There is no definite answer that we can come up with as choosing the method can be dependent on many factors including and not limited to: finance, time, current confidence/competency levels, amount of lessons required, past license/training history, experience levels etc. Though to help you out we have created a table that can assist you to make a decision.

It can take as little as 2 weeks to few months; depending upon your ability to learn things, confidence and current competency level.

There is not one line answer that we can come up with for every driver. In VORT, student may need as minimum as 1 lesson to as many as they need to feel confident and competent before appearing for a VORT. For CBT&A, if you are very confident and experienced then you may need as little as 12 sessions to 20 sessions and a final drive.

We usually teach students around 20-25 KMs radius from Adelaide CBD.

We design routes based on your requirement and future training required. The lessons can start and finish at a location convenient to you depending upon the booking availability.

It’s a very personal preference and DPTI does not have a distinguish license categories in SA. That means you achieve exactly same license using an auto or a manual car. Though we only have an automatic cars. For many reasons an automatic vehicle is a more popular purchase, mostly due to driver comfort and ease of movement through urban and city driving environments. An automatic car is much easier to drive and you may not need as many driving sessions.

Kia Sportage Auto Toyota Camry Auto Toyota Corolla Auto

You should ideally book your lessons as soon as you get your learner’s permit. Lessons are most effective when you are new to driving.

7 days a week. From as early as 7 AM to 7 PM. We also offer long late night lessons if needed as a special arrangement. There may be a surcharge applicable for special bookings, late nights, public holidays and or remote locations.

Yes. All of our vehicles are covered with fully comprehensive insurance covering all drivers of all ages with legal learners permit.

Yes. You should request this as soon as the lesson is finished.

Not all Instructors are authorized to sign CBT&A tasks. The instructor in question must be Authorized Examiner for CBT&A.

60 min or 90 min. We also offer 2-5 Hr lesson but it is only available on special request.

If everything is progressing as needed during the test then it can go for as little as 45 min to 60 min depending upon the traffic conditions.

CBT&A final drive’s primary assessment is supposed to go for minimum 25 min. If you fail in Primary Assessment then you will be offered Secondary Assessment.

See BOOK ONLINE section or LESSONS section for detailed information.

There are two correct methods of steering a vehicle, which are known as the pull-push method or the hand-over-hand method. A Motor Driving Instructor should assist you in determining which method is the most suitable for you.

In South Australia, there are two ways to obtain your Driver's License, the 'Competency Based Training & Assessment' (Log Book) System or CBT&A and the 'Practical Vehicle On Road Test’ or VORT System.

In South Australia if you are 16 years or older you can apply for learners permit. In your learners test you will be doing two sections. Give way test, 8 out of 8 correct and Multiple-choice questions, 32 out of 42 correct. Before you go for your learners test it is better to practice the theory test available online.

Please call Service SA on 13 10 84 and book a Theory Test. Once you pass it then in most cases they issue Temporary Driving Permit for 3 months. Sometime if you are too young then they may place some special conditions same as Provisional license. After this you have to either do CBT&A or VORT and HPT.

The answer is YES. You can do CBT&A but you do not need to Log 75 hours of driving experience in your Log Book. Yes you will get a Full License once you finish your CBT&A.

Yes we have Accredited Male and Accredited Female instructors in our team. All of our Instructors are Examiners and Experienced, we train in late model automatic cars.

In South Australia there is no such restriction. If you pass your CBT&A or VORT in an Automatic car you will still get an unrestricted License to drive manual cars as well for same class.

There are 4 requirements for those who wants to Proceed from L's to P's. 1. You’ll need to have held a valid learner's permit for at least 12 months. 2. Log at least 75 hours driving experience (60 Day and 15 Night hours) with a qualified supervising driver. 3. Complete your 30 tasks in log book (CBT&A) or pass a VORT (Vehicle on Road Test). 4. Pass your Hazard Perception Test at Service SA. If you have an overseas License, you don't need to Log 75 hours of driving experience. For those who get their L's after their 25th birthday. They need to hold their L's for at least 6 months only before they can apply for P's.

1 Year on P1 one and 2 years on P2 before you get your full license.

We always ask our clients if they have looked at their, "The Driving Companion" before they decided to start learning. 99% of the clients reply NO. Please look into your The Driver Companion in before you Drive Section what levels of Driving instructors are there and what all services they are qualified to provide. I have had so many clients who said we wanted to do CBT&A and after so many lessons my instructor left his job, went to another state or went overseas for holidays. Unfortunately in most cases they were not qualified to do what they promised. PLEASE CHECK THE INSTRUCTORS LICENSE BEFORE YOU START. There are 3 levels of instructors. 1. Who can provide driving lessons and prepare for VORT and sign off your log book forms (Hours only). They are called MDI- Motor Driving Instructors. 2. Who can provide driving lessons and prepare for VORT and sign off your log book forms. On top of that they are authorized to sign off CBT&A Tasks and issue a certificate of competency based on CBT&A system ONLY. They are called AE-CBT&A only. (Authorised Examiner CBT&A Only – with a YELLOW TAG) 3.Who can provide driving lessons and prepare for VORT and sign off your log book forms, sign off CBT&A Tasks and issue a certificate of competency based on CBT&A and also are authorized to conduct VORT and issue a certificate of competency based on VORT. They are called AE- for VORT and CBT&A. They have RED and YELLOW tag on their MDI license. (An Examiner who has authority to do VORT, if did lessons with you is not allowed to conduct a VORT with you for 6 months after your last lesson).

• It is much easier and cheaper to do the logbook and or VORT • No one passes their VORT the first time • Examiners and instructors collude to make more money • I don’t do well in tests so the logbook will be better for me • My friend said the VORT is easier or CBT&A is easier • The major driving schools say it is better to do particular methods • You fail for silly things like turning steering while not moving (dry steering) • VORT can be failed because you fail some or all slow speed manoeuvres • CBT&A can be finished in 2-3 lessons • Instructor can make sure that I will pass my VORT in first attempt • Examiners always want to fail people 2-3 times to make more money • Auditors being present means that failure is guaranteed

THE APPLICANT You must have your valid learners permit with you and comply with all permit conditions e.g. when your permit lists “corrective lenses” as a condition, you must wear them for the test or the test cannot be conducted. Any other condition listed must be complied with. If your permit does not have a photograph, additional identification such as a passport or other acceptable documentation must be produced. You must wear appropriate footwear – no thongs, bare feet, clogs (shoes with soles thicker than 3 cm) or shoes without heel support. VEHICLE CHECK You may drive a motor vehicle only of the class that is stated on the Learners Permit. The motor vehicle, when driven on any public road or public place, must be registered and have third party (bodily injury) insurance. The motor vehicle must have “L” plates clearly displayed to the front and to the rear and must not obstruct the learner’s or the accompanying Qualified Supervising Driver’s view. The motor vehicle must be roadworthy. ROADWORTHY CHECK (If using your own car for lessons or assessments) All indicators must operate correctly. Tyres must have clearly visible tread pattern of at least 1.5 mm in depth on all parts that come in contact with the road. All brake lights must operate if fitted as original equipment. The warning device must operate. Wipers will be checked if there is a reasonable possibility of rain during the test. All mirrors where fitted as original equipment must be functional. The vehicle will be rejected and the test rescheduled should the vehicle fail to comply with the roadworthy check. This will result in a loss of the test fee and the government booking fee. Should a VORT not proceed due to the examiner discovering insufficient documentation, inappropriate footwear or the vehicle is not roadworthy, then the test will be treated as a no show and the full test fee will be forfeited. Any test that has been confirmed and lodged with the government and is cancelled/rescheduled/no show/not enough documents/in-appropriate footwear/vehicle check failing, will forfeit full test fee.

There is no legal requirement for you to take any lesson prior attempting VORT. Though it is advisable to take some professional lessons to increase the chances of success. For a confident and competent driver it may take up to 5-10 Hrs of professional training to understand VORT testing requirements fully and so some practice mock VORT assessment. Examiners know what to look for when a person has predominantly been taught by Mum or Dad – all those bad habits will have been passed on. This is why it’s important that you get enough lessons with an actual driving instructor so that you can pick up the right habits from the star.

There is no definite number of lessons that you must take before attempting VORT; in other words there is no legal requirement that you must take a professional lesson before attempting the VORT. We usually recommend taking some lessons so that you can familiarize yourself with the VORT system. There is never a guarantee that you will succeed if you take lessons; it just increases your chances to pass VORT in less attempts. Only when you know that you are competent with your driving to the standards in the Driving Companion and are very confident in your knowledge of the road rules should you consider attempting the test. Learner’s Choice Driving School offers a pre-VORT lesson with one of our professional instructors to highlight the common areas where clients fail their VORT, and give you feedback on areas to work on to provide you with the best chance of passing the test first time.

It depends on student. From experience it can be anywhere from as little as 15 Hrs to 50 Hrs or even more depending upon the ability of student to complete the 30 TASKS. There is no one answer for this question in all honesty.

Competency Based Training and Assessment (CBT&A) is a progressive assessment system. You are assessed as each task is completed. The training is designed to cover all aspects of good driving behaviour and the development of good driving attitudes. The training allows you to learn at your own pace without a 'test' deadline. There is no 'pass' or 'fail' when each task is assessed. If you are unsuccessful in any assessment of a task, the Authorised Examiner can re-train you and then re-assess your performance again in that task within the same or a later driving lesson. This CBT&A course will provide you with efficient, structured training in a wide variety of driving experiences including country driving. Drivers graduating from this program will be able to demonstrate the confidence and competency needed for today's road and traffic conditions. Entries by your Authorised Examiner in the task forms will provide you with accurate information on your progress in the CBT&A course. The records completed by your Authorised Examiner will also give valuable help and guidance when you are practising with your Qualified Supervising Driver(s). Practice using the information in the task forms to reduce the cost of your training.

Yes. But even though your current CBT&A AE is authorized to conduct VORT; he/she can not conduct one unless you wait 6 months between last session and VORT. If you want VORT attempt within 6 months period then you must choose a different AE who can conduct VORT.

The easiest and cheapest option would be to go back to same previous CBT&A AE. If you choose to go to a new CBT&A AE then he must perform RCC(Recognition of Current Competencies).

No. Even though you may have done many VORT classes (MDI or AE) but if nothing was marked off in Logbook in Amber/Orange section then CBT&A will still require minimum 15 Hrs of training in total for an experienced driver. But if your VORT lessons were still being delivered in line with CBT&A tasks and if the tasks were being signed off then it is easy to continue doing CBT&A with same AE that you have been learning.

You may change Authorised Examiners at any time during the CBT&A course. The new Authorised Examiner will be required to check that you can perform all of the Tasks assessed and signed off by your previous Authorised Examiner. This process is called Recognition of Current Competencies (RCC).

Our driving school is always eager to work with kids with special needs. We have special plans to assist them, and we always do. We meet your parents or guardian and discuss a plan with them after initial lesson. There is no definite answer weather CBT&A will suit better or VORT. In fact sometime VORT turns out to be easier when we are dealing with kids who has known learning disability OR they find it hard to remember 29 page worth of knowledge !

This is the most common question we get. Reverse Parallel parking is an easy and a very systematic maneuver. We will teach you in a way that you will be able to do the parking as per standards in just a lesson or two 😊

The answer is conditional to scenarios. A lot of people don't know that any maneuver in a VORT is worth 2%. We have had many students who have passed their test even if any or a couple of their maneuvers were wrong. We do explain the conditions to our every client before they sit their Assessment or Test.

No. South Australian Government rule is that any Final Drive or VORT is to be booked with 2 clear days Notice. For Example if you need to do a final Drive or VORT on Thursday it needs to be booked with the Government on Monday. The booking also depends on what free appointments we have on our end 😊

You need to wait 3 days before you can attempt another final drive in CBT&A; and 14 days before you can attempt another VORT. If you have an Overseas License you can reattempt your CBT&A final drive or VORT in 3 days. If you were doing CBT&A and you tried doing VORT just for sake of speeding up the process and you failed VORT then you can still do your CBT&A where you left off with same examiner as before and do the final drive ASAP. (With 2 clear days of booking requirement and based on how many tasks are remaining before your final drive)

Crossing hands and hand over hand are two different things. Our instructors will make sure you understand the difference and have no issues in your Driving Test.

We always ask our clients if they have looked at their, "The Driving Companion" before they decided to start learning. 99% of the clients reply NO. Please look into your The Driver Companion in before you Drive Section on PAGE 5, what levels of Driving instructors are there and what all services they are qualified to provide. I have had so many clients who said we wanted to do CBT&A and after so many lessons my instructor left his job, went to another state or went overseas for holidays. Unfortunately in most cases they were not qualified to do what they promised. PLEASE CHECK THE INSTRUCTORS LICENSE BEFORE YOU START. There are 3 levels of instructors. 1. Who can provide driving lessons and prepare for VORT and sign off your log book forms (Hours only). 2. Who can provide driving lessons and prepare for VORT and sign off your log book forms, sign off CBT&A Tasks and issue a certificate of competency based on CBT&A system. 3.Who can provide driving lessons and prepare for VORT and sign off your log book forms, sign off CBT&A Tasks and issue a certificate of competency and conduct VORT and issue a certificate of competency. (An Examiner who has authority to do VORT, if did lessons with you is not allowed to conduct a VORT with you for 6 months after your last lesson).

To pass a VORT you must demonstrate 5 slow speed manoeuvres and in combination with the general drive score a pass mark of 90% or more and not breach any road law during the drive. Any breach of road law will result in an immediate fail and the test will be terminated. The Vehicle On Road Test will test your skills and knowledge as a safe and competent driver. Your test will take approximately 45-60 minutes and you will be required to demonstrate 5 low speed manoeuvres, (move off on a hill/moving off, angle park, U-turn, 3-point turn and reverse parallel park) as well as a general drive. The general drive component will test your driving skills e.g. changing lanes, turning on and from busy roads, turning at traffic lights, negotiating roundabouts, stop and give-way signs, your interaction with other road users, traffic lights negotiation, cross road, pedestrian crossings, school zones, bends, modified t junctions, boxed-in, straddling, dip, speed humps, slow points and the system of car control. (Every testing route prepared by department may or may not include everything listed here) If you are unsuccessful your Examiner will debrief you on the reasons why. A copy of the test marking sheet will be given to you detailing your performance. The examiner must provide you with a copy of the VORT recording sheet at the conclusion of your test regardless of whether you pass or fail. The VORT recording sheet is broken in to four sections. Section 1 will identify breaches of road law. A breach in road law will result in the test being terminated and you will be directed back to the starting point. Section 2 you must demonstrate each of the following 5 manoeuvres. • Parallel Parking • Angle Parking • Moving Off • U-Turn • 3 Point Turn Each correct manoeuvre scores 2 marks, for a total of 10% Section 3 is comments about your General Drive. Refer to the Driving section for an explanation of these terms. Section 4 records how well you can drive. Faults will be detailed in the General Drive comments section. You may score a maximum of 90% for your general driving ability. If the test is terminated through an Immediate Fail Item, 2 horizontal lines are placed in this section to identify where the breach occurred. You must comply with the following conditions when undertaking a VORT: • You must comply with all Learner's Permit conditions. • You must present your current permit to the VORT motor driving instructor at the beginning of the test. If the permit does not have a photograph, additional identification such as a passport or other acceptable documentation must be produced. • You must be punctual or you may forfeit your test. • You must allow an Authorised Person (a government employee who has clearly identified himself/herself) to observe, from within the test vehicle if requested. The Authorised Person will ask the Instructor to show your Learner's Permit. • You will not be allowed to carry passengers (or animals) during a VORT. (The Authorised Examiner and any Authorised Persons are exempt.) • You must wear appropriate footwear - no thongs, bare feet, clogs (shoes with soles thicker than 3cm) or shoes without heel support. Notes: (a) The VORT practical test cannot be started earlier than 5 minutes before or later than 15 minutes after the appointed time. (b) An interpreter is not permitted to ride within the vehicle during a VORT. Prior to the beginning of the test and with assistance of the interpreter, the Instructor should explain the meaning of any hand signals to be used during the test. At the end of the test, the Instructor may explain the test result to the driver with assistance from the interpreter. (c) If you do not accept the above conditions, an Accreditation Auditor must conduct the VORT. (d) Learner's Permit conditions still apply until the appropriate licence is obtained from a Service SA Centre even though the test has been passed and a Certificate of Competency has been issued. (e) The test is an overview of your knowledge and driving skills. The VORT motor driving instructor's role is to observe and record - they may only give directions and parameters as required. The ability to drive and perform manoeuvres is your own responsibility. (f) If you are using your own vehicle you must provide evidence that your vehicle is registered. The registration expiry date can be checked: • by telephoning 13 10 84 between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday • by going to ezyreg.sa.gov.au; or • by using an EzyReg smartphone app. • Government Authorised Persons regularly monitor the standard of training and assessment being applied by Authorised Examiners. An Authorised Person may observe any VORT from within the vehicle. • The Authorised Person will identify themselves at the beginning of any VORT and will not intervene or influence any result stated by your Authorised Examiner. The Authorised Person will be looking at how your Authorised Examiner conducts the VORT and will not take any part of your test. • An Authorised Person may request to look at your Learner's Permit and your Driving Companion. • Government Authorised Persons may also further validate the driving skills of any person not subject to the Graduated Licence Scheme. This usually involves applicants from countries which do not have sufficiently robust licensing systems to ensure that drivers are safe and competent. • In these cases applicants may, after completing a VORT with an Authorised Examiner, be identified to present for an additional assessment with a Government Authorised Person. The VORT or CBT&A Last Training Session may be taken at any time except: • Christmas Day and Good Friday; • before 7.30 am or after 6.30 pm from 1 September to 31 March • before 7.30 am or after 4.15 pm from 1 April to 31 August • before 10 a.m. on Public Holidays or Sundays for class car, The VORT will be conducted on a test route set by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles. The test route is designed to enable you to demonstrate safe operation of a motor vehicle and interaction with other road users in a range of situations. The VORT will result in either a 'pass' or a 'fail' and is an objective testing system based on your correct responses to road and traffic conditions. You are not permitted to undertake a VORT with any Authorised Examiner who has contributed to your training in last 6 months. Your Motor Driving Instructor must book your VORT with an Authorised Examiner at least two full days prior to the date of the test. If you fail a VORT, you must wait at least 14 days before attempting another VORT if you are on a SA Learner’s permit. If you have a Temporary Driving Permit as part of overseas license conversion then you may be able to re-sit VORT in 3 says as long as Authorized Examiner has space for booking.

• Practice at home after each lesson. • Maintain concentration and focus on the day of the test. Be confident and competent. • Refresh your road law knowledge. Discuss with your instructor any questions you may have. • Be well-rested and stay calm throughout the test. • Remember the basic training and principles completed in your lesson: Do not go over the posted speed limit for the area. • Be careful around schools and roadworks  Remember that the default speed limit in South Australia is 50 km/h, unless otherwise signed. • Always use your signals when entering and leaving a roundabout • 5 second indicator rules when turning or moving away from or into the kerb, lane changing etc. • Do not tail-gate another vehicle. (3 second rule) • Do not straddle lane lines without failing to indicate and give way rules • Give way to other all other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists when required. • Always stop completely behind the line at STOP signs/line and at traffic lights. • Always comply with the System of Vehicle Control – Center Mirror Signal Break must be followed in that order. Refer to The Driving Companion book for more information.

• Failing to give away to other road users. • Speeding, including speeding throughout roadworks or in a school zone. • Straddling lane lines without indicators. • Not completely stopping behind the white line at STOP signs and traffic lights. • Not signaling for 5 seconds before moving off/pull over or changing lanes. • Stopping or parking illegally, for example in front of a bus stop or no parking zone or fire plug or solid yellow line etc. • Failing to follow reasonable direction. • Examiner intervention (physical or verbal) • Disobeying traffic lights/ road markings • Dangerous driving • Cutting corners unnecessary with both tyres • Driving without seatbelt • Driving on the wrong side of the road • Not signaling at all where required (For example exiting roundabout OR boxed-in) • Drive without due care/consideration • Passing a potentially dangerous situation too fast. • Taking risks • Too fast into corners • Passing pedestrians, bicycles and motor cycles or similar to fast or too close • Poor hazard recognition • Driving too slow and obstructing the traffic • Missing too many gaps and obstructing the traffic • Forcing other road users to change their direction or lanes • Getting confused with the instructions

Let us explain some of the major ones in detail now. Car has defects (If using your own car and you have not arranged a back up car with driving school or family) Indicators and brake lights that aren’t working are common defects that mean your car isn’t roadworthy and you won’t be able to take it on a test. Also be aware of the tread depth on your tyres, that your learner plates are displayed correctly and that you have sufficient fuel to complete the test (you can’t stop for fuel during the test). Failure to proceed on a green light It seems like this might be the most unlikely, but if you get distracted and don’t notice the green light the examiner might fail you, especially if a vehicle behind has to toot the horn to make you aware of it. You also need to be aware of how you pull away at a green light. If you’re crossing an intersection then you should glance left and right before you go just in case someone runs the red light. Tailgating If you follow too closely, you will be failed. A typical case where this might happen is in the wet going downhill where you should increase your following distance. Change down a gear to hold the car at the right speed if you find you’re on the brakes all the time. Stress and nervousness Your own stress and nervousness can make you drive like you’re an absolute beginner, making stupid decisions. Look at our articles on using affirmations and visualisation to help you relax. Speeding It’s easy for your speed to creep up if others around you are also speeding. Don’t give into the peer pressure. And also watch for a change in speed limit. If you move from an 80kph to a 50kph zone then you need to be at 50kph at the time you reach the 50kph sign. If you are going from a 50kph to an 80kph zone, you must remain at 50kph until you get to the 80kph zone. Downhill stretches are areas where keeping your speed down is more difficult. When you go over a speed limit at a school, road works, passing an emergency vehicle, in a car park controlled by the private parking areas act or any other posted speed limit a fail will be recorded. Failing to give way This is an easy one to do on roundabouts (many people don’t know how to signal properly on a roundabout) and at intersections where visibility is limited. Making the right judgment (“gap selection”) at an intersection is important. If you pull out in front of another vehicle you must be able to accelerate away safely without causing the other vehicle to brake or alter its course. When entering or leaving a road, u-turning, leaving the kerb or changing lanes if you cause another vehicle or pedestrian to alter their speed or position when you should have given them priority, you have failed to give way and will fail the test. Examiner intervention You will fail if the Examiner has to help you or has to take control of the vehicle to avoid an incident from occurring. Turning When turning at corners the wheels of the vehicle must not cross the centre line (whether it is painted on the road or not ) unless there is an obstruction. This includes the road you are leaving and the road you are entering. It can be considered as a FAULT or an IMMIDIATE FAIL depending upon how it happens. Checking your blind spot A common cause of failure is the driver not remembering to check over their shoulder when changing lanes, merging or moving away from the kerb. The best process is mirror, indication, blind spot, manoeuvre. This applies on both sides, and as you merge you should be aware of what’s to the left of you if you are merging from the right lane. Poor awareness at railway level crossings Remember that if you cross a railway crossing that has no lights or barrier arms that you should slow down and be prepared to stop. Look both ways before you cross. If it has a stop sign you must stop. Failure to stop for pedestrians At pedestrian crossings you must remember to stop for a pedestrian waiting to cross. Failure to stop at a compulsory stop sign This is such an easy one to miss. If you don’t stop at a compulsory stop sign then it’s an instant failure. Failing to follow reasonable direction The examiner will give you directions on the test and request a demonstration of the manoeuvres or general drive. They will repeat the request up to three times if necessary but if the examiner feels you intentionally ignored a request, they will record a fail. Avoid misunderstandings and don’t expect to be tricked. VORT is not about challenging your knowledge. It is all about testing your skills and ability to perform tasks. Everything that you are being asked to demonstrate is possible to achieve. If there is something that can not be performed legally at the time of your VORT for any reason then Examiner will not ask you to perform that particular task. Some examples : • Near a keep left sign, the student was told to turn right, but refused, thinking keep left means, you can’t turn right. (It only means, you must stay to the left of the sign when turning). • Another classic failure: When told to turn left, the applicant promptly turned right into a ‘One-Way’ street, getting right and left mixed up. • One applicant was driving in the left lane. The examiner ordered: ‘At the next set of traffic lights turn right.’ Again, the student failed to realize that a lane change must first be executed, because one does not turn right from the left lane. Think! • If it rains or strong wind, then Examiners don’t usually request to demonstrate Reverse Parallel Park exercise and you are awarded 2 points automatically. • If you are requested to perform a U-Turn and you end up aborting the turn because of give way / safety reasons then you are also awarded 2 points automatically. Not indicating With so much going on in and around the car, it’s easy for learners to forget to indicate when changing lanes or turning at an intersection. It can be a costly mistake though. Without communication from your indicators, it’s impossible for other road users to know your intentions. When pulling away from a kerb, you must indicate for at least five seconds. Additionally, an indicator shouldn’t be simply flicked on or off, but should be left on for long enough to give sufficient warning to other drivers and pedestrians. Getting confused on roundabouts Roundabouts can be confusing for the most experienced road user at times, so it’s understandable that learners might find the common intersection challenging. Depending on the amount of traffic, learners can have trouble gauging when they can enter the roundabout – try practicing on basic roundabouts in residential streets before tackling high-volume ones. While negotiating a roundabout, stay in your designated lane and indicate when leaving the intersection. The purpose of taking some lessons prior to your VORT is mainly getting used to the language used in the testing environment. For example; AT THE ROUND ABOUT FOLLOW THE ROAD AHEAD / AT THE ROUND ABOUT TURN LEFT / AT THE ROUND ABOUT TURN RIGHT Lacking road rule knowledge Having a good grasp of the road rules will help you when you get out on the road. It will also save you money and time when you’re going for your Ps. OR you can take the Competency Based Training Assessment – also known as the log book/CBT&A – which will see an instructor guide through a variety of driving situations required to be a safe and competent driver, before you complete a final drive with the same AE.

Mirror faults (M) Failing to check the Centre Mirror prior to signaling or braking or going through a bend or passing through pedestrian crossing When you do have to, or may have to, alter speed or position / direction you must check the mirror first or points will be deducted from your score. Signal faults (S) Failing to signal for a reasonable time before slowing to turn Sequence faults (Q) Failing to follow the correct sequence for the SOCC Signaling before checking the mirror when turning Signaling after checking the blind spot during a lane change Approach faults (A) Approaching an intersection to turn too quickly causing the vehicle to go around the corner roughly or not allowing sufficient time to make observations prior to the turn Approaching an intersection to stop or give way too quickly causing the car to stop abruptly or jerk unnecessarily When approaching corners and other hazards you must alter your speed early enough that a safe and smooth path can be taken. Going down through the gears to slow down will result in a loss of points – use the foot brake. Turn faults (T) This stands for Turn. Did the student turn appropriately at an intersection? Staying in lane for instance or entering on the correct side of the new road. Be careful because cutting a corner or turning wide could lead to an immediate fail for breach of road law, depending on the situation. You must not cross the broken painted line when turning at traffic lights. Position faults (P) Incorrect positioning (too far forward/back or to the left/right); Prior to turning left or right at an intersection At a give way or stop sign When waiting to turn across oncoming traffic the vehicle and its wheels should parallel to the flow of traffic until it is safe to proceed. Turning right from a laned road Entering a busy laned road The vehicle must be positioned on the correct place on the road for left and right turns, in relation to Stop lines and other road markings to avoid a loss of points. Observation faults (O) Failing to look in both directions when turning at an intersection, including at traffic lights and roundabouts Failing to do a blind spot check before changing lanes You must check for danger before travelling through traffic lights and other intersections. • You must check the blind spot when necessary on turns and on lane changes. • You must look out for any potential danger developing and take action as required. Judgement faults (J) Missing an opportunity or choosing a gap causing minor adjustment of speed of other road users when: Entering a busy road Turning right from a busy road Turning right at a traffic light: When entering and leaving roads or when manoeuvring you must be able to take safe gaps. If a gap is small and has increased risk a negative point is recorded but if the decision causes danger to anyone a fail will be recorded. • Points can be lost when good gaps are not taken. Sequence faults • Procedures must be demonstrated in the correct sequence. Mirror before signal then brake on lane changes and on approaches to corners. The steps must be in this order to gain points. Vehicle Control (VC) Unable to use all of the controls competently Unable to use the windscreen wipers, hazard lights and air conditioner/heater when required Unable to use the brakes and accelerator competently to provide a smooth ride without unnecessary jerking and jolting Unable to select the correct gear when required Safety Margins (Marg) Traveling too close when; Following another vehicle Passing another road user or stationary object Stopping behind another vehicle Progress (Prog) Driving along the road and through intersections at an unreasonable speed which causes obstruction to other road users Special Dealing with unusual situations inappropriately or awkwardly Moving around a bus at a bus stop Moving past a garbage truck Moving out to the way of an emergency vehicle Forgetting to check the blind spot/shoulder check It’s good to become acutely aware of any blind spots your car might have, and get into the habit of checking them to the point where it becomes second nature. Making sure your blind spot is clear while merging, changing lanes and turning will reduce the chances of you having a crash on the road, and is something your driving instructor will monitor throughout your training. Your error of not checking blind spots when needed can be just a fault and may turn into a dangerous item if there is another object/vehicle/person. If it is considered dangerous in particular situation which may or may not result in the examiner intervenes then you may score that as an immediate fail item.

The manoeuvres must be done in the exact sequence as per the driving companion. The vehicle must not roll contrary to the intended direction of movement. The driver must give way to all road users when performing these slow speed manoeuvres. This means that they must not start any manoeuvre if another road user is close enough to be affected by the driver’s vehicle (e.g. causing a change of speed or direction). If after commencing a manoeuvre another road users approaches from any direction the driver should allow them to pass by. The driver can only continue the manoeuvre when another road user is present if road user stops with the intention of forfeiting their right of way. The driver must be looking in the direction of travel as the car starts to move. (Look where you’re going/driving). For all procedure you must choose as SAFE and LEGAL spot to pull over or performing the task. Parallel parking • You must park the vehicle in a space that is the length of the vehicle plus 2.4 metres and the width of the vehicle plus 300 mm. • You must not hit the kerb or the parking poles or go out of the front or rear of the space marked by the poles. • From the start of the entry you may reverse into the space, move all the way to the front if necessary to get in and straight and a final move to centralize the vehicle. • On completion of the demonstration the vehicle must be reasonably central and parallel and be within 300 mm of the upright part of the kerb. • You must comply with all laws that apply to the activity. • Only one attempt is allowed Angle parking • You must enter a 90 degree angle park safely and legally. • The vehicle should be reasonably central and parallel and within 300 mm of the front kerb with the wheels straight. • When entering and exiting the parking space you must demonstrate comprehensive observation for safety. • After reversing out of the parking bay you must steer the front wheels in the direction that you are going to travel before moving off. • Only one attempt is allowed U-Turn If another vehicle pulls up behind then the driver must abandon the U-turn and just turn right, into the side road. While it is not strictly illegal to do a U-turn if there is a car behind, it can prove to be a dangerous undertaking. Also if another vehicle is waiting to turn right from a side road which will be used for the U-turn then the driver must abandon the U-turn and turn right. Apart from being a dangerous situation the driver must give way to the right turning vehicle and not cause confusion by cutting in front of them. Angle Park Appropriately parked is defined as: Wholly within the parking bay. No more than 300 mm out of parallel with the marked parking bay lines and with the wheels straight. The front of the vehicle must be within 300 mm of the end of the bay and not over the end of the bay 3 Point Turn The vehicle must not touch any kerb and must stay within the boundaries as stated by the examiner (e.g. Between the kerbs) Moving Off from the Kerb Not performing right sequence, not checking blind spot, not waiting for 5 seconds for indicators/signal, not removing parking break/hand break etc