Knowing the most common behind the wheel test mistakes gives your teen a huge advantage on test day. The Virginia road skills test evaluates roughly 50 driving maneuvers, and the examiner is scoring every single one. Even confident drivers lose points on things they never practiced or simply forgot under pressure. Here are the mistakes where students lose points most often — and exactly how to make sure your teen avoids every one of them.
Whether your teen is taking the test for the first time or retaking after a failed attempt, understanding these common driving test mistakes is the fastest way to improve their score and walk out with a license.
The Top 10 Behind the Wheel Test Mistakes
Mistake #1: Rolling Through Stop Signs
This is the single most common behind the wheel test mistake, and it catches students who think they stopped when they actually didn’t. A “rolling stop” — where the vehicle slows to 2-3 mph but never reaches a complete standstill — will cost points every time. The examiner watches the vehicle’s wheels, not the brake lights.
To pass, your teen must bring the vehicle to a full, complete stop where the wheels are no longer moving. They should stop behind the white stop line (or before the crosswalk if there is no line), then look left, right, and left again before proceeding. Practicing at every stop sign during regular driving — not just before the test — builds the habit.
Mistake #2: Forgetting Mirror and Blind Spot Checks
Many students check their mirrors occasionally but forget the full sequence the examiner requires. Before every lane change, turn, and backing maneuver, your teen must check the rearview mirror, the appropriate side mirror, and perform an over-the-shoulder blind spot check. Skipping any one of these loses points.
Examiners watch for this specifically because mirror and blind spot checks are the foundation of safe driving. The head movement needs to be obvious — a subtle glance with just the eyes won’t count. During practice, have your teen exaggerate the head turn so it becomes second nature. Every lane change, every turn, every time they back up: mirror, mirror, shoulder.
Mistake #3: Improper Turn Signal Usage
Turn signals seem simple, but students lose points on them in three ways: signaling too late, forgetting to signal entirely, or leaving the signal on after completing the maneuver. Virginia law requires a signal at least 100 feet before a turn and before every lane change.
Your teen should activate the turn signal before they begin braking for a turn, not while they are already turning the wheel. After the turn or lane change is complete, they should verify the signal has canceled. Some turns don’t auto-cancel the blinker, so a manual check is important. Practice signaling consistently during every drive, even in empty parking lots, to build the reflex.
Mistake #4: Poor Speed Control
Speed mistakes go both directions. Driving even 5 mph over the posted limit will lose points, but driving too far below the speed limit is also marked as an error. The examiner expects your teen to maintain the posted speed limit when road and traffic conditions allow it.
Students often slow down excessively because they are nervous, thinking that driving slowly is safer. On the road test, going 10 mph under the limit in a 35 mph zone signals to the examiner that the driver lacks confidence or awareness. Your teen should practice reading speed limit signs, adjusting speed smoothly, and maintaining a steady pace. In school zones, construction zones, or bad weather, they should reduce speed appropriately — the examiner will expect that too.
Mistake #5: Incorrect Lane Positioning
Drifting within the lane, straddling the lane line, or failing to move into the correct lane before a turn are all common mistakes that add up quickly. The examiner expects your teen to stay centered in their lane at all times.
Before making a right turn, your teen should be in the rightmost lane. Before a left turn, they should be in the left turn lane or the leftmost lane for their direction. Drifting often happens when a student is focused on something else — checking mirrors, reading signs, or looking for the next instruction. The fix is practice: the more hours behind the wheel, the more automatic lane positioning becomes. Our behind the wheel program dedicates specific time to lane discipline on real roads.
Mistake #6: Following Too Closely
Tailgating is a point-loser and a safety concern. Virginia recommends maintaining at least a 3-second following distance from the vehicle ahead. Many students don’t realize how far back 3 seconds actually is, especially at higher speeds.
To measure following distance, your teen should pick a fixed object on the road (a sign, a line, a shadow). When the car ahead passes it, they should count “one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, three-one-thousand.” If they reach the object before finishing the count, they are too close. In rain, fog, or heavy traffic, the following distance should increase to 4-6 seconds. Practicing this counting method on every drive makes proper spacing automatic.
Mistake #7: Rough Starts and Stops
Jerky acceleration from a stop or slamming the brakes at a red light tells the examiner that the driver doesn’t have smooth vehicle control. The road test isn’t just about knowing the rules — it’s about demonstrating that your teen can operate the vehicle smoothly and predictably.
Smooth driving means gradual pressure on the gas pedal when starting from a stop, and progressive braking that brings the car to a gentle halt. Your teen should begin braking well before the stop point, not at the last moment. A good rule: if a passenger’s head rocks forward when you stop, you braked too hard. Practicing in light traffic helps build this skill without the pressure of cars behind.
Mistake #8: Failing to Yield Right-of-Way
Right-of-way errors are among the most serious common driving test mistakes because they create real danger. Your teen must know who goes first at four-way stops (the driver who arrived first, or the driver on the right if arriving simultaneously), when to yield to pedestrians (always, at every crosswalk), and how to merge safely.
The most common right-of-way mistakes on the Virginia test include:
- Not yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks, even unmarked ones
- Pulling into an intersection before it’s clear during a left turn
- Failing to yield when entering a road from a driveway or parking lot
- Not yielding to oncoming traffic when turning left at a green light
When in doubt, yield. It’s always better to wait an extra moment than to cut someone off during the test.
Mistake #9: Poor Parking Technique
Parking errors include not checking mirrors and blind spots before pulling into a space, parking outside the lines, and struggling with parallel parking. The Virginia road test may include straight-in parking, angled parking, and parallel parking — your teen should be comfortable with all three.
The biggest parking mistake is rushing. Students feel pressure to park quickly and end up crooked or over the line. The examiner doesn’t time parking maneuvers, so your teen should take their time, use their mirrors, and adjust if the first attempt isn’t straight. For parallel parking, use the step-by-step method taught in professional instruction: signal, pull alongside the front car, turn the wheel, back in, straighten out. Empty parking lots and quiet residential streets are perfect for practice.
Mistake #10: Not Checking Intersections Properly
Even with a green light, your teen must look both ways before entering an intersection. The examiner checks for this because red-light runners, emergency vehicles, and pedestrians can appear at any intersection regardless of the signal.
The proper technique is to scan left, then right, then left again as you approach and enter the intersection. At uncontrolled intersections (no signs or signals), this check is even more critical. Students who stare straight ahead and drive through on green without looking will lose points. This habit also protects against one of the most dangerous real-world driving scenarios — the driver who runs a red light at full speed.
Instant Fail Conditions: Know the Deal-Breakers
Beyond point deductions, there are certain actions that result in an automatic failure of the Virginia behind the wheel test, regardless of how well your teen performs on everything else:
- Causing or nearly causing a collision — Any situation where the examiner has to intervene, grab the wheel, or use the brake is an automatic fail.
- Committing a moving violation — Running a red light, blowing through a stop sign completely, speeding significantly, or crossing a double yellow line ends the test immediately.
- Losing control of the vehicle — Jumping a curb, hitting a cone during parking, or any situation where the driver can’t maintain control results in failure.
These aren’t common, but they happen when students are underprepared or extremely nervous. The best prevention is thorough practice in realistic driving conditions — not just empty parking lots. If your teen is feeling anxious about the test, our guide on tips for nervous drivers can help.
How to Practice and Avoid These Mistakes
Knowing these common behind the wheel test mistakes is only half the solution. Your teen needs targeted practice to eliminate each one. A practical approach:
- Practice each maneuver specifically. Dedicate entire practice sessions to one skill at a time — an hour of just stop sign technique, an hour focused entirely on lane changes with full mirror checks, an hour of nothing but parking.
- Use empty parking lots for parking practice. Weekend mornings at shopping centers or office parks provide wide-open spaces to practice parallel parking, straight-in parking, and backing without the stress of other cars.
- Practice on the types of roads near the test route. If your local DMV test includes residential streets, multi-lane roads, and intersections with traffic lights, make sure your teen has driven on all of those road types.
- Professional instruction addresses all 50 maneuvers systematically. A DMV-certified instructor knows exactly what the examiner is looking for and can correct small habits before they become point-losing errors. Our behind the wheel course covers every maneuver on the Virginia scoring sheet across 6 full practice sessions.
For a complete breakdown of what the Virginia test covers and how to prepare step by step, read our guide on how to pass the Virginia road test.
The students who pass their behind the wheel test on the first try aren’t necessarily the most talented drivers — they’re the ones who practiced the right things and eliminated these common mistakes before test day. With the right preparation, your teen can walk into that test confident and walk out with a license.