Driving Lessons Videos Test Tips and Advice

This week I had an email from a learner driver who was thinking of giving up on the UK practical driving test having failed on the most recent attempt at getting a full British licence, and losing hope to ever achieve the dream of being in charge of a car un-supervised.

If you have had several attempts at the driving test and not been successful, I would like to offer some words of encouragement to stop you from giving up.
Obviously there will be different circumstances for a lot of learner drivers, some will be considering how much money they have spent on lessons and dsa testing fees, others might just be discouraged that all their efforts and hard work to overcome this hurdle has so far fallen by the wayside since they have not heard those desired words from the dsa examiner, there might even be those who would considering if they have gone past the driving age because they are much older.

The first thing I would like to say is that none of you are stupid just because you have not passed a driving test. As the name implies, it is a test, and tests are not a 100% good way of assessing characteristics, since it only checks skills at a specific time, so it is possible for a very good and safe driver to just make one mistake that invariably means a fail. I have had one or two test candidates of mine return with no faults apart from the one serious driving test error that they failed on, obviously they were at test standard, but maybe just a moments lapse in concentration blew their chances, and this could easily affect their morale.
Having said that, everyone in the UK who wants a full driving licence has to take a test unless they are fortunate enough to have a foreign licence that can be exchanged for a british one, so it just another hurdle that we have to get over to get to our goal, and giving up on the driving test should not really cross your mind if you really want that pass cerificate.

Learn from your experience no matter what happened. You can give all sorts of excuses, try to blame the dsa examiner for being too harsh or say your ADI did not take you on that particular driving test route, but the bottom line is you made a mistake which was not acceptable and your most important task is not to make the same error on your next attempt while still maintaining the good driving skills from your last attempt.
If you can afford it, don't take a break from driving lessons, if you do, resume them as soon as possible so you can keep your driving skills current. Don't think that because you narrowly missed out on the practical car assessment the last time, that you will still be abe to drive the same way after a 6 week break.

No one is out to stop you from getting a driving licence! No matter what anyone tells you, or the thoughts that go on in your mind, the dsa examiners have not targeted you, keeping records of how many times you've been to the test centre or just don't want you to pass the driving test, if you do everything to the acceptable standard, then they can't fail you. There is no point in arguing that you only just touched the kerb during the turn in the road driving test maneuver, work on improving that weakness, and it won't be a problem for you the next time.
You might be thinking it is easy for me as an intructor to say that, but the truth is that while you might be finding it difficult to master a particular skill (roundabouts might be your back breaker), if you persist and work hard with the right help from your ADI (maybe you need to change instructors), then you can overcome it.

Money is what is holding me back! It costs money to take lessons and book the driving test, I agree, but if you really want that licence, are you just going to give up because you think you don't have the money? Have you explored all avenues available to find the money you require to achieve your goal? Could you stop smoking, drinking, eating takeaways, giveup one of or all your mobile phones, work more overtime, mow the neighbor's lawn? If you try hard enough, surely you can make it, even if it takes sometime to save up the money, don't forget you could also ask your instructor for a discount (you are more likely to get one if you have been a loyal and hard working client).
Make the money count, read as much as you can about the driving test, know the highway code inside out, learn from other people's mistakes (learner driver forums are full of driving test stories), don't be afraid to ask questions and know why you need to do things a particular way (the 2 second rule must be kept not just to pass the test, it could save your life, money, stop you from injuring someone) and most importantly, don't give up hope on yourself, if others can do it, then so can you, no matter how long it takes, the sacrifices you have to make or the number of attempts you have had at it.

Following all these steps will not guarantee a driving test pass, but I can assure you, that it would put you in a better chance of doing so, don't give up, remember success is failure that tried one more time!



More reading
The UK driving test explained.
Your instructor can't pass driving test for you.
Driving test mistakes what to avoid.
Bad lesson before driving test.

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My driving instructor is not teaching me anything new, is a good reason for wanting to change your ADI, I dont trust my driving instructor is another one, but a lot of learner drivers are either afraid to actually look for someone else to give them driving tuition, or can't be bother saying I'm just going to stay till I pass my driving test, but won't recommend him/her to anyone else!



You should not be thinking twice about changing or ditching driving instructors if you are receiving a sub-standard/poorer quality service than what you have paid for, or are not getting along with him or her, maybe they shout at you, are always late for driving lessons, make remarks which you are uncomfotable with (sexual, racial, etc).
The purpose of taking driving lessons is you want to learn to drive a car, get valuable knowledge, experience and information that will help you to go on and pass the driving test, and not to while away time or have someone to have a nice friendly chat with everyday. Don't allow personal charm to get in the way of professionalism.

Driving lessons are not cheap, so everytime you part with your money (£15, £20 or £30), you need to be able to say that the time was worth it because you learnt a new driving maneuver (left reverse round the corner), was able to rectify a reoccuring error (not checking left mirror before signalling to come off a major raoundabout) or gained more experience driving on a 70mph dual carriageway. You should not just be driving around for no purpose, or going over the same thing lesson after lesson without either being independent, mastering the reference points or techniques to do the skill without assistance.

Don't be afraid to change driving instructors, as you might find someone who is more compatible with you, and with an abundance of ADIs out there, you the customer should always come first and your goal of passing the DSA practical driving test, you must be able to trust the driving instructor who you pay to guide you through the task of getting the pass certificate that you desire, otherwise what are you doing sticking with him/her!

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Driving test changes 2010.

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On the 4th October 2010, the DSA introduced independent driving to the UK practical car test, and on the same day removed all of the old driving test routes from its website which had been previously published because new roads where being used on some routes to cater for the new 10 minute element where the candidate would need to drive without any directions or advice from the DSA examiner.

As a result of these changes, one of the most common requests I get from learner drivers preparing for the DSA practical car assessment, is can I take them on the current driving test routes used by the examiners at Mill Hill, Hendon and Borehamwood centres so they can have a better chance of passing the driving test.

As a driving instructor, it is normal practice to take a test candidate on some of the routes that the examiner might take you, but this is only after the learner driver has reached the required standard expected by the dsa, and not just to memorise the roads in a bid to having a better chance of passing the driving test. Many learner drivers who are self taught or foreign international driving licence holders just want to memorise the test routes in one 2 hour lesson session and think that is all that they need to do to secure a pass certificate.

Hendon Driving Test Routes Video 2012

£4.99 Buy Now

There are good reasons why you might want to drive on some of the driving test routes, examples are you might not have previously had the chance of dealing with a multi-lane roundabout like Apex corner in Mill Hill that is also controlled by traffic lights, or a national speed limit (70mph) dual carriage way like the A1 on the hendon centre route or country lanes like those used in Wood Green, and you wouldn't have a chance on the magic roundabout in Swindon if you encountered it for the first time with the DSA examiner in the car. What however I find is that a lot of learners who have booked a driving test in a centre, have done so because they can get an earlier date or a late cancellation but they are not actually fully preared for the test, and just want to pratcise on the routes and do their driving manoeuvres at the same places that the dsa examiners use all in a bid to 'cheat' the system and gain that coveted hard to get pass cerificate.

Since this is basically like playing a driving test game of chance, some people will get away with it, manage a pass, bragg to their friends about the method they used, but the majority of candidates will fail (because they don't have the relevant driving skills at the prerequisite standard or enough experience), and either blame the examiner for being too harsh/unfair or say lady luck was not on their side, in the meantime they have just contributed to the low pass rate on the dsa statistics records and made them some more money in the process as well.
Before you start going on driving test routes, make sure you get all the basic skills stipulated on the driver's record under your belt, including manoeuvres, especially the hardest left reverse round the corner exercise, as it is not safe and convinient to be learning this on a busy test route nor should you be mastering bay parking reference points in the busy borehamwood car park.

Once you have covered the entire dsa syllabus for the practical car assessment, and have attained a consistent level 4, making sure if there is anything that you are afraid of, or hope you will not be asked to do by the examiner, then it is a weeakness that needs to be dealt with. Once these fears have been conquered, then you are ready to tackle your local driving test centre's routes gaining the valuable experience and extra practice on any of the skills that you might not have been able to gain before now, like driving above 50mph on country A roads or dual carriageways. Remember you are about to take one of the world's hardest civilian driving tests, so give it the respect it deserves, put in the work, gain the confidence and get the nerves under check. With the right attitude, all being well and you in control, will sail through with flying colours and hearing those lovely words "that's the end of the driving test, and I'm pleased to say you have passed".

One thing that you should note about any of the driving test routes posted on the internet, is that they are all outdated, merely being copies of what the DSA published before 4th Oct 2010, and therefore no longer used or largely modified, which is why I have taken the time to make the test route videos available on this webpage and charging a fee for downloading them since it has cost me time, and effort. The good news is that they are upto date as at January 2012 and do give you the location used by the driving examiners for the various test maneuvers, and for some candidates, it is crucial that they know this to increase their chances of passing, this is where you might need the help of a knowlegdeable local driving instructor like me.

Mill Hill Driving Test Route 2012
Mill Hill test centre is a difficult place to pass from, which is reflected in the low pass rate of 34%. One of the reasons for this is that the DSA examiners have a tough route that is not only tricky, but also includes a very busy multi-lane roundabout (Apex corner).
The video tutorial below covers this route and has full commentary pointing out these tricky locations and how to overcome the common mistakes many candidates have made in the past. Click on the image for details of how to download the video, it will save you from making the same mistakes on an already tough driving test.


£7.99 Buy Now

Borehamwood Test Centre

Video for Borehamwood coming soon.

If you need some driving lessons to prepare for your test, want to practice on some of the dsa test routes in Hendon, Borehamwood or Mill Hill?, then give me a call on 07956233032.

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