How I Passed my Driving Test in Australia — A Year Long Journey

Before we discuss things further, I just want to give you a bit of a ‘background’ about myself. Although I started learning how to drive (manual and automatic) in the Philippines, I didn’t do it enough to actually be able to. I didn’t have any driver’s license back when I lived there. I’m currently 24 years old so I was still required to complete a 100 logbook hours before I could take the practical driving test to get my Queensland P license.

A year before my driving test

Getting my Australian driver’s license has always been one of our main priorities when we started our new life here in Australia. Passing my practical driving test was only a part of the process as I still had to organise a couple of things beforehand. Basically, it was a year long journey.

PrepL & Learner License

I first needed to complete and pass the PrepL online before I could apply for my Learner license. I was also required to hold my learner’s for at least a year and to complete a 100 logbook hours before I could sit my driving test. At first, I thought that doing a hundred hours worth of trips wouldn’t be an issue but as time went on, it proved to be trickier than expected because of all the other variables that I didn’t previously consider. These are things like organising a time for me to drive while considering what would work not only for myself but also for my husband who supervised my driving.

Driving lessons with a driver trainer 

At around the tenth month, I think it was, we figured that I won’t be able to complete my logbook in two months. But I really needed those P’s already, so I decided to get lessons from a driving instructor because an hour of day time driving with an accredited driver trainer counts for three hours in my logbook. I booked myself in for 10 one hour lessons (maximum number of hours that’d count for 3) to help increase my logbook hours.

It was actually my husband who found my instructor. He just searched for local driver trainers online and called a bunch of them to find out about their fees and availability. To be honest, at the time, our only criteria when choosing which driving instructor to go with was whoever was the cheapest.

Looking back, I think the most important factor is whether or not you’re comfortable with your trainer. I wasn’t with mine so that kind of got in the way of me learning as much as I can during our lessons. I was really dreading them but I’ve already paid for all ten so I just pushed through it. At least though, it accelerated my logbook hours completion and to the trainer’s defense, I did learn a couple of things from him.

Booking my practical driving test 

Booking the right time

As for booking the practical driving test, it only costed me around $61. Now, I don’t know if this has anything to do with the pandemic but there were only two slots available for me to book at the time. I chose the day when I knew that both my husband, who was accompanying me to the test, and myself were both completely free. This is so I feel less pressure and could focus solely on the test. I chose an afternoon slot because I feel that I’d be more awake and I would have had an ample amount of time to practice beforehand. 

The preparation two weeks before the test 

With just about every aspect of my life, I like being really prepared. So you’d probably understand why I was so stressed out two weeks before my test because I didn’t feel like I was ready for it yet. This is why I made sure that I practiced almost everyday within the two-week period. I was aware of the mistakes I often make when driving so I gave those a little bit more attention.

I also asked some of my friends who have recently taken their tests, about their experience and where they were taken on the day. If you live in Rockhampton, QLD you’re probably familiar with Alexander street on the north side? Thereabouts. I practiced around there as well as around the test centre and that really helped a lot because that’s where I was taken for my test. And since I have been driving around that area, I knew what to expect. I was familiar with the stop lights, the markings on the road, speed limits, school zones, and even the dips. I had my husband pretend to be the examiner to make things more ‘realistic’.

The car

The day before the test

There were a couple of things that I did the day before. First off, I had the car cleaned, vacuumed and had the clutter removed. Of course, I practiced driving some more. I tried to calm myself down because I have the tendency to over stress so I needed to distract myself with other things. I made sure that I slept early so I won’t feel tired and sleepy the following day specially because I sometimes catch myself kind of day dreaming when I drive for too long.

The day of the test

Aside from the driving practice earlier in the day, there were some other things that I did to avoid any problems while I was having my test. I spent the whole day keeping myself from being overly anxious. I didn’t drive for too long so as to not get too tired. I’ve seen to it that I wouldn’t have the need to use the toilet while I was sitting my test.

I also thought that it’s important that I wore comfortable clothes so there’s one less thing to be bothered by. I had my sunnies ready, just in case I’d encounter that blinding Aussie sun. If you’ve driven in Australia, you’d know what I’m talking about. Also, if anyone’s curious, you can take your test barefoot if you prefer, that’s what I did. I also made sure that I had my driver’s license, L plates, and bankcard with me. I have also adjusted the car seat, mirrors and steering wheel to my preference. I believe that all of these enabled me to have the best chances of passing my driving test in Australia, the first go.

The test itself

Afterwards, we went to the car inspection area where my car needed to be parked at and then he inspected the car’s signal and break lights. The examiner was really nice, he made me feel as comfortable as he can and showed very little reactions. I was still quite nervous, of course. That’s normal. But his demeanor really helped me to just focus on driving properly and not worry about whether or not what I did was wrong.

The test lasted for about 30 minutes. The examiner took me to main roads, residential areas, near schools, and in roundabouts. I was asked to make a few left and right turns as well as to do two maneuvers i.e. three point turn and reversing in a straight line. I thought he was going to tell me about the result as soon as we arrived back but he didn’t tell me that I did, in fact, pass until we were back at his counter.

I was so happy when I heard that I passsed but I was also so unsure because he was giving me driving advice. I was worried that I misheard the ‘it’s a pass for today’ part. But when he told me to bring my driving assessment form to the counter to get my new license, I realised that he was just giving me advice on my two non-critical driving errors. I can’t believe that I actually passed on my first go! I think the trick is to prepare yourself as much as you can beforehand, control your nerves, focus on the driving tasks you’re given, and if you’re a believer like myself, I’d say praying helped me a lot too.

Conclusion

Being able to drive by myself is a huge deal for me because it gives me a sense of independence. It allows me to travel as much as I need. If I forgot to buy an ingredient for dinner, I won’t have to bother my husband to get it for me anymore. I won’t have to match my schedule to other people’s because I no longer need them to give me a ride. It even broadens my employment possibilities. If I were to give only a few advice to my fellow migrants in Australia, one of them would be to get your Australian driver’s license as soon as you can because it is a necessity if you want your life here to be easier for you.

Disclaimer All content and information in this post is for purposes of sharing my experiences only, does not constitute professional advice and does not establish any kind of professional-client relationship.

Got a story to share? Tell us here: