List of checkpoints that is not included in the book or is usually forgotten during the provisional / indoor course practical skill exam.
Greetings and Replies
When you start the exam, greet the examiner, say hello (yoroshiku) and reply with "hai" when you are instructed to "where to go". When you start with greetings this will help you feel more comfortable, When you reply, this will serve as a sign that you heard and understood the instructions.
Ensure that you are performing the safety checks
When adjusting the rear-view (room) mirror in the preparation stage, adjust it with your "left hand" while maintaining the correct driving posture.
Even if it's not necessary to move the mirror position, use your left hand to adjust and check the proper position (this means you are performing a safety checking). If you adjust it with your right hand, this may change or shift your driving posture's position.
Note: Points will be deducted if you fix and adjust the mirror after pulling out or while driving.
It may be unlikely that you will need to adjust the left and right side (door) mirrors but ensure to check that they are in the correct position too.
Exaggerate a little bit the Safety Checking and Confirmation
Move your head by the neck when checking for safety before or when turning right or left, or when looking at the mirrors. The examiner knows if you are looking or checking only by your eyes.
After following the specified speed (accelerate to 40km, 50km, etc.) from the examiner, always check the behind by looking at the rear-mirror just before starting the deceleration.
Even if you are driving straight ahead, always check the behind with the rear-mirror from time to time. But remember, overdoing will result in "inattentive driving" and will be a point deduction, so it is important to do it moderately or as necessary.
Test drive-run (break-in)
If there is a section where you can test drive after starting, test the condition of the vehicle's gear, and the hardness, (or softness, sensitivity) and reaction of the accelerator and brake. Even if you drove the same car model before, it will be slightly different. Expect that each vehicle is different.
If you made a mistake or misunderstood the instruction
There is no deduction if you made a mistake in the given direction or did not hear it clearly, so stay calm. The examiner will reroute you to give the instruction again.
Drive Smoothly and Appropriate
The indoor course at the license center site is not that wide, so avoid driving too aggressive (poor acceleration or driving too slow if inappropriate will be a deduction). Ensure to accelerate smoothly whenever you can accelerate even for a short distance, and "drive slowly" when appropriate, say turning left or right, passing a curve, entering a blind spot or intersection .
Decelerate "completely" before the curve
Reduce to a "suitable speed" just before entering the curve (the gentle curve on the outer circumference of the course). If you press on the brake while driving into the curve, it means that the deceleration was not properly done. This results to a "20 points" deduction and a comment of "driving too fast at the curve".
S-curve and Crank-shaped (Narrow roads)
When entering into the S-curve or the crank type, it is allowed to make one (1) adjustment (turn), so no points will be deducted at first.
However, if you make an adjustment the second time, the points of the first time (5 points) will be applied, and a total of 10 points will be deducted.
A total of 15 points will be deducted if done 3 times. If you make four adjustment (turn) at the same spot or place, it will be concluded that you failed the test and will be automatically cancelled.
In short, when passing the S-curve or the crank-shaped, "between the entry point and the exit point", it is allowed to make an adjustment (turn) up to 3 times for each of this narrow road.
Safety Check and Confirmation even when reversing (turning) back
Even when reversing at the S-curve and/or the crank type, ensure to visually check the safety behind you when backing up.
This should be done every time you need to reverse or make an adjustment. If you forgot, a deduction of "10 point" will be applied.
Warning: Please note that this is larger than the deduction (5 points) due to turning back.
Traffic Light turns Yellow
If the traffic light is likely to turn yellow or turned yellow and you increase the speed to pass the intersection, it will be a safety progress violation and you will be deducted (point depending on the situation i.e. 5/10/20).
If it turned yellow, and you can safely stop before the stop line, STOP. However, you can continue to pass if stopping due to sudden braking is more likely to be dangerous.
Stop before the stop line
Ensure to "completely" stop "in front" of the stop line at the designated stop sign such as with a "Stop" sign or "blinking RED light". The "front tip" of the car's body or the tires, should not cross the stop line.
Even exceeding just a little will be considered as a dangerous action of "non-stop at the designated place". This will results for automatic test failure.
Alway stop just before the stop line with a 1 meter distance-gap. But even if it is within 2 meter-gap, no points will be deducted, so stop within a 1~2 meter distance-gap to the stop line.
If you stop at a distance of approximately 2 meters or more from the stop line, it will be 5 points deduction.
Stop position before the pole at arrival/departure point
When returning to the starting/arrival point, ensure to position and stop your car with approximately 30 cm from the roadside.
In addition, the vehicle's front tip should be positioned and be stopped within 30 cm of the target object such as a pole. The scoring criteria clearly state "approximately", so it doesn't have to be perfect.
Engage the "parking brake" and put the gear into "P" for AT and "N" for MT.
Before getting off, turn off the engine and be sure to visually check the rear with the mirror before getting off. The examiner will score until you get off and close the door.
Note: For MT car, after turning off the engine, ensure to engage the gear into "R" before getting off the car.
Other Important Points
Safety Checking - ensure to do the 5 or 7 points checking, depending on the situation. Avoid over-doing it.
Left turn - make it compact (sharp), close to the left side (lane, shoulder, gutter) with a distance of 30~50 cm. Always check rear-mirror, left-side mirror and over the shoulder and ensure to slow down when executing.
Right turn - make it wider but not too big or too compact. Position to the right with a 30-50 cm distance i.e. from the aisle or center-line. Always check rear-mirror, right-side mirror and over the shoulder and ensure to slow down when executing.
Indicator (Signal) - signal timely, 30 meters (about 6 cars length park back to back) before the turning point or earlier as needed. Do not forget to turn it ON and OFF as needed.
Avoiding obstruction - always provide a safe wide berth distance of 1 meter or more. Driving to close is a deduction.
Blinking "Red light" - full stop. Stop more than 1, depending on the situation. Once safety is confirm, proceed.
Blinking "Yellow light" - proceed with caution. Understand who has the right of way.
Blind Spot or Intersection - always check and anticipate vehicle coming from left or right. Better to stop fully, check the safety, once safety is confirmed, proceed with care.
Right of way - understand and remember who has the right of way.
What are the categories to suspend / cancel the on-going practical exam?
A. When the total accumulated points you have missed, clearly make it impossible for you to achieve a passing score. Passing is 70 points and above. You got 100 points at the start of your exam! Minus points are 5, 10 and 20 points.
B. When you have been guilty of any of the following type of hazardous driving:
Driving the wrong way against on-coming traffic.
Reckless driving.
Zigzagging.
Overturning.
Scraping objects.
Running over boundaries.
Driving on the right side of the road
Obstructing traffic.
Failure to observe traffic signals.
Failure to stop momentarily.
Failure to stop at a railroad crossing.
Violation of a pedestrian safety zone.
Passing violation.
Exceeding the stop zone.
Reminder:
Passing Crossroads:
It is immensely dangerous to make abrupt turns without signals or from wrong lanes.
When turning to the left, stay as near as possible to the left side of the road and turn slowly along the edge of the crossroad.
When turning to the right, stay as near as possible to the centerline and turn slowly before the center point of the crossroad.
If a crossroad has a "follow directions" sign, make sure to choose and stay in the correct lane for going straight or turning to the right or left accordingly.