Typically, a sixteenth birthday is filled with excitement and happiness, and celebrates another year with family. But with all the excitement, comes anxiety, panic and fear as teens prepare to take their driver’s test. 

So in order to ace any driver’s test, here are some tips and tricks.

First, as a word of encouragement and reminder, this test does not define anyone’s ability or worth. Failing should not have a negative effect on your life, people fail all the time. But in order to stop that from happening, practice as much as possible. The more time spent behind the wheel, the more comfortable testing day becomes.

Nervousness is normal on test day, but just know you came prepared. The test will start with a quick pre-check to see if the headlights, blinker and horn work. Then the instructor will get in the car and introduce themselves, so put on a smile and keep your nerves in check. 

Parallel parking, the most challenging task of the test, takes a lot of practice. So go to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) in advance and work hard to get better. This skill takes time so do not get frustrated. Although parallel parking does not determine whether or not you pass, it does account towards the overall score. 

 The test starts off difficult, beginning with the hardest task, parallel parking. Once you finish parking, you will leave the DMV and take a small trip into a neighborhood. The instructor will mark every detail, good or bad, but do not stress while they write. If worse comes to worse and you do not pass that attempt, these notes could be used as reference points for skills and details you need to watch out for during a retake. At the end of your test, the instructor will tell you if you passed or failed.

Getting your license should be a smooth ride with as little stress as possible. Just stay calm, practice and pass your test.