Parents often play an important role in whether their teenager passes at the DriveTest centre on the first try or has to return for a second appointment. Before allowing your teen to enter the building, here are some of the best ways to avoid the eight most common mistakes among first-time G1 test takers:
Mistake 1: Cramming the night before.
This error can undermine the preparation. A teenager decides that the road test is a “one night” learning process, browses through a couple of quizzes the previous evening and fails the test the next day having little to no knowledge of the material. Learning the road rules is a process that requires more than five hours of intense cramming. The demerit point system, fines, school zone speed limits and right-of-way rules are best retained over weeks of consistent learning rather than one night of trying to memorize everything. When teens spread the process of studying and commit themselves to two to three weeks rather than one day, they retain a better knowledge of the information.
Parent move: Set a strict studying schedule. It can be something short as long as it is consistent. You could even incorporate it into your own daily routines by allowing your teen to study as you get ready for work or eat a morning meal. It’s about making time, not making the time very long.
Mistake 2: Skipping the MTO official handbook.
The practice tests that are made available online are an incredible tool that teens use to prepare themselves for the test. However, those are not the only materials that should be used to assist in preparing for the G1 exam.
Practice tests are made from a limited number of available questions and while they could help with mastering the questions that are likely to appear on the exam, they might not assist as much in memorizing information that is less likely to appear. However, the Official MTO Driver’s Handbook, on the other hand, was designed for the sole purpose of preparing the student for the G1 and G2 exams. Not only does it include all types of possible questions, all the necessary fines and rules associated with being a new driver, but it’s mandatory that every G1 candidate reads it. So you should help your teen read it as well.
Parent move: Provide your teen with the Handbook and spend a short amount of time each week going through it with them. If spending a week going through it is too much, help them go through one or two chapters.
Mistake 3: Not knowing what to expect on the exam beforehand.
The G1 knowledge test is comprised of 40 multiple choice questions. Of those 40, 12 are about road signs and the other 28 are based on the road rules. In order to receive a passing grade, your teen is expected to answer at least 32 questions correctly. They will have 30 minutes to answer them all. In many cases, the teens that are unaware of the breakdown of the test in advance tend to panic when the test comes because they do not know what to expect. They become anxious about both sections of the exam. They panic unnecessarily because of the fear of losing points. They also tend to constantly think that they are working too fast or too slow when they are not.
Parent move: You should advise your teen to spend more time studying sections of the test they find hard but if they know that the 40 questions consist of only 12 signs, they could spend 30% of their preparation time on signs and 70% on the road rules. The same applies if they find signs difficult and prefer spending more time on the rules.
Mistake 4: Practicing tests but not looking over their mistakes
This step could be the most obvious one on this list. If a teen practices tests but does not look at the questions they got wrong, that is a critical error. It is crucial to spend the time looking over what was wrong if their intention of practicing was to get better at the exam. Teens could use this as an opportunity to analyze what mistakes they commonly make.
They could notice patterns and realize that certain topics were a weakness for them. They should spend more time studying the subject of those mistakes until they feel confident that they will not make them on test day. Especially since the practice tests are a great resource that is very similar to the experience of test day itself, the errors should be avoided in the long run. Not looking over the mistakes, especially with this driving resource, could leave a teen struggling with the same type of problems with every test and not seeing an improvement from the last test they took to the one they are currently practicing. They might assume they know the answers from the previous ones or just remember them from the last time they practiced.
Parent move: This may sound obvious. But when it comes to parents trying to avoid mistakes while keeping a good relationship with their teen, the no. 1 most important thing to do is to help them look over the mistakes and understand why they are wrong. If you have 5 minutes to spare after your teen takes a practice test every day, look at their mistakes and see why it is, according to the MTO Handbook, the right answer. Maybe they misunderstand some of it. This is an important step to take after completing any practice test.
Mistake 5: Misreading questions on test day.
Although 30 minutes can seem like a short time, most teens tend to have enough time to read the question twice. The most common reason for failing a G1 exam for teens who prepare properly is reading the questions too fast. When “within 30 m of an intersection” can mean the difference between choosing A or D or when “unless otherwise posted” keeps appearing throughout the handbook, the question is not about what was learned but is rather about reading. In addition, if a teen is racing through questions on test day or throughout the practice tests, they are likely to miss important qualifiers or exceptions. If they do not take the extra second or two to make sure they understood the question, they are bound to make mistakes.
Missing too many questions because of the inability to read them correctly is possibly the most common reason why teens are found within 3 to 6 questions of failing. While practicing the tests at home in a short time frame is useful, it is better for a parent to teach their teen to flag any questions they are not certain have been read correctly and read them again for an extra 3 to 4 seconds. Those 3 to 4 seconds will likely give the teen another opportunity to score a point on their final exam.
Mistake 6: Showing up unprepared for documentation and fees.
DriveTest centres are strict about this particular section. In addition to a few other requirements, they ask for proof of identity, proof of date of birth and proof of residency. There is an acceptable list of documents for each type of proof and it is up to the candidate to bring them to the appointment. The knowledge test fee and G1 license fee is also paid on the day of the appointment.
Families that do not look into this section could find themselves turned away. It is an uncomfortable scenario and one that could see the teen leaving empty handed because it was assumed that an ID card would be sufficient in proving identification and identity. The next step would be to reschedule an appointment and spend time trying to find documents that the DriveTest centre is willing to accept.
Parent move: Go to the MTO website and download the list of acceptable documents for each type of proof. Print it out at least a week before the appointment and review it again the day before the big day.
Mistake 7: Disregarding the importance of the eye screening.
The G1 exam consists of a vision test that is conducted inside of the DriveTest centre before taking the written knowledge test.
This step is not thought about much by many families but it is critical for those that need to wear glasses or contact lenses. Corrective lenses must be worn to the DriveTest centre and if a teen fails the eye screening, they will not be able to take the exam and leave empty handed because they did not pass the vision test. They will have to reschedule again and come back for a second appointment.
Parent move: Ask your teen whether they have any vision problems and if their glasses or contact lenses prescriptions are up to date. If they are unsure, it is always better to visit an optometrist before the big day rather than be denied at the DriveTest centre.
Mistake 8: Thinking that G1 is the end of the driving experience and not the beginning.
The G1 is only the first step in a three-step process that consists of G1, G2 and full license. There are still two more steps and the G1 stage allows new drivers a supervised driving experience (with a maximum speed limit of 80 km/h for the first 12 months). After obtaining the G1 license, teens need to have at least 12 months of supervised driving before they are eligible to take the G2 road test. Most parents forget that G1 is only the beginning of the road and tend to step away from a lot of the responsibilities right after their teen passes the G1 knowledge test. Everything teens learned while preparing for the G1 is useful during the 120 hours of driving practice. The rules they mastered, the fines they studied and the road signs they memorized are all going to be used during their driving experience. The rules they will learn while studying for their G2 will also build off of what they learned for the G1. Parents must understand that the G1 is only the first of many driving tests they will have to take before they are fully licensed.
Parent move: Think of the 120 hours of driving practice as an extension of the knowledge test. Remember the mistakes you are likely to repeat if you rush through any of the questions and the mistakes your teen is likely to make if they spend too little time preparing for the test or studying for the exam. If you want to improve their chances of passing the G1 exam, you should spend time with them during their 120 hours of practice. The time you spend in the car with them is also valuable for helping them practice avoiding distracted driving (which is what many of the questions on the knowledge test are about). It is also important to make sure they do not build bad habits during the majority of their 120 hours of driving practice with you.
