Took me 3 tries to get this slip of paper! No words can explain how elated I was when the tester said that I have passed.
Like many learners out there, I can’t help being nervous and stressed, and even go to the extent of reading online forums to know about past experiences. I wasn’t sure that it would help in terms of driving, but it definitely worked to soothe me a little. And that is why I want to share with you my driving experience, hopefully it will give you the courage to not give up even if you failed your test.
I chose to take Class 3 manual instead of auto even when the use of manual cars is decreasing. My dad’s car is auto too. But I thought, why not learn it since some countries don’t have auto cars yet. Plus it’s just an extra skill learnt, no harm right? I love to shift the gears around too (:
I started my driving lessons in about June 2013 after completing my BTT and FTT.
How to pass BTT and FTT?
1) ALWAYS choose the safest option if you are really unsure
2) Do as many trial questions as possible during the given session. Being KIASU, I booked 2 sessions and finished all 10 test papers. After all, as a CDC student, trial tests are all FOC.
3) Don’t push your luck and not revise before the test. You won’t want to risk having to wait for another test slot just because you are lazy to study beforehand
After booking for lessons, I was sooooo excited for my first driving lesson.
You can read my first driving experience HERE
Initially, I booked the same instructor for all the lessons before my first practical test. An extra fee of about $10 will be incurred though. But I felt that it was worth it.
Why did I choose to do so?
1) Different instructors teach different stuff, and it’s really annoying because you get so confused. Some are just wasting your time.
2) Having the same instructor means that he can follow up your learning and is better able to guide you. Besides, he can choose to teach a few things in 1 lesson. By following different instructors, there might be a chance for them to go through 1 subject per lesson = takes forever to finish learning..
3) I definitely felt more comfortable facing the same instructor whom I have already gotten familiar with. But later on, I realized that it’s a fatal mistake for me to have ALL the lessons with the same instructor. What I SHOULD HAVE DONE, is to take the “learning” lessons with him. Subsequently, I should have different instructors to through the revision with me. I’ll explain in a while..
Of course, it’s different preferences about having the same or different instructors! I would recommend Lim Chin Hua 0935. He’s a really nice and friendly instructor! And of course most importantly, he teaches well. I took up a total of 19 lessons before I went for my first practical test.
But…
…I FAILED.
I striked the kerb THREE times, and made some other mistakes. I think my leg was almost shaking the moment I drove out of the parking lot. I NEVER STRIKED ANY KERB BEFORE FOR MY ENTIRE LESSONS. This is why I recommend that you take revision lessons with different instructors.
The moment I saw the fierce look on the tester’s face, I got soooo nervous!
Was so disappointed, but booked for my 2nd test and extra 4 lessons anyway.
This time round, I calmed a little and managed to pull through for all the parking and obstacles. Though I made some stupid errors like “forgetting to release handbrake”, “wide turning”, “incorrect technique for E-brake”. But I was pretty confident I could do it, till I finished the test route that the tester has given me.
There were too many cars and even buses on the road that I couldn’t handle very well. Well, I could change lanes but the tester faulted me for “changing lane abruptly”. I also made a stupid dumb mistake by not slowing down when the traffic light has been green for some time. Had to jam brake at the last moment.. I didn’t change to gear 4 on some roads as well. BAM! Another mistake.
And…
…I FAILED AGAIN.
At that point of time, I really felt like I want to give up already! It’s not easy to know that you are wasting your parents’ money away just because you are not qualified enough. And the pressure, the expectations of myself, and the stress is too much for me to handle. But I managed to pull through, and told myself.
This time I CAN do it.
I booked for another 4 lessons and practical test on 14 Jan. This time, I even asked the instructor to treat the entire lesson as a real test which means I start driving out from the test parking lot. My instructor will then note down the mistakes that I made along the way, and go through it with me at the end of the lesson.
It actually took me whole 2 months to start my first lesson after my previous driving test, and I was thankful my driving was not entirely rusty yet.
Nights before my driving test, it took me close to 2 hours to fall asleep even when it’s already past midnight. I kept imagining myself driving in the circuit, and on the road. I was actually mentally giving myself a test scenario to get myself prepared. Sounds crazy, I know.. But I badly wanted to pass this time.
On the day of the test, I tried very best to calm myself down. I even hid the test date from everyone including my family and bf so that I can give them a surprise when I passed. I told myself that if I can drive normally on usual lessons, I can also do the same during the test. My GREATEST problem is the lack of confidence and being too nervous. That’s what everyone told me.
And one instructor once told me, “If you’re nervous, even if you take 100 tests, you will still not succeed.”
So I calmed myself down and went for the warm up. It did gave me a slight boost of confidence as I did the warm up pretty well. When it’s my turn, I took a few deep breaths and went to meet the tester. My first obstacle was parallel parking. Slowly one after another, I completed the whole circuit! And I saw that the tester didn’t really open his laptop. PHEW. That means half the battle is won!
Before I knew it, I was out of the circuit and within a short while I was already heading back. I knew that I had a high chance of passing as I did not make any major mistakes, maybe except for “inconvenience to traffic – 6 points”.
I can’t wait to hear the good news!
And…
I PASSED!
With 10 demerit points!
I think I was smiling like a crazy girl at that point of time. But can you imagine the excited feeling inside me waiting to burst out?! I finally made it! And I’m getting my Class 3 driving license! Finally got the chance to step into the video room to watch their safety video hahahaha. Until now, I still can’t believe that I can drive officially on the road!
Thanks for taking your time to read my driving experience! If you are one of those who still haven’t pass your driving yet, don’t be discouraged! I wouldn’t say that this would apply to everyone, but here are some things that I feel should be taken note of (Based on experience and advice from online forums)
1) ALWAYS stay calm during your driving, if not your hands and legs can’t coordinate well. Drive normally like any other lesson. I know this is easier said than done, since I’ve gone through it before. But perhaps play some music before the test to soothe yourself?
2) Try not to book the test during peak hours. I booked mine at 245pm and I feel that it’s quite a good timing.
3) Greet your tester with a big smile 😀 It lifts their mood and leaves a good impression. After all, driving is quite subjective in some area.. If they smile and greet back, it makes you feel more at ease too.
4) Take a few revision lessons before the test, and ask the instructor to treat it like an actual test for you. It helps really a lot, as you can experience how it feels like to take a test. It makes you get used to the sequence as well.
5) Force yourself to practice things that you usually shy away from. You will have to do it during the test, so why not start early? Previously I found myself not familiar with shifting gears up and down, and the instructors have always commented about me “dragging my gears”. During the last few lessons, I forced myself to change up and down as much as I can (of course during appropriate times). I realized that it did work!
6) Be a safe driver. The testers want to feel comfortable and safe during the ride. Check your blindspots and mirrors.
7) Try your best to remember every single procedure, even the most minor ones like releasing handbrakes before moving off, switching off signals, and adjusting mirror after parking, etc. These might seem like a piece of cake to you. But when you’re nervous during the test, you can entirely forget about it… (Just like me) Save some points for other areas, not waste it on carelessness.
8) For parking, do it slowly. You have 3 min for vertical P and 5 min for parallel P. There’s no need to rush through the parking procedure. It’s unlikely that you will strike or mount the kerb if you do it slowly since you can always adjust when you realized that it’s going to hit the kerb. I was always told that I parked the car too quickly and it’s very easy to make a mistake.
I guessed that’s all I can think of as of now. If I think of more, I’ll add it in! Or you may wish to share your experience and thoughts at the comments too!
Hope that you will succeed one day!
