How to Help Your Child Prepare For Their Driving Test

Though there are many stressful aspects of parenting teenagers, one of the most stressful issues is preparing your teenager for his or her first driving test. Studying for the written test can be incredibly stressful for a teen, especially since the material is incredibly dry, and the pressures of studying for school exams often complicate the situation. The driving test is also a big stressor for teens and their parents, and it requires an intensive amount of preparation over time. Though frustration and negativity are virtually unavoidable parts of the process of learning to drive, maintaining a positive attitude with your child and offering sound advice and support can make all the difference to their successful examination.

Tackling the Written Portion: Supervising Your Teen’s Study Habits
Before taking any other parts of the driving exam, it is important that your teen pass the written portion of the driving test. Unlike tests at school which simply impact your teen’s GPA, this pass-fail exam can have a big impact on your son or daughter’s ability to begin learning how to drive alongside their peers from their age group. In many instances, a failing score means that the teen not only has to retest, but has to wait for a designated amount of time in order to take the exam again. With these threats in mind, make sure that your teen establishes a regular study schedule in order to pass the test on the first try.

First, make sure that you have a copy of the driver’s manual for your state or province, and that it is a current version in case that there have been any revisions within recent years. Encourage your teen to read through the manual first, and ask any questions about unclear language or parts of the text that do not make sense. Then, encourage your child to make a study sheet with important facts about driving rules, and review it together to make sure that it is complete and accurate. Speak often with your son or daughter about the exam questions within the driver’s manual, and offer to guide them through a few practice exams so that they get used to the nature of the questions.

Knowing Your Own Weaknesses: Reviewing Regulations and Expectations
As an experienced driver, a parent can provide a lot of important driver knowledge for their teen that might not be included in a driver’s education class or the Department of Motor Vehicle’s manual. However, parents should not take their expertise for granted, as often rules are changed or written differently within the driver’s manual from province to province or state to state. Before taking your son or daughter out to drive, review the manual yourself, and determine what might be your own trouble spots – do you consistently use turn signals, and check your rear view mirrors often? Are you comfortable driving on the highway, and have you mastered the skill of driving, accelerating, and stopping smoothly and effortlessly? Knowing the expectations that will be placed upon your son or daughter will help you to tailor your driving lessons and support to the needs of your teen, reducing both your anxiety and the anxiety of your child.

Preparing for Exam Day: Making Sure Your Teen is Ready for the Test
Before the exam, it is incredibly important that your teen is able to get enough rest and proper nutrition so that he or she can think quickly and function properly. Set rules about going to bed on time and avoiding junk food, offering to bend the rules after the exam has been successfully passed. Make sure to help your teen pack for the exam, encouragaing them to bring a snack, a water bottle, and all appropriate materials such as their driving permit, registration of the vehicle, and proof of insurance. Keeping a positive attitude, support your child through this time of anxiety, and encourage him or her to relax, take deep breaths, and think clearly about questions asked of him or her while in the driver’s seat.

Having worked in the car rental industry for over 15 years, he really knows his stuff. Rob heads up our marketing department and as a keen traveller, always has a new location to talk about. Particularly if there is a golf course nearby.