Does the Driving Test Go Quick?

The feedback I receive at the end of each driving test from learner drivers is often that the driving test does indeed go past very quickly.

Nerves do of course play a huge part in the driving test and at the beginning seem almost to make everything go in slow motion.

By far the worst part and the part that seems to take forever is the test centre waiting room. You’ll be waiting here with your instructor and likely other test candidates with their instructors often in almost total silence.

This is the point that those dreaded nervous thoughts of what’s going to happen go through your mind making those five to ten minutes or so take an age to pass.

The good news is that when the examiner finally enters the waiting room to call your name, it gets much better from there. You’ll be asked to sign a form and to show your licence and then go to your car.

On the way you’ll do the driving test eyesight test and be asked to read a number plate from a distance of 20 metres (not your number plate) and at your car you’ll run through the Show Me Tell Me questions with the examiner.

After this, you’ll be off for a drive in the car.

The standard learner test in total takes around 40 minutes or so unless you’re taking an extended test imposed for those that have had their licence revoked, in which case takes about one hour.

As you’ll be concentrating, the driving part of the practical test in particular goes very quickly for most. Many learners often remark that they cannot believe how quickly it went and that it’s over so soon.

So the worst part of the driving test is often the waiting room. Get that over with and you’ll be done before you know it.