Best way to prep for driver test

[True Blue]

Lao Po didn't drive in China and speaks English well but has some difficulty reading certain terms.

 

(1) Got state driving manual and translated to Mandarin for her to read over the course of a week. Each day she made a list of questions or US specific driving terms that she didn't understand. Each evening when I got home I tried to VISUALLY show her some of the items that confused her. We would go to the driveway and I would demonstrate the difference between high beams and low beams or showing her how parking brakes worked. We would drive to a place where 2 lanes merged to one to show her the road signs and the traffic pattern. Some items (driving on hills or roundabouts) weren't available in Central Florida so I found a picture or internet video.

 

(2) Then we downloaded several free practice tests. She got about 50% on the road signs and maybe 35% on the traffic regulations her first test (after 1 week of study). I took the tests and got 80% (minimum to pass and I had to guess several times) on the road signs. I got 55% (failed) the traffic regulation part missing questions like "how long does it take a freight train going 30 MPH to stop?" "how long is your license suspended if you get 18 points in 18 months?" "how long can a teen driver drive at night at age 17?" and "what is the effect on mescaline on driving?" (I knew it wasn't good but I guessed it was a downer not an upper or some such thing). Lao Po was discouraged especially after I told her I read some folks from China need to take this 5 times before they pass.

 

(3) Then I decided to pay (over Lao Po's strenuous objections that this was wasting money)$15 for a random driver test database that generated random tests and tracked her score. Best thing I ever did! After a week of slowly improving her score and more importantly understanding how the questions would be phrased, she took the tests and passed with a 95% (only missed 1 question!). In Florida you must pay for each retest if you do not pass the test, so I told her the $15 actually saved us money. Meeting a Chinese girl at the Drivers License office who came to retest brought home that point!

 

So if you can find such a database for $15-$30 for your state, buy it! It is well worth the money and taking several hundred tests on line really took any nervousness factor away when she took the real test at the drivers license office. Lao Po was confident and aced the test!

 

Many on line test database are available for sale for each state. Look for one that has a large database of questions and tracks the scores of each test so you can see improvement and areas need more study.

Edited October 30, 2010 by True Blue (see edit history)

[Lee VD]

Thanks for the tip, will definately try that. I am not too worried about the written since she is good with english and a good studier. What I am really worried about is I have an SUV (Chrysler Pacifica) and it is horrible to see out of the back. >I< cannot even parallel park it without touching the curb or the car behind me to know where it is! I can't imagine her trying to maneuver that boat. I guess she will just have to try and get used to it. It doesn't have rear sensors and I may have them put in. I can certainly use them too!

 

The last time she was here she tried the bus to the mall and that worked out well so she can get around on the bus for now.

[Randy W]

Incidentally, the test in China IA an online database of 1500 questions. You get to answer 100 of them within 1 hour.