Keep failing practical test because of nerves...anyone any helpful ideas?

When you get in the car just take a couple of deep breaths and don't think of it as a test, just think about it as another lesson, my instructor also told me that should you make a mistake don't get all flustered about it as it will lead to others, just accept it and keep going.

I drive perfectly fine when I'm not in a test situation and my driving instructor is despondent that I keep failing because I don't have any problems when i'm driving him around haha!

I'm not really bothered whether its scientifically proven to work or not i'd take the placebo effect if it gets me through and it definitely did have a calming effect on me, just not a big enough one haha!

I've failed my driving test 3 times now, and it is pretty much all to do with nerves :\

My faults are never the same its just whatever I happen to balls up on the day haha!

The nerves have just gotten worse with each consecutive test, I had a lot of rescue remedy before the 3rd one but still managed to fail as I was leaving the test centre haha!

The rescue remedy definitely worked because I used it before a lesson and was soooo calm, but it obviously just wasn't enough to touch the nerves of the test!

I even paid for a hypnotherapy download haha but that doesn't seem to work either, I spend my time sitting through it thinking wow this is silly and a waste of 20 minutes...

Anyone got any other ideas or things they used to help with really bad nerves? I'm not generally a nervous person at all which is what makes it even more annoying!

Visualize what you're going to do before you do it

The problem with this advice is that you have to be in the right frame of mind, i.e not Nervous and focussed.

Nope, I'm a really anxious person, and I visualize stuff. It's just a quick thinking-through, not a fix-all, but it does help your brain be ready.

But surely you have to believe that it can happen. To me visualization is just enhancing that belief even further, and making you even more relaxed and focussed; I only visualize when I'm in that mind-state. (I think alcohol is the best solution in this case)

Just a thought here.. could it be that your instructor just isn't picking up any habitual faults or just doesn't recognise or remedy any serious ones that only the examiner points out?

Confidence comes from knowledge. Those who are out of their depth or leave it all to luck are bound to be nervous as they feel they have no control over the test outcome.

True, but I think if you're just mindlessly panicking like I do, making a note of each thing you're going to do helps :P

Is it still Placebo if you know it doesn't work now lol? Just put your foot down and drive, stop making excuses.

i didn't read the whole of that article and to be honest one person saying it doesn't work doesn't really bother me. doesn't necessarily mean they're right and if you psychologically believe it can work then of course it can still have a placebo effect on you. power of the mind and all that.

and i do put my foot down and drive thanks, i was just asking for a bit of help / ideas not making excuses.

but its fine, i've got one idea now at least : note to self, don't listen to Lamps 08.

Ouch! Anyway, personally I think it's mainly down to luck on the day in all honesty; I drove no better the 3rd test when I passed- And in the tests prior to that I accumulated alot of Majors and I believe one serious (I casually snapped a wing-mirror)

my 3rd test test today i thought i was doing really well until i went in the wrong lane instantly knew and i signalled to go in to the correct lane an i got a fail for that!