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General Tips ✅

  1. Know the specific rules and marking criteria applied to Gaimen Kirikae driving test
    As you may already know, the driving test of the "Gaimen Kirikae" adopts a mark deduction method. All have 100 marks at the beginning of the exam and in order to pass, you need to have 70 or more marks at the end of the exam. To pass the exam, we recommend you to learn how and more importantly how not you should drive during the exam so that you do not lose your marks. In this page, you will learn everything about all the marking criteria of any situations. 

  2. Be prepared (Know the course beforehand!)
    Your examiner will let you know which routes you take during the exam, but we really recommend you to get a "course map" beforehand so that you already know every route of the driving exam (You can get a course map at the driving center easily).
    Knowing the course really helps you relieve some of your unnecessary nerves. 

  3. Be really careful 
    In most cases, you are one or one of only a few drivers in the course during the exam. Despite this, you need to prove to your examiner that you are a very safe and cautious driver. Make your safety check exaggerate (eg. lean forward / look over your shoulders etc.) 
    We will discuss the safety check later.

How to take our lessons 👨‍🏫🧑‍🏫

〜　Our recommendation 🙋‍♂️〜 

1. Read the contents

2. Watch the video

Of course, you can take our lessons in whatever way you want. 

However, we structured lessons so that by following above order, (Read → Watch), you will be able to maximize your understanding.

We included everything we wanted you to know in "Written information" and supplementary videos will consolidate your knowledge and the real speed and timing of the driving skills which are hard to know with just a written communication. 

So especially for those who have just started our course, please read the contents first.

Lesson 0: Fundamental Principles 👨‍💼

〜　Safety Check👀　〜 

Safety check is by far the most important aspect of the driving exam. 

During the exam, you will conduct safety checks in most situations and a few losses of safety checks where you needed to conduct will surely lead you to a failure of the exam (A lack of safety check will be minus 10 marks). 

Thus, make sure you read this section carefully and understand this concept properly. 

"Proper" safety check

There are two ways to conduct a safety check visually (not though mirrors). 

  1. Look left / right means turn your head to look left / right 
    When you need to look either left or right, turn your head. Looking left or right with just an eye movement is not considered a safety check because your examiner cannot tell if you actually performed a safety check. Try to exaggerate this action (But not for a long time). 
     

  2. Look left-back / right-back means look over your left / right shoulder
    When you need to check the safety at the left-back / right-back of your car, look over your shoulder to check safety. 
    You are supposed to look at where you cannot see from rear view mirror and side mirrors (Blind Spots).

スクリーンショット 2022-10-24 9.35.56.png
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【Image 0-1: Look left】
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【Image 0-3: Look left back】
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【Image 0-2: Look right】
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【Image 0-4: Look right back】

When to conduct safety checks

Look at the table below to see when and how you are required to perform safety checks as well as the marking criteria.   ​

スクリーンショット 2021-04-03 16.30.27.png

 🏫 Lesson 1 : Getting in a car 🏫

This is the first step of the driving exam. You are required to check the area around your car before you get in. This safety check should not take too long. 

【Video 1: Getting in a car】

  1. Bend down and look under the car from the back. 
    Make sure there is nothing under the car. From the back, walk counter crock-wise.

  2. Check the left wheels 
    Check the wheels conditions quickly.

  3. Bend down and look under the car from the front
    Make sure there is nothing under the car. 

  4. Look front back and back just before opening the door. 
    Before opening the door, check if it is safe to open the door.

※ No need to lock the door. Leave it unlocked unless your examiner tells you to do so.

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🏫 Lesson 2: Get ready before starting an engine 🏫

Once you get in a car, follow the 3 steps described below. Do not skip any of these steps before starting an engine. 

3 MUST THINGS to do before starting an engine

  1. Adjust the seat (5-mark)
    Bring your seat to front so that your left leg still bends slightly when you stretch your left leg 

  2. Adjust the rear-mirror  (5-mark)
    Adjust it so that you can see the whole rear glass through rear mirror. Even if the mirror is in the correct position for you without touching, touch the frame of the mirror.

  3. Wear the seatbelt (10-mark)
    Make sure it is not twisted

【Video 2: Get ready before starting an engine】

⚠️Adjust your rear-view mirror every time you adjust your seat.

The way you can see in the rear-view mirror is dependent on your seat position. 

Thus, if you adjust your seat 2nd (1st step) time after adjusting the rear-view mirror (2nd step), make sure you adjust your rear-view mirror AGAIN. 

スクリーンショット 2021-04-03 16.43.52.png

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🏫 Lesson 3: Starting a car 🏫

In this lesson, you will learn how to start a car.
This sounds simple, but you are required to perform proper safety checks before moving and start moving your car smoothly. Thus, practice (physically or mentally) until you automate this process😃

Steps to start a car

​0. Adjust the side mirrors (0 marks)

  1. Look left back and right back  (10-mark)

  2. Right turn signal (5-mark)

  3. Gear to "D" 

  4. Release the parking brake (5-mark)

  5. Look left back and right back AGAIN (10-mark)

【Video 3: Starting a car】
スクリーンショット 2021-04-03 16.45.15.png

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🏫 Lesson 4: Driving Position 🏫

Taking a proper driving position is important anytime during the exam.

Let's learn which position you take on a straight road and curve road.

4-1. Drive on a straight road

When driving on a straight road in Japan, make sure you are always in the middle of your lane
(or a little bit left from the middle of your lane). 

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【Image 4-1-1: Driving position on a single lane】  
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【Image 4-1-2: Be always in the middle of your lane】
4-2. Drive on a curve road

Like driving on a straight road, make sure you are always in the middle of your lane while driving on a curve road(This is actually hard for beginner drivers).  

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【Image 4-2: Good & Bad driving position on a curve road】

The important thing to remember is that when you just exited a curve and you turned the wheels back to the neutral, your car needs to face forward completely and to be in the middle of your lane.

4-3. Drive on a left or right edge of your lane 

In Japan, there are situations where you need to be on an edge of your lane. 

These situations are 

  1. Before turning at the intersection (both left and right)

  2. Pulling over

  3. Starting a car 

This movement is called "Veering" and this is also quite important skill to master.

We will discuss veering in detail later in Lesson 5. 

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【Image 4-3-1: move to the edge before turning】
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【Image 4-3-2: move to the left edge  to pull over 】
【Image 4-3-3: move to the right after starting a car】
スクリーンショット 2021-04-03 16.47.46.png

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🏫 Lesson 5: Veering (Moving left or right) 🏫

When you drive in Japan, there are some cases where you need to move to the left or right while driving. 

This is called "Veering"(meaning move to the left or right while driving).

Basically you need to veer at 4 situations below(Image 6-1 ~ 6-4).

Screen Shot 2021-01-01 at 18.41.29.png
【Image 5-1: veer to the right to start a car】
Screen Shot 2021-01-01 at 18.41.36.png
【Image 5-2: veer to the left to pull over】
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【Image 5-3: veer to avoid an obstacle】
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【Image 5-4: veer to the left or right before turning at the intersection】

Veer to the left 

You veer to the left in these situations.

  • pulling over to park (Image 5-2) 

  • Returning after avoiding an obstacle (Image 5-3) 

  • Before turning left at the intersection (Image 5-4)
     

Steps to Veer to the left 

​  (0. Look rear-view mirror, left side mirror) 

  1. Activate a left-turn signal  (5-mark)

  2. Look rear-view mirror, left side mirror and left back directly  (10-mark)

  3. Veer to the left (turn the steering wheel to the left) 

​

Step 0 is not mandatory, but better to do it for safety. 

Veer to the right 

You veer to the right in these situations.

  • pulling out into a road (Image 5-1) 

  • avoiding an obstacle (Image 5-3) 

  • Before turning right at the intersection (Image 5-4)
     

Steps to Veer to the right 

​  (0. Look rear-view mirror, right side mirror) 

  1. Activate a right-turn signal  (5-mark)

  2. Look rear-view mirror, right side mirror and right back directly  (10-mark)

  3. Veer to the right (turn the steering wheel to the right) 

Step 0 is not mandatory, but better to do it for safety. 

スクリーンショット 2021-04-03 16.54.53.png

👨‍🏫 Demo Ends here 👨‍🏫

If you like our contents and learn more from our contents, please purchase our online lesson.  

Paid contents include

​Lesson 6: Feel for your car 

In this lesson, you will learn

  • How to avoid an obstacle

    • Timing of an indicator, where to check safety, how far away from an obstacle you need to be ..etc..​

  • Where to stop when there is a stop line or pole

    • Where you should stop and should not stop​

  • How to go through narrow roads (Crank & S-curve)

    • Go through the most difficult part of the driving test successfully. ​

​

Lesson 7: Intersection 

In this lesson, you will learn 

  • How to go straight at an intersection 

  • How to turn left at an intersection

    • Timing of an indicator, speed, veering, safety checks, good and bad left turn ​

  • How to turn right at an intersection 

    • Timing of an indicator, speed, veering, safety checks, good and bad right turn
       

Lesson 8: Intersection with poor visibility 

In this lesson, you will learn 

  • How to go through an intersection with poor visibility

    • How to avoid 20-mark deduction 
       

Lesson 9: Parking and Getting out of a car 

In this lesson, you will learn 

  • Where to park at the end of an exam

    • Where exactly you should stop the car 

  • How to safely get out of a car ​​

Cannot wait to learn these contents? 

If you want to learn more, here are the class for you!

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