Test day nerves.

My pupil today, had his 1st lesson after a test fail, during the lesson there was not even a hint of evidence in his driving to support the 2 failure items. Yet both he and I are aware the 2 faults did happen and were serious enough to be failures, one of them was repeated as a driver fault elsewhere on the test.

I used distraction, heavy/difficult traffic, unfamiliar roads and independent driving, without an explanation of what I was doing, to try and force the two faults to repeat themselves but 2 hours later and no slip ups - I recognise this as test day nerves and have plenty to offer the pupil to try and ensure we don't have a repeat, but I want to know more about how pupils can be so affected by these things.

If only we could eliminate Test Day Nerves, pass rates would rocket. Even a mock test with another ADI cannot replicate the Real Test.

I just tell my pupils that it's not the end of the world if they fail, they don't have to wait a year to re-sit the exam.

I tell them to treat it as something on their "to do" list. What have you got to do today ?
1. Go to the bank
2. Go to the shops
3. Pass driving test
4. Go to Garden Centre

I also tell them that after each junction they should think "That was ok". It will help them relax and they will drive better.

For some people the FEAR OF FAILURE is the problem.
Twice I have booked an L test in the pupil's regular lesson slot but did NOT tell them. One guessed she was going to have a test as we approached the DTC. I told the other one when we were in the car park, "You've got a test in 8 minutes".
Both passed.

Patrick nice strategy, and as you may have guessed I have used similar. But why does it happen in the first place ? Is it physiological or mental or something else ?

The Boss

I think it's because THIS TIME they must get it right....pressure of the situation.
I was a bit nervous on my Part 2 but had been driving 30+ years.

Vodka.

Large.

No ice.

That's correct I do have some tonic in mine at the moment LOL