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Original poster

Top tips for passing driving test/why did you fail yours?

29 replies

Alarmfiasco · 15/04/2022 09:55

DD has her driving test next week and so I will be taking her out a lot over the weekend. What tips can I give her or what do I need to check she’s doing to give her the best chance of passing?

OP posts:
R00K · 15/04/2022 10:24

Has she got an instructor?

Blueeyedgirl21 · 15/04/2022 10:28

I checked my mirrors constantly way more than I check them now as a driver of 12 years !

Faked a relaxed and chilled persona, and acted interested in what the guy taking the test was saying

seensome · 15/04/2022 10:30

Not going out with her, are you going to be as strict as an instructor?
Even if she has one, it's best she has a recent lesson with them beforehand.

Original poster
Alarmfiasco · 15/04/2022 10:31

@R00K yes she does, just want to make sure I’m telling her the right things.

OP posts:
KylieCharlene · 15/04/2022 10:32

Lots and lots of mirror checking and good observation of potential hazards ahead.
The examiner needs to see that you are safe on the roads above all else.

CeratopsofthePharoahs · 15/04/2022 10:33

Relax. That's my top tip, though it's probably the hardest to follow!
Also - take time doing the "3-point turn" and actually you can do it in more than three, especially if you think you might clip the kerb.
And if you're so anxious about ballsing that up that you pull out of a junction because some helpful soul has waved you out but actually it isn't safe, the examiner will do an emergency stop and tell you off.
That's how I failed the first time.

Lamerexo · 15/04/2022 10:35

The 3 point turn isn't on the test anymore

HalfShrunkMoreToGo · 15/04/2022 10:36

It was 20 odd years ago so not sure how relevant as I know the test scoring has probably changed.

I failed one before I left the car park because when bay parking one of the tyres was on the line and that was a major.

I would recommend practicing the core manoeuvres, assuming they're pretty much the same as they were:

  • parallel parking
  • bay parking
  • reversing round a corner
  • emergency stop
  • hill start
  • 3 point turn
ThreeIsACrowd · 15/04/2022 10:39

Get her instructor to go over the "show me, tell me" vehicle safety questions about the car she is doing the test in.

Appleseesaw · 15/04/2022 10:40

I think she should have confidence in her driving. Many of the reasons I failed came down to a lack of confidence. Other reasons were messing up the manoeuvres. One tip I heard was to wear dangly earrings so that it’s obvious you are looking to check mirrors. I was also told that if you come to a stop sign, you should apply the handbrake so that there’s no debate as to whether you have actually stopped or not. Best of luck to your DD.

WeetabixandStrawbs · 15/04/2022 10:43

I also echo the mirror checking! Someone told me that before my test, to make it obvious and move your whole head when you look, rather than just glancing which we do normally as drivers. The instructor needs to see you actively looking!

Sending lots of luck to your daughter.

R00K · 15/04/2022 10:45

[quote Alarmfiasco]@R00K yes she does, just want to make sure I’m telling her the right things.[/quote]
In that case, my top tip would be to leave the instructioning to the professional instructor, as you'll only confuse her and make her nervous.

I certainly wouldn't be taking advice off randoms where you don't know their experience or qualifications.

GromblesofGrimbledon · 15/04/2022 10:46

What helped me was a looooooot of practice on the various test routes with my mother. She has the patience of a saint. I went on to take the test in her car. Also really over-exaggerate all the mirror checks. Make it crystal clear that you're looking.

Inyourhonor · 15/04/2022 10:49

I failed mine for being too cautious

JudgeJ · 15/04/2022 10:53

@Blueeyedgirl21

I checked my mirrors constantly way more than I check them now as a driver of 12 years !

Faked a relaxed and chilled persona, and acted interested in what the guy taking the test was saying

Within 5 minutes of starting my test I stalled it turning into a narrow road on a slight incline. After that I knew I'd failed so all my nerves went and I actually passed! He said it's not making an error that matter, it's how you deal with it and apparently I dealt with it very well. This was a long time ago, before there were classes of errors.
PonyPatter44 · 15/04/2022 10:54

Don't give her advice or instructions, just let her drive. Drive, and drive, and drive. You sit there and be quiet Smile. She needs to get used to driving, and to learn to relax behind the wheel, and the best way to do that is just to get out there and get the miles in.

Seeline · 15/04/2022 10:54

My instructor set the rear view mirror at just slightly the wrong position so that you had to move your head slightly to check it. I assume he knew precisely how far wrong it could be to still be right!

MummBRaaarrrTheEverLeaking · 15/04/2022 10:55

I half narrated my drive, so I got a parallel park and nearly clipped the kerb on the reverse. So I said out loud I could see if I kept going it would hit, so now I'm going to come back out a bit etc etc. I went to exit a roundabout and schoolkids were waiting to cross so I said I'm just going to go a little slower here in case one of them darts out.

Basically anything that wasn't standard I talked about what I was doing, which helped me focus and also let the tester know why I was doing a certain action.

And yep, make it obvious you are checking mirrors!

RoseDog · 15/04/2022 10:56

My daughter passed a fortnight ago, first time, 4 minors, she had hardly any practise out with her lessons, I think what helped her was she went in with the attitude that if she fails she can just rebook and try again, she didn't put piles of pressure on herself, before she left for her test she was quite nervous but kept saying out loud "it's only a lesson with a different instructor"

Good luck to your daughter!

LetsGoFlyAKiteee · 15/04/2022 11:05

@HalfShrunkMoreToGo

It was 20 odd years ago so not sure how relevant as I know the test scoring has probably changed.

I failed one before I left the car park because when bay parking one of the tyres was on the line and that was a major.

I would recommend practicing the core manoeuvres, assuming they're pretty much the same as they were:

  • parallel parking
  • bay parking
  • reversing round a corner
  • emergency stop
  • hill start
  • 3 point turn
Ah me too!!! Tried to correct it and think because nerves it just wouldn't happen.

3 point turn and reverse round a corner all gone..which is a shame cause the one I passed those were the ones I did!

For me what helped me pass was the feeling of sod this...the others before I'd be a bag of nerves think feeling pressure to pass. Once had that feeling..all came together.

And mirrors. Lots of mirror checks

LindaEllen · 15/04/2022 11:13

My best tip is to try and treat the test the same as she would a lesson. In fact, it's easier than a lesson, because it's much shorter. It goes by in the blink of an eye.

Check mirrors often, stay calm and collected, and remember it's better to get a minor for hesitancy than a major for dangerous driving :).

Mehdimeh · 15/04/2022 12:00

I failed my first mostly due to nerves. I didn't anticipate just how anxious I would feel. I was shaking and I instantly developed severe cotton mouth, it was horrific. I found chewing gum really helped with this next time.
The whole thing is mostly a blur, I think I failed due to stalling when attempting to turn into a junction and then getting a bit too close to the parked vehicles/not having great control of the steering wheel in my anxiety filled-just-stalled-at-the-worst-time state.

The second time was a mighty fuck up on my part; I failed to check my blind spot when about to change lane and the examiner had to grab the wheel to stop me hitting a car.

The third time, as I was waiting to turn left out of the test centre, another learner was indicting to turn in, so I waited until they started to turn before I proceeded to leave, only after they started to turn in they carried on and I had to break hard! The examiner was nice and mentioned how it looked like they were turning in there, but I'd been told that having to do an emergency stop was an automatic fail so at that point I figured I'd failed yet another test and mild annoyance took over my anxiety and I sailed through the rest of the test having mentally given up. I passed. Yay.

Fifthtimelucky · 16/04/2022 23:15

Make sure you are familiar with any bus lanes!

On her first test, my daughter was driving back to the test centre at the end of the test when she drove in a bus lane.

She hadn't realised that the restrictions were in force at that time of day (there are different time restrictions on various different bus lanes in the town) and had thought she was ok. She was wrong!

The instructor apologised and said she had to fail her because the bus lane was in force. It was a shame because the rest of the test had gone really well, with no minors.

Fortunately she passed on the 2nd attempt.

jenkel · 16/04/2022 23:21

Dd has just failed hers, she is always inclined to go a little fast, we were always telling her to watch her speed, and you’ve guessed it, she failed on going to slow.

The biggest thing is nerves, try rescue remedy.

ElegantlyTouched · 16/04/2022 23:23

Re Bay parking, if she thinks she's on the line she can reverse and reposition. Mu instructor told me this after I failed the first time, though my examiner did hint that I could I thought it was against the rules. I didn't fail on that, but it shook my nerves and I then stalled on a roundabout.