learner driver advice - the practical test

Your instructor should lead you through a structured course of tuition and provide you with some form of progress report so that you know where you are. The DVSA Drivers Record is ideal for this with a separate sheet for your instructor to use as well as your own record of your progress for you to keep. If your instructor has his/her own personally designed progress report this is fine but if you don't have a copy for yourself download the DVSA drivers record, print it off and ask your instructor to fill it in for you at the end of each lesson. However, you need to bear in mind that for this to be effective you will need to be commited to the task ahead and make sure that you take it with you to every lesson.

You should never be afraid to ask your instructor questions no matter how silly you may think they seem at the time. It helps us (driving instructors) to help you (pupils) if we are aware of any misunderstandings, difficulties or problems as soon as they arise which, in the long run, will save you money.

You should also find that each individual lesson is structured and has a beginning, a middle and an end:
  • a recap of the last lesson
  • a decision on what will be covered on the current lesson
  • a discussion about the new topic (if it is a new topic)
  • practice (and your instructor should be happy to give a demonstration if you feel you need it)
  • discussion with your instructor on the progress you made during the lesson
  • a decision of what will be covered on the next lesson
    (if it's a new topic do some preparaition by reading up on the topic in 'Driving - the essential skills')
Reading up on a new topic before the lesson is SO valuable on several different levels and it certainly helps you to get the most out of the lesson if you arrive to it with information about the topic in mind. So once you have decided with your instructor what you will be covering in the next lesson, read up every time if it involves any new topics - it will save you money in the long run too.

my book recommendations for the practical test and beyond
about the show-me-tell-me questions
why it is best to avoid test routes when learning to drive
book your practical driving test online
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and created by
Lois Pallister