Passed first try (Raheny)
Hi everyone, hope you're all well. I tested at Raheny this morning! Passed with 7 grade 2s.
Here's what worked for me:
Practice (drove my friends to get groceries, shopping, gym etc). Helped understand and get control over the car better
Reached Raheny 2hrs before the test and drove around to get a feel for the area, the 30-50 zones etc. (helped settle any nerves in the first 5min as the routes were fresh and known)
Knowing which roads lead up to a school to slow down accordingly.
Got a feel for the traffic from 7.30-7.45.
Make sure to do the 6 point check before moving off every time the tester asked me to to pull over for a manoeuvre.
For reverse around the corner, stop the moment you see a car approaching from any side. (I was telling my tester I'm waiting for the blue car to pass before I continue).
At the end, just try and relax for 15-20min before the test. (Grabbed a coffee, something small to eat and told myself it's just another drive, at most I'll have to do this again a month later). That helped me calm down a lot.
All the best to anyone who's giving the test or about to give it in the coming days/weeks!
More than happy to help anyone if anyone has questions or doubts.