Pace_T
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- 2005
I’m writing this for the many people on this forum who are yet to go for their P’s test or have already failed. Since I’m a perfectionist and I don’t go down without asking a few thousand questions, I thought I’d share my notes that I have in my head to aid those who don’t have a driving instructor or have a really bad one 
In the test you get an instant fail for:
-Going more than 10% over the speed limit (general rule of thumb, as it depends on your inspector)
-Cutting corners by driving over lines on the road, particularly at T intersections. For example, it’s easy to drive over the double line when turning right at a T intersection
-Hitting the kerb when doing reverse parallel park, or 3 point turn.
-Going severely under the speed limit
-Going off course (e.g. turning left when told to turn right)
-Not give way when a sign specifies to do so or giving way unnecessarily
-Parking or pulling over to the kerb when too far from it (around 30cm from when the gutter finishes)
-Go through a red light or disobey road signs (such as not stopping at a stop sign)
-Not correctly using blinkers (including not turning them off at the right time) more than two or three times
-Tailgating. Driving closer than the 3 second margin behind the car in front of you will decrease your final score. But tailgating is an instant fail.
The procedure you use most when driving is:
1. Look at your mirrors. If you are intending to use your left blinker, you look at your left side mirror and your rear view mirror. If you are intending to use your right blinker, you look at your right side mirror and your rear view mirror)
2. Turn on your indicator. Once you put on your blinker, take your time. You won’t get penalized for leaving your blinker on for a couple of seconds longer, but you will if you leave it on for a few seconds shorter than normal. When leaving the kerb, leave your blinker on for a couple of seconds.
3. Look over your shoulder. When using your left blinker, look over your left shoulder. When using your right blinker, look over your right shoulder.
4. Complete the manoeuvre by turning the steering wheel
It is this procedure that is used when you:
-Change lanes
-Overtake. This includes cars on the same lane as you and you are own a multi-laned road. It also applies when you are on a smaller 50km/h road and there is a car parked on your side of the road. In these two instances, you would use the aforementioned 4-step procedure twice. One to change lanes, or move to the other side of the road, and the other to get back onto the lane you were originally on.
-Turn enter/exit roads, such as regular intersections and T intersections. In the case of T intersections, once you look over your shoulder (3rd Step) you veer the car a bit to the left (if you’re turning left, if turning right keep the car straight) and that acts as your 4th step. Regardless of whether you have to stop at the end of the road or not, you don’t have to re-check your shoulder or your mirror. Just make sure that you’re far out enough to see for traffic and make sure you’re not over the line. (some inspectors would fail you just for this)
-Turn at a roundabout
Procedures for manoeuvres in test:
Leaving the kerb
This is basically the procedure above. However, note that once you look at your mirrors and look over your shoulder, the inspector will count to 5 in his head. You have five seconds to complete the manoeuvre before the mirror-check ‘expires.’ Bear in mind that you also have your blinker on for at least five seconds. So if it is unsafe to leave the kerb and you have already done the procedure, then it never hurts to check the mirrors and over your shoulder a second time, just in case your five seconds is up.
Kerbside Stop / Pulling over
Just use the 4 step procedure for this.
Reverse Parallel Park
*It is highly uncommon for an instructor to make you reverse parallel park in between two cars. They usually make you reverse parallel behind a car with plenty of space behind it.
*It is not very uncommon for them you put you on a slight downhill for the reverse parallel park. Just remember that if you’re in a manual, just hold in the clutch and control your speed with the brake.
The inspector will ask you reverse parallel park behind a particular car, parked on the side of the road.
1. Once you are 5 seconds away from coming up to the parked car, you perform the 4 step procedure explained above (as for the 4th step – steering, you veer your car enough to the left of the road so you pull up 1 meter away from the parked car).
2. Stop at the point where your side mirror is in line with the parked car’s side mirror.
3. Put the car in reverse and look over both of your shoulders
4. Reverse while keeping your eyes on the rear window of your car. Glimpse at your left side mirror every now and then, but make sure your head is turned and you have a full view of the rear window. You’ll lose points the moment you turn your head to the front of your car when you’re reversing.
5. When the side pillar of your car (the part that separates the left front passenger window to the left rear passenger window) reaches the end of the parked car, turn the wheel all the way to the left and continue to reverse until you reach a 45 degree angle. Then you turn all the way to the right and continue reversing.
6. Remember to straighten up by going forward when you reverse parallel park. Use you’re left blinker as you go forward. Make sure you aren’t too close to the car in front of you, keep it at a safe distance, because they can be pretty tough on parking too close to the car in front of you.
*If you see that your car is too close or too far from the kerb, you can correct it, but each time you change from drive/1st to reverse and the car moves in accordance with the direction that you set the gearbox, it counts as a move. You have 5 moves. Doing the reverse parallel park perfect is a single move.
*Aim for the tire to just touch the beginning of the gutter (the cement).
This procedure for the parking is fool-proof. I’ve never done a reverse parallel park before I knew this procedure off by heart, and I’ve never had to correct my reverse parallel park.
Three Point Turn
*Note that you’re inspector will never ask you to do a 3-point turn where the road is too narrow to do so. He/She will never put you in that position. So always assume it’s possible.
1. When the inspector asks you to do a three point turn, you pull over by using the 4 step procedure pointed above.
2. Turn your steering wheel all the way to the right and use the 4 step rule again.
3. Once you are as far as you can go, while turning the wheel left, make sure you look left and right down both ends of the road that you’re on to check for oncoming traffic, don’t panic if you block the road temporarily.
4. Make sure you stare at the rear window when you reverse back.
5. Once you reversed as back as possible or needed, make sure you put your right blinker on to re-enter the lane, and check your left and right again.
Hillstart
*Some inspectors won’t make you do a hillstart when you go for your P’s in a manual, but most will.
*You don’t always have to use the handbrake for this.
*They will ask you to do this after you do a kerbside stop, so remember to use the 4 step procedure outlined above to take off. It can be tricky since you also have to focus on the handbrake and the clutch.
Remember:
*Stalling the car doesn’t mean you fail
*You don’t fail if you voluntarily go under 2km/h or 2km/h over the speed limit. If you’re in a hilly area, it can be difficult to adhere to the speed limits yet not go too slowly. The inspector won’t think of it as a major mistake if you go much slower than the speed limit on a hilly street so long as your intentions are clear (to not go over the speed limit)
*You need to use the exit blinker in a tiny roundabout. Use it in ALL roundabouts. This includes a T intersection type of roundabout when you’re going straight through it.
*The inspector might be quiet on the day; it doesn’t hurt to start a small conversation if it eases your nerves
*If you end up getting an inspector that can’t speak English clearly, just ask him/her to repeat what she said. Doing the wrong thing because you misinterpreted something he/she said will result in a fail
*Have an energy drink about 30 minutes before the test, it will keep you very alert (probably more nervous too)
*Have a driving lesson before hand so you’ll hopefully do all your mistakes in the lesson and none in the test.
*Drive like an old lady. Be really patient in the test - for example, at roundabouts.
*Always keep one hand on the wheel at all times
*Most instructors will take you out on the main road only for a short period of time. The rest is done in mostly 50km/h zones.
My main motive for writing this is because I would hate to fail the test and wait another two weeks or more to do the test again and also forking out another $40 to pay the RTA. Luckily I passed first go with 100% in a manual.
I’ve probably made a thousand mistakes somewhere along the lines in this post and I’m missing key elements, but that’s the whole purpose of the thread – so others can contribute
Cheers and good luck.
In the test you get an instant fail for:
-Going more than 10% over the speed limit (general rule of thumb, as it depends on your inspector)
-Cutting corners by driving over lines on the road, particularly at T intersections. For example, it’s easy to drive over the double line when turning right at a T intersection
-Hitting the kerb when doing reverse parallel park, or 3 point turn.
-Going severely under the speed limit
-Going off course (e.g. turning left when told to turn right)
-Not give way when a sign specifies to do so or giving way unnecessarily
-Parking or pulling over to the kerb when too far from it (around 30cm from when the gutter finishes)
-Go through a red light or disobey road signs (such as not stopping at a stop sign)
-Not correctly using blinkers (including not turning them off at the right time) more than two or three times
-Tailgating. Driving closer than the 3 second margin behind the car in front of you will decrease your final score. But tailgating is an instant fail.
The procedure you use most when driving is:
1. Look at your mirrors. If you are intending to use your left blinker, you look at your left side mirror and your rear view mirror. If you are intending to use your right blinker, you look at your right side mirror and your rear view mirror)
2. Turn on your indicator. Once you put on your blinker, take your time. You won’t get penalized for leaving your blinker on for a couple of seconds longer, but you will if you leave it on for a few seconds shorter than normal. When leaving the kerb, leave your blinker on for a couple of seconds.
3. Look over your shoulder. When using your left blinker, look over your left shoulder. When using your right blinker, look over your right shoulder.
4. Complete the manoeuvre by turning the steering wheel
It is this procedure that is used when you:
-Change lanes
-Overtake. This includes cars on the same lane as you and you are own a multi-laned road. It also applies when you are on a smaller 50km/h road and there is a car parked on your side of the road. In these two instances, you would use the aforementioned 4-step procedure twice. One to change lanes, or move to the other side of the road, and the other to get back onto the lane you were originally on.
-Turn enter/exit roads, such as regular intersections and T intersections. In the case of T intersections, once you look over your shoulder (3rd Step) you veer the car a bit to the left (if you’re turning left, if turning right keep the car straight) and that acts as your 4th step. Regardless of whether you have to stop at the end of the road or not, you don’t have to re-check your shoulder or your mirror. Just make sure that you’re far out enough to see for traffic and make sure you’re not over the line. (some inspectors would fail you just for this)
-Turn at a roundabout
Procedures for manoeuvres in test:
Leaving the kerb
This is basically the procedure above. However, note that once you look at your mirrors and look over your shoulder, the inspector will count to 5 in his head. You have five seconds to complete the manoeuvre before the mirror-check ‘expires.’ Bear in mind that you also have your blinker on for at least five seconds. So if it is unsafe to leave the kerb and you have already done the procedure, then it never hurts to check the mirrors and over your shoulder a second time, just in case your five seconds is up.
Kerbside Stop / Pulling over
Just use the 4 step procedure for this.
Reverse Parallel Park
*It is highly uncommon for an instructor to make you reverse parallel park in between two cars. They usually make you reverse parallel behind a car with plenty of space behind it.
*It is not very uncommon for them you put you on a slight downhill for the reverse parallel park. Just remember that if you’re in a manual, just hold in the clutch and control your speed with the brake.
The inspector will ask you reverse parallel park behind a particular car, parked on the side of the road.
1. Once you are 5 seconds away from coming up to the parked car, you perform the 4 step procedure explained above (as for the 4th step – steering, you veer your car enough to the left of the road so you pull up 1 meter away from the parked car).
2. Stop at the point where your side mirror is in line with the parked car’s side mirror.
3. Put the car in reverse and look over both of your shoulders
4. Reverse while keeping your eyes on the rear window of your car. Glimpse at your left side mirror every now and then, but make sure your head is turned and you have a full view of the rear window. You’ll lose points the moment you turn your head to the front of your car when you’re reversing.
5. When the side pillar of your car (the part that separates the left front passenger window to the left rear passenger window) reaches the end of the parked car, turn the wheel all the way to the left and continue to reverse until you reach a 45 degree angle. Then you turn all the way to the right and continue reversing.
6. Remember to straighten up by going forward when you reverse parallel park. Use you’re left blinker as you go forward. Make sure you aren’t too close to the car in front of you, keep it at a safe distance, because they can be pretty tough on parking too close to the car in front of you.
*If you see that your car is too close or too far from the kerb, you can correct it, but each time you change from drive/1st to reverse and the car moves in accordance with the direction that you set the gearbox, it counts as a move. You have 5 moves. Doing the reverse parallel park perfect is a single move.
*Aim for the tire to just touch the beginning of the gutter (the cement).
This procedure for the parking is fool-proof. I’ve never done a reverse parallel park before I knew this procedure off by heart, and I’ve never had to correct my reverse parallel park.
Three Point Turn
*Note that you’re inspector will never ask you to do a 3-point turn where the road is too narrow to do so. He/She will never put you in that position. So always assume it’s possible.
1. When the inspector asks you to do a three point turn, you pull over by using the 4 step procedure pointed above.
2. Turn your steering wheel all the way to the right and use the 4 step rule again.
3. Once you are as far as you can go, while turning the wheel left, make sure you look left and right down both ends of the road that you’re on to check for oncoming traffic, don’t panic if you block the road temporarily.
4. Make sure you stare at the rear window when you reverse back.
5. Once you reversed as back as possible or needed, make sure you put your right blinker on to re-enter the lane, and check your left and right again.
Hillstart
*Some inspectors won’t make you do a hillstart when you go for your P’s in a manual, but most will.
*You don’t always have to use the handbrake for this.
*They will ask you to do this after you do a kerbside stop, so remember to use the 4 step procedure outlined above to take off. It can be tricky since you also have to focus on the handbrake and the clutch.
Remember:
*Stalling the car doesn’t mean you fail
*You don’t fail if you voluntarily go under 2km/h or 2km/h over the speed limit. If you’re in a hilly area, it can be difficult to adhere to the speed limits yet not go too slowly. The inspector won’t think of it as a major mistake if you go much slower than the speed limit on a hilly street so long as your intentions are clear (to not go over the speed limit)
*You need to use the exit blinker in a tiny roundabout. Use it in ALL roundabouts. This includes a T intersection type of roundabout when you’re going straight through it.
*The inspector might be quiet on the day; it doesn’t hurt to start a small conversation if it eases your nerves
*If you end up getting an inspector that can’t speak English clearly, just ask him/her to repeat what she said. Doing the wrong thing because you misinterpreted something he/she said will result in a fail
*Have an energy drink about 30 minutes before the test, it will keep you very alert (probably more nervous too
)*Have a driving lesson before hand so you’ll hopefully do all your mistakes in the lesson and none in the test.
*Drive like an old lady. Be really patient in the test - for example, at roundabouts.
*Always keep one hand on the wheel at all times
*Most instructors will take you out on the main road only for a short period of time. The rest is done in mostly 50km/h zones.
My main motive for writing this is because I would hate to fail the test and wait another two weeks or more to do the test again and also forking out another $40 to pay the RTA. Luckily I passed first go with 100% in a manual.
I’ve probably made a thousand mistakes somewhere along the lines in this post and I’m missing key elements, but that’s the whole purpose of the thread – so others can contribute
Cheers and good luck.
