Driving skill test strategies

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Driver's License Guide
Overview	Skill test	Message board

This page details strategies for passing thedriving skill test|技能試験|ginō shiken for foreign license holders in Ehime Prefecture.

Note: This guide is not a substitute for the instructor-led practice sessions available at the Ehime Driver's License Center. You are recommended to take the practice sessions and keep taking them, until your instructor tells you that you are ready to take the test. Hopefully this guide will help you reach that point more quickly.

Wow! Download and print out a detailed cheat sheet based on this guide (PDF, 700KB)

1 Overview
2 Essential vocabulary
3 General strategies
4 Giving verbal signals
5 Step-by-step
6 See also
7 External links

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Overview

The driving skill test consists of a short (~5–10 minute) drive through the special course at the Center. It tests your ability to perform the following tasks:

Adjust the car interior to allow comfortable, safe driving
Change lanes left and right
Make left and right turns
Proceed with appropriate caution at intersections, train crossings, crosswalks, etc.

The course itself is not difficult, but you must give verbal signals at many different points indicating that you are taking appropriate cautions.

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Essential vocabulary

Many words describing the car interior come directly from English, so native English speakers should have no problem with that part (note the exception of "rearview mirror"). The other words are not difficult, and some should be familiar to anyone who has studied some Japanese.

However, the verbal cues in the driving skills test can be entirely performed in English, should the examinee wish to do so.

Skill test essential vocabulary
Japanese	Pronunciation	English
左	hidari	Left
右	migi	Right
後方	kōhō	Rear
左右	sayū	Left & Right
よし	yoshi	OK
音	oto	Sound
なし	nashi	None
ドア	doa	Door
シート	shīto	Seat
ベルト	beruto	Seatbelt
ミラー	mirā	Mirror
ルームミラー	rūmu mirā	Rearview mirror
ギア	gia	Gear (shifter)
ブレーキ	burēki	Brake
エンジン	enjin	Engine

The verbal signals are almost all of the format 「X よし」, where X is one of (or a combination of) the words above. (The only exception is 「音なし」 (oto nashi), "no sound", used when checking for a train at a railroad crossing.)

For example, 「左後方よし」 (hidari kōhō yoshi) is the single most-repeated phrase in the test. As you can determine from the table above, it literally means "left-rear OK"; this signal is used when checking your left rear side before changing lanes or making turns.

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General strategies

To remember all of the steps to the driving test, it is important to understand the rationale for when and where to use which signals.

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Changing lanes

Changing lanes|車線変更|shasen henkō requires two checks of the rear: one before, and one after activating the turn signal. Using a left lane change as an example (replace 左 with 右 for a right lane change):

Give verbal signal 「左後方よし」 (hidari kōhō yoshi)
Activate the turn signal
Wait 3 seconds
Give verbal signal 「左・左後方よし」 (hidari hidari kōhō yoshi)
Move into left lane. Your left wheel should be ~50cm from the curb.

Note that you say the direction twice when actually moving into the other lane.

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Making turns

First, when turning left, you must always check your left rear side for bicycles and motorcycles before giving any other signal. This signal again is 「左後方よし」 (hidari kōhō yoshi).

When preparing to make a turn, you must check that both left and right sides of the crossroad are clear before proceeding. This signal is 「左右よし」 (sayū yoshi), and is applicable at, for instance, 4-way intersections and the "base" of T intersections.

「左右よし」

「左右よし」

However, when there aren't both left and right crossroads to check, such as when turning from the "top" of a T intersection, check only the direction you are turning. This signal is 「左よし」 (hidari yoshi) or 「右よし」 (migi yoshi). Confusingly, small sidestreets don't count as proper roads, so there are some locations that require only 「左よし」 or 「右よし」 when one might think that 「左右よし」 is more appropriate.

「右よし」

「左よし」

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Stopping

When stopping|停車|teisha, you must always check behind you to make sure you don't get rear-ended. This signal is 「後方よし」 (kōhō yoshi).

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Pedestrian crosswalks

You must check both left and right sides for pedestrians at a crosswalk|横断歩道|ōdan hodō. The signal is 「左右よし」 (sayū yoshi).

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Poor visibility intersections

At intersections with poor visibility, you need to check the left and right twice.

Slow as you approach the intersection
Give signal 「左右よし」 (sayū yoshi)
Slow down further as you enter the intersection
Give signal 「左右よし」 again

On the course at the Ehime DLC, there is one intersection designed to have poor visibility; this is the one with concrete walls on each corner (No. 15 on the step-by-step guide).

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Railroad crossings

You must come to a complete stop (don't forget to say 「後方よし」) before a railroad crossing|踏切|fumikiri, then check left and right 「左右よし」 (sayū yoshi). You must also check for the sound of an approaching train. Open your window a crack so you can hear outside, then give the signal 「音なし」 (oto nashi).

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Giving verbal signals

If you rush through your verbal signals, you can be penalized for not taking proper precautions. This is especially important on the left-rear and right-rear signals.

Think of each part of the signal as a "beat", and move your head on each beat. For example, the signal 「左後方よし」 (hidari kōhō yoshi):

「左」 (hidari) — Look at the rearview mirror
「後方」 (kōhō) — Look at the left side mirror
「よし」 (yoshi) — Look at your left-rear blind spot

The signal 「左・左後方よし」 (hidari hidari kōhō yoshi) has an extra beat in it, so look out your left side window and then at your left-rear blind spot.

The most important thing is that you're still actually assessing the situation as you say 「よし」; if you've already turned your attention back to the road in front of you, then you don't really know that your left-rear is clear.

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Step-by-step

The information in this section is also available as a printable PDF: Skill_Test_Guide.pdf (700KB)

See also a bigger, numbered image of the course

There are just 38 simple steps to passing the skill test. Follow the route detailed in the numbered version of the image above, saying the Japanese vocal signals listed below at each point noted.

Initial check
- Lock door 「ドアよし」
- Adjust seat 「シートよし」
- Fasten seatbelt 「ベルトよし」
- Adjust mirrors 「ルームミラーよし」「左ミラーよし」「右ミラーよし」
- Check Shifter 「ギアよし」
- Check handbrake 「ブレーキよし」
Turn on engine 「エンジンよし」
Lower handbrake
Shift into drive
Flip turn signal
Departure check 「左後方よし」「右後方よし」
Lane change right
1. 「右後方よし」
2. Flip turn signal
3. Wait 3 seconds
4. 「右・右後方よし」
5. Move into right lane
Obstacle
Lane change right (see no. 2)
Lane change left
1. 「左後方よし」
2. Flip turn signal
3. Wait 3 seconds
4. 「左・左後方よし」
5. Move into left lane
Crosswalk 「左右よし」
Curve 1 ~25kph
Curve 2 ~35kph
Begin right lane change at 2nd street light
Finish lane change at least 4 center dashes ahead of intersection
Right turn 「右よし」
Left wheel should graze center triangle
Halway through turn 「左後方よし」
Finish turn on far left
If stopping at light, 「後方よし」
Left turn 「左後方、左右よし」
Crosswalk 「左右よし」
Lane change left (see no. 3)
Left turn 「左後方、左右よし」
Poor visibility intersection
Pause partway through turn 「左右よし」
Finish turn on far left
Stop sign 「後方よし」 ~30cm from curb
Left turn 「左後方、左右よし」
Lane change left (see no. 3)
Left turn 「左後方、左よし」
Approaching intersection 「左右よし」
Halfway through intersection, signal left 「左後方、左よし」
No verbal signals required on small streets
Signal right 「左右よし」
Halfway through turn 「左後方よし」
Finish turn on far left
Signal left
Turn left 「左後方、左右よし」
Hug left shoulder
Signal left
Turn left 「左後方、左よし」
Hug left shoulder
Signal left
Turn left 「左後方、左よし」
No verbal signals required on small streets
Signal right 「左右よし」
Pause at intersection 「左右よし」
Turn right into farmost lane
Visibility check 「左右よし」
Slow into intersection 「左右よし」
Begin lane change right (see no. 2)
Finish lane change at least 4 center dashes ahead of intersection
Turn right 「左右よし」
Left wheel should graze center triangle
Turn into farmost lane
Crosswalk 「左右よし」
Begin lane change left (see no. 3)
Finish lane change at least 4 center dashes ahead of intersection
Turn left 「左後方、左よし」
Stop at train tracks 「後方よし」
Check for train 「左右よし」「音なし」
Stop at pole as instructed 「後方よし」 ~30cm from curb