Written by Andrei Zakhareuski. With over 16 years of expertise, Andrei leads Driving-Tests.org, a top online resource for driver education. His leadership has established vital partnerships with over 2,600 libraries, educational bodies, and state agencies.
For one, high anxiety about taking either the written test or the road test can cause you to not perform as well as you know is possible. On the other hand, if you were not prepared to take the tests you should be honest with yourself about it and make sure you are ready the next time around.
The main thing is to try to find out why you did not pass either the permit test or the actual driver’s road test. Keep your cool and ask to speak to whoever administered either one of the exams. Let them know you would like to know how to improve upon your performance for the next time around. This can at least help pinpoint where you need to either study more or practice more. Also, find out how long the waiting period is for you to take the test again. This will probably vary depending on which part of the test you did not pass and certainly varies from state to state.
3 Things To Keep In Mind
1. The Written Part of the Exam
In many states, the written part of the exam only consists of 20 questions. That means that if you miss more than just five answers, you have failed the test. In fact, around 35% of people taking the permit test fail the first time around. Try to find out from the person who administered the exam which questions you got wrong. This will help you to know what you need to brush up on as far as understanding the rules of the road. Whether you are able to find out which questions were wrong or not, it might be a good idea to go ahead and brush up on your overall understanding of the road rules in general. Even if you find out which questions you got wrong, you probably will not get those same questions again next time around. Plus, who knows if the questions on the next exam won’t give you the same problem. If you study one specific area too much, you may end up still having problems with some other part of the exam on the next time around. So, the best approach is to study as if you are starting for the first time. Read your manual from cover to cover. Then, take practice drivers tests online. You can have access to as many free practice tests as you like, so why not take advantage of the opportunity to use this to help you improve upon your understanding of the rules, laws and guidelines of your state? Because questions for a driving exam are pulled from a database of hundreds of possible questions, it is a good idea to practice, practice, and practice! Each time you take a practice test you improve your chances of acing your next drivers permit exam, especially because you can find out which answers were wrong on a quiz, in most cases. That will help you pinpoint the wrong answers and work towards grasping the problem areas. So, use your studying to help you prepare for the free practice driving tests and then use the practice exams to pass your next driving exam with flying colors.2. The Driving Exam
If the road test was where your own attempt to get your driver’s license went off course, so to speak, don’t get too discouraged. Lots of people do. Being nervous can play a large part in not passing the road test. The written part of the exam can be slightly less stressful because you at least can go somewhat at your own pace and are flying solo on that one. The driving test, however, can be much more overwhelming as you have to take the exam with an officer of the law accompanying you. Besides, there are so many things that get nitpicked when it comes to the driving test. It is understandable because no officer of the law wants to put someone legally behind the wheel if they have even what could be considered a minor issue with driving. But, all the same, it does make it hard to get through the test and overcome a feeling of discouragement if you do not pass the first time around. So, how does one deal with failing the driving test? By getting back on the horse again or, in this case, back in the driver’s seat. Again, try to find out what issues the examiner had with your driving.
Keep in mind, some states have much more difficult driving tests. In fact, different areas of the same state have different degrees of difficulty when it comes to the road exam. For example, some places require you to parallel park, others don’t. Even if you did not pass this time through, remember that you may have been taking the test in an area where the driving exam is very challenging.
Practice driving with someone who can give you honest feedback or constructive criticism. Tell whoever you drive with that you need to know how to improve. You can also consider hiring the help of a driving school and finding out how to improve upon your skills. This especially helps when it comes to correcting and changing bad habits.