[Mark07]

The RAC has a bunch of handy articles if you're learning to drive, they're worth a look and may just help you to pass first time.

I wanted to add some ideas of my own, and I hope the Community will share some of their tips too.

Choose the right instructor

Find someone who you have a rapport with. Ultimately, they're there to teach you to be safe on the road and pass a test.

You need to be comfortable to ask them questions and for them to tell you about your mistakes. Personally, if I felt like my instructor was telling me off, I might not ask them for help if I was uncertain of something and that isn't going to help anyone.

How long did it take to pass?

I took about 20 lessons and I passed first time, you may be able to take fewer lessons if you also drive with a family member or friend.

I found that my family gave me advice based on years of driving experience - this rarely related to the highway code, or a test based scenario. For me, taking extra lessons was the better option, but everyone is different.

Theory test

My first thought was, 'how am i going to learn all of that?' (hint, I didn't).

I found that the best way to pass my theory was to keep taking mock tests, you likely already know more than you think simply by being a passenger and when you get the answers wrong, look up the answer.

It's a multiple choice test, and it doesn't take long to complete. I probably took the mock test 100 times over the course of a few months. Even when I didn't know an answer, I was increasingly able to eliminate incorrect answers and work out the most likely option.

Whenever I lean a new skill, at first I feel like a bit of an idiot as I'm getting everything wrong, but don't give up and you'll start to remember the answers over time.

Confidence is key

If you're taking your practical test, your instructor believes that you're ready.

You know how to drive, but so many of us panic under pressure and we forget everything we've learned. If taking an extra lesson will help you to feel more confident, then do it.

You will be amazed how quickly you'll look back and wonder what you were so nervous about.

After you pass

You're going to keep learning after you pass - you aren't an expert yet, so take it easy.

At first, I remember feeling a little weird being in the car on my own, I found that quickly passes and my confidence grew.

And, if there's anything you're unsure of, before or after you take your test, the RAC community is here to help. Feel free to ask our members a question.

[Santa]

Good advice there from Mark.

I would add: Once you master the basics - steering, gears, brakes, etc, try to get some practice as a learner with a relative or friend that you consider to be a "good" driver. When I was learning, my father used to collect me from work most days and let me drive home, taking different routes. I had driving school lessons as well, but the practice was invaluable.

[ElCapitain]

Originally Posted by Santa

Good advice there from Mark.

I would add: Once you master the basics - steering, gears, brakes, etc, try to get some practice as a learner with a relative or friend that you consider to be a "good" driver. When I was learning, my father used to collect me from work most days and let me drive home, taking different routes. I had driving school lessons as well, but the practice was invaluable.

I was a glorified chauffeur when I was learning.

[Drivingforfun]

I was going to add the exact same thing - I think I had 15-20 hours of lessons but I’d be the family chauffeur whenever my parents needed to go out and probably had done well over 100 hours behind the wheel by the time I took my test

The theory test, unless it’s changed, is mostly common sense (i.e. if traffic lights go green but an old lady is still crossing should you rev your engine, wait, or beep your horn) with a few answers you need to learn, like stopping distances. I think you can pass quite easily just by getting the common sense questions right but that’s not to say for a minute that I’d discourage learning the extra knowledge

One thing my instructor told me, which may have been relevant only to me being an overthinker, was to stop concentrating too hard on driving…he would often try to get me involved in a conversation or something then point out how much better I’d been driving

[JohnChester14]

some great advice, can be so hard being a new driver