Whether you are a teen going for your first driver’s license, or a veteran driver just renewing your license, the DMV and the written driver’s license exam can be daunting. For some of the older crowd, that is probably the only written test they have taken in many years. Young and old can have test anxiety. Even if you have been driving for many years, you can still fail the driver’s exam. You have driven for years and you know when to signal, but can you tell the numbers? Do you remember if it is 100 feet, 200 feet or 300 feet? Can you picture in your head how far 200 feet is on a block? You can get so shaken up that you can fail the test even though it isn’t that hard. It can be embarrassing and a blow your ego, so the best thing to do is the study for it and take some tips.

1) Download the DMV drivers’ handbook online

It’s much easier to get the DMV driver’s handbook online by downloading it rather than trying to make an extra trip to the DMV to pick one up. This is where all the information you need will come from. This is not a thick book and fairly simple, just covering the basics, but that is what you will be tested on the written exam. Simple advice, read it, it might be boring and painful, but read it. It will save you a lot of heartaches.

2) Take practice tests online

The more tests you take to practice, the less stress you will feel. You might even see many of the questions that are actually on the test and recognize them, and that will give you a big boost of confidence. We want you to finish the exam at the DMV with a big smile on your face, thinking that the test was easy that there was nothing to worry about. Take as many practice tests as you can. You can even have a friend randomly ask you things from the book to break it up.

3) Don’t rush

Make sure you have enough time, for the DMV and for the exam itself. You don’t want your mind anywhere else but there at the DMV to focus. You don’t want to be worried about picking someone up after or being late to work. Pick an appointment time that gives you time to spend there. There is no hurry when you take the exam either, take your time. If you are not sure of a question skip it and come back to it. Read each question like you are explaining the question to a child. Read it and do not rush.

4) Start Early

Start studying, reading and taking tests a month before you have to take your exam. You want to know the material so well that you want to be bored with it. Don’t think it is easy and that you will just study a few days before you go. Some more detailed information on test taking can be found from Kanas State University.

5) Get enough sleep the night before.

We might all have memories of college and cramming for exams the night before and not getting any sleep, but that will just make you stressed and forget what you need to remember. Getting a good night’s sleep before an exam has shown to increase the amount you remember compared to panic studying. You should have finished studying a week earlier and just be reviewing…right?

Just follow these tips and you should be fine. We will have you out on the road driving and traveling before you know it. Though the paper exam is not hard and it is written for people to pass it, a surprising amount of people don’t pass it. The main reason for this is not actually reading and studying. If you don’t make the effort, you will not pass it. It doesn’t take much, and really, the benefits of driving are worth taking a bit of time to learn.