How Countrywide helps until you pass your driving test!

 
Our goal is to teach our students to drive safely and to assist them in gaining their licence. 

Why use us for your Driving Test ?

The Driving Test is a very important time for learner drivers because as soon as they pass they are able to "go solo" and drive on their own. This is a very big event in most young Australian's lives as it as passage to their freedom and development as a young adult.

The student can be very nervous on this day and the lesson just before the test is very important for the Instructor to prepare them both physically and emotionally by calming their nerves and preparing them for the on road test.

Some learners prefer to take the test in the family car as they have had a great many hours of familiarity with it. Others prefer to attend the test with their driving instructor and attempt the test with the instructor. Countrywide Driving School offers our customers a Test service that is much more than just car hire!

Our offering is a Test Day Package service which is for 2 hours and includes a lesson before the test, instructor presenting the student for the test, use of our car for the test, debriefing and return to home at the end of the test. The price of this service is $150.00 when prepaid at the time of booking.

There are some very real benefits of our service including:

• Higher pass rates when the test is attempted in a driving instructors car
• A more relaxed Examiner as they have access to the dual controls
• The pre-test lesson time allows the instructor to calm, prepare and build confidence in the student just before the test
• The Driving Examiner will not conduct the test if in their opinion the vehicle is not roadworthy
• The Driving School cars are inspected by the Government every year

Our recommendation is that the student should take at least one lesson before the test. We are happy for this lesson to be a Keys2Drive Lesson (free to the student) if they qualify, and the focus can be The P Plate Ready Indicator program. 

Who books and pays for the driving test?

 
In the spirit of outstanding customer service we have negotiated test bookings with the Department of Transport which we make available to our customers whom prepay for our Lesson and Test Lesson. The wait list on the TMR website for publicly available test slots can at times be 4-5 weeks.

A test booking fee must be made either to us or directly to the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) however the fee must be paid prior to booking a test. Tests can be booked using one of the following methods:

• Using one of bookings allocated to us (where we deliver a prepaid Lesson and Test Lesson)
• Booked via the TMR website
• Customer books the test directly with TMR
• Saturday Tests arranged by us.

We charge $60.25 for the weekday booking fee which has a slight mark-up over the department's charge. We charge $80 for the Saturday booking fee. Our mark up covers the administrative costs of the process. 

Eligibility to Sit for the Practical Driving Test

The following general rules apply to determine if the learner is eligible to sit for the test on the day booked:

• Must be 17 years of age
• Must have held their learners licence for at least 12 months
• Must have completed 100 hours of supervised driving in their logbook
• The logbook must be approved by TMR before the student can undertake the test, however we can book the test in advance but we recommend this is no sooner that 3 weeks from when they send their logbook to TMR.  
  You are now able to sign submit your logbook with your signed copy of the Driving Experience Declaration Form before you turn 17, however you must be 17 on the day you sit your Q-SAFE practical driving test.
• Students who are 25 years of age or older or who hold an overseas licence are not required to complete a logbook.