this article, I should point out that this article relates to the driver's licence test in South Africa, but even in the same country the test can vary on the day, depending on which traffic department you apply at.
Tell us how the test went, anyway!
how do u know ehn to turn on the road? i always turn too late or too early
I'll be tested tomorrow & my instructor was so rude through out my lessons, he didn't teach me lots of things such as side parking, steep hill, alley dogy & full inside inspection, fortunately for me I found u, & read through everything, I am crossing my fingers hoping for a pass, i'll come back to give you da results, wish me loads of luck.
Bad luck, Leon.
Just apply again as soon as possible for an appointment. Don't wait for months and then decide you want to do it. Do it now, and then get back to driving lessons and the like. Come back in time for the date and ace it!
Oh god I just failed !!
I needed this years ago. It took me 4 tries to pass my driver's license test. I used to suck at driving.
That's awesome, friend. Make sure to share where you found this guide!
Hey that was great. I passed my driver's the first time and I should say ur hub helped me a lot...really a lot!! many thanks for sharing the knowledge...Peace and love :)Good Job!!
Hey Anti-Valentine, this is really a great page, I am going to do my driving test on Tueday, i have printed all your pages, hoefully it will help me pass the test without paying the driving shchool. Thanks a lot!
Phumlani, when I was in driving school, I was drilled in to doing the inspection in a specific order.
So I think yes, it's better to remember it in order. I don't think they'd be too bothered about the internal being a little random, but the external inspection MUST be in order.
The internal inspection would be: doors are closed, seat and mirrors, handbrake, neutral, feet and pedals, indicators, headlights and parking lights, fog lights, windscreen wipers, honk the horn, The examiner will then move to the rear of the car and ask you to indicate right and left, and then brake.
Good luck.
When doing inside inspection, should i say things as you mentioned or even randomly? This is full of information Thank you so much
You are welcome. Better to be a little nervous than overconfident, I find.
Thankz 4 da help.i was so nervous(still am.lol)nt knowing anything bout da inspection of da car.it realy took sum of da nervousness away.thankz.nervous/smiley face.
All the best. ;)
I'm in South Africa and I'm dong mine tomorrow. This is coming handy. I'm holding thumbs that I'd pass.
Yes, in South Africa you have to do an external inspection as well as an internal inspection. Quite easy as long as you remember to mention the necessary items.
You have to inspect the car? This sounds like an airplane walkaround.. I never had to do that, wow
That depends on the traffic department you take the test at. Some are stricter.
they dont take off point for crossing your hands they take off points if you take both hands off the wheel
You're welcome.
AWESOME! thanks :]
Thanks for great hub. Now, will you write one on passing the written driving test. My birthday is coming!
Judy Cullins
www.bookcoaching.com
Anti-Valentine Hub Author 8 days ago
I'd try and find it, or check to see if you'll need it first. I'd ask one of the instructors at a driving school if you went through one. Take it just in case.