How to get a driving licence…part two

Are you waiting for the second part of How to get a driving licence?

Want to read about real experiences? So…what you are waiting for…read read 😉

We bring you the article which is written by our client Eimear. She experienced the whole process of “How to get a driving licence”.

My first visit

My first visit to the driving school was just an introduction where I met some of the instructors at the school and my translator, Daniel, and found out a little more about the classes and test.

Since the test consists of three separate parts, it is important to prepare for each of them. They explained everything to me, we made a plan for the lessons and they showed me the literature available.

I bought the Czech book from them and though at first I was unsure about it since it was only available in Czech, it turned out to be really helpful for the test, especially the technical knowledge part.

book for driving licence
How the book for driving licence might look 😉

How the driving lessons look like?

The driving lessons themselves are really great. Most of my lessons were in the evening, around 18:00 when the streets aren’t too busy or in the afternoons on weekends which was also ideal.

Petr, my instructor, was very encouraging and a really nice guy, which definitely made the lessons easier.

At first we drove around outside the city, but as the lessons progressed, we drove more in the city center and on the busier roads and intersections.

If at any time I found an intersection difficult to maneuver or confusing, Petr immediately suggested we try it again so there were no problems.

During the first few lessons your instructor will say “turn right”, “turn left”, etc. but as time goes on you will hear “go towards the center”, “take the high road” which prepares you for the test as you must understand all the signs.

As the test date gets closer, try some practice driving tests where you drive around the most challenging intersections and busier roads and then he’ll tell you at the end of the lesson if there were any problems, just like the test.

Also, try to schedule some lessons around the same time of day as your test will be as it may be busier at that time and you should be prepared for that.

If there is anyone who has never driven before or is maybe a little afraid or anxious about driving, there is also a simulator at the school to help you get started.

Driving simulator
“Are you afraid? Try the simulator first ;)”

Practice for some of the questions in the technical part of the final exam (e.g. changing a tire, the parts of the engine) is difficult to learn from a book, this will be a part of your lessons also.

You will need to know the details and locations of e.g. fuses, gas tank, spare tire, etc. in the car you take your lessons/test in but they will show you all of this.

The test day

As for the test day, the theory test is the first part of the final exam.

This is taken in the computer room at the driving school at the same time as anyone else who is also taking the test on the same day. 85% correct answers are necessary to pass. All of the questions are in Czech, but you will have a translator sitting beside you.

This test has questions on everything from road signs and Czech road rules to first aid.

There are practice tests available on this website which is only in Czech but if you use Chrome it’s much easier (if some questions don’t make much sense always ask your instructor at the next lesson). I did a lot of these practice tests and I recognized at least half of the questions on my test day.

The book (available from the driving school) has all the road signs in it, but the explanations are in Czech so I used this page to help me http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_signs_in_the_Czech_Republic. Some aren’t there but again, just ask your instructor if there is anything you are unsure of.

Assuming all goes well in the theory test, you go on to the next part of the test, with the examiner this time.

It’s just like an exam at the faculty where you pick out your questions.

Out of 25 questions, you pick just two and you can start by explaining whatever it is (e.g. ABS) then he’ll ask one or two questions and that’s it!

These 25 technical questions are listed in the beginning of the book (in Czech) but the driving school will give you a translation of them and there is also a more detailed translation available from foreigners.cz.

I found it best to use both the book and the translations together as the pictures help a lot.

The Final part

The final part of the test is of course driving. Your instructor will be beside you just like a normal lesson, only difference is that the examiner is telling you where to turn, park, etc. rather than your instructor and of course the official translator is there also.

There are no specific situations that must be passed; you may be asked to park during the test if an opportunity arises or perhaps to park in a certain space at the end of the test.

As for passing the driving part, there are big mistakes that can result in a fail (e.g. not stopping at a stop sign) and small mistakes which if the same mistake happens three times can also result in a fail (e.g. hitting the curb three times while attempting a parallel park).

Just make sure your instructor tells you all of them!

Taking the driving lessons and test in HK was a great opportunity and Pavlina is always there to help if needed.

I would highly recommend that anyone considering it should just go for it, it’s definitely worth it.

Good luck!

Eimear

This article is example for Hradec Králové city. In case you want more information for other city contact us at info@foreigners.cz.

Foreigners.cz

4 thoughts on “How to get a driving licence…part two

  1. Hi, Thank you for your nice introduction. I would like to ask if it’s possible to book a practical test *(computer test) on my own? Or it has to be done via autoskola? I failed for the first time and I want to make it as soon as possible. Thank you very much.

  2. Hi, my boyfriend failed to pass the driving test only for 4 times already. what is the maximum attempts in Czech republic to re-take the driving test?

    Many thanks.Miranda

    1. Hello Miranda,

      according to the information I found one can take as many attempts as they like. If you have any further questions regarding a driving licence, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@foreigners.cz.

      Best regards,
      Karyna.

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