Vehicle Control and Handling: Clutch, Gears, Steering and Braking
Smooth control comes from coordinating three inputs - clutch, gears and brakes - with what the road and traffic are asking of you. In Angola most training and test vehicles are manual, so understand the clutch's friction point: the pedal travel where the engine begins to drive the wheels. On a flat road, release slowly to that point, hold, add a little accelerator, then release fully. On a hill, use the handbrake until you feel the car pull, then release it - this prevents rollback, a common fault in test questions framed as "what should you do first when moving off uphill?".
Gears should match speed and load, not engine noise alone. Change up before the engine races and change down before it labours; brake first, then select the lower gear for the speed you are actually doing. Coasting in neutral or with the clutch held down reduces control and engine braking - questions often test whether this is acceptable on a descent (it is not).
Steering: hold the wheel at roughly ten-to-two or quarter-to-three, keep both hands available, and use pull-push rather than crossing arms. Look where you want to go, not at the bonnet. Braking should be progressive: ease on, build pressure, ease off as you stop, so following traffic sees your brake lights early. In the rain, brake earlier and lighter, and avoid sudden inputs on painted lines.
Rule of thumb: before any manoeuvre, ask "speed, gear, observation" in that order - slow to the right speed, select the gear for it, then check mirrors and blind spots before you commit.