24 replies to this topic

[Scallywag630]

Heard of a girl who took her test, in the 1970s, in her Dad's Maserati Bora!!! Would have loved to see the examiner's face. She passed!!

[Nicky II]

God I hated learning! Was so relieved when I passed. When you do pass, which u will next time youll be soo relieved so just look foward to it rather than fret otherwise your bound to make a silly mistake

[bananaman]

Hiya,

I am a driving examiner, and to be honest, every test and every examiner are different. Some examiners have a particular thing that they look out for, it just comes down to the luck of the draw when you get to the centre.

When it comes to the reverse exercise, if it was too busy then your examiner should have chosen somewhere else. It may have been that you didn't see the Jeep until too late, you tend to find the candidates concentrate so much on the corner and where the rear of the car is going that they don't observe the road they have come from.

I find chatting helps to relax the candidate, as long as it doesn't cause a distraction during the test.

As for the bucket seat, personally I would change the seats back to the standard ones for the test. If you get an examiner who isn't too fond of modified cars, which is alot of them, they may have you marked down right away as a bit of a boy racer and be mega critical.

Alot of us think that the test could do with a few improvements, and there are plans afoot to rectify this and bring it inline with Europe. Will it be easier, I doubt it, but you should get some motorway driving in if you live where you have access to one (Cant include it at the minute as there are none on Cornwall, Norfolk or the upper reaches of Scotland)

Hope this helps, and good luck on your next test, just take it easy, relax and take your time. If you think you have made a mistake, don't flap and panic, just breathe, remember what you did wrong and don't do it again, then carry on with the test. Don't assume you have failed straight away, what you think was a serious fault, your examiner may only consider as a driving fault, so you may still pass.

Tony

[Hannioli]

Good advice from bananaman

Like tomsbluemini said before, you haven't been passed by more experienced drivers, so there must have been a reason. I can't imagine that all 3 were just doing it to abuse their power.

Just get in some more practice, relax in your next test and I'm sure you'll pass this time round You'll also know that you'll be a better driver as you'll have tweaked all the little things.

[bunch1980]

Hiya,

I am a driving examiner, and to be honest, every test and every examiner are different. Some examiners have a particular thing that they look out for, it just comes down to the luck of the draw when you get to the centre.

When it comes to the reverse exercise, if it was too busy then your examiner should have chosen somewhere else. It may have been that you didn't see the Jeep until too late, you tend to find the candidates concentrate so much on the corner and where the rear of the car is going that they don't observe the road they have come from.

I find chatting helps to relax the candidate, as long as it doesn't cause a distraction during the test.

As for the bucket seat, personally I would change the seats back to the standard ones for the test. If you get an examiner who isn't too fond of modified cars, which is alot of them, they may have you marked down right away as a bit of a boy racer and be mega critical.

Alot of us think that the test could do with a few improvements, and there are plans afoot to rectify this and bring it inline with Europe. Will it be easier, I doubt it, but you should get some motorway driving in if you live where you have access to one (Cant include it at the minute as there are none on Cornwall, Norfolk or the upper reaches of Scotland)

Hope this helps, and good luck on your next test, just take it easy, relax and take your time. If you think you have made a mistake, don't flap and panic, just breathe, remember what you did wrong and don't do it again, then carry on with the test. Don't assume you have failed straight away, what you think was a serious fault, your examiner may only consider as a driving fault, so you may still pass.

Tony

Hi Tony thanks for your reply, I think you hit the nail on the head there in your first few sentences, about them all marking differently or being hot on one thing etc, im sure in the 4 tests i have done now i have passed at least once if you take bits from all tests lol!
Thats what it was didnt see it until to late and the road was very bad for visibility up it so should of asked to move on really.
She did chat some when we in traffic about what i do for work etc.
I will for sure swap back the passenger one, its having the space to store all the seats really as my mate still has the stock seats! the mini is not really to boy racerish i dont think more a classic!

yeah for sure i think the test does not help you much at all for general driving yeah its good for testing technical driving, but nothing on general awareness of other road users and being patient!!

Sure does thanks! yeah hope so, will do my best! going for first drive in mini today as a learner of course so that will be fun!!

[bunch1980]

Good advice from bananaman

Like tomsbluemini said before, you haven't been passed by more experienced drivers, so there must have been a reason. I can't imagine that all 3 were just doing it to abuse their power.

Just get in some more practice, relax in your next test and I'm sure you'll pass this time round You'll also know that you'll be a better driver as you'll have tweaked all the little things.

I wouldnt say all 4 abused there power or anything, just like bananaman said they all mark differently and they dont know each time what you failed/passed on before. Im on a motorbike now and I think have far more road sense and awareness than most car drivers simply because you fear for your safety, and going down the road on a bike or car is pretty much same when it comes to awareness of road users so I think 12 years on a bike means im more than experienced as a 'road user' and i was awlays told your licence is just that a licence and you add different categories to it.

Will do going to use mini, hope so! lol yeah i just get so wound up when see peeps that are not awarw of what there actions might do and peeps smoking on phones and doing god knows what else!

[davidv]

Best of luck with your next test.Stick with it.A very big thing for all of us.You have taken me back to my old test and my bad Nerves (47me).You are very sharp being a Motor bike Rider. They always look for head moves on mirrors and indicaters past all things.Head twist on 3 point turn.Hand brake use.If your in reverse you must stop if something is comming.As above said early on the Test is like an ACT.

[adam_93rio]

i failed my first test because i put too much pressure on myself, i was so intent on passing so i could be on the road ready for london to brighton

i ended up doing it on my provisional!!

i would imagine it would be harder for you to pass with so much experience of roads, being on them for 12 years your likely to pick up bad habbits (ive been on the road for a year and have a fair share of them) and the driving test is such a low standard of driving

i cant believe since passing my test how much of a better driver i am having my own experience and doing things properly (not being big headed)

the second time i took my test i passed tho simply because it wouldnt bother me if i failed, i didnt have a lot to look forward to

i was insured as a learner for an extra 4 days, so i thought if i passed i wouldnt be able to drive, if i failed id still be ok (was weird)


good luck with your next one!

[miniman24]

Ive got my test in 16 days, at 8:10 in the morning! Ive had 16 lessons, but i live on a farm with access to about 2 miles of road on private land, including a couple of junctions, and weve got a couple of £30 bangers that we used to set up traffic situations for me to practise with

Saying that im already nervous, its costing me £120 overall for the test and the instructors car! Plus getting the mini on the road is the major event of 2010 for me.

Edited by miniman24, 03 April 2010 - 10:15 AM.

[davidv]

Good luck on tests ALL.I used the Instructors car because i was told it a good thing to do and passed.