Teens are typically thrilled at the thought of obtaining their driver’s license, yet far less enthusiastic about the Florida DMV test that leads to the license. Driving tests come in two parts, a written exam and a driving test, and you must pass both to pass at all. While you don’t have to be gung-ho about the Florida DMV test to pass it, you do have to be prepared. These tips can help.

The Written Exam

Florida’s written exam covers the state’s rules of the road. This can include things like road signs, pavement markings and proper intersection etiquette for who goes first at a four-way stop sign.
  • Make friends with your driver’s manual. Officially dubbed the Florida Driver’s Handbook, this little baby contains everything you need to know to pass the written exam.
  • Make even better friends with your driving instructor. While not mandatory, enrolling in a Florida drivers education class can be a big help. Florida driver ed courses are especially useful for teens who have never been on the road.
  • Take practice tests. Practice tests let you get a feel for the exam while spot checking how much you’re actually absorbing from all that Florida drivers education.

The Driving Exam

The point of the on-the-road driving test is not to make you sweaty and nervous. It’s instead designed to ensure you are ready to take the wheel. The test ensures that you are keen on Florida’s rules, have adequate vision and skills for safe driving and can read, understand and heed signs, signals and road markings. Practice, practice and more practice is the key to passing your driving test. Your Florida driver ed instructor should give students ample practice time, and you can supplement it by driving under the direction of your parents or other licensed family members. The person administering the test will be looking for several factors that help prove you’d be a safe and careful driver.
  • Smooth steering, turns, accelerations and stops
  • Scanning for hazards
  • Driving defensively, or in a manner that is safe, speed-conscious and careful
  • Following other vehicles at a safe distance
  • Driving in the proper lane
  • Using your turn signals
  • Obeying signs, markings and rules of the road
A final tip is to pay extreme attention to one of the most important signs: that one with the speed limit on it. florida dmv test