Parking maneuvers (parallel, bay, hill) and reversing
Controlled parking
Parking marks reward observation and clutch control. For parallel parking, stop alongside the car ahead with about half a metre clearance, reverse until your rear axle is near its rear bumper, apply full lock toward the kerb, straighten as your bonnet passes its rear, then lock away to bring the nose in. For bay parking, approach wide, use the bay lines as reference, and reverse in if that gives a better exit view. For hill parking, set the handbrake, select first gear uphill or reverse downhill, and turn the wheels so the car would roll into the kerb, not into traffic.
Reversing
Before reversing, check all around, including the blind spot and the area behind; reverse slowly with mirrors and a shoulder check. If you cannot see, stop and look again. Cameras and sensors assist but do not replace observation.
Worked example
A parallel gap is about one and a half car lengths. You align, reverse with full lock, and the rear wheel approaches the kerb too early. The reasoning: you started the turn too soon. Straighten, reverse a little further, then reapply lock; hitting the kerb is a mark-losing contact.
Traps that cost marks
Relying on the camera; reversing without a shoulder check; turning the wheel the wrong way on a hill; forgetting the parking brake; opening the door into traffic; and finishing crooked or over the line.