You are on your path to gaining a driving license and have already attained a provisional license and enrolled for the theory test. What now? How should you prepare for the test to guarantee a pass? This is an important question, especially with the low pass rate that comes with the UK theory test.
Here is the right method to prepare for the test.
Get behind the Wheel
You might think that the theory test will only test your theoretical knowledge of Highway rules. And you are right in thinking so. But the practice of driving will allow you to understand and remember the theory more easily.
Plus, you will learn about the hazards that may arise on the road and train your brain to spot these hazards quickly and increase the safety level of your driving skill. This skill will come in handy in the second part of the UK theory test – that is the hazard perception test.
This practice of driving under supervision will also enable you to learn theory deeply. You may encounter some concepts that are hard to grasp. Use lesson time to ask about those concepts.
Allow Ample Time to Study
You need at least one month of study to pass the theory test. Note that this duration is applicable only if you are practicing driving for some time now. If you have never driven a car, you should allow more time. This time is needed to not only study and understand the material but also to memorize its important points.
You may feel tempted to delay preparation until the last night before the driving test thinking the exam is easy. This approach will not work simply because there is a lot of study material to cover. The DVSA selects multiple-choice questions from a question bank of 1000 queries. To complete the preparation of this question bank, you need to thoroughly study three books from the DVSA. It’s a lot to cover and should take more than a few weeks for satisfactory preparations.
Use Study Material
You must have understood now that the theory test doesn’t need a general understanding of traffic rules and driving etiquette. Instead, you need to thoroughly understand the highway code and signals to clear it.
For the ease of potential drivers, DVSA (official website) has collected all the material for this test in three books. These are:
- The Official DVSA Theory Test for Car Drivers,
- The Official Highway Code, and
- Know Your Traffic Signs.
These books cover everything that can make a part of the UK theory test. The hazard perception section has a significant say in the success of your theory test. And while you can learn the theory to clear the multiple choice section of the exam, you need the training to perceive and indicate hazards in video clips in time.
DVSA helps with the preparation of this section as well. Use the free practice theory test offered by the agency to practice after you have learned all about potential and developing hazards.
Get on the Road
Literally! Drive under supervision or ride alongside the driver proactively. Be mindful of the driving etiquette you have learned in the books. Practicing driving accelerates the learning process for the multiple-choice section of the test. But it’s nearly compulsory for understanding the second part – the hazard perception test.
When on road, look for potential and developing hazards and don’t stop just there. Instead, consider the possible responses to these hazards.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Learning the theory and concepts is one thing and applying this knowledge in a hazard perception test or answering questions based on this theory is another. When you prepare for the test, make sure that you understand how the test will be presented and get the feel of it.
Attempting a theory test is the best way to overcome your anxiety about it, says drivingtheorytest.uk. It will also help you understand the time you can spend on each question resulting in a more efficient and complete performance in the actual exam.
More importantly, practice the hazard perception test. To score the highest marks, you need to learn to only click when you spot a developing hazard and not before or after it. Know the difference between potential and developing hazards and only click when the latter arises. And practice not clicking too many times – doing so will result in reduced marks.
Be Mindful and Confident
All these tips will help you stay confident and stress-free on exam day. Plus, you need to take a good night’s rest before the exam (see why here), eat a healthy and light breakfast, and arrive at the exam center well in advance to relax before the test.
Take your time to understand each question before answering. You can make mistakes and go back to the doubtful answer to correct it in the multiple-choice section. But you should be alert and mindful of your responses in hazard perception tests – you cannot excessively click on the test and get a good score.
Take Away
You should rely on your theoretical knowledge of the Highway Code to pass the exam on the first attempt. Instead, get a working knowledge of the skill by driving under supervision and practicing the tests.
Last Updated: April 11, 2023
