Hi! Im going to convert my US license to a Japanese license. I am from a lucky state so I have to take the practical test. I am not able to fine much info on manual specific tips or special things to pay attention to during the test, but I know they are there. I will list the few I know below to hopefully help some others out. Any tips you have would be helpful! Also, I currently drive my BFs manual car with my international license so I drive stick a lot in Japan, just dont knoe if I do it officially correct 😅 Thank you in advance!
1. Always go in first over railroad and dont shift over it.
2. Put it in reverse when you park (I always do neutral..
3. Hill start ( Is this on the foreign conversion test?)
4. Use engine break when slowing down, generally didnt see anyone downshift to first except for when stopping in the videos I watched (dont go to neutral at stop signs?)
Anything else?
3 comments
You really need to practice on and memorize the course. I took it once “cold,” and failed. If you don’t know ahead of time each turn you’ll take, there’s no way you can make all the mirror checks and such that they require in time. Or at least I couldn’t. I spent some money for a 2-hour crash course over the test course, and passed my second time.
On the long-ish straight, get up to the speed limit and be in 3rd or even 4th gear.
That’s one point I remember from my conversion lesson instructor and it was also a point that the actual test proctor gave negative feedback on when one of the guys in my car tried to stay slow and in 2nd gear the whole time during the actual test.
Go look at driving schools near you, they offer specific courses for that. There are a lot of “oddities” to that test, they helped me greatly!