I kept putting off getting a driver's license. In college I did not have the money, and I told myself there was no point because I would not be buying a car anytime soon. That logic carried me all the way to adulthood without a license. Eventually driving started to feel like a basic skill rather than an optional extra. I signed up, thinking that once I had a car I could take my family out for a drive and widen my daily radius. Between May and August 2019, I spent two and a half months getting the license. This is how it went, and what it took to become a reasonably competent 逮虾户.
The apps and gear I started with
Three apps mattered:
- Jiakaobaodian: the question bank for Subject 1 and Subject 4.
- Chexuetang: the app for required study hours.
- Traffic Management 12123: booking exams for Subjects 1 through 4 and paying exam fees.
Summer driving also meant practical gear. Sun protection or sunscreen was necessary, and shoes mattered more than I expected. A relatively thin sole that lets you feel the ground, especially the clutch, is better than thick-soled shoes.
Subject 1: the written test
Subject 1 is mostly question practice. The bank had more than 1,200 questions. I went through all of them in Jiakaobaodian, reviewed the wrong ones, and did two mock exams. That covered most of the written part. The rules also required video study hours, so I downloaded Chexuetang and watched the Subject 1 videos until I had eight hours. Booking came through Traffic Management 12123: register, choose a date and session, and wait. A few days later I got the success text. Then I went back into 12123 and paid the exam fee. The Subject 1 exam allows two attempts; if the first fails, you can try again. A score of 90 passes. I passed on the first attempt. The main thing was not to panic.
Subject 2: where most people stumble
Subject 2 is where many people fail. This is the in-car practical stage. The core items are right-angle turns, S-curves, side parking, reverse parking, and hill starts. In my experience, clutch control mattered most. You do not use the accelerator in Subject 2. You practice releasing the clutch smoothly enough to move through every section. The tricky part is steering: it is easy to let the clutch out too far while turning the wheel. Once that happens, the car speeds up, you tense up, and you cross a line or hit something. That is why the shoes from the preparation stage matter. A thinner sole lets you feel the clutch better, and using the front of the foot gives more control. Mirrors were the other big thing. The mirror angle has to be right. If a mirror is off, your judgment can feel precise and still be far from reality, which leads to crossed lines and a failed test.
Project notes:
- Right-angle turn: steer promptly, do not cross the line, remember the turn signal.
- S-curve: do not cross the line, keep adjusting the wheel; do not set it once and leave it.
- Hill start: find the right position and stop immediately.
- Side parking: remember the turn signal and follow the coach's reference points precisely.
- Reverse parking: set the mirrors accurately and follow the coach's reference points.
After enough practice, the most important step was paying for practice at the actual test venue. The normal practice lot is not complete, and the order of the projects is different. You need to experience the venue order once and have the coach point out what to watch for. Otherwise, going straight into the exam is a good way to freeze and fail. I practiced at the venue several times and passed only once in those sessions, yet I passed the official exam on the first try. Getting over fear of the car was a large part of it.
Subject 3: details, route memory, and road sense
Subject 3 tests details: lights, turns, and all the small actions that make up safe driving. After Subject 3, you basically can drive. It is road practice and an exam, and it teaches safe driving in traffic. The main technical skills are accelerator control and gear shifting. Clutch and accelerator coordination is the foundation of shifting; follow the coach and keep practicing. The rest—overtaking, turning, straight driving, lane changes, U-turns—is about details, especially turn signals. Signals are the most common operation in Subject 3 and need to be second nature.
- Night light simulation: remember the special light operations; the rest stay as they are.
- Overtaking and lane changes: use the turn signal.
- Straight driving: keep the steering wheel steady.
- Gear shifting: practice until shifts are smooth.
During Subject 3 practice, the coach explained each point once, and then it was repeated practice and getting over fear. I remember one stretch where only a few dozen meters remained, and the coach had me shift up to third gear again and again to build speed and fluency. On the real exam, just like Subject 2, you must practice at the test venue. The biggest Subject 3 task is memorizing the route. Go to the venue, practice how to turn at each spot, when to choose which lane, and keep drilling the route. Listen to the coach; some venues also have videos you can use to memorize the route. Once the route is familiar, more than half the battle is won. After I memorized it, I passed with full marks on the first attempt.
Subject 4: safety and civilized driving
Subject 4 is officially Subject 3: safe and civilized driving. It is still a question-based exam, but the questions are much easier than Subject 1. Most rely on common sense. When practicing, I focused on the multiple-select questions. A few mock exams in the app were enough before going to the test. After Subject 3, once the score is printed, you can go directly to Subject 4. After Subject 4, you wait for the license.
What stayed with me
Looking back, the whole process was mostly about reducing fear through practice. The more I practiced, the less afraid I was. At the same time, details mattered constantly. Once you are on the road for real, you cannot be a road hazard. Even if you are chasing the 逮虾户 fantasy, you still have to drive safely and civilly.