I am taking my driving test in July 2026. I’ve failed my first one, but it was really due to the nerves. I get nervous mostly because I’m not sure what to expect, and I don’t like going into things not understanding the exact processes. So here is how my first driving test went down.
Some things to note:
- I am in Singapore
- I took my test in Bukit Batok Driving Centre, which is due to close down in a couple of years time.
- My slot was for 230PM, which meant my actual test was at about 340PM.
First: I arrived early, at about 215PM, and I sat around just looking at my phone and reading. The BBDC app has an acknowledgement page that opens half an hour before your session starts, whether a practice session or a test. I acknowledged that I was there at the centre, and then at 230PM, I moved to sit in the waiting room area, next to the administrative counters of the centre.
Next: After waiting for quite some time, maybe at about 245PM or closer to 3PM even, one of the instructors came by to check our ICs. We were filed out of the room, to a corner where they gave us a slip for our car, and asked us to confirmed if it matched the car indicated on the BBDC app. They also checked our PDL, Provisional Drivers License, and its expiry date. Thereafter we went back to sit in the room.
After: Every student would have a warm up instructor come by and lead them to their car. The instructor would verify the car and student once more. My instructor knew me, so we went into the car comfortably, and checked our car all around. After confirming the car, we started up the engine and went for a warm up test drive. This meant some circuit time, and a quick drive around the test routes.
Pause: Personally, I should have practiced my weakest circuit action a few more times. My instructor had practiced me for difficult instructions, which I was already better in. My weakest station is the vertical parking, and knowing this, I would practice this as many times as possible for the next test.
Next: Returning from the drive, the instructor parked my car in a lot, and we noted it on the card attached to the IC. This IC with the slip of paper would constitute the Driving Test documents, which would be dropped into a mailbox at the second floor, outside the Driving Testers office. After that, we say goodbye to our instructors, and we sit at the second floor to wait for the driving testers to come out.
After: I waited for about 10 minutes before my name was called by the tester. The tester told me to go to the car, but not to start the car up. He had a limp, so I suppose he didn’t want me to waste time and walk slowly, but wanted me to warm up in the seat first, to get comfortable. I appreciated that. When the instructor arrived at the car, he installed a camera facing myself and him in the car, and it also had views facing out. He then started to brief me on the rules of the test and what would constitute immediate failures, and how many points were needed to pass. Then he told me to start the car, and to start driving out.
This is the basically how the test started, and in my mind, this entire sequence was something I never knew or imagined. Now that I know it, I am a bit more comfortable thinking about the scenario instead of being nervous about it.
Specifically for me, this is what happened on the portion of the test that I failed:
I completed a number of maneuvers: parallel parking, S course, slope, and ramp segments. I was short of directional change, a emergency stop, crank course, and vertical parking. He turned me around an area, and told me to do a vertical parking.
However, the spot of vertical parking we went into was crowded with someone in line, and there was also another person in the opposite lane. This gave me some nerves because in vertical parking, I’d expect to swing out a bit, and I also needed to place myself at the edge of the lane. So I went into the lane being very cautious and nervous already. As I pulled into position, I lowered my left mirror, but totally forgot to lower my right mirror. I checked backwards, and started to reverse into the spot, but as I started to move, I realised I did not lower my mirror just yet. I reversed a certain distance, and decided to pause and lower my mirror, as if I had planned to all along. But by then it was too late and I missed my mark. I backed up and I ended up bumping my front right tire on the outside of the curb, which meant an immediate failure. The instructor actually was not too sure what happened and he came out to check, and then he told me it was an immediate failure. It was quite sad!
He allowed me to complete the vertical parking maneuver but by then my nerves were shot, and I ended up striking the curb on the way out, which was another 10 points deduction. He gave me another 4 because I missed checking the back as I left the second time.
What I should have done: when I noticed the mirror was down, I should have said I wanted to do a correction. I had already done one correction at parallel parking, but I should have kept on doing the corrections where I needed to do them. This would have taken some points off me at most, but at least I would not have had an immediate failure, and I would be able to get out to the main roads where I felt a lot more comfortable as a driver.
I am looking forward to my next test because I think I will actually ace it well. I just need to be calm, and be ready to correct wherever I need because it is better to that than to go forward (or backwards) pretending I didn’t need a correction.
Wish me luck! The next test is on the 27th of July, which is a little less than 2 weeks away.
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