Best Day Ever!!

Hello Everyone!

The 7th November 2013 was the day I had been dreading for 5 weeks, my practical driving test! 

My instructor allowed me to complete a mock test so that I could get an idea and feel of what an actual test would be like. It was a really weird experience as all of sudden my instructor went from having a joke and a laugh with me, to being very serious in test mode. :/ I started on the top of Portsdown hill as it is near the test centre and from there I drove around for about 40 mins, at the end of the 'test' my instructor revealed in the say way an examiner would, 'I'm glad to tell you that you have been successful in passing your test'. For this mock test I only got 3 minors, which was amazing!! This put more pressure on me for passing my test first time, also both my mum and dad did it in one attempt.

In the morning, waiting for my instructor to pick me up I was getting so nervous and feeling like I really didn't want to take my test. I felt I wasn't ready, even though I clearly was! :/ All sorts of thoughts were going through my head, 'oh no what if I fail, what do I do next!?' 'What do I tell people if I fail?' Whilst driving up to the test centre my instructor was trying to keep me calm and aware of what will happen before, during and after the test. At the test centre I was placed into a queue of about 4/5 other cars awaiting their tests, one by one we all completed a bay park and strolled into the waiting room. Looking around, everyone's faces were so scared and panicked. Not too long after, the examiners came out to collect their person. They look at your license and ask if you would like your instructor in the car with you at the briefing and at the end of the test, I said yes to both!

During my test, the examiner had me drive to Porchester to complete my manoeuvre, the dreaded parallel park! :O In my lessons it took me longer to get to grips with this, as I would either hit the curb (which would be a fail) or come in too far away from the curb. It is ok though as you do get a chance to correct it if you feel you won't go in first time, which is exactly what happened to me! I swear that I hit the curb, so I quickly moved out slightly and reversed back in. Luckily I passed that with a minor! :D Next it came to the part of the test where you have to independently follow road signs to a certain destination for 10 minutes, I was asked to follow signs to Fareham and then onto Titchfield. I quite enjoy being independent and following signs to get somewhere, it's like an achievement when you reach your destination. It was just my luck when I was told to pull over, and the examiner then told me that I was going to conduct an emergency stop when he thinks it's safe enough to do so. Only 1 in 3 tests will have to do the emergency stop, and I was that one. At this point I panicked as it had been a while since I had last practised this, how do I do this again!? :/ When he said stop with his hand held up, it took me a while to register what he meant, aha but I did abruptly stop eventually. 

On the way back to the test centre, just before I parked up, I looked into the rear view mirror and saw my instructors face and to me I thought he looked worried and a bit disappointed! However, I was wrong as when we got back and the examiner had added everything up, he uttered the words 'I'm so happy to tell you that you have passed!' AHHHHHHH I freaked, I was so happy, this was the scariest experience I had ever gone through in my life and I did it, first time!!! :D The examiner then told me that I had got 9 minors, but he was shocked I got so many as he said my standard of driving was really good and he felt really safe! Later that day I had to go to college, which was great as I could tell everyone how happy I was. 

I am now currently waiting for my license to come through the post, and then I need to do some serious saving for insurance on my dads car (Ford Fiesta Style). I also think I will complete a course called pass plus, which is £160 for 6 hours with my instructor and it could knock 25% off my insurance. With my instructor we do 3 hours of driving to Bournemouth and back and then 3 hours of driving to Brighton and back. I just can not wait to get back behind the wheel of a car again! :D

Thank you so much for reading this. I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience of the driving test, and that it becomes clear that all you really have to do is show the examiner that you are a safe and sensible driver, then you'll pass.