You've crammed for your permit test and spent countless hours practicing your driving skills with your parents. Now it's time for the hard part: the driving test. The driving test instills fear in most teens. Learn how you can pass your driving test with this handy guide.

How to Pass Your Driving Test the First Time

It's pretty common to fail your exam on your first try due to nervousness or just not mastering a specific skill. For example in 2022 in Texas, 40.922 took the driver's test. Exactly 33,379 drivers passed, while 7,543 failed, which is a 22.5% failure rate.

Skills the Drivers Exam Tests You On

You need to know how to perform each of these tasks before taking your exam:

• Pre-drive checklist — Demonstrate you know how to use the emergency parking brake, windshield wipers, defroster, emergency flashers, headlights, turn signals, headlights, brakes, and horn.

• Parking lot driving — Depending on the state, you'll have to prove you can follow basic traffic signs, perform a two or three-point turn, and parallel park.

• Intersections — Show you can navigate intersections while watching your speed. This includes managing yields, traffic checks, braking, and limit lines.

• Business/residential/rural driving — You'll drive through different types of areas with their own traffic checks, speed, spacing, and lane positions.

• Entering/backing along curb — Prove you can pull along a curb without hitting it.

• Lane changes — Switch lanes while checking your blind spots for other cars. 

• Turns — Execute different left and right turns, including using signals, full stops, and turning into the correct lane.

Common Mistakes Made on the Drivers Test

Don't make these common mistakes if you want to pass on your first try:

• Improper stopping — There are multiple ways to fail due to stopping improperly. Come to a full stop at any stop sign and count to three in your head just to be safe. When stopping at an intersection, don't pass the limit line or stop in a crosswalk.

• Incorrect lane changing —  When it comes time to change lanes, look over your shoulder to confirm there aren't any cars in the other lane before moving over. Don't forget to use your turn signal, either.

• Driving too fast or slow — It should be common sense not to speed, especially while your driving instructor is in the car, but people still manage to do it. Don't drive too slow, either. It shows you aren't confident in what you're doing. Always stay within 5 mph of the posted limits.

• Obeying all signs and signals — If you fail to yield, or ignore road signs for bike lanes, railroad crossings, or anything else, you'll probably fail the driver's exam.

• Driving with one hand — You may feel confident and comfortable driving with just one hand on the wheel, but this is not the proper way. Always keep your hands at 8-4 to show your instructor you know what you're doing. 

Pass Your Driving Test on the First Try with Driver's Ed

You're going to be nervous the first time you take your driving test, but once you realize it's not a big deal and let your training take over, you'll be fine. One way to give yourself a boost of confidence to pass your test is by signing up for a driver's ed course at DriversEd.com. You'll learn all of the skills you need to pass your driver's test on the first try.