1. The External Inspection
i. You will start off with the external inspection of your car, where you go counter-clockwise around the car from the driver's side (walk left).
ii. Check underneath the car and say that there are no obstructions or leaks.
iii. Here you say that the wheel is the correct pressure, the valve cap is on, there are no cuts or slashes on the side wall, the wheel nuts are secure and there is enough tread.
iv. You then move on to the windscreen wiper and say that it is free of damage and in good working order.
v. The headlights, parking lights and indicator lights are clean and undamaged.
vi. The bonnet is secure.
vii. Underneath the bonnet, the oil, water, brake fluid and drive belts have been checked.
viii. The front left wheel is the same as the other.
ix. The petrol cap is secure.
x. The left rear wheel is the same as the others.
xi. The rear lights are clean and undamaged.
xii. The right rear wheel is the same as the others.
2. The Internal Inspection
i. Inside the car, after closing the car door, you say that all the doors are closed.
ii. The seat and mirrors are adjusted.
iii. The handbrake is on
iv. The car is in neutral.
v. There are no obstructions by the feet and pedals.
vi. You will be asked to indicate right, and then left.
vii. You will be asked to put your headlights and parking lights on.
viii. Then to put your fog lights on.
ix. You will be asked to turn on the windscreen wipers.
x. You will be asked to honk the horn.
xi. The examiner will then move to the rear of the car and ask you to indicate right and left, and then push the brake pedal.
3. The Yard Test
Many are of the opinion that this is the hardest and strictest part of the test. You would have practiced parking often if you attended a driving school. There is a time limit on this course.
i. You start off with a hill start. If you roll back, you fail. The proper way is to put the car into first, with the hand brake on; rev slightly and release the clutch slowly. Do your full observation. Release the clutch even more until you feel the back of the car sink in, then, release the handbrake while pushing down more on the accelerator. Remember that the clutch and accelerator work like a seesaw. When one comes out, the other goes in, and vice versa.
ii. Next is the first alley docking procedure, either from the right or left, where you go in backwards.
iii. Then the second one.
iv. Then the two parallel parking moves.
v. The three point turn.
For tips on how to do parallel parking, alley docking and three point turns, visit the appropriate hubs in my profile, or click the links above.
4. Starting procedure (Optional)
i. The handbrake is on.
ii. The car is in neutral.
iii. Turn the key until the dash lights up, and say that there are no warning lights on (hopefully!).
iv. Turn the car on and check that there are still no warning lights.
v. State whether the car has a manual or an automatic choke (automatics are much less hassle, especially in winter when it's cold).
5. The Road Test
There are a lot more things that can go wrong here, and there is a minimum time you have to stay on the road, but they can take you for longer. You will have to drive around your local area, or where the traffic department is located anyway.
i. Stop the whole car behind the white line at stop streets, not just the wheels.
ii. Before turns, mirror, blind spot, indicate, then second blind spot before turning the wheel.
iii. Don't cross your hands, rather use the shuffle method for turning the wheel. They'll take one point off for crossing hands.
iv. Try not to stall. They take one point off for stalling each time.
v. Don't let the car roll anywhere at any time. This will lead to a fail.
vi. When stopping, use the foot brake, keeping your hands on the steering wheel until you come to a full stop, clutch in before you stall, then handbrake.
vii. Do a full observation after stopping and using the handbrake before taking off (mirror, right blind spot, mirror again and left blind spot).
viii. When on the road, check your mirror and then look right and left at any intersections, business entrances and the like. Driveways are the exception to the rule.
5.1 Hand signals and emergency brake (optional)
Some examiners may ask you to do emergency hand signals and an emergency stop. For the right hand signal: Mirror, right blind spot, indicate right, second blind spot and hold out your arm straight. For the left: Mirror, left blind spot, indicate left, right blind spot, put your arm out the window and make a circular motion with your hand. For the stop: Mirror, blind spot, and put your arm out and hold it up in a L shape, pointing to the sky. The emergency brake is simply pushing in the clutch and the foot brake together and coming to a stop quicker than you usually would. I was asked to do all of these above except for the emergency brake because the roads were wet.
6. After the test
After the test is done, you will be back in the yard where you started, and the examiner will add up all your points, and tell you whether you passed or failed.
If you passed, then you'll go inside, and you have to have:
· your ID
· Money for issuing
· photos.
After the thumb printing and signing,they will give you a temporary driver's licence and tell you to come back in 6 weeks time to get my permanent Drivers Licence.
How do I master steep hill ?
The hill start is a difficult manoeuvre for some to pull off. For me, it was the first one that I had to do on the day of my drivers licence exam, and if you mess it up, you fail instantly. If you roll back even a little bit, youll fail. If you over-rev the engine, youll fail. There are actually quite a few things that can go wrong with it.
So, Im going to explain how to execute the perfect hill start in a car.
By this stage, depending on where you take the test, you would have all ready completed the external and internal pre-trip inspection, and hopefully passed.
Youll be in the car with the examiner, and youll start the engine.
There will most likely be an incline with a stop street- a white line and a stop sign.
You have to drive up onto the incline and stop behind the line.
Decrease speed, push in the foot brake and the clutch pedals and come to a full stop.
Activate the handbrake.
Change from first gear into neutral (middle position, no gear).
Take your feet off of the brake and clutch pedals.
You may have to do a full observation routine before taking off, perhaps do it anyway.
Push in the clutch, and put the car into first gear.
Hold the clutch, and give a little bit of acceleration.
Check mirror, blindspot right, mirror, blindspot left, mirror again- this is the full observation.
Put more acceleration on, and release the clutch slowly, until you feel the car take or bite. This is when it bears down, and you will feel the back of the car sink down.
Put a little more acceleration on and release the handbrake.
Keep the clutch and the accelerator at that position until you reach the top of the hill and you are on level ground.
It takes practice, but if you follow this example, you will pull off a perfect hill start! Remember a few extra points:
Stay in first gear when moving throughout the whole test. Its less difficult to stall at slow speeds in first gear.
Dont roll back at any point on the hill start, otherwise youll fail instantly.
Dont release the handbrake too soon, i.e. before the car has taken and you feel the rear sink down.
Dont release too much clutch too soon, or youll stall. You get points subtracted for this, but as long as you dont roll backwards, you will stay in the test.
Dont put too little acceleration on; otherwise the car wont have enough power to move forward, and will likely roll back.
Dont over-rev the engine, as the examiners generally dont like this.
After youve released the handbrake and you are moving up the hill, dont drastically change the amount of acceleration or clutch slip that you have, or the car will jerk and possibly stall. Hold the accelerator and clutch.
Dont try to balance the clutch, brake, and accelerator, as this is not allowed in the test, and youll most likely roll back anyway. Use the handbrake
How to master parallel parking
you start off in the bay allocated for you on the yard. Let's say you're coming in from the left, and the space you need to get into is to the right, like the diagram shows:
1. Mirror, blind spot right and indicate right.
2. Do your full observation; mirror, right blind spot, mirror, left blind spot, and mirror.
3. Start going in reverse slowly, and immediately do an opposite blind spot check (blind spot left).
4. Once you see the first front pole at about rear bumper level, put the steering wheel on full lock to the extreme right.
5. Wait until you see the rear third pole in your wing mirror (when coming in from the left, it's the left wing mirror), when this happens, straighten up by turning the steering wheel back one and half or two turns to the left so that you are going in diagonally.
6. When you see the first front pole in front of the wing mirror (right mirror if you're coming in from the left, put the steering wheel on full lock to the left.
7. Keep reversing until you are about straight, level with the kerb.
8. Don't knock any of the poles or the kerb at any time or you'll fail instantly.
If you're coming in from the right, just do the opposite of everything above:
1. Mirror, blind spot left and indicate left.
2. Do your full observation; mirror, right blind spot, mirror, left blind spot, and mirror.
3. Start going in reverse slowly, and immediately do an opposite blind spot check (blind spot right).
4. Once you see the first front pole in the corner of the left rear passenger window, put the steering wheel on full lock to the extreme left.
5. Wait until you see the rear third pole in your wing mirror (when coming in from the right, it's the right wing mirror), when this happens, straighten up by turning the steering wheel back one and half or two turns to the right so that you are going in diagonally.
6. When you see the first front pole in the far left of the windscreen, put the steering wheel on full lock to the right.
7. Keep reversing until you are about straight, level with the kerb.
The dimensions of the space you need to get into are about 7m long (275,5 in) and 2,6m wide (102 in) and your wheels mustn't be more than 45cm (17, 7 in) off of the kerb when you complete the manoeuvre. You also mustn't be too close to the fist pole when you start. Remember to go slowly, and turn fast so that you have more time to react and adjust if necessary. According to the rules nowadays you don't have to straighten the wheels once you're in the bay, whereas you had to in the past. It makes it easier to get back out.
How to master alley docking
You start off in the bay allocated for you on the yard. For the first explanation, let's assume that you are on the left of the bay and you want to reverse in (look at the diagram).
1. Mirror, blind spot left and indicate left.
2. Do your full observation; mirror, right blind spot, mirror, left blind spot, and mirror.
3. Start reversing until you see the first pole on your left level with your shoulders, then do a right blind spot check.
4. When the front of the car gets behind the pole, start turning the steering wheel full lock to the left.
5. Look over your shoulder to see that you're going where you need to go, and that's in the bay behind you.
6. Start looking in your right side or wing mirror to see the pole right at the back, and the three poles line up.
7. Then you should straighten up the wheels quickly.
8. Do your blind spot left and right and watch closely in both side mirrors to make sure you don't hit any of the poles.
9. When your shoulder is level with the second pole from the back, stop, and put your handbrake on and put the car into neutral.
For reversing in to the bay from the right, just do the opposite:
1. Mirror, blind spot right and indicate right.
2. Do your full observation; mirror, right blind spot, mirror, left blind spot, and mirror.
3. Start reversing until you see the first pole on your right level with your shoulders, then do a left blind spot check.
4. When the front of the car gets behind the pole, start turning the steering wheel full lock to the right.
5. Look over your shoulder to see that you're going where you need to go, and that's in the bay behind you.
6. Start looking in your left side or wing mirror to see the pole right at the back, and the three poles line up.
7. Then you should straighten up the wheels quickly.
8. Do your blind spot left and right and watch closely in both side mirrors to make sure you don't hit any of the poles.
9. When your shoulder is level with the second pole from the back, stop, and put your handbrake on; neutral.
The dimensions of the space you need to get into are about 6m (236 in) long and 2,5m (98,5 in) wide. The curve before the bay is also about 6m (236 in), which you have to navigate before reversing into the actual bay. You also mustn't be too close to the first pole when you start. It doesn't matter if you end up a little crooked in the bay, as long as you don't knock any of the poles or the kerb. Remember to go slowly, and turn fast so that you have more time to react and adjust if necessary.
How to master Three-Point Turn
You start off in the bay allocated for you on the yard. For the first explanation, let's assume that you are on the left of the bay and you want to reverse in (look at the diagram). For anyone who lives in a country where you drive on the right hand side of the road, the instructions will follow later (it's not just America).
1. Mirror, blind spot right and indicate right.
2. Do your full observation; mirror, right blind spot, mirror, left blind spot, and mirror.
3. Start moving forward for a bit, slowly.
4. Start turning the wheel full lock to the right.
5. Before you reach the kerb, turn the steering wheel back one and half or two turns to straighten up, stop and put the handbrake on.
6. Mirror, blind spot left and indicate left.
7. Do your full observation; mirror, right blind spot, mirror, left blind spot, and mirror.
8. Start reversing and put the wheel on full lock to the left.
9. Before you reach the kerb, turn the wheel back to straighten up again, then stop and put the handbrake on.
10. Mirror, blind spot right and indicate right.
11. Do your full observation; mirror, right blind spot, mirror, left blind spot, and mirror.
12. Start moving forward for a bit, slowly.
13. Once the front of the car crosses the line in the middle, you can start turning.
14. Make sure the whole car is over the line, so you end up on the other side completely.
15. Stop the car behind the white line ahead.
For other countries where you drive on the right and pass on the left, the instructions are as follows:
1. Mirror, blind spot left and indicate left.
2. Do your full observation; mirror, right blind spot, mirror, left blind spot, and mirror.
3. Start moving forward for a bit, slowly.
4. Start turning the wheel full lock to the left.
5. Before you reach the kerb, turn the steering wheel back one and half or two turns to straighten up, stop and put the handbrake on.
6. Mirror, blind spot right and indicate right.
7. Do your full observation; mirror, right blind spot, mirror, left blind spot, and mirror.
8. Start reversing and put the wheel on full lock to the right.
9. Before you reach the kerb, turn the wheel back to straighten up again, then stop and put the handbrake on.
10. Mirror, blind spot left and indicate left.
11. Do your full observation; mirror, right blind spot, mirror, left blind spot, and mirror.
12. Start moving forward for a bit, slowly.
13. Once the front of the car crosses the line in the middle, you can start turning.
14. Make sure the whole car is over the line, so you end up on the other side completely.
15. Stop the car behind the white line ahead.
The dimensions of the bay you start off in are about 5m (197 in) long and 2,5m (98, 5 in) wide. The entire area is 12m (472,4 in) and 9m(354 in) wide. You mustn't knock the kerbs at any time. You must end up on the other side of the dividing line when you finish the 3 point turn otherwise you'll fail. It may seem easy, but you don't have any poles as markers for this manoeuvre and so it's all about judgment and watching the kerbs closely. Remember to go slowly, and turn fast so that you have more time to react and adjust if necessary.
