<p>Ok, im taking the behind-the-wheel test in a couiple of days and i was just wondering whether any of you guys had any tips or suggestions. Im 18 and ive never taken the test before (dont ask me why, its along story). What kinds of things should i look out for? Im pretty nervous</p>
<p>Thanks a lot guys</p>
<p>What state do you live in? CA?</p>
<p>put both hands on the wheel. in our state you get two points off for not doing that.</p>
<p>look and signal basically before you do anything.</p>
<p>stop at the stop sign and count to three before you go.</p>
<p>take your free right turn at the stoplight if you can, in my state we lose two points if we dont.</p>
<p>good luck!</p>
<p>Just drive like you normally drive - safely, I hope.</p>
<p>even if the course you're on doesn't have any pedestrians, look for them before turning. My friend failed because of that.</p>
<p>Check mirrors and make sure you turn your head to look behind you, even if you know for sure no one's there. use signals for everything, including pulling away from the curb after parking. slow down and make sure you check for trains at crossings, even if the gates are up. don't speed, but don't drive really slowly either.</p>
<p>good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks a lot guys!</p>
<p>Im a good driver, but im really worried that i will not pass because of some minor mistake.....also, ive havnt taken the 2 hours of instructional driving that most people take at a driving school....im pretty worried</p>
<p>You get bonus points if you peel out of the parking lot.</p>
<p>run over your tester and forge his/her signature</p>
<p>To help reduce stress it may help to drive around the area you are going to take the driving test in. For me the dmv was 45 minutes away in a place I have never driven before so it helped to familiarize myself with the streets and such. And chances are you will pass. I thought I did horribly but I got my license first try so dont worry.</p>
<p>In Florida you have to pull in and back out of a parking space without hitting any of the cones. If you hit any cones you automatically fail. I don't know if this is the case in your state, but if it is I would practice. </p>
<p>Also, signal anytime you're not going straight. When you pull into a parking spot remember to signal. I would definitely agree with sigurros on the advice to practice where you are going to have the driving test. In my case there was a lot of construction, and if I hadn't practiced I wouldn't have done as well. </p>
<p>Good luck!
~sunshinegirl</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice guys! </p>
<p>By the way, how long does the test usually take? And how many points are you allowed to lose (i live in CA if that makes a difference)? How long should it take to do a parrallel parking job and will points be taken off if you take too long (say 30-45 seconds)? </p>
<p>Sorry for so many questions guys, im just pretty nervous</p>
<p>Thanks again!</p>
<p>^ In CA you don't have to show that you can parallel park, so you can cross that off your list of worries :)</p>
<p>Thanks for the reponse, that helps a lot......Any other last-minute tips would be greatly appreciated.....Also, if any of you guys need college admissions advice, let me know....(esp. with UC schools and the ivy league b/c im pretty familiar with them as i applied and got accepted to many of those schools).</p>
<p>Thanks guys</p>
<p>Mine took less than like 3 minutes, but I'm in MA and it might be different where you are.</p>
<p>o thank god about that parallel parking one lol</p>
<p>tips:
dont look at ur mirror only when u change lanes. ALWAYS look back over ur right shoulder
sometimes, the tester doesnt like it if u go 41 or over on a 40 so always make sure that u stay about 5 miles below the speed limit. my friend kept getting deducted everytime she barely went over the limit
just make sure u go over what's being tested and you'll do fine
good luck! :)</p>
<p>thanks...ill need all the luck i can get!</p>
<p>But, wait a minute 3 minutes....thats all?</p>
<p>Also, do you have to look over your right shoulder if you're making a left turn or do you look over your left shoulder?</p>
<p>And should you stay at or below the speed limit even if traffic is going 10-15 miles over the limit? Or do you just go with the flow of traffic?</p>
<p>Thanks again</p>
<p>you dont "look"... you "glance!" And to answer your question, glance over your left shoulder when you switch into the left lane. Do the same for your right turns - glance over your shoulder when you switch lanes into the turn lane. -WATCH OUT FOR FREAKING PEDESTRIANS. For you second question, DONT FOLLOW THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC! FOLLOW the speed limit and remember at the end of the test - dont pull in too far until you hit the curb or thats an automatic DQ! (california)</p>
<p>Yeah mine wasn't any more than 3 minutes. Same with the person who went before me and my friends who took it. Maybe it's just a Massachusetts thing...All I had to do was drive down a street, which took like 30 seconds, take a left turn onto a smaller one, do a hill stop, 3 pt turn, and go back. And yeah, definitely follow the speed limit, don't go with the flow of traffic.</p>
<p>yeah, its short, my test was approximately two miles long.</p>