How to Get Over Failing a Road Test

October 6, 2021

Everyone gets nervous about the driving test. Anxiety starts building up a few days before the scheduled exam until you receive your road test results. That is why is a need to learn how to get over failing a road test.

A failed road test can be devastating, but it shouldn’t weigh you down. You’ve got plenty of other opportunities to make everything right. 

The skills you need to become a better driver grow as your experience on the road builds. So don’t beat yourself up if you don’t ace the test the first time.  After all, you got the NYC test points right, didn’t you? That should tell you that things aren’t that bad.

When you are feeling down about your failed NY road test results, there are things you can do to overcome this.

Let’s find out the best ways on how to get over failing a driving test.

Cut Yourself Some Slack

When you’ve failed your road test, don’t beat yourself up. Driving a car is a learning curve; you can’t grasp everything at once. Just like any other skill, learning to master it will take a lot of time and practice.

Our levels of mastering differ per person. Some get the hang of it a lot faster, while others don’t. Even if you learned and understood everything you learned at the driving school, your nerves could overwhelm you on the big day. 

Therefore, you don’t need to blame yourself. Your next step to passing the next driving exam is just a schedule away.

Remind Yourself That It’s Natural to Be Nervous

Not everyone gets composed when faced with uncertainty. When taking your driver’s test, you think about so many things. Even if you’re driving the easiest road test site in Brooklyn, you’ll be wondering, “Am I doing it right?”, “Has the road test examiner noticed something wrong with my driving?”, “Did I make the right turn?” 

These and other questions will keep running through your mind, and it’s at this particular point that you’ll do something wrong that will get you to fail. Your nerves will be at work, and this is pretty normal.

The best thing about all this is that you’ll learn from it. When you take your exam the next time, you’ll be better prepared and will have found a way to get rid of your driver’s test anxiety.

Speak to Someone

It’s not wise to bottle things up when you feel upset about your road test results. Remember, everyone has experienced disappointment at some point in their life. It may not be a driving test, but it’s still a failure. That’s the way life is. You win some and lose some. 

However devastating this is, sharing your feelings can help you unburden. A person you trust can offer you the encouragement and support you need to get over your failure.

Confide in a friend, mentor, driving instructor, or someone who recently took a driver’s test. Seek counsel, and you’ll see that you’ll feel much better and ready to move on.

Get Back Up

It’s understandable that the failed driving test indeed shattered your dreams of becoming a driver. But the sooner you pick up the pieces and move on, the better. Take advantage of the advice and counsel you receive to get back in the car. Work on those little mistakes and rebuild your confidence so you can crush that test next time.

Be Persistent

So what if you failed your road test? It isn’t the end of the road. You have more time to polish your driving skills. All you have to do is take extra lessons and practice more to finally pass your next exam.

It is not the number of times you fail your driver’s exam that matters. What counts is the fact that you finally pass it. To achieve that, persistence is vital. Yes, you can take time to mop and get angry at yourself for not passing the test. But don’t take long down there; get up, dust yourself, and prepare for a retest. 

To prepare well, don’t book another test soon. Take time to practice driving and learn more skills until you’re ready. Work on your weaknesses and the other issues that caused your failure the first time. Then when you are ready, go ahead and schedule your retest. 

Work on Your Weak Points

How many points do you need to pass your road test? You must already know that you should score 30 points or less to pass a road exam in New York. A fail is given when you make one mistake or when you accumulate too many points.

You get to lose points during a road test by driving over or under the speed limit and more. 

Was this the weak point that made you fail your road test? If it is, then work on it.

Your examiners will show you your road test points and let you know the things that made you fail your test. The best thing to do is to focus on improving your weak points. Take those extra lessons and practice as much as you can. You can engage an instructor or ask a friend or relative to supervise and correct you when necessary.

Practice your speed, tailgating, parallel/curb parking, or those maneuvers as many times until you get it. Nothing can stop you from passing this time.

Book Your Next Road Test

Now that you’ve confronted your confidence and polished your weak points, there’s nothing else blocking you from attempting the road test again. Talk to your instructor/supervisor and if you both feel you’re ready, schedule your next go.

This time around, you know what to expect, are better prepared, and the fear of the unexpected is no longer an issue. 

Final Thoughts

Failing the road test doesn’t make you a failure or a bad driver. And it doesn’t mean you won’t pass the next time. However disheartening this is, you’ll have to gather your confidence and get back in that driver’s seat if you want to pass your next test. Take your failure as an essential step to refining your driving skills.