Struggling with driving test

[IrishMamaMia]

Just spectacularly failed my driving test for managing to mount a curb during a parallel park (can normally do the manouevre okay in lessons, wouldn't say I'm brilliant). This was my third attempt at the test ,other attempts a good few years back all included disastrous manouevres (gave up for a few years due to moving abroad and late stage of pregnancy).
My driving in general is fine,have improved in other areas, made a few errors but weren't anything that can't be overcome. I am bad at things like directions in general. I drive an automatic already and don't have access to a car for daily practice.
I currently feel like I'm never going to get to the stage of passing. Did anyone overcome being disastrous at manouevres in the test scenario? Or did anyone call it a day?
Would love to finally achieve my licence but am feeling quite demoralised :(

I presume you have a driving instructor?

They should be encouraging you to practice your manoeuvres more in lessons. I had to have 2 hours just on roundabouts at one point because I just couldn't follow instruction on them!

I was (and still am tbf) quite bad at parallel park, but I didn't get that one in my test. I find the tests very distracting because you're so nervous.

I would talk to your instructor, who should be able to give you a plan moving forward.

Good luck!

I have failed 4 tests so far since July but only this past month have learned to do the parallel park properly. What reference points do you use in yours? I used to do my turn before/after I was supposed to and ended up way out but then when I finally got it right one time it was like the penny dropped and now (fingers crossed) it's one of the ones I can do any time.

Reverse around the corner can eat shit though.

I was so glad I didn't get parallel parking in my test and I've never attempted one since passing, although I can do it.

Is there someone you can get to take you out for a couple of hours just to practise? Go to a carpark with some cones and practise, then go to a quiet side street and keep practising?

Thanks , good advice. I can't do reverse around the corner, I'm glad they removed it from the test.
I thought I had cracked the parallel park as didn't seem to have many problems during lessons, but I should have insisted that we did way more under test conditions. (Reference points used were lining up post part of passenger seat window to light on parallel car, then turning right, left, left and right again) Seemed to have gone in at a slightly off angle in this test and on an attempt to correct it , that's when I mounted the curb. I am embarrassed by it.
Felt like I was making good progress and am gutted to have made a major on this as it feels like a mistake I could have made during my first test in a manual 8 years ago, and I've had so much practice since then. Being so stuck on this issue which almost always causes a major if I mess it up really makes me wonder if I'm doing the right thing with continuing my lessons.
To make matters slightly worse I am likely to see a couple I know tomorrow who lead car-centric lives and are always very vocal in a how do you manage without driving way, you really should get started on those lessons. Gah.
Good luck @HolyFuckNuggets can I please have some of your incredible stamina? :)

Also, if you start at the wrong angle, just ask if you can begin again. If I say it myself, I'm ace at parallel parking, but I always begin again if I wasn't at the correct angle first.

I've just spent so much money learning now @IrishMamaMia that I can't throw it all down the drain. I've been doing 2 lessons a week since January so that's a LOT of money! I just fall apart under test conditions and my instructor is shocked every time I fail. 5th very soon though and hopefully the last!

Your reference points are very different to mine so I'm of no help to you there, sorry.

I'm sure you will. Any tips for how you have prepared mentally for your next test after failing?
Starting to tentatively feel like I can do it again, just wishing this attempt wasn't such a disaster.

I just tell myself I am absolutely not wasting that amount of money at this stage. I know I can drive, I just overthink things before the test and have wound myself up so much that on the test if I make a silly mistake I overthink that and my focus isn't in the here and now which is what I am working on.

If I fail again I can resit it. It's not a 3 strikes and you're out type thing. You can take the test as many times as you need to in order to pass which is the main thing I tell myself.

I have bought a cheap car for practising in but of course it needs work done to it so I haven't been out in it much as it doesn't run smoothly and makes me more nervous but if it was running better I know my confidence would grow hugely.

Honestly, it might be a major fault for your test, but sometimes even experienced drivers mess up a manoeuvre and catch the curb (or sometimes mount it). It's not ideal but everyone makes mistakes. I know that probably doesn't help but sometimes it can be good to try to keep things in perspective.

You clearly didn't fail for driving straight over a roundabout or other extremely dangerous driving, you made a little mess of a manoeuvre. Try to stay positive and good luck for next time.

You will get there eventually. Keep trying.
When you say you already drive an automatic do you mean you already have an automatic license or is it an automatic license you are attempting to pass?

I gave up after my 5th fail. My driving was ok I could just never get that pass and I was throwing money I couldn't afford at lessons and tests. But I hated driving with a passion (I'm not even keen on being a passenger) I live in a town with good transport links and I couldn't afford to run a car either. So I'm ok with my choice to give up as I really don't need my license.

It really depends how much you want it whether you keep going or not, I wouldn't suggest taking a break tho as you would be unlikely to go back. It too one of my friends 13 attempts.

Sounds like nerves. I hit a curb twice doing a 3-point turn. I had never done that in lessons!
I passed 3rd time. DH passed 5th.

I'd suggest getting a different driving instructor for a couple of lessons. Not saying your current one is bad but they might not be picking up on where it's going wrong and a fresh set of eyes might be a good idea to give some different tips.

My friend failed 8 times, had a couple lessons with my instructor and then passed next time. Which was a huge sigh of relief as her dad had spent close to £1k on tests!!

Just wanted to say thanks to those who posted and I think this is all great advice. Woke up yesterday feeling freshly motivated and remembered that it doesn't really matter how long it takes in the grand scheme of things. Had a look through my test sheet with my husband and realised that other than that I hasn't done too badly. Going to work on my confidence and try a few lessons with an AA instructor :)

I passed on my 8th test this year, manoeuvres were my nemesis- I went in to everything too fast. Take a minute to prepare and take a deep breath, keep it slow and steady and if you feel your self going wrong pause, work out how to correct it and proceed.

Good luck!