Should You Shift to Neutral When Waiting in Subject 2 Parking?
2 Answers
When waiting during Subject 2 parking, you can shift to neutral. The standard procedure requires engaging the handbrake and shifting to neutral before restarting the engine after shutting it off. However, during the exam, to quickly restart the engine, you may directly press the brake and clutch to ignite (if the system doesn't penalize this), depending on the test site's evaluation rules. Extended explanation: Notes: For Subject 2, one free retake is allowed if you fail the first attempt. Failing the retake ends the test session. In non-parking test items, pausing midway deducts 5 points (vehicle stationary for over 2 seconds counts as midway parking).
When I first started learning Subject 2, the instructor repeatedly emphasized that you must shift to neutral and pull the handbrake when waiting, especially during reversing into a parking space or starting on a slope. He said shifting to neutral gives the clutch a break, avoids unnecessary wear, and prevents accidents caused by the car rolling due to negligence—this is strictly checked during the exam. Don’t think you can skip it for just a few seconds; the examiner will deduct points for details. After forming this habit, I’ve stuck to it while driving—it’s safe and worry-free, especially practical for manual transmission cars. For automatic transmissions, you can shift to N and pull the handbrake when waiting, which serves a similar purpose. In short, practice this operation more during Subject 2 training—don’t find it troublesome, as it affects both your test results and daily driving safety.
