Driving Tests

[Cruss5]

Hopefully got my first test n a few weeks.  

 

My instructor told me that he is teaching me to get through my test, learning how to drive is down to me.  I end up talking about city most of the time through the lessons.

[Ross 'LCFC' Turner]

Failed my first test in under 1 minute. Carried on with it to gain the experience & see what's its like though. Rest of the test was fine on,y 4 minors.

Passed my second test.

Keep going, passing is the best feeling ever.

[Fox92]

Failed my first test. Only got three minors, but got a major for 'speeding'... When I got home, this is no lie, my mum was listening to the radio and 'Drive My Car' by The Beatles came on. Think it's the first time I've wanted to turn a Beatles song off!

 

Passed soon after that though, so pleased as well. Can't beat driving around town.

 

I wouldn't worry about it to much. I heard it's all about statistics, and I believe that. I drive around now and see a lot of bad driving. Keep going, passing is a great feeling.

[cambridgefox]

Passed 2nd time,which was probably fair.

My driving instructor (25 years ago) was an old boy but hilarious.I had to stop the car so he could chuck once, as he had been on the piss the night before .He was Edmund slack bladder as I was always having to find a country lane for him to have a piss.He also got me to overtake a line of cars as he was in a rush.All my mates had him,he was a legend ,sadly no longer with us.

Much different to the bloke I had for 2 lessons.On my second lesson ,and it was my fault,it seemed in those early days like juggling plates,steering,looking,braking,clutch,indicators ,I took a short cut and missed a few of those out and pulled out infront of a car,now they have an emergency brake,which he used.The bloke in the other car swore,I swore back,the instructor called me an idiot for pulling out on more than one occasion and I think i lost it,got out and told him to take me home.

Aaaahh my 1st lesson was shit also.He picked me up outside my work at home time,big mistake,seeing 20 work colleagues in my rear view pissing themselves as I stalled,kangarood and struggled to steer.

[Kitchandro]

I've failed 3 times. All the examiners are tossers.

[Hollism]

Passed in October. 1st time, 1 minor.

 

I have a mate who won't tell me how many tests he's had, think he's failed 3 though. Another girl I work with has failed 4. Don't worry about it though. The practical test is a lot down to luck, it doesn't mean you're a bad driver. If you were, your instructor wouldn't let you keep booking them.

[ScouseFox]

I failed my theory once. That was much more painful than I imagine failing the real thing would be. Stupid theory. 

[Fox92]

As above, was going to post about the theory as well. Passed my theory first time, but I don't actually think there should be a theory. I was actually talking about this today... Not sure what it actually gains, most of the stuff you don't actually have to know... Always said that you should get taught the basics of the engine (where to put oil, water etc) and the basics of the road (signs, traffic lights etc).

[whoareyaaa]

I failed my theory once. That was much more painful than I imagine failing the real thing would be. Stupid theory. 

 

The theory test is a different kettle of fish, I failed that about 6 times.

[SystonFox]

I didnt have to take a test. I just turned up and the examiner said yeah you'll do we'll played la!

In all seriousness I passed 3rd time 9 years ago. It was with the examiner who I had on my first test which I got 17 minors on, 15 minors meant a fail!

On my second test I got 2 minors 1 major and the examiner was an ex copper who said "best test I've done in a long time particularly parallel park which was flawless but unfortunately as much as I want to pass you, on Melton rd you stayed in the right hand lane too long"

Heartbreak.

When I finally did pass the red bull vw was at gypsy lane test centre with two fitties handing out free red bull. As if I needed more of a buzz!!!

[Alexikokopops]

I passed second time. 4 minors maybe? I have to change my driving license this year though which gives you an idea of how long ago it was. Anyway, sold my car about 16 months ago after not driving it more than once a month for the previous 16. Much happier now, cars are ****ers. Always some cost you're not expecting round the corner.

[Zingari]

I failed because my instructor told me that if a dog ran out in front of me i was not to swerve or brake and should run it it over .

 

I had to chase the little bastrad over 3 fields to do that !!! and the cvnt still failed me 

[potter3]

My first test I got 0 minors, 1 major.

 

Passed 2nd time easy though.

 

Mate took about 5 tests, on one that he failed he pulled out of the test centre and drove on the wrong side of the road.

[Adster]

Passed first time with 2 minors.

When you're confident, it's the easiest thing I've ever done.

[Father Ted]

Passed first time with 4 minors. 

 

For anybody looking for an instructor, go with Andy Plumb, massive City fan and an absolute legend!

[Captain...]

Gypsy lane is a notoriously tough centre, there are lots of real cvnty junctions round there, at least there were, I know a lot of people who took the test in Loughborough instead and passed first time.

[Ozwin]

Passed first time with 2 minors.

When you're confident, it's the easiest thing I've ever done.

This is what I don't get. Why would you go into it if you weren't absolutely sure you could pass? I don't like to make a habit of throwing away £80 or whatever it is for the sake of it.

[SystonFox]

you can never be sure you will pass. it's luck of the draw on the day. if things go well you should pass but i put my first failure down to nerves. i got 17 minors absolutely bottled it. second fail i drove well but a lack of complete concentration and road awareness meant i spent too long in the wrong lane down melton road so it was probably correct to fail me.

 

 

as for them having quotas to fulfil i dont buy into that. lame excuse for failing

[FoxesAreBlue]

Passed first time (3 minors i think) but thought I had failed, I thought the emergency stop counted as a manoeuvre so got a bit of a shock when he asked me to reverse park back at the test centre.

Because I though it was over, I hadn't positioned the car where you normal would for a reverse park, I was miles away and had to swing round in a huge arc to get it in and the car was so on the piss it was unbelievable. I had my head in my hand expecting a fail. Without saying a word; the examiner got out and looked at the back tyres, got back in and wrote some notes and said that I had passed!

Yes the car wasn't straight, but the back tyre was still on the white line (by about 1cm), he said if any part of it had gone over, then it would have been a fail! Basically if I had stopped reversing any later I would have had to reebok! Couldn't get much closer than that!

[Rincewind]

Erors might not be a big thing. I think it's more your general driving, alertness. If the examiner feels safe then you'll be OK.

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

I passed second time, first i still think the examiner wanted me to fail

Same here - the first test I failed on some proper bullshit. I had to drive on the wrong side of the road because my lane was completely blocked with a row of about 20 parked cars. When I started, there was no oncoming traffic at all, then a bus came round the bend (which wasn't in eyesight at the start of the manoeuvre) and naturally he had to brake as I was technically in his way. There was no possible way of knowing the bus was approaching, and the instructor gave me a major for that, and minors for all sorts of things.

 

Went back 2 weeks later, different instructor - passed with 2 minors and was told it was one of the best tests he'd seen in months.

 

I did my test in Melton - having previously passed my motorcycle test at Gypsy Lane. The Melton routes are definitely more beginner-friendly

[Guest Mee-9]

Took me four times mate.

 

By the fourth time I just took my time and was pretty relaxed. Didn't really feel the nerves. I booked my fourth a few weeks after my third, got a cancellation. Didn't do any more lessons between them. Turned up for my fourth and passed. 

 

Just got to keep trying mate, don't quit else you'll be back at square one. 

 

EDIT: Also if the opportunity is there to avoid Gypsy Lane, and do it at another test centre do this. I did all mine at Gypsy Lane and you can fail before you even hit a proper road. Also you either can turn left out of the test centre and get met with a pissing awkward box junction which they'll always tell you to turn right in, you turn right and it takes ages to get out, and you have to give way at a bridge thing. 

[cambridgefox]

Gypsy lane is a notoriously tough centre, there are lots of real cvnty junctions round there, at least there were, I know a lot of people who took the test in Loughborough instead and passed first time.

Gypsy lane is a notoriously tough centre.

Thought you were going to say something about bare knuckle fighting with the examiner.

[glenny_fox]

I passed 3rd time. my 2 fails were at Wigston where the instructors were both absolute bellends! Then went to loughborough and passed with 0 minors.

[ADK]

Passed first time (3 minors i think) but thought I had failed, I thought the emergency stop counted as a manoeuvre so got a bit of a shock when he asked me to reverse park back at the test centre.

Because I though it was over, I hadn't positioned the car where you normal would for a reverse park, I was miles away and had to swing round in a huge arc to get it in and the car was so on the piss it was unbelievable. I had my head in my hand expecting a fail. Without saying a word; the examiner got out and looked at the back tyres, got back in and wrote some notes and said that I had passed!

Yes the car wasn't straight, but the back tyre was still on the white line (by about 1cm), he said if any part of it had gone over, then it would have been a fail! Basically if I had stopped reversing any later I would have had to reebok! Couldn't get much closer than that!

 

Same thing with me although i think the car was about 1mm from crossing the line, got given 4 minors i think just for that manouvre but fortunately passed with 10 minors. I think anyone can fail any given test, but you ought to be doing it when you are 75% + sure you will pass. My instructor said that alot of the time when people get harsh majors it's because the instructor didn't feel they were ready to pass but needed an excuse to fail them.