Hello!
So I passed my theory test on Thursday - yay! In preparation for it, I was searching and searching the web for hints and tips from the opinion of someone who sat it and I found nothing, except a couple of measly lines on Yahoo Answers. So I thought I'd share my experience with you!
First of all, it's really not that hard. Being completely honest, I maybe looked at the highway code for about 10 minutes then did one mock test to see where I was. A hell of a lot of it is common sense, for example there was one question about where to leave your car at night and the options were like 'in an ally way, behind a pub, under a shady tree or in a well lit area', and it's pretty damn obvious. Obviously if you read the highway code you have a much greater chance and will be a safer driver. I'm now at the point where I did pass but I'm still unclear about a few highway 'rules' so I'm having to go back over it anyway in order to feel confident on the road.
So yeah, if you really want to be sure, do a lot of revising and all that jazz but most of it is common sense and if you can't get common sense questions right, you shouldn't really be driving anyway. Also, Hazard Perception doesn't need to be continually practised. It is enough to play it live with your instructor or parents in the car. If you get too into this part of the test you can start to get nervous and assume everything is a Hazard when it isn't. I played it once when actually driving in the car with my mum and passed. Also, in the test they show you a tutorial which points out what classifies as a 'hazard' so you know exactly what to look out for and if it's not shown in the tutorial, it's pretty obvious like a red sports car flying over a hill. One thing I would say about the Hazard Perception is the camera used for it was clearly from the 90s when 1MP was considered 'HD', it is a little bit fuzzy but the shapes are easy to make out. I only say this because at the end I did some 'trial questions' for DSA and they were both Hazard Perceptions and they were crystal clear which actually pissed me off a bit considering mine was so fuzzy. Hopefully if you're reading this, by the time you take the test all of it will be HD.
Now a bit about the experience of going there. When you sign in at reception, you need to bring your paper and card provisional licenses. When signing you in, they want to watch you turn off your phone and any other electronics so that when they're in the locker, they can't start going off and put the waiting room off and also probably for some high tech security reason. They sign you in, give you a set of 'rules and regulations' on a laminated sheet of paper and a key with a massive wooden spoon as a key chain that says your locker number. You sit down, read the rules then go and put all your belongings (including coats/jackets - I was freezing as I was wearing a vest with my jacket and had to take it off, so I'd say wear long sleeves) into your assigned locker. You also put your paper license in your locker and just take the card with you. You then give the rules back to reception desk and sign to say you've read the rules. You then proceed to the test room, taking your license and locker key with you. Outside the room, a person checks your license as photo ID, checks your arms for cheating and your ears for ear pieces. When you go into the room, it can be a bit scary because it is silent and looks almost clinical, but seriously it's not that bad so just find your assigned computer and begin. First is a practise to get used to the system and a tutorial to show you how to answer the questions. The multiple choice section begins and you have 57 minutes to complete it. Don't feel like you have to use the full 57 minutes, because some people will want to really check and double check or think through questions where as others will just power through. When you press END (or when the time runs out), an optional three minute break begins - I didn't take this break but some people might find it beneficial. Following the break is a Hazard Perception tutorial followed by the real thing. When you've finished the test, there might be the chance to do trial questions which I did (they don't count towards your final score) and to fill out a customer satisfaction survey. Once finished, you leave the room taking your licesnse and key with you and go back to reception, take your stuff out of your locker then hand the key back to reception. As you hand your key in, they will print off your results letter and hand it to you.
The best advice I can give you is to seriously not panic. It's really not that difficult and your more likely to mess up if you doubt yourself and freak out. Put honestly what you think the answers are, don't second guess it and chill.
Hope this helped anyone out there looking for a bit of helpful advice or an overview of what the experience was like!
Much love,
Rosie
-x-
'Oh yes, the past can hurt, but the way I see it you can either run from it, or learn from it'
No comments:
Post a Comment