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