So I had about an hour’s drive leading up to the test centre to warm me up, I was nervous as a wreck.

Practice manoeuvre: parallel park, this was fine.

Finally reached the test centre, reverse parked in a bay, that was all right.

I entered the test centre. Dun dun duuun.

Test begins:

• read a car number plate 20 feet away, no problem
• correctly showed examiner how to deal with the brake fluid under the bonnet
• correctly told the examiner how to check the head/tail lights

The driving begins:

• had to pull over and move off about four times, this was ok
• my steering wasn’t great, noticed the examiner mark down some stuff at this point, chose to ignore this
• approached a large roundabout, noticed the examiner mark something else down, tried not to let this distract me

Manoeuvre: parallel park

• attempt number 1 with car number 1: I was just about to put the car in reverse gear and start to parallel park when a car came out of nowhere. Decided to pull forwards and let the speedster pass. Put the car in reverse gear, examiner said it wasn’t going to happen and told me to parallel park with the car in front
• attempt number 2 with car number 2: waited for a long time for cars to stop passing, then pulled forwards to start the parallel park, a car that had been waiting in a side road then decides to drive towards me, I stop, and reverse back into the space to let the cars pass
• attempt number 3 with car number 2: make it or break it, once the cars have passed I quickly moved forwards to start the parallel park. Car was slow, I observed all around, wheels were close to kerb but not touching, done and dusted.

Continue driving:

• just driving along and somehow managed to get to some country roads
• I see the 40mph speed limit, at first I stick to 30-35mph, then decided to boldly make it to 40mph and I’m in fourth gear
• get back to the test centre. Wait agitatedly whilst examiner tallies up the score sheet.

I passed!!

7 minors:

• 2 minors for steering, I was aware of this, thought it would be down to positioning, but nope, it’s my steering
• 2 minors for speed: the 40mph country roads actually had a speed limit of 60mph! I was going 35-40mph. But only got 2 minors for speed, or lack of progress, because I was driving safely and there were no other cars about, and it did keep changing from 60mph to 40mph and back to 60mph, so I suppose I was playing it very safe
• 1 minor for hesitation, I forget what this was about
• 1 minor for lack of awareness: regarding the parallel park, as I started and stopped quite a bit
• 1 minor for mirror check: at the large roundabout, I didn’t check my left mirror before joining the roundabout

My instructor informed me that the examiner I had is really harsh, yet chose an easy route for my test. Said he didn’t want to tell me the examiner was one of the harshest ones at the test centre till after the test, wise choice.

Did a little dance. Had a little shriek. Still waiting for my real license to show up. Still can’t believe I’ve passed. SO happy!