12/30/2014

DMV's Driving Test How to Prepare for Your Driving Test

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DMV's Driving Test How to Prepare for Your Driving Test

DMV's Goal
PDFVersion
OneoftheDepartmentofMotorVehicles'(DMV)majorgoalsistokeepalldriverslicensedforaslongasitissafetodoso.Along
withthatgoalistheresponsibilitytoenhancehighwaysafetybyincreasingdrivercompetency.DMValsorecognizesthatthe
independenceandmobilitythatdrivingprovidesareimportantfactorsinthequalityoflifeformostCalifornians.

What to expect
Youcanexpecttobetreatedwithrespect,fairness,andcourtesyduringtheentireexaminationprocess.Ifyouarenottreatedin
thismanner,pleasecontacttheofficemanager.

DMV Wants You to Pass

Manypeopletaketheirdrivingtestwhentheyhavenotsufficientlyprepared,orhavenotpracticedenough,orhavenotpracticed
therightway.Othersgetverynervousbecausetheydon'tknowwhattoexpect.Remember,theDMVexaminerwillridewithyou
onlytomakesurethatyoucandrivesafelyandobeytrafficlaws.
Yourdrivingtestwilllastabout20minutes.Thetestconsistsofbasicmaneuversyouwillencounterwhiledrivingsuchas:leftand
rightturns,stopsatcontrolledanduncontrolledintersections,straightlinebacking,lanechanges,drivinginregularstreettraffic,
andinsomecasesdrivingonthefreeway.
DMVwantsyoutopassyourdrivingtest.StudythispamphletaswellastheCaliforniaDriverHandbook.Relaxanddoyourbest.

Who Takes a Driving Test?

Youwillberequiredtotakeadrivingtestifyouhave:
neverbeenlicensedinanystateoryouholdaforeigncountrylicense.
avisionrelatedproblem.
alimitedtermlicenseforspecifiedphysicalandmental(P&M)conditions.
aphysicalcondition(exceptcorrectivelenses)andDMVimposesarestriction,orifyouarecurrentlyrestrictedandyou
requestthattherestrictionberemoved.
anoutofstatejunior,provisional,orprobationarylicense.
beenlicensedoutofstatebutdonothavethelicensetosurrender.
DrivingtestsforlicenserenewalsorholdersofoutofstateorU.S.territorylicensesarenormallywaived,ifthelicenseis
presented.However,DMVmayrequireadrivingtestatanytime.

Are All Driving Tests the Same?

Thedrivingtestforthebasiclicenseclass(ClassC)isthesameforalldriversregardlessofage.Anadultdrivertakesthesame
typeofdrivingtestasateenagedriver.Adriverwithaphysicaland/ormentalconditionmaytakeadifferentversionofthedriving
testcontainingadditionaltestelements.

Preparing for Your Driving Test?

Getenoughpractice.Somedriversneedmorepracticethanothers.Minorsmustcomplete50hoursofbehindthewheel
training(includingtenhoursofrequirednightdriving)beforetakingadrivingtest.Whenyoupractice,pretendyouaretaking
adrivingtest.Askyouraccompanyingdrivertocalmlypointoutyourmistakes.Askquestionsaboutaparticulardriving
situationthatmayhaveconfusedyou.Correctyourmistakes.Thenexttimeyoupractice,payparticularattentiontocorrect
anydrivingerrorsyoumadethetimebefore.
PracticeallthedrivingmaneuverslistedintheSafeDriverchecklistbelow.TheDMVexamineristheretoensureyou
havedemonstratedyoucanhandleyourvehicleinregulartrafficsituations,nottotrickyou.Duringyourdrivingtest,the
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DMV's Driving Test How to Prepare for Your Driving Test

examinerwillnotehowyouobeytherulesoftheroadandtrafficsignsand/orsignals.He/shewillnoteotherareasinwhich
youmayneedimprovement.
Safedrivingtips.Practicethesetipstoimproveyourdrivingskills:
Steersmoothlyatalltimes.
Acceleratesmoothly.Don'tracetheengineormakeitstall.
Stopthevehiclegently.Startbrakingwellaheadofwhereyoumuststoptoavoidsudden"jerks."Knowwheretostop.
Beawareofcrosswalks.Ifyourviewisblockedatacrosswalk,moveforwardcarefullyandlookbothwaysbefore
enteringtheintersection..
Besureyourvehicleisinthecorrectgear.Don'tgrindthegears.Don'tcoasttoastop.
Alwaysobeythepostedspeedlimits.Ifneeded,reduceyourspeedtoadjustforexistingweather,road,andother
trafficconditions.Remembertoturnonyourlightsifyouneedtouseyourwindshieldwipersinpoorweather
conditions.
Followatasafedistance.Usethethreesecondrule.Increaseyourfollowingdistanceinbadweatherorpoorvisibility.
Knowwhatthetrafficsignalsmeanandobeythematalltimes.
Alwaysusetheproperlane.Turnfromthecorrectlaneintothecorrectlane.
Signalforalllanechangesandturns.
Alwayslookforpotentialhazards(scan).Checkyourmirrorsfrequently.Alwayslookoverthepropershoulderbefore
makinglanechangesorpullingawayfromthecurb.
Drivedefensively.Anticipateanotherdriver'serrors.
Ifyouareunsureaboutyourdrivingskills,reviewthefollowingDMVpublications:ParentTeenTrainingGuide(PDF),Senior
GuideforSafeDriving,CaliforniaDriverHandbook,andtheLet'sGoforaDrivestreamingvideosavailableonlineat:
www.dmv.ca.gov/video/.Thesepublicationsprovidedetailedinstructiontocorrectlyperformthedrivingmaneuversrequiredona
drivingtest,aswellasthelawsandrulesoftheroadandsafedrivingpractices.

Other Test Information

Foryoursafety,pleaseasktheexaminertoshowyouhisorherDMVidentificationbadgebeforethetestbegins.Petsor
passengers,otherthantheexaminerorotherauthorizedpersonnel,arenotpermittedduringyourdrivingtest.
Ifyouhaveanyquestions,pleaseasktheexaminerbeforeyourdrivingtestbegins.Duringthetest,theexaminerwillaskyou
questionsorgiveyoudirections,buthe/shewillnotengageingeneralconversation.

Test Vehicle Requirements

Thevehicleyouuseforyourdrivingtestmustbesafetodrive.Beforethetest,theexaminerchecksfor:
twolicenseplates.Therearplatemustshowcurrentregistration.
bothfrontandbackturnsignallightsandworkingbrakelights.
aworkinghorndesignedforthevehicle.
tireswithnobaldspots.
adequatebrakepressure(youwillbeaskedtosteponthebrakepedaltoseeifitworksproperly).
adriver'ssidewindowthatrollsdown.
awindshieldthatallowsafullunobstructedfieldofvision.
tworearviewmirrors(onemustbeontheoutside,tothedriver'sleft).
driverandfrontpassengerdoorsthatopenfromboththeinsideandoutside.
asecuredglovecompartmentdoorsoitdoesn'topenduringthetest.
apassengerseatpermanentlyattachedtothevehicle.
workingsafetybelts,ifthevehiclewasmanufacturedwithsafetybelts.
workingemergency/parkingbrake.

Financial Responsibility
Youmustshowthatyourvehicleisproperlyinsuredbeforethedrivingtestbegins(orthetestwillbepostponed)byprovidingone
ofthefollowing:
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DMV's Driving Test How to Prepare for Your Driving Test

Adocumentwiththeliabilityinsurancepolicyorsuretybondnumber.
AnAssignedRiskinsurancecardwiththenameoftheassignedinsurancecompany,filenumber,andcurrentcoverage
dates.
Currentinsurancebinderorcopyofaninsurancepolicysignedorcountersignedbyaninsurancecompanyrepresentative.
Rentalcarcontractifthedriverislistedonthecontractastheinsured.
DMVissuedcertificateofselfinsuranceoracknowledgmentofcashdeposit.
Writtenconfirmationfromtheinsurerthatthepersonisinsured.

After Your Driving Test

Learningtodrivesafelydoesnotendwithyourdrivingtest.Yourlicensemeansyouhavemetthedrivingtestrequirements.
However,ineverydaydrivingyouwillhavetodealwithmanysituationsandproblemsyoudidnotencounteronyourdrivingtest.
Thebestwaystodealwithunexpectedsituationsistoalwaysusethesame,safedrivinghabitsandtheresponsibleattitudeyou
demonstratedonyourdrivingtest.
GOODLUCK!

Safe Driver Checklist

StartingtheVehicle:
Adjustsmirrorsandseat
Fastenssafetybelt
Knowswheretheoperatingcontrolsarelocated

MovingForward:
Signals
Looksinmirrorsandovershoulderbeforepullingintotraffic.
Usestwohandsonoppositesidesofthesteeringwheel.

Stopping:
Checkstraffic(seesandreactstohazards).
Stopsbehindcrosswalkorlimitline.
Stopswithoutusingacceleratoratthesametime.

Turns:
Slowsforturns.
Beginsandendsturnsinthecorrectlane.
Yieldsrightofwaywhennecessary.
Acceptslegalrightofwaywhensafe.
Seesandreactstohazards.

Backing:
Checksmirrors.
Looksoverrightandleftshoulderasappropriate.

ChangingLanes:
Signals
Checksmirrors.
Checksovershouldertoviewblindspot.
Changeslanessafely.
Maintainsspeed.

DrivingontheFreeway:
Checkstrafficflow.
Timesentryintofreeway.
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DMV's Driving Test How to Prepare for Your Driving Test

Checksmirrorsandovershoulderbeforemergingintotraffic.
Signalsearlyandslowsonexitramp.
Adjustsspeedtoroadconditions.

DefensiveDrivingTechniques:
Checksmirrorsbeforebraking.
Checkscrossstreetsbeforepassing.
Checkssignallightsandsigns.
Keepseyes"moving".
Keepsa"spacecushion"aroundthecar.
Followsatasafedistance.
FFDL22(REV5/2012)

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