FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Thursday is the final day people from Florida can take a driver’s license test in a different language that isn’t English.

The deadline has people rushing to take the exam before their language is officially gone.

Ana Valdes, a Jacksonville resident, has been preparing for her driver’s license test for months, but she didn’t expect to take the test on Wednesday.

She had to book her appointment as soon as she saw the Friday deadline.

“Anxiety and worried because imagine not dominating English perfectly,” she said.

Valdes has tried learning English, but she knows she wouldn’t be able to understand the exam if it’s not in her native language.

Florida is also ending language translation services during tests.

“If they could give us a bit more time, it would be beneficial to all because we aren’t going to be able to learn English from one day to the next,” Valdes said.

Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said in a press release:

“Florida takes a leading role in highway safety by requiring all driver license exams to be taken in English and without an interpreter.”

Before the upcoming change, exams were able to be taken in Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and other languages for non-commercial licenses.

There has been mixed reactions to the change.

“I think it’s a good thing,” said local resident Terry Caldwell. “I mean, we’re Americans and Americans should have an English language for the test.”

Another man disagreed with the looming change.

“I don’t think that’s fair,” he said. “If people understand better in their in their native language, it’s no problem as long as it’s the same test all the English readers get.”

The driver’s license change goes into effect on Friday.

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