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Nailing your driving test unlocks the keys to freedom and independence, but let’s face it – some rush into it like it’s a video game. The result? Failures, frustration, additional expenses, and delays in hitting the road.

So you’re feeling confident and just wanna have a little go at the test? Well…. nope.

If you are not completely ready to take your test, you’re not only putting your own life at risk, but that of your examiners and the public too, not to mention your instructors car.

At Shift, we will only send you for your driving test when your instructor agrees that you are ready and although we can’t prevent you from taking your own vehicle, we would highly discourage it if we haven’t gave the green light yet. Your safety is our number one priority, so this may even mean cancelling your test on the day.

As an examiner once said to us at Gateshead Test Centre, “you wanna know how you can pass the test easily? Be Ready!”.

 

52 out of every 100

driving tests were failed in Great Britain during October 2023

OK… Let’s check if you’re ready!

Are you ready to pass? You’ll usually be ready to take your driving test when you can say ‘yes’ to these 5 points.

1. You do not need prompts from your driving instructor

You need to be dealing with every part of driving consistently, confidently and independently – without any prompting from your driving instructor.

You’ll be getting ready for your test when you’re able to adapt to situations and see why developing your skills makes you safer and more fuel-efficient.

2. You do not make serious or dangerous mistakes when you’re driving

You need to be a good and safe driver to pass the driving test.

If you’re making serious or dangerous mistakes during your driving lessons and brushing them off as ‘silly mistakes’, you’re not ready to pass your driving test and drive on your own.

3. You can pass mock driving tests

Taking and passing mock driving tests with your driving instructor will help you understand if you’ve reached the standard that’s needed to pass.

4. You have practised ways of managing your nerves

It’s really important to be able to manage your nerves to be a safe driver.

Practise ways of managing your nerves to help you stay calm and focused when you take your test. This will help you in the vital months after you’ve passed your test, too.

5. Your driving instructor agrees you’re ready

If your driving instructor says you’re not ready to take your driving test, listen to them.

Driving instructors are specially trained road safety experts. They’ve got lots of driving experience – and they know what it takes to pass the driving test.

Remember, they want you to be a safe driver, keep your insurance costs low, and enjoy driving for years to come.

Not feeling quite ready?

It’s free to change your appointment time, as long as you do it at least 3 full working days (Mondays to Saturdays) before your test.

You can move your driving test back if you’re not feeling quite ready yet.

Change your driving test appointment
Passed with Simon a few days ago! It has been a really good experience doing my lesson with Shift Driving School. I want to thank Simon most especially for his patience and for helping me pass my driving! It has been a journey, but we got there!
Highly recommend Shift Driving School. They were an absolute pleasure to deal with from start to finish. Special shout out to my instructor Hassan, who taught me from scratch in just under 6 months. I had no previous driving experience at all and he talked through the steps and skills needed clearly, always supportively pushing me to be my best. Delighted to have passed at first attempt! Couldn’t have done it without the team at Swift and Hassan. Thank you!
I honestly cannot thank the team enough.

Simon was my instructor and I felt comfortable with him right from the start. He was incredibly flexible around my work schedule, always fitting lessons in when I needed them, and he adapted his teaching style to whatever helped me learn each new skill. He is extremely knowledgeable and always had great tips and explanations that made everything so much easier to understand. I genuinely never thought I would become a driver, especially learning in my 40s, but Simon gave me the confidence and belief that I could do it. We also had such a good laugh on our lessons and I will really miss them now I have passed. I would highly recommend him to anyone who is nervous, unsure or doubting themselves.

I also had Lewis for one of my mock tests and he instantly put me at ease. He is really easy to get along with and gave clear, helpful feedback that I really appreciated.

Alex was brilliant from the very beginning. I first dealt with him when I enquired about lessons and even though there was a waitlist he was really helpful with timings and getting everything organised. The app, payments and communication were all smooth and straightforward. He also took me out on a mock test and again I felt completely comfortable and I took all of his feedback on board.

One thing that really stands out about this company is the genuine positivity and support from everyone. Each instructor was rooting for me along the way and when you see them all out on lessons you can tell they have a real sense of camaraderie and team spirit.

I would recommend this driving school to anyone. They have been amazing from start to finish.
I 10000000% recommend this driving school my instructor has been appsalutly amazing he had so much patience and really helped me through all my lessons then he recommend me a nervous course which really helped me as I really struggled with my nerve on my test but I finally done it and passed my test and I wouldn't have been able to do it if it wasn't for lewis so thank u sooooo much :)
I was lucky enough to be taught by Alex who was brilliant! Alex was very supportive and honestly just seemed to know exactly what to say when it came to my anxiety around driving. I would definitely recommend Shift to anyone wanting to learn how to drive.
What a great company to not only learn to drive with, but to actually work with too. We would highly recommend Shift without a doubt.
Hassan is extraordinary, got me sorted for my test within a few months! Calm, collected and goes above and beyond. Highly recommended
Great instructors, Hassan got me passed really fast and even managed to move my test to a sooner date! Super patient and great at explaining. Would highly recommend.
I passed my driving test last weekend, I want to say huge thanks to my instructor Lisa baour, she's been amazing mentor throughout the process. I'm from different country and I didn't have any driving experience before, so I had to learn everything from the scratch, she's been calm and polite from the very beginning, that help me lot to boost my confidence and take out my driving nervousness. Thank you so much Lisa and shift for making me a better driver, i higly recommend Lisa and shift, you won't be disappointed..cheers 🍻🍻
I passed my driving test today and just want to say a big thank you to my instructor Ciaran! I started out as an extremely anxious driver, but he was always patient and made every lesson calm and straightforward. His clear explanations and calm teaching style really boosted my confidence and helped me feel ready to pass. Cheers :)