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Anxiety over driving test

NAS83027

Hello,

I have a driving test next Friday and I am really anxious as mum and dad have given me money towards my lessons and I dont want to fail my test because I would feel like I had wasted their money.

Also I get really irritated when I am stressed and overwhelmed and I ended up lashing out at a family member and I feel horrible. I know that until the test is over I am going to be a nervous wreck and really snappy.

Does anyone have any advice?

  • Hiya, I passed my test back in august and totally resonate with how you are feeling. I failed my first one because of my nerves, I'm pretty certain I would have passed if I had been calm about it. Passed second time though

    I'm not sure what things you struggle with however the scariest part for me was the unknown. Ask someone who has had a driving test at the Centre exactly what happens, where you go, what the examiners are like etc. That will reduce your nerves slightly.

    You pass your driving test for driving safely not for driving perfectly. So if you make a mistake, breathe and carry on, chances are it's either a minor or not even that.

    My driving instructor sent the head of the driving centre an email before hand letting them know I was autistic and that I can sometimes be a little 'road ragey' and when nervous i can be rude, and a couple of other things. See if that's something your instructor could do for you?

    Learn the tell me and show me questions as that should help too, however if your nerves get the better of you and you forget then it's ok because it's only a minor. 

    Good luck! I'm sure you will smash it and even if you don't I'm sure you will pass the next time. Just breathe and drive. Your instructor wouldn't let you do the test if they didn't think you were ready

    Alisha xx

  • Just remember driving has rules for almost every situation that is designed specifically to keep you safe on the road, most examiners also want to see you pass, so if you just follow the rules and keep your breathing and panic under control you should do okay, you can have up to 15 minor marks against you before you fail too, so you don't have to pressure yourself into absolute perfection, you can do a manoever quite clunky even as long as you do so safely. Also if you do do a serious error as long as you drive well the rest of the test some examiners will even discrecionally choose to ignore it as not representative of your general driving agility, so if you do commit a serious just try to forget it and keep doing as best as you can afterwards.

    I only passed last september, and I passed with 2 minors, one for excess speed approaching a roundabout and the other for not completing a parking manouver in a single go (my parking was actually fine but I worked myself into an anxious mess second guessing it so I pulled out of the space to straighten up a smidge more).

  • in reply to KJ1234

    Even though it was a long long time ago. I don't think anyone is relaxed doing a driving test.

    Story ....... When i was 16 i did a test on my motorbike. What happens is the tester says go down there and go 1st left 2nd right until i tell you to stop. I went around this block twice, i could see the man running corner to corner watching me. Anyway he pulled me up and said, same again but this time 1st right 2nd left. I was going round and around the block, time and time again, no sight of the tester. I thought, he's hiding behind a car watching me, but as time went on i thought, he may have gone home for his dinner. Eventually i saw him, hundreds of yards away up this road, i carried on going around the block untill he reached me. He pulled me up and said .... Where have you been, you're suppose  to be up there. .... I'd gone the wrong way, took the wrong turning. So started going around the block again, with him watching. Then much to my surprise he says 'You ve Passed'

    Did my car test the next year when i was 17. I think that year on my bike helped. I was use to the road.

  • Idk tbh my friend isn't autistic like you she is also studying for her driving license .. my advice is take deep breaths I recently got diagnosed with autism already receiving help rn but yeah idk tbh yeah 

  • I was recommended sea leg tablets, which I took, and have my instructor sit in the back seat during my test. Yet I only just scraped through. However, once that hurdle was cleared life was transformed.

  • Hi,

    We're famous for our focus. So I suggest that you study intently for the test - this narrow focus might not only shut out the background 'noise' you mentioned but may also distract from your worries about the money.