Taking the New Jersey Driving Test Soon? Here’s What You Need to Know

If you want to be able to shop at the best car dealerships in NJ, first you must pass obtain your driver’s license. Doing so in New Jersey requires acing a road test and written exam, but knowing what to expect can drastically help.

Perhaps you’re a prospective new driver hoping to hit the road soon. If so, let us give you some tips and advice on how to pass your New Jersey driver’s license test.

Practice, Practice, Practice

The old saying, “practice makes perfect” couldn’t be truer. Practicing your driving skills plenty before you take the test is a great way to calm your nerves and leave you feeling fully prepared and confident heading into the road test portion of your exam. Start out in empty parking lots or residential streets and work your way up to low-traffic areas and then highways.

As tough as criticism from “backseat drivers” can be at times, use anything your parents or driving instructor is telling you as constructive feedback and learn from it. Speaking of driving instructors, hiring one or taking a driver’s training course is never a bad idea. Although they’re not free, they are effective at simulating test conditions and educating new drivers on what they need to know before getting behind the wheel by themselves.

Know the Rules of the Road          

Memorizing New Jersey’s state laws and regulations for its drivers may be enough to pass the written exam portion of the driver’s license test, but it is a better idea to really understand each rule and make it a habit of following them as you practice driving.

Whether it’s passing laws, road signs, traffic signals, speed limits, safe following distance, signaling, etc., it’s all fair game on the New Jersey written driver’s license exam. Be sure to read your driver’s manual from cover to cover and study it intently. You can even take online written tests to practice.

Simulate Road Test

Studying is what will mostly help you pass the written portion of the driver’s license exam, but practicing and simulating will prepare you the most for the road test. If you can closely simulate the actual road test you’ll be taking, that is ideal.

A few things that are typically included in the road test that you’ll want to keep in mind are parallel parking, checking for oncoming traffic when pulling out of a parking space or parking lot, making complete stops, knowing how to use the emergency break, yielding at intersections lane changes, signaling, use of mirrors, maintaining speed limit, safe following distances, and more.

Test Day Tips

On the day of the test, don’t be nervous. If you’ve done all of the above, you should be fully prepared. But while you’re taking your driver’s license test, focus on the road not your instructor, don’t get hung up on mistakes, and make sure you’re using a vehicle you feel fully comfortable with.