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Ever wonder what the most common errors are for folks who are taking their behind-the-wheel road test in California? We’ve now helped over 1,000 people pass their road test and here’s what we’ve learned from the results. Whatever you do, avoid these mistakes and you’ll substantially increase your odds of passing on the first attempt!California Road Test Mistakes, Number 5: Not Looking Over Right Shoulder for BicyclistsWhen you are taking your road test, you need to be sure you’re checking over your right-shoulder for bicyclists. This is most especially true when you are making a right hand turn, and it is true even if there is no bicycle lane present.We’ve started telling every road test taker about this as part of our.
It seems as though it’s become a favorite “DQ” for DMV examiners. There are 8 disqualifying mistakes on the DMV behind-the-wheel test. Often examiners can choose to lump this into the “dangerous maneuver” category. If there was a bicyclist to your right, you might have hit them!Key takeaway:Be sure to check your right (and left) blind spots, not only during lane changes, but when you are making a right-hand turn. This way, the examiner will see that you are being safe and looking for bicyclists!California Road Test Mistakes, Number 4: Not “Driving Safely”Next on our California road test mistakes list is not “driving safely”. Just because you have a license from another country or you’ve driven before does not mean you know how to drive for the California test. This is incredibly important: The California road test is strict.Every DMV examiner is evaluating you based on your ability to be a safe driver.
That means actually being a safe driver and showing that you’re a safe driver. You should have both hands on the steering wheel at “10 and 2”, check your mirrors consistently, and look to the left and right even when crossing through intersections.Key takeaway:All of this “looking” shows the examiner that you take driving safety seriously and you take the test seriously. The test is usually 15 minutes long, so be sure to drop any bad habits you have and stay focused on being a safe driver. The test will be over before you know it.California Road Test Mistakes, Number 3: Not Yielding Properly on Left TurnsDuring the California road test, the vast majority of people are nervous. The reaction to nervousness is that you might not drive like your usual self: you might slow down too much or speed up too much. One symptom of speeding up too much is feeling rushed and making dangerous maneuvers. This can lead to a dangerous maneuver of rushing a left-hand turn when it’s not safe to do so.This happens a lot.
Examiners love to test you on your left-hand turn ability: Do you yield properly? Do you stay in the correct lane when turning?
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So, our advice is always: Be patient. There’s no harm in waiting until you are sure that it is safe to make the left-hand turn.Key takeaway:Be patient when making left-hand turns and do not rush! Also, if you can, drive around the area before your test to familiarize yourself with the area including the intersections, so you know what to expect.California Road Test Mistakes, Number 2: Not Making Full Stops at Stop Signs and Red LightsStop at stop signs and red lights! It sounds easy but it is a very common disqualifying mistake.
Examiners lump this mistake under the “disobeys traffic sign and signal” category. There are a few common scenarios, so be sure to watch out for them.If you roll through a stop sign, that’s bad.
You need to make a full stop. Pro-tip: Make a stop then count to two before proceeding. If you roll through a right turn on a red light, also bad. You need to stop at a right light, even if you are going to make a right turn. Advice we often give: Just chill at a red-light. You don’t need to turn on red, it’s optional.Key takeaway:Be aware of making full stops at stop signs and red lights.
This should not be confused with yield signs, where you should slow down but not completely stop.California Road Test Mistakes, number 1: Not Showing Up with the Right Car and DocumentsThe most common California road test mistakes are actually made before the actual test itself has started. It has to do with not showing up with the correct car or documents for your test. This happens far too often. By our rough DMV estimate, this happens around 20% of the time. You’ve been warned:.
By and large, you cannot use a rental car on your road test. The exception is if the rental car company agrees to sign a special insurance agreement for you, but this is not common and it’s also time consuming. So, if you show up with a rental car, you’ll most likely be rejected and told to reschedule. You need to have registration and insurance documents. If you show up without these, you’ll also be told to reschedule your test. In all of our tests we’ve helped with, we haven’t seen exceptions to this.
You need to show up with a licensed California driver. Even though this rule is only a few years old, it’s enforced. This is true even if you have a Canadian license, for example. You need to have a California licensed driver check in with you. You need to go to the correct DMV location. This is less common but still happens from time to time. Show up to the DMV you actually have your road test appointment at and show up on time!ConclusionsIf you can remember these California road test mistakes you are already ahead of most people who take their DMV test.
A little preparation can go a long way. While you cannot control whether you will pass or fail completely, these tips will help increase your chances of passing. And if you ever need help with the car, driver, or other tips, feel free to check our our.Was this article useful? Join the over 200,000 followers and help us help others!
When Naomi Barlava ’17 made her appointment last May for a behind-the-wheel driving test, she did the unspeakable — she made the appointment at the of the California Department of Motor Vehicles.Her friends had told her to save herself the trouble and take the test at the, which has a reputation among students for being the DMV where it is the easiest to pass.Even though the driving test “” according to the website of the California DMV, certain DMVs have a reputation among students for being pass-happy, while others have been said to fail everyone who walks through their halls. Students often choose to take their driving tests based on these reputations in order to pass more easily and on their first try, sometimes venturing to places in greater Los Angeles that they are not familiar with so they can get their license sooner.Barlava was familiar with Santa Monica, however, and felt that her prior experience driving in the area and her knowledge of the city’s specific rules would make it easier to pass there. But the way people talked about that DMV made her nervous. She wanted to get her license as soon as possible, but passing the test started to seem less and less possible as she approached her test date.When she told her friends that she had passed on her first try at the Santa Monica DMV, most of them were shocked.To get a license in the state of California, drivers must first take a written test to obtain their learner’s permit. After having a permit for six months, teens can take a behind-the-wheel test to get their license, and the DMV allows just three attempts at taking the test. After the third failed attempt, drivers have to start over and take their permit test again.Harvard-Westlake students have said that the Winnetka DMV is known to be the easiest to pass at and that the and departments also have similar reputations.Lola Clark ’17, who took her test at Winnetka, thinks it is easier to pass there due to road and traffic conditions.“I took my test at Winnetka because it’s known to be the easiest DMV,” Clark said. “I passed on the first time, thank goodness.
I think Winnetka gets the reputation it does as the easiest less because of the people that work there and more because that area is just pretty easy to drive around and there aren’t many difficult intersections.”In an April 23 Chronicle poll of 329 students, 82 percent said that Winnetka was known for being a DMV where it was easy to pass a behind-the-wheel driving test.Some say that this status is due to the “friendliness” of the driving environment in the area.