To ask for your driving test tips but also your most disastrous test stories

[chillydawg]

One of my biggest fears is doing something completely insane and dangerous and hearing about other people who have done that would ease my nerves a bit, even if that sounds weird!

The test is today and I feel sick thinking about it.

I've been driving ummmm let's just say over 40 years. Passed 2nd time.

First time there was the Milk Float incident. Bear in mind there were far more milk floats around when I took the test back then. He swerved to avoid me, I swerved, god knows what happened. But I do know there was a lot of milk and glass on the road
He finished the test there and then, not surprisingly.

On my second attempt the examiner asked me to do a bay park before we'd even left the test centre, I was so nervous I ended up diagonal across 3 spaces! I asked him if there was any point continuing as it was obviously a fail and he agreed 😂 I had taken a valium for this attempt as I was such a nervous wreck on my 1st I couldn't control my clutch leg! It made naff all difference

I nailed it on my 3rd go (I gave up after atte0pt 2 as I moved away so this was a few years later) and my top tip is not to tell anyone when you've got the test booked (I just let on it was a lesson, really reduced the pressure) and I also had my instructor in the back seat which helped calm me down

My first test I did a reverse around the corner and mounted the kerb!
Second one I had been practising in a petrol car but did the test in a diesel. Totally different biting point, feel for changing gears etc. Got so many minors for incorrect gear use it became a major.
(We now have 2 cars, one of each and I have no problems. Just inexperienced and nervous I guess.)
Next one they changed the regs between me booking the test and the test so I didn't have the correct id. Had to miss it. :(
Next one I used my mum's car. All ok until we pulled into a wide road to practise a u turn. Smoke started billowing out the car so I parked up and said we should probably get out instead of doing manoeuvres. Had to walk back to the test centre so we were quite late and then had to explain to my mum her car was broken down and he couldn't pass me as I'd not been able to complete the manoeuvres. :(
(Turns out the starter motor had jammed on.)
Last time I passed with flying colours.
Same examiner for all of them! Think he was relieved I finally did it. Lol.

I failed my first test in the first 5 minutes for speeding! I was driving down a single carriageway with roadworks at 30 as per the large temporary speed limit sign. I then reached the dual carriageway where there were no temporary speed limit signs and all the permanent ones were spray painted over. There were no cones or workmen and no sign anyone was working there, so I assumed like everyone else on the road at the time the speed limit would revert to 60. Apparently I wasn't the only one to be caught out by that.

I passed the second time with a couple of minors. My legs were shaking throughout the test but it somehow didn't affect my driving. I've now developed a massive phobia of being alone in the car, so I don't drive much at the moment .

*typo should say revert to 70

I also had my instructor in the back seat which helped calm me down

I asked my instructor to come along during my test. He said it was best not to because sometimes examiners "overlook" some mistakes, but would have to document them if there was a witness to it. Not sure if that's true, but I left him behind at the test centre just in case.

I passed on my eighth go .

Number seven, I failed for speeding, nearly did the same on number eight.

Burbled when he said that I'd passed about it being my eighth go and the look of panic on the guys face was priceless!

Been driving 15 years now with no accidents, just couldn't do the tests!

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

The first time I took my test I did the following:

• bumped the curb immediately as we pulled out the test centre

-was asked to do an emergency stop which for some reason my instructor had never showed me how to do and although in my head I knew I just needed to stop immediately, instead I cruised to a nice gentle stop..

• I accidentally put the car into reverse on a dual carriage way when trying to find 4th gear..
• I was asked to park on the side of the road in a safe space, I parked in a disabled bay..

You'll be shocked to hear I failed..

Try not to get too nervous! The sight of him keep writing things on his clipboard wound me up no end to the point I couldn't concentrate on anything else!

I had quick lesson in the hour before my test and the instructor took me to a road we always practice reversing around a corner on. There was a post box on a pole in the corner which was handy to use as a marker of when to turn and not hit the curb. The same road was often used during test routes in my area. On the lesson before my test I actually hit the post box pole and bent it over! My nerves were shot by the time we got to the test centre. My test instructor took me to the same road to do the reversing around a corner manoeuvre and then said " oh my gosh someone has knocked over the pole". He had no idea it was me who hit it 20 mins before and I managed to pass my test that day

Took me 4 attempts last year.
Honestly the first time was just awful, the examiner was just heavily breathing and grunting down my ear the whole time and was really off putting.
2nd and 3rd actually ok but I'd made silly mistakes on the same round about 2 seconds before pulling up to the test centre after getting through the whole test with one or two minors.
4th I had a lovely examiner she really calmed me down she was previously an instructor she did almost fail me when reversing out of a bay parking spot. I steered to early and almost hit the trolley bay but I pulled back in and corrected myself. Only got 1 minor for hesitation on a round about I should of pulled out but I was wary from previous tests.
I high-fived her when she told me I'd passed

I actually listened to a hypnotherapy you tube vid the evening before and morning of my test. Really helped me I thought.

This wasn't me but it was one of my friends in college.. When he was 17 had an examiner who was wearing a toupee. He suspected the examiner was wearing one, but found out for sure when he did an emergency stop and it flew off the examiner's head at such a force it ended up on the dashboard . He was laughing that much he couldn't do his test. He sat the test again and same examiner, started laughing when he saw him and the examiner got annoyed and refused to take him.

Failed twice, about 20 years ago, haven't taken it since.

First time I didn't spot a speed sign: had been doing 60 and didn't notice the road slowed to 40. To be fair, nobody else around me slowed down either. The examiner made me stop and asked me what the speed limit was. Knew I'd failed then. Can't remember how the rest of the test went. When I got back to my examiner to knew exactly where the mistake happened, and took me back to show me the sign.

Second time I stalled the car coming out the driving test car park and after that my nerves were shot to pieces. Think I only failed on minors, but that was enough. Have had lessons since but I'm so nervous.

I failed first time for not coming out at a junction quickly enough. I was turning right and there were parked cars on the right and a bus overtaking them. Still think I was in the right. Got back to the centre and my instructor said he couldn't teach me anything else so "just get as much practicing in as you can before your resit". Fair enough. Went out with my aunt in her car between tests and then come the day of the test my ex-instructor was sitting waiting in his car for me to take the test in his car (and pay him). He was told, nicely, to jog on.

First test, just before my instructor took me on a couple of routes they were known to use. I turned a corner and mounted the kerb on two wheels. Guess where the tester took me? One of first corners after driving out of the test centre and I did the exact same thing. Knew I’d failed immediately and the bastard still made me do the whole test.

Driving disaster on a lesson, I was driving down the road and someone pulled out of a side road and straight into the side of me! My one and only car accident.

flower. That's an old old joke.

I'm not sure if the person you were at college added on the bit about the examiner refusing to take the second test, but it's as untrue as the first!

I flooded the test centre before I even started. Ours is a tiny place with a room where the examiner is, a waiting room and a toilet. Used the toilet, washed my hands and the knob came off in my hand. Water was shooting straight up and hitting the ceiling. Cue me, my instructor and the examiner desperately trying to stop it. Finally managed to find the knob to turn the water off but I was a wet wreck after that.

Failed about 5 times, switched to automatic and passed first time in that.

Test tip:
Narrate your driving. Sounds stupid but it really helped me to talk through everything and know that the examiner would be in no doubt that I’d check as I was saying things like ‘right we are at the roundabout, look to my right, it’s clear, check mirrors and off we go’ style things. It was a tip from my instructor and worked.

Horrid stories: first test I failed within 10 seconds of getting in the car as I mounted the kerb trying to avoid a car coming up the wrong way a one way street. It was a disaster.
I also failed once with 6 major faults, 2 minors and a d for dangerous driving. Didn’t even know they existed.
Good luck!

Disastrous: the examiner decided to break when I’d already done it and failed me for it. My instructor was in the car and had quite the row with him when we got back. I hadn’t clicked a single minor either!

Magic words said to be my instructor day before second test: forget all the shoulds like always driving at the limit. All you need to do is get from a to b safely.

He didn’t know they were magic but honestly, I had ‘just be safe’ in my head the whole test.

Try and stay as calm as you can, I know it's hard, I was so nervous, but there's some great advice here.

Disaster stories to cheer you up:

I was driving my own car on the dual carriageway and my L plate blew off. Examiner got me to pull over and replace it with a spare, set off again, all good... except that the spare then also blew off.

The examiner refused to drive my car, made me walk back to the test centre, up the side of the dual carriageway and a steep bank.
I then had to collect my dad and then walk back down the dual carriageway to my car.

When I went back for my next test THE SAME MAN came out and informed me that due to a strike, there weren't enough examiners and my test was cancelled.

I gave up for a good while after that. When I went back to it I had a few lessons with another instructor. I told him the story of my previous tests he said "OH MY GOD, that was YOU? Everyone heard about that, I can't wait to tell them I'm teaching you now"

You'll be fine OP, good luck!

I passed on the 5th time.

The first test I drove on the pavement and wondered why I failed

I failed my first test driving out of the test centre! I passed two weeks later with no minor faults and only the lesson immediately before my test. I've now been driving 22 years with no incidents. Nerves just got the better of me.

Left the test centre, red traffic light, when it turned green I pulled away in second gear... This was barely a minute into my test and up a hill. I'm still not sure how I managed not to stall but then was convinced I'd failed and so relaxed and drove ok. When we got back to the test centre the examiner said 'ok now pull over to the left and I'm pleased to tell you you've passed!' I was so shocked I drove into (not up!) the kerb. Luckily it didn't change the result and I asked him if he'd noticed I pulled away in second gear, he said I'd have failed if I stalled but because I kept control it was just a minor! Don't know if the rules have changed since, this was many many years ago... Good luck OP!

I used to be an instructor and when newly qualified and very inexperienced was asked to take another instructor’s pupil for his test as the instructor already had another pupil booked in at the same centre at the same time.

The instructor suggested we follow him around the area, him in his car with pupil A and me in my car with pupil B, for some practice on the day prior to the tests and then follow his car to the test centre.

After practising the first manoeuvre we lost the other instructor’s car we were meant to be following. This was in the days before mobile phones, sat navs etc. I didn’t know the area and we got completely lost. Drove round in circles trying to find either him or the test centre - couldn’t find either.

I had to take over driving, panicked, driving like a lunatic and breaking speed limits I eventually found the centre but it was too late - his test had been cancelled as we arrived 15 mins late!

Other instructor pissed off with me, pupil pissed off with me, me feeling completely dumb and to add insult to injury I had to pay for another test for the poor chap.

I was never asked to cover another instructor’s test again. Still cringe when I think about it.

As I was finishing my test, the person finishing next to me was doing a "reverse into a bay" that backed on to the test centre. They reversed into the test centre 🙈 maybe don't do that

I'm sure you will do fine, and if you don't, you can always take it again and learn from any mistakes, so try not to worry!