DD - learning to drive

[BlackBean2023]

DD is 17 and about to start driving lessons. The closest test date at our local test centre is February.

I know we can book any test and wait for a cancellation but the whole system is weird and stressful to me so I'd rather just get one booked and keep it.

Would we be mad to book it now (her theory is next week) and assume that in 5 months DD can learn to drive!? She'll be having 3 hours tuition a week - one 1 hour lesson and one 2 hour lesson - with an instructor so will have had around 60 hours with an instructor plus regular practice in her own car with us.

A couple of instructors seem put off by the idea of her a) completing her theory before she's had a lesson and b) working to a test deadline albeit one 5 months away!

Oh, and you do have to pass your theory before booking a driving test so this is all irrelevant. I think there’s a pretty high fail rate for first time theory sitting as well so absolutely hold horses for the moment.

Book it then change it/swap it later if you need to. There will be someone in January wanting a test urgently, but can only book for July.

As a comparison though. I had one hour lessons per week and also did accompanied drives with my parents when I was learning at 17. I was desperate to drive, so was very focussed on learning.

I started my driving lessons the day after my 17th birthday and passed my test 17.5 weeks later.

My parents had paid for my first 17 driving lessons for me and I was determined to spend as little of my own money as possible!

Book for the theory as soon as you can, then as soon as she has passed it book a test. Keep up as much practice as you can, then as the test date approaches you can assess whether she is ready or you need to postpone. At least a few professional lessons are a good idea to get her test ready, as is driving the test routes for the centre she is using. Good luck to her.
My son graduated in 2020 and needed a driving licence for job applications, and it was a nightmare getting test dates. I don't know if it is any better now.

The issue is recruitment and retention of examiners, that being an examiner is hugely stressful, getting into a car with someone you dont know and often with little idea of the training they have had. Examiner salaries are poor for the responsibility, far less than the average UK wage and low down on the civil service pay bands. I am a former instructor and examiner so am speaking from first hand experience

Does disagree with you at all.

I just had no clue how you became one so I googled it.

@BlackBean2023 most definitely, book it now!!! My daughter sat her theory on her 17th birthday and I immediately booked her test for three weeks later due to her exams! she passed first time with three weeks worth of double lessons 3times a week!

The point is that you need to have theory test in hand in order to book practical exam. So either way you have to wait until next week. The system won't let you book it otherwise (unless things changed since last year but I doubt it).
I would book it as soon as her theory certificate is issued but be prepared to cancel as she may not be ready by then.

My DD passed 1st time with no faults but it took 6-7 months and a change of instructor to get there - she was also despite revising for months overwhelmed by the theory test and failed first time. What I am saying is you have no idea how she will react, whether it comes naturally to her, whether the instructor is right for her etc?

My DD paid for something extra (not sure what it was) and got emails about cancelled test dates and got in a month after the instructor said she was ready.

My DD2 has been learning since 2021 and didn’t click at all with her first instructor and was very unhappy and felt bullied. It then took her ages to find another who messed her around. She finally has one now who keeps moving her test back. It is a lot of pressure. My DD has until next spring to pass now before the theory has to be taken again. You do not really know how someone will do with driving or if the instructor will click with them. You can move the test and the instructor will advise what’s best. You should tell the instructor about the test don’t hide it from them, they need to know what they are up against in terms of time. If the instructor is good you need to listen to their opinion not your opinion or what your DD wants because they are the teacher

I think instructors might be put off by you putting so much pressure on someone who hasn’t ever driven before. They might be reluctant to work under this pressure themselves. What if your DD is not very good at it

You can only book her test after she has done her theory - you need to get into the system and go online at extactly 6am monday mornings and book a test which you can then change.

My DS is booking the next available test as soon as he passes his theory and will just make sure he's ready by driving everywhere he needs to go for the duration of waiting time, probably about 5 months around here. 60 hours of tuition plus the additional practice that could be fitted in on top sounds like loads.

Get it booked. You can swap later on but driving tests are like gold dust.

Ds also had an instructor ( uni town) that kept saying to put test back. And threatened to refuse to teach him if he didn't. This was 10 days before test due.
We took absolutely no notice of that and he took the test in his own car and passed with 2 minors. So the instructor obv talking shit saying he wasn't ready. He's actually a much better driver that his sister who has had licence 10 years longer

I’m an instructor and would not be put off by that. If she’s had off-road experience it really helps, it drastically cuts down the amount of hours. We have a test swap group locally so if a student wasn’t ready we’d look to move the test, but after 60 hours I imagine she would be.

Is she practising outside of her lessons too? If she is she will probably be ready way before the test date. Then hopefully should get a cancellation. There’s nothing worse than lessons with someone who’s totally ready, you feel redundant!

Instructor here, the issue is if we have too many test fails it creates triggers which means a standards check. So we have to be careful that people are ready because ultimately we could lose our licence and our livelihood. I’m wondering if your son maybe had a major fault on one of his lessons which made the instructor nervous about taking him. Of course that doesn’t apply to you taking him, parents can take along anyone at any standard without being penalised. (This is why being an examiner must be scary at times! You don’t know what you’re going to get.)

The system isn’t pleasant for instructors sadly.

Well I don't know about whether he had a " major " fault in one lesson but tbh why would that make any difference whatsoever and to ditch him 10 days before test is extreme. My DD did fail her first test with a major and her instructor seemed to think she was ready.

There seem to be far far more driving lessons taken before tests these days. When I learned it was said an hour for each year of your age. Please tell me why it seems over double that now

DH is an instructor & won’t take on someone that has their test booked & only wants a few lessons leading up to it & I believe a lot of other instructors do the same so I would avoid that OP.

@Gogogo12345 wrote: "There seem to be far far more driving lessons taken before tests these days. When I learned it was said an hour for each year of your age. Please tell me why it seems over double that now"

That was certainly what used to be said as long ago as the 1960s when my dad learned, but the roads are a smidge more complex and crowded than they were. So 40+ years ago if you had to change lanes for example, there was a good chance were that there wasn't anything alongside you, so all the examiner would see is a mirror check and a 'safe' lane change. Now chances are there is a vehicle you need to wrangle, so it is more likely that poor judgement of another vehicle's speed and position will be exposed whilst performing an identical task. Multiply this by dozens of hazard interactions per test, and you'll see why it takes longer. So luck was a more important factor in the past - many tests would have encountered few difficult to handle situations - essentially it is hard to fluke a pass these days.

11 years of teaching learners has taught me that very, very few people can easily pass with fewer than 30 hours experience from scratch. For the majority somewhere between 40 and 100 hours would be typical (not necessarily all with an instructor, but I would guess I spend somewhere between 30 and 50 hours with the majority of my learners if teaching from nothing, plus any private practice they get).

That’s a lot and at the price per hour that’s a big £££- i had 24 hrs as an intensive course and that was more than enough.

Though it was a while ago.

I wouldn’t book a Feb test now for someone who doesn’t already know how to drive. She is likely to miss lessons over Christmas and due to bad weather, so I would probably aim for Spring time. I could be biased though because I was doing lessons for a year before I passed.

DS passed in May.
His instructor booked his test after his second lesson, so I would definitely book it.
I know a few driving instructors, apparently the average hours needed to pass is 40, so 3 hours a week is 13 weeks? Therefore I'd expect her to be more than ready by February

It was the 90s in London I took my test. A d was said then. I think I had 20 lessons and 2 twsts

Does she have the app on her phone for the theory test? It appears to use the actual test questions, mine used to play it like a game and try to get 100% consistently so they knew the answers and got no errors on the test.

As your DD knows already how to start and put in gear and drive a car, I'd get some cones or obstacles and practice the reverse parking, parallel parking moves etc at MILs - we had off road practice too, helps massively. Then I would see if you can add DD to your car insurance, and get her to drive you EVERYWHERE. The more hours practice she can do the better. Eldest had just 10 lessons and passed no minors, but did drive several hundred miles for us for practice! She'll be fine by February

1. well you can’t book it now OP because they need a theory number pass.
2. you would need an instructor that was also free on that date and willing to test her on that date. Most won’t be happy with a booked date before lessons even begin as it puts on extra pressure