Where should I take my test?

GT Driving School is based in Maidstone and takes tests in the local towns - namely Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks and Gillingham. Each town has its own pros and cons (sometimes more cons than pros)!

• Maidstone - The town has a wide range of different types of driving that the other towns just can't match. There are country roads, town roads, one-way systems, dual carriageways, hills, roundabouts and D-junctions (don't ask!)
• Tunbridge Wells is mainly small, congested town roads, with dozens of difficult, blind junctions. The test centre sits on the side of a one-way system. There are some unusual roundabouts that need attention. The middle of town is split into a maze of small roads with the Pantiles on one side.
• Sevenoaks is Zebra Crossing City! there are over a dozen crossing in the main part of town alone - and no-one ever uses them! There are very few roundabouts but the smaller roads are difficult and need care to negotiate. The test centre is situates in a small side road and is impossible to park in or near without great care.
• Gillingham has the lowest pass rate and if you don't like roundabouts - forget it! The local drivers are VERY aggressive and some of the junctions are just very big and difficult (one has to ignore the road signs to get around 1 particular roundabout!) The smaller roads are continuously congested with parked cars - and they want to build a super-centre there!!!

For more advice on where to take your test, please contact GT Driving School by calling 07906 302910 or by visiting http://www.gtdrivingschool.net

Intensive or not Intensive

The flavour of the month seems to be for learners to want 'intensive' driving courses. I am currently running a couple at the moment, but you have to be careful as not everyone will benefit from an intensive course.
My definition of an 'Intensive' driving course is anyone doing more than 6 hours of lessons per week. It should also have the Practical Driving Test booked and waiting only a few days after the course.
Intensive courses are not for everyone, as you need to be of a positive nature to learn quickly from your mistakes. Learning to drive can be stressful at the best of times, so it takes determination and strong nerves to improve and learn from one's mistakes.
If you are a person who likes to have a rest between lessons to think about what happened and for any constructive advice to sink in, then an intensive course may not be for you.
I can fully understand the fears of pupils who do not want to keep having lessons week in. week out for what seems to be years, so there are alternatives to a fully 'intensive' course that may work better:

• Your biggest problem is that you cannot book your Practical driving test until you have passed your Theory test. The Theory test is likely to be 3+ weeks after your booking, so start to drive as soon as you can (when you have your provisional license of course). You can start with just 1 or two hours per week and then train for your Theory test in the same time. Once you have passed it, book up your Practical test and keep the hours going in. If you need more, talk to your instructor or twist your parent's arms to get you driving with them. The Practical test will be in another 4-8 weeks time (depending on the test location), making a possible 12-15 weeks from start to finish. Over this time, there are likely to be cancellations that will help you take the test earlier - word of warning!!! Always consult with your instructor to see if they agree to the move.
  
• Same as above, but schedule in more hours up to the Practical test so you are really on top of your game.
• A true 'Intensive'. Leave your driving lessons until you have passed your Theory & booked your Practical & get as many lessons as you can into the time you have allowed yourself - a bit risky as you only have a finite amount of time to play with. Some people thrive on the pressure.

Whichever way you choose to play it - ask around, see what an instructor is willing to do to help you. GT Driving School (www.gtdrivingschool.net) can provide free theory test training in the way of a CD/ROM and/or the use of a Nintendo DS 'game'. They also provide a comprehensive set of prompt sheets that will help you revise your driving. Talk to GT Driving School by going to my website http://www.gtdrivingschool.net or call 07906 302910 for more information.

Attitude

The more I do this job, the more I believe that there is very little between a pupil that passes or fails.
For a start, I wouldn't allow anyone to take the test that I did not think was able to pass it. The biggest difference as far as I can see is attitude.
There are those who believe that they are going to fail or may pass if they are 'lucky'. It is these pupils who will more likely fail.
Other pupils have the confidence that they know everything they should do and they have been everywhere they need to and even if they are asked to go down a road that they know very little about, they know that if they are careful for the duration of that road, they will be OK.
I try to get my pupils psyched-up for the test by imagining themselves doing the turns or manoeuvres that they are unsure of, and also of passing the test - how it will feel - how important it is for them to pass.
It may sound a bit 'Hairy Fairy' but I believe that it works - why? Because I used it and it worked for me!
I was on my third and final attempt at passing the Part 3 exam to become a Driving Instructor and I went through this process. I knew where I was going - I was fully prepared and I didn't slip up - so now I'm telling you what to do as well. Give it a go - what have you got to loose?
I have other tips on my website at http://www.gtdrivingschool.net . Go check it out...

Hi,
Just started my blog about learning to drive in the UK.
I'm a driving instructor, based in Maidstone, Kent and I am trying to find ways of reaching out to people of driving age (15+) to give advice on how to start to drive, issues with the test, aspects of driving and any other subjects that may occur.
I have a website at www.gtdrivingschool.net that has lots of information on it and I will be adding to the info via this blog.