Testing Anxiety? Tips To Ace Your Permit Test The First Time Around
Posted on: 12 September 2016
If you are between the age of 14 and 16, then you can legally get a driving permit. In some states, like California, you will need to take some driver education courses first. Afterwards, you can take the written test so you can receive the permit. The test will consist of multiple questions, and you will need to answer the majority of the questions correctly. Many young individuals find the test relatively easy. However, it may not be so simple for you if you have test anxiety. If you want to overcome your anxiety and pass the driving permit test the first time around, keep reading.
Do Not Cram The Night Before
It is never wise to cram for an exam the night before the test, and this is definitely true when it comes to studying for your driver's permit. All of the test questions will be based on information located in your state's DMV handbook or driving manual. If you want a physical copy of the handbook, then you can pick one up at your local DMV or you can ask the office to send you one in the mail. You also have the option of viewing and downloading manuals that are posted online.
Make sure to find, pick up, or order the manual well in advance. Read through the manual numerous times for several months before you take the test. This will allow the information to transfer from short-term memory to long-term memory. This cannot happen if you study right before the test. Long-term memories are transferred from short-term memory based on whether or not they are important. If you read the same facts from your driving manual over and over again, your brain is more likely to think they are important. The facts will then be stored and you will be able to recall them.
For many people, memory recall problems can cause anxiety. Studying for months will reduce the anxiety by allowing information recall to happen quickly. Memory recall can be improved as well by doing things like reading from your manual out loud or teaching what you have learned to another person. Consider partnering with another student who wants to take the permit test soon and practice reading out loud to one another and teaching each other the facts from the manual book.
Give Yourself Plenty Of Time
If you typically feel rushed and anxious when you take an exam, then you may feel time urgency quite strongly. Time urgency is when you feel worried about deadlines, schedules, appointments, and whether you have enough time to get a specific task completed within a timeframe. Time urgency is often linked to anxiety, high levels of stress, constant procrastination, rushing, and multitasking.
If you are a person who feels time urgency, then you may rush to complete something like your written permit test. When you rush, you make mistakes, reduce your concentration, and limit your brain's ability to recall facts.
To avoid time urgency situations, make sure to look at the schedule for your local DMV office. The office will be where you need to take the permit test, so look for the times when the DMV is open. Most DMV locations are open during normal business hours, so you cannot go on a Saturday. Speak with your parents to see if you can take a day off from school to take the permit exam and go to the office close to 9:00 AM. If possible, go to the DMV during the middle of the week and also in the middle of the month. The DMV will not be as busy during this time, and you should not have to wait in line to get the test or to hand it back in to a teller. This way you have more than enough time to take the test.
For more advice on how to prepare to get your driving permit, check out websites like http://www.a1peckdrivingschool.com.
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