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 passed on my third go OP, I was absolutely convinced I'd fail and was so nervous getting in the car I thought about telling the examiner I wasn't even going to attempt it. It really helped that the examiner was kind and funny and I was so overjoyed when I passed. You will get there, I promise. If I can pass, anyone can! For many years I'd resigned myself to the likelihood of never having a license. It really is about your luck on the day as much as ability.

I passed on my 13th try OP, and believe it or not, I'm actually a really good driver. Some people just don't test well, and it doesn't take much to get a serious mark.

I did hypnotherapy after my 12th fail, as my instructor said I had some sort of mental block with the test, as I was actually very good.

I did one hypnotherapy session and passed my next test. Doubt you'll need it, but something to consider.

I'm sure you'll do brilliantly next time, and if you're feeling down about it all, you can cheer yourself up with the fact that you're not as bad as me!

I really commend everyone who's persisted after several fails. It is so so draining - I don't think people who passed first time get it. I'm eternally grateful that I don't have to put myself through it again. 13 tries really shows so much determination and persistence and a huge amount of resilience.

Thanks Wanderingnomad I think I just thought, if I don't crack this, then all the time and money I have spent will be wasted.

I also really wanted to drive, it has made my life so much easier, and I hated relying on other people for lifts.

I had my driving test on a lovely autumnal morning many years ago. We had the sun roof open during the test and when the examiner tapped his pen on his clip board, the sign for an emergency stop, I braked and a whole lot of freezing cold water/dew/condensation shot down the back of her neck. I passed tho.

I sat my test 3 times, first time I ballsed up merging on to the dual carriageway. Second time I missed a big fucking flashing 20 sign! Third time I went to a different test centre early on a Saturday morning, bumped the curb on my parallel park but recovered and passed fine.

I've had to name change as loads of people in real life know the story of my disastrous test and I don't want to be outed

I was living in London aged 17 and started driving lessons. My instructor decided I was ready to take the test, so I booked it.

On the day, I found that the test centre was in Wimbledon. This was during the tennis season and McEnroe was on centre court, so you can imagine the traffic

I set off from the centre and at the end of the road there was a T junction. I have problems telling left from right, especially under pressure, so I was concentrating so hard on working out which was he asked me to go, putting the indicator on in the same direction, clutch control, etc. pulled out - and forgot to turn the steering wheel

He leaned across and turned it for me. Now I knew that was an instant fail, but instead of returning to the test centre, the fit made me carry on!!

Sorry - posted too soon.

Let's just say that nerves caused a little trump to escape and I also went the wrong way at one point and had to do another 3 point turn, which ended up being about eleventy billion and I also couldn't get the hand brake off at a set of traffic lights on a hill, until they had changed again and he also had to do that for me

I took almost 10 tests and seemed to utterly lose my everything on tests. The hour before and all the other tests with my instructor - absolutely fine. The hour of the test - complete disaster.

I failed on test by driving out pf the car park using the entrance side rather than the exit. Instant fail before I even left the centre! I also got FIVE majors on my first test. It sounds unbelievable but I was (and am) a good driver, just something about the test made me turn into a nervous, useless, incompetent wreck. The test I passed I was sure I'd failed too (genuinely thought I'd never pass at one point!) And I basically was so over it I didn't care half as much and it was the one I passed.

I know people who have passed first time who are terrible drivers. I'm also glad I got so much experience before I was on my own. My friend learned in 2 months and whilst she isnt terrible driver, there were a lot of things she had no idea how to tackle as she just hadn't had enough experience before she passed.

My friend failed a driving test 10 years for mounting a kerb .... to let an ambulance pass .... the ambulance wouldn't have been able to get past for ages if she hadn't mounted the kerb like everyone else did.

I also couldn't get the hand brake off at a set of traffic lights on a hill, until they had changed again and he also had to do that for me

Ha oh god I often get sweaty panicky hands that can't function the hand brake!

Thanks so much to you all for sharing your stories, got a lesson this afternoon, gonna focus on mock tests, and bloody parallel parks!

Don't do it during rush hour!

I went for the earliest time slot. Couldn't do a parallel park as it was just so busy (and he'd taken me into a bloody business park!) and then I got in a tizz and said I couldn't do it.

The second time, as I was doing a parallel park, the examiner (different guy) reminded me to leave enough space to get out. I'm not sure that's allowed...

I passed 3rd time.

1st time got a major for stalling doing a paralel park on a steep hill. The bite was so much higher my foot slipped. I blocked the road correcting it.

2nd time managed to flood the engine and kill the battery 5 mins into test. Que examiner calling test centre and getting some of the guys there to come meet us with jump leads to get us started. To this day no one myself included knows how it happened.

3rd time I was 36wks pregnant, huge, uncomfy and suffering with severe HG that had decided to play up with vengance that morning. I was debating canceling but though well ive paid for it lets give it a go. The examiners face was a picture when I waddled out with a bowl between my legs and sat on a puppy pad (instructor didnt want my waters going on his seats 😂) the whole way through I was concentrating more on not being sick. So it distracted me from my nerves. Which was weirdly a big help.

My manouver was the reverse down a road. The examiners face was a picture as I was moaning ans groaning and swearing doing it. As it was near enough impossible to do it with out being in pain. Think he thought I was going into labour.

I also at every set of traffic lights kept leaning forward ans rubbing my back and readjusting my hips 😂

I passed with only 3 minors. How I dont know and DD made her arrival a few days later.

The second time, as I was doing a parallel park, the examiner (different guy) reminded me to leave enough space to get out. I'm not sure that's allowed

From talking to people I think they can definitely let certain things slide!

Unfortunately my parallel park never actually parked so there wasn't much he could turn a blind eye to there

Notquite reading this has made me feel so much better about next week. My lesson went really well today, felt much more confident in my abilities. My instructor is also very good, he teaches Police driving too, so I get very good tips from him, and he is very precise.

I did my first driving test when I was 17. Everything went fin about up to half way, then on a 3 lane bridge they said pull out and turn right. (in mainland europe, so reverse everything). I was in the most inner lane. So I pulled out. With a jerk of the wheel. Thrashed the car, driving instructor had a concussion... Yeah, I failed.
Didn't drive for a year. Then had a BF who was a car mechanic and taught me everything about cars. Another year later I flied through the test, as I had almost a year's practice off-road.

You just have to drive and feel happy in yourself and your ability.

As for stories. On my test I got hit by a speeding driver! He was doing 60 in a 30 zone and wrote of my Instructors car.

It left me quite shocked and was a year later before I attempted the test again which I passed.

One of my friends came to meet me in the pub for lunch right after her driving test and walked through the door absolutely sobbing and bawling her eyes out.

She'd failed but failed so badly she won everything.

Hit a full row of traffic cones - not just one she ploughed through the lot and said through heaving sobs "I could see them sniff I could see in my rear view all these orange cones bouncing out from the back of the car and.. and... sniff and I just froze and kept on going the examiner put the handbrake on and.. and he had to lean over and grab the steering wheel cos I was getting too close to a chevron with bollards and... I FAILED!!!"

Holy shit that made me absolutely cry with laughter. Couldn't console her or do anything other than laugh so hard I felt sick.

The mental image of all these bright orange big fuck off cones being thrown all over the place and the examiner slamming on and taking the wheel before she killed them both.

I got so nervous on my tests that I'd shake, I really feel for you OP. On the test I passed I was in the instructor's new car and managed to stall about 3 times trying to hill start, so got my self in a right fuss. The examiner was so nice and told me to chill out, take a breath and then try again. It actually helped.

I was a truly terrible learner driver, had two instructors who I just wasn’t learning from. So they gave me a third instructor, the lovely ex-copper who could teach anyone to drive (he pointed out a woman to me on a lesson one time, out walking her dog and said he’d got her to pass on her ninth test, then he never saw her drive, just walking around). He got me to my first test, but was away on holiday so a previous instructor was with me that day which didn't help. Very nervous, but prepared. Went out on the test with the only female tester, all fine until the reversing round a corner part. I expected it would be ok, after all easier than parallel parking and slightly uphill so no chance of running backwards. But no, nerves got the better of me and I reversed much too fast over the corner, not round it, very high kerb and bounced the tester woman around quite a bit. It was clear then that I’d failed, but we did the rest of the circuit and went back to the centre, I was much more relaxed driving because I knew I’d failed! Didn’t realise at the time that the tester was in the early stages of pregnancy, I was very relieved when she was off on maternity leave when I went back for the second test (and passed). But, living in London, I had no need to drive so have not done so alone to this day, nearly 30 years later. A bit like passed-on-ninth-try-lady!

OK the driving test has changed, pre checks? It was keys in and off when I did mine!
Passed 2nd time, the 1st time I hit another car, in my defense.... nope I hit another car! 1st test I drove implacably until late the "incident" 2nd test I made every error under the sun. I tried not to look surprised when he told me I'd passed, 23 years later I still hang my head in shame!

Good luck

Oh god Parly let that not happen to me .

It won't!! Even if it does - the worst you'll do is twat out a set of cones and have a great story to come back here with. My friend did pass her test on the second attempt and is a really safe, cautious driver but her nerves were so shot at she just got total spaghetti brain.

Looking back it was harsh to laugh like I did but the way she sobbed and dragged out the story then ended with I FAILED!! like I might not have figured that out was so funny I died.

Don't worry or get worked up too much. Nobody is gonna stand you against the wall and shoot and the worst case scenario is you'll fail.

Even then it's more a pisser and inconvenience whilst the next test date comes through but that's the worst you'll have to worry about.

Whatever you're most anxious about / lack confidence doing just practise but steady away. Don't get yourself in knots and trust me - the space they allow you to reverse park and such is literally twice the size of your average space at Tesco.

When my examiner asked me to reverse into the bay I thought I'd really screwed it up cos the white lines seemed too near and too far to be parked properly. Turned out they just have massive loading bays you could land an aircraft carrier.

Good luck!

My friend hit a horse on his test.