Driving lessons
We hope that your driving lessons are going well.
Taking professional driving lessons with a driving instructor is really important. They’re specially trained to give you the skills, knowledge and understanding that you need for a lifetime of safe driving.
If you’re not already learning with a professional driving instructor, we’d encourage you to take lessons with one. You can find fully-qualified driving instructors at https://www.gov.uk/find-driving-schools-and-lessons.
Did you know? 1 in 5 people who fail their driving test say it’s because they made a silly mistake on the day.
The best way to avoid making silly mistakes is practice, practice, practice.
Private practice with family or friends
People who combine their driving lessons with private practice with family or friends are 1.5 times more likely to pass their driving test.
Check who you can take private practice with at https://www.gov.uk/driving-lessons-learning-to-drive/practising-with-family-or-friends.
Record your progress
Keep a track of the progress you’re making using a driver’s record.
Your driving instructor should be using one to keep track of your driving lessons.
Find out how to keep a record of your private practice at https://www.gov.uk/dvsa/record-private-driving-practice.
Get ready for your driving test
Get ready to pass, learn how to deal with nerves, practise the ‘show me, tell me’ questions, and find out how a mock test can help you get ready for the real thing.
Record your progress
You should be keeping a record of your progress with your driving instructor using a driver’s record.
By now, you should only need prompting from your driving instructor if you’re dealing with something unusual or a new situation.
If you’re going to be ready to pass, you should be dealing with everything else consistently, confidently and independently. This includes:
moving away and stopping
meeting and crossing traffic
overtaking
junctions
using roundabouts
using country roads, roads in towns and cities, and dual carriageways
driving following instructions from a sat nav
driving following directions from a passenger
Did you know? Not making effective observations at junctions is one of the main reasons people fail the driving test.
Talk to your driving instructor about your progress
Talk to your driving instructor about the progress you’ve made on your driver’s record.
If your driving instructor says you need more time to prepare, you should move your test back.
You can move your test online at https://www.gov.uk/change-driving-test.
Practising with family or friends
Getting more experience of driving between your driving lessons is a great way to help you prepare for your driving test.
If it’s possible, we recommend that you practise driving with family or friends between your driving lessons.
On average, it takes people 45 hours of driving lessons with a driving instructor and 22 hours of practice with family or friends to learn to drive.
Help for the person supervising you
To help the person supervising you, we’ve published a new guide which is packed full of advice and tips. Please ask them to read this guide.
Supervise a learner driver Check if you can supervise friends or family learning to drive a car, what the rules are, how to prepare the car, and how to plan your practice sessions. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supervise-a-learner-driver
Top 3 tips to make the most of your practice sessions
Tell your driving instructor that you intend to do private practice when you reach a suitable level. They can then help you prepare.
Ask the person who will be supervising you to sit in on one of your driving lessons. This will help them know how to supervise you.
Keep track of your progress. Use our record sheet to monitor what you cover and any concerns you have: https://www.gov.uk/dvsa/record-private-driving-practice.
Why mock driving tests are important
Mock driving tests are a great way to check if you have done enough training to be ready to pass your test. They will help you:
get used to how the driving test works
understand the standard that’s expected
understand how the marking works
Did you know? 1 in 5 people incorrectly thought the reason they had failed their driving test because they were marked too harshly. It’s actually because they did not understand the standard that’s required to pass.
Arrange a mock test
If you have not taken a mock test yet, talk to your instructor to arrange one.
If your mock tests show that you’re not ready and need more time than you have left before your test, you should move your test back.
You can move your test online at https://www.gov.uk/change-driving-test.
Practise ways of managing your nerves
Nervousness is a natural reaction to tests and exams. And driving tests are no different.
Driving examiners know this. They’ll do their best to help you relax.
You can prepare by practising different ways of managing your nerves and finding out what works best for you.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness might be one way of helping you to manage your nerves.
Mindfulness involves paying attention to what is going on inside you and around you, moment by moment.
Studies show that mindfulness can help with stress and anxiety.
Many people find mindfulness helpful, but it’s not right for everyone. Some people find that it does not help them
Remember Understanding how you feel affects how you act. Controlling how you feel is the first part of controlling your car.
Some driving instructors have trained in mindfulness techniques. Ask your driving instructor if it’s something they can help you with.
If you feel that you cannot fully manage your nerves yet, move your test back. This will give you more time to practise this important skill.
Get ready for your driving test
Get ready to pass, learn how to deal with nerves, practise the ‘show me, tell me’ questions, and find out how a mock test can help you get ready for the real thing. https://www.gov.uk/ready-to-pass
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