Preparing to take the drivers license exam can be a nerve-wracking experience, even for the most confident of student drivers. Driving with a permit is all about strengthening your skills as well as applying guidance and feedback from your instructor. While there can be challenges, it’s generally fun and exhilarating to first learn how to navigate the road.
The actual license test requires you to demonstrate your ability to drive safely and independently. This can be quite a bit of pressure, as most novice drivers are eager to pass the exam on their first try so that they are free to hit the road without supervision. Just like with any test, taking the time to thoroughly prepare for the license exam can help a person ace it.
If you’re a student driver ready to put your skills to the test, or a parent looking to help your teen get his/her license, these tips will shed some light on how to be successful on the first attempt:
In This Article
- What the Drivers License Test Will Be Graded On
- Practice Driving Consistently, and Brush Up on the Drivers Handbook
- How to Stay Calm and Ease Anxiety
- Common Mistakes Made During the Colorado Drivers License Test
- Colorado Driver License Tests and Driving Lessons
Know What the Colorado Road Test Will Be Graded On
If you take a reputable drivers ed course or practice with a skilled supervisor, your instructor should do a good job in preparing you for what the driving exam will entail. To put it simply, you’ll need to demonstrate safe lane changes by checking your mirrors and blind spot, smooth speed control and steering, proper navigation of intersections, correct use of signals and headlights, knowledge of traffic laws and signs, and staying within lane markings during turns and lane changes — all while observing and reacting to traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians.
If you have any questions, be sure to ask your instructor to clarify any confusion before your road test begins.
Practice Behind the Wheel Consistently, and Brush Up on the Drivers Handbook
This sounds obvious enough, but practicing consistently and thoroughly will help you gain the confidence and skills that you need to smoothly operate a motor vehicle. In Colorado, minors must hold a learner’s permit for 12 months and complete 50 hours of at-home driving practice, before taking the license test. Students under the age of 16.5 must also complete 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a professional instructor.
More practice is always better, especially in the weeks leading up to the exam.
Even if you’re not taking a full drivers ed course ahead of getting your license, you must use an approved state driving school to take the driving test in Colorado, as the Colorado DMV no longer administers drive tests. Practicing with different instructors can improve the quality of feedback you get and help reduce nerves on test day.
The more you practice driving, the more you will also be exposed to situations that could potentially arise when you’re taking the road test that aren’t necessarily everyday occurrences. This can help you know what to do if an unexpected situation occurs during the exam, such as adjusting for weather or road conditions while still driving safely within the posted speed limit. It’s also important to study the driver manual, called the Colorado Driver Handbook, for traffic laws, safe driving practices, special circumstances, and road signs with their corresponding laws. Practice tests or drives should also include real driving scenarios, and it helps to practice near your test location for familiarity. For example, if an ambulance were to start flashing its lights behind you, Colorado law says that you must pull over as far to the right as possible, stop, and let the emergency vehicle pass.
Stay Calm and Ease Anxiety to Avoid a Critical Driving Error
It’s easy to let your nerves get the best of you, but try your best to stay calm on test day. Getting worked up often leads to clouded thinking, which could lead the way to making critical driving errors you normally wouldn’t.
While it’s easier said than done, here are a few ways test takers can ease driving test anxiety:
- Consider scheduling your appointment early in the day. This way, you can get it done first thing and minimize the time spent envisioning what could go wrong.
- Get a good night’s sleep. Being well-rested will help ensure you’re alert and focused.
- Arrive early. Rushing to make your appointment can create an unnecessary element of stress, so give yourself extra time to get there and double check your required documents before leaving.
- Stay positive, and put things in perspective. While everyone wants to pass the first time, you can always retake it if you don’t. It’s not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and solid preparation is what will matter most.
- If you do make a mistake during the exam, don’t panic, and avoid becoming too preoccupied with how your examiner is reacting. One error does not automatically mean you fail the driver’s test, so just focus on doing well with the remaining part of the test.
- Avoid telling too many people. If the possibility of telling your friends and family members that you didn’t pass causes you stress, then only tell someone if it’s necessary. For instance, the person giving you a ride. This will take some of the pressure off.
- Eat a nutritious meal. Feeling hungry or dizzy can lead to feelings of anxiety and inhibit focus, so make sure you eat a healthy meal beforehand.
- Practice mindfulness exercises, or talk to someone about your anxiety. If your nerves go beyond normal jitters, remember to breathe deeply, and never be afraid to reach out for help.
Familiarize Yourself With Common Mistakes Made During the Colorado Drivers License Test
Learning which mistakes come up most often can give you a clearer picture of what examiners focus on during the Colorado driving test. Common mistakes include:
- Being unsure of who has the right of way
- Having trouble maintaining the speed limit
- Failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign and making rolling stops
- Drifting during lane changes or forgetting the turn signal
- Failing to check or utilize the mirrors when changing lanes, including missing the blind spot
- Braking suddenly instead of slowing down smoothly to maintain control
- Disobeying traffic signs
- Failing to keep full control of the steering wheel and or not demonstrating the hand-over-hand technique when turning
- Avoid driving over curbs or lane markings when turning or maneuvering
- Poor control when entering or leaving a parking lot or a street, or when asked to park, including weak lane discipline
- Showing up in a vehicle without working turn signals and brake lights
- Letting nerves take over
For more detailed information on this, visit our blog on common mistakes made during the drivers license exam.
Closing Up
At the end of the day, taking the license exam is an exciting event, but the lead-up to it can make anyone feel a bit anxious.
If you take the time to practice and prepare, as well as take steps to calm your nerves, you should have no issue obtaining your license and feeling the unmatched freedom of driving yourself down the road.
DriveSafe Driving Schools Offers Colorado Driver License Tests and Driving Lessons
Whether you’re looking for a convenient, friendly driving school for lessons and the driver’s license test, or you are wanting to enroll in a full Colorado drivers ed course, we can help!
With 12 locations and more than 75,000 student drivers successfully trained, we have the experience and the reach to provide you with exactly what you’re looking for – from your written permit test, to online and in-person driver’s education, to your behind-the-wheel driving skills test, helping you move closer to your Colorado driver’s license. For Colorado driving, we also make it easy to prepare for the Colorado driving test, and you can contact our team to schedule a test.
Contact us today to discover how we can help you!
