Approaching Roundabouts.

 This is how Instructors / Examiners will give you the instruction when approaching a roundabout. This will apply to most standard roundabouts but very large (busy) ones may have arrows painted on the road to guide you into the correct lanes. The instruction will always be given early enough for you to check the direction sign on approach.

'At the roundabout ahead take the first exit. '

What you do: -    MSPSL. Check your inside and left mirror. Signal left. Keep to the left lane, apply brake and select correct gear. Giving way to the right proceed with caution and exit 1st left. Check mirrors before changing up gear. 

'First exit' or 'Turn left' is the clue to signal left - it is the first exit  that you require  and may not be immediately left. 

'At the roundabout follow the road ahead (take the 2nd/3rd exit)'

 What you do: -   MSPSL Check inside and left mirrors. DO NOT Signal at this stage! Keep to the left lane, apply brake and select correct gear. Giving way to the right proceed with caution. Signal left as you pass the exit prior to the one you require and exit. Check mirrors before changing up gear. 

'Follow the road ahead' is the clue to keep to the left  lane - unless there are 3 lanes in which case the middle lane is the norm.

'At the roundabout ahead take the third / fourth exit - (turning right) '

What you do: -   MSPSL. Check inside and right mirrors. Signal right. Move across to the right lane, apply brake and select correct gear. Giving way to the right proceed with caution and keep to the right lane as you move around the roundabout. Signal left as you pass the exit prior to the one you require. Check left mirror and glance back over your left shoulder to check for any traffic that may be on your left. If clear pull across to the left and exit. Check mirrors before changing up gear. 

If you ever hear the instruction 'turn right or turning right' then that is the clue for a right signal.

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Quick tips to examiners instructions  at roundabouts -

'1st exit'  -   Signal left, keep to left.

'Follow road ahead taking 1st / 2nd / or maybe even 3rd exit'  -  Keep to the left lane unless the approach has 3 lanes in which case be guided by road signs/arrows painted on road - in this case ahead is usually middle lane.

'Take the ????? exit - turning right'  -  If you ever hear the instruction 'turning right' then signal right and move to the right lane.

And remember !!!!!!!!!  -  If you ever find yourself in the wrong lane you haven't yet failed just as long as you negotiate the error safely, checking mirrors, signalling correctly, and only changing lanes when it is safe to do so. The general rule is that if you miss your exit , signal right, move across to the right hugging the roundabout, and go around until you can exit correctly.

The examiner will not fail you for misinterpreting an instruction - it is not always easy to follow instructions particularly at busy and awkward junctions and roundabouts. If you take the wrong route (just as long as you have signalled and correctly followed YOUR intended route) then the examiner will get you back onto his route asap. Obviously if you are asked to turn right, signal right, and turn left, then failure is waiting for you at the end of the test. But if you are asked to turn right, signal left, and turn left, there should not be a problem. After all you went where you signalled which is what the following traffic was expecting.