Preparing for your Provisional driving test

If you have held your Learner's license in New South Wales for more than 12 months and have completed the mandatory 120 hours of driving in your log book, you may be ready to take the next step in your driving career: the Provisional driving test.

Provisional licenses: P1 & P2

There are two types of Provisional licenses in NSW: P1 (red Ps) and P2 (green Ps), each of which you must have for at least one year. Red P1 is what you're given after you successfully pass a driver's test, progressing from your Learner's license.

Now don't be thrown by the official looking RTA tester in their reflector hazard vest and clipboard in hand: if you are prepared, then you have every chance of passing you P1 test first go.

The first step to passing your P1 test is your logbook. A little trick is to have at leat 5-10 hours logged with a professional driving school. Although it's not mandatory by any means, it's generally looked favourably upon if you've had some professional lessons.

It also helps that a good driving instructor will give you a system for checking the car and traffic. For instance, if you're about to change lanes, you indicate first, check mirrors, check blind spot, and then if it's safe, move into the other lane. It might not seem like much, but when you're trying to think your way through a test, it can mean the difference between a pass and a fail. Many RTA testers will tell you that indicating and checking blind spots is the most common area of failure during the driving test.

Getting a wide variety of experience doesn't just look good on paper either – it's required. Of the 120 hours you have to complete, 20 or more of those must be at night. The log book is set up to encourage you to drive in all kinds of weather and traffic conditions, and the more you drive, the more confident you'll be on the day of your test. Just imagine if it begins to pour with rain during your test. That's fine if you have logged several hours of rain driving in your logbook, but if you've avoided it, it will show on the day.

Of course, while you're filling up your logbook, it pays to keep in mind what will be required of you during your P1 test. There's lots of information on the test available through the RTAs new website, greared.com.au. Since 2007, the test has changed in structure to become more focused of hazard perception. You will still have to perform the usual tasks, of course: reverse parks and 3-point turns being mandatory.

One point to be very mindful of is your speed. Some RTAs have tricky routes that include school zones, 50 zones or even freeways. They want to see that you can not only handle the car, but that you can also assess what is going on around you and adapt accordingly.

You will still have an RTA officer with a shiny vest and clipboard in the car with you, but if you get as much experience as you can before your driving test, your confidence will show on the day. Good luck!