Second test in two weeks time!

MollyCoddle

And I am panicking! The first failure dented my confidence big time....I failed for mounting the pavement when reversing around the corner (a mistake I'd never made before lol) and afterwards it put me off driving a little and I haven't been out much.

I've just got notification of my second test and am terrified! The test experience itself was fine, I wasn't nervous at all and it was over pretty quickly but the mounting the pavement and failing it really knocked my confidence and put me off driving.

I am trying to practice etc and have some pretest lessons booked for the day and morning before the test - any other advice? (other than practicing reversing around the corner lol).

Mitch Connor

can't offer any advice really other thn what you have said yourself, practice the reversing til you are as confident as you can get with it.

Cathmandooo

I feel your pain, I failed my first test and havent had the courage to even apply for my second yet. Failing knocked my confidence and i havent been out much in the car since. If thats all you failed on then you did really well and were just unlucky on the day so keep that in mind. Practice practice practice is the only way to go! You clearly already know all the textbook stuff if you got through that part before. Read over your rules of the road though and get out for your pretest lessons. Try not to be nervous (a lot easier said than done) Best of luck and if you fail again its not the end of the world, get right back up on that horse!! Now I only wish I'd take my own advice

Macca206

If taking lessons why not have them maybe a week before the test not just the day before? A lot of the test is thinking about your road positions, when to check mirrors, safety checks, observation and some are easier to pick up than others. If you are taking 2 lessons id say to have 1 a week before and then go off and practice all you were taught then go back a day or 2 before the test and they can say if you have any faults previously noted corrected.

mini Maple

hi there, I know exactly how you feel,
I failed my first test in feb, I had a very rude driving instructor, who made me so nerrvous, I ended up breaking a red light ( i to this day still say it was a flashing ambour filter light!) but that knocked my confidence completly, I didnt want to drive any more, cause i was convinced id pass! and so was everyone else- so they tell me.... anyway my tester also told me i was relying too much on my side mirror when reversing around corners.

So before i did my second test last month i got some lessons from a very good instructor - when practicing, if you have someone else in the car with you, get them to cover your rear view mirror with their hands, so you have to look out the back window, and focus on a pole or somethin like a tree, to keep straight and only glance at your rear view mirror, once you see the curb going out of view start turning with it, be sure to stop once and look completly around you for all your blind spots!

my other bit of advice is to go in to your test with the knowledge that if you fail again, you can still get into your car and drive home, nothing is going to change... if you are not too stressed and worried you are less likely to make stupid mistakes. If you are a good careful driver there is no reason why you should not pass... besides when are you ever going to use 'reversing around a corner' in normal driving??

Best of luck!

wil

Around, forward, left and back.
Thats where you look before commencing reversing around a bend.
Note the position of the kerb in your rear window and aim to keep it at that position so that you will keep the correct distance from kerb.
Keep looking around, especially as the nose of your car swings out for any oncoming cars or pedestrians that might decide to walk behind you.
Doesnt need to be perfect or fast, but bumping anything or body is out.

My suggestion Get yourself a good instructer for one or 2 pretests, find one recommended, that way you will have more experience of sitting in with someone you never met before and see what they think and what you should concentrate on. If they think you are OK to pass then that might give you that little bit of extra confidence and pass. Even if they are not sure they at least will let you know where you are going wrong from a fresh point of view.

For some people being too calm is a problem and they dont realise they are making mistakes so dont concern yourself if you are nervous, almost everyone is. A few nerves should keep you sharp. Its the same pass whether you get it first or tenth time. Even if you think youve failed early on keep going, you just may have got enough to get it.

Personally, but see what others say, I think it is ok to acknowledge your mistakes out loud or if given the opportunity because then the tester is aware you are aware of what you are doing and so can improve on someone who isnt aware of what they are doing. I wonder if anyone else has a view on this? It is part of a technique taught for advanced driving.

Good luck

wil

mini Maple wrote: »

besides when are you ever going to use 'reversing around a corner' in normal driving??
....

- Reversing in to a driveway or car park space,
- Often the only safe way to u-turn on a narrow street
- When you are hiding from the bad guys in a Bourne movie;)

Wishbone Ash

mini Maple wrote: »

I had a very rude driving instructor, who made me so nerrvous, I ended up breaking a red light

Think of it this way:

Does having a rude* passenger in you car justify doing something that is very dangerous and potentially fatal?

I know you don't want to hear this but having a rude passenger shouldn't affect one's driving to such an extent that they are a danger. If it does, you have to ask yourself if you are competent to drive on public roads!


* Driving examiners are not permitted to engage in any conversation. This is so that candidates cannot claim that they were being distracted. Some people confuse this with rudeness.

I've done 8 driving tests in total (different categories). That's way more than most people. In those 8 tests, I've never had any reason to doubt the testers. They were all 'ordinary' - nothing more, nothing less - exactly as it should be. None of them ever engaged me in any conversation or attempted to be nice/rude. When I failed, I deserved to fail.

MollyCoddle

Thanks for the advice...

How I climbed the pavement was...I lost sight of the corner on my way round it so started over compensating and steering hard to get back in line...before I knew it I was up on the pavement! I said 'that's an automatic fail isn't it' and he said he couldn't discuss it until we got back to the centre. Naturally the news wasn't great! He seemed nice enough though.

My pretest lessons are with an ISM guy who I've never driven with before so hopefully he'll be able to spot my problems straight off. I'll keep you posted

mini Maple

wil wrote: »

- Reversing in to a driveway or car park space,
- Often the only safe way to u-turn on a narrow street
- When you are hiding from the bad guys in a Bourne movie;)

yeah yeah, ok, reversing into a driveway is alot easier than having to do the 'reverse around a corner' in a test.

mini Maple

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Think of it this way:

Does having a rude* passenger in you car justify doing something that is very dangerous and potentially fatal?

I know you don't want to hear this but having a rude passenger shouldn't affect one's driving to such an extent that they are a danger. If it does, you have to ask yourself if you are competent to drive on public roads!


* Driving examiners are not permitted to engage in any conversation. This is so that candidates cannot claim that they were being distracted. Some people confuse this with rudeness.

I've done 8 driving tests in total (different categories). That's way more than most people. In those 8 tests, I've never had any reason to doubt the testers. They were all 'ordinary' - nothing more, nothing less - exactly as it should be. None of them ever engaged me in any conversation or attempted to be nice/rude. When I failed, I deserved to fail.

To be honest, there are always exceptions to the rule. i made a complaint and everything.... she made mean comments even before i did my test - when you are giving your information she interupted when i was giving my car reg, (which i had written down) she saw this and made a comment about being too nervous that i wouldnt be able to remember my own name... i felt like getting up and walking out.

im not saying they should talk to you conversation when driving, but they should in no way make you feel more nervous by being mean.

and it was a filter light, i know it was, i am a very careful driver, but it was her word against mine.

when i did it the second time round they were nice and made me feel more at ease, and i passed no problem.

Wishbone Ash

MollyCoddle wrote:

I failed for mounting the pavement when reversing around the corner

Better observational skills would have ensured that you were aware that the vehicle was approaching the kerb and would have allowed you to take remedial action. It shouldn't have got to the stage where the vehicle mounts the pavement. Perhaps you were travelling too fast?

Good luck in your next test.

mini Maple wrote:

besides when are you ever going to use 'reversing around a corner' in normal driving??

It's irrelevant whether or not you ever reverse around a corner in normal driving. The ability to reverse a vehicle safely is an important skill and demonstrates your observational skills, your spatial awareness, your control of the accelerator, clutch pedal, footbrake, park brake and steering wheel.

wil

mini Maple wrote: »

yeah yeah, ok, reversing into a driveway is alot easier than having to do the 'reverse around a corner' in a test.

Reversing in to a driveway with 4 inches to spare either side, just enough to accomadate your wing mirrors and often up a slope is something many people have to do in Dublin every day. That is just a tad more difficult than reversing in to a road probably 2 and a half times the width of the car, no wall to scrape your paint or crack your mirrors and rarely a slope to contend with at the same time.

If you can reverse park 90 degrees in to a tight car park space then reversing around a corner will be no problem. What you get examined on in the test is a fraction of what you require to be a good driver, just enough to be good enough to learn safely on your own.

Sorry to hear you feel hard done by on your first test. This is a common misconception, my cousin gave me the same spiel after failing his, yet when he went in to more detail I was able to point out to him why he had failed. You can be blissfully unaware of your mistakes and think you are a great driver, but that wont pass. I find many Irish drivers are ignorant of the relevence of flashing amber lights (ambour is another variety?) and incorrectly treat them as green lights. Being very careful doesnt make you correct.

Most testers arent there for their sparkling personalities, in fact to sit in with someone whose driving may well prove to be death defying for a living must be pretty daunting. Unlike a superviser or instructor they arent allowed to correct you, well not unless death is imminent.
If mean is a problem, try 2 screaming kids in heavy traffic as critics to affect your concentration:eek: (perhaps that should be part of the test;))