Sitting the test with no practise time outside of lessons with instructor

Cornflake.Girl

Hi everyone,
I'm another long time lurker, first time poster. I couldn't seem to find a thread dealing with this question, but apologies if it's been discussed previously.

So, here's the deal, my plan was to save up my shillings for a motor while getting lessons in the instructors car, then when I was ready; sitting (and passing ) the test in his car and buying my own car when I had a full license.
I don't have anyone who'd be my accompanying driver who's car I could be insured on to practise in.

Therein lies my problem.
I've just had lesson number 4, with number 5 coming up next week and I'm beginning to feel like I may not be getting the most out of the hour with my instructor because I'm not getting any practise time in between lessons.

My instructor says I'm "a natural" and I've "accomplished a whole lot for the four hours I've been on the road" with him. However, I can't help the feeling that I may be wasting my time with this plan to attempt the driving test with no practise time of my own? I'm the only person I know who's gone about getting their license this way.

Do you guys think it's a good idea to go ahead as I am? I realize it will be costly, but is it a realistic goal to pass the test without my own practise time?
Or should I hold off getting the lessons until I'm in a position to have my own car and then take someone with me to practise, and sit the test once I feel ready then?

Thanks for reading, sorry for the long-winded post, tried to make it shorter, but felt I wasn't explaining myself properly.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Alanstrainor

It's certainly doable, i know a couple of people who have passed a test on lessons alone, and there have been a few people on here who have accomplished the same. So it's not impossible, however it is not the best/easiest way to do things, getting some practise time in between lessons with an accompanying driver is a great way to perfect certain skills that you came across in the previous lesson.
The only thing i can see wrong with doing it this way is, presuming you're on a new first learner permit with still some time left before you can take your test, unless you can afford to take regular lessons, you'd be a long time without practise. Have you had your learner permit long?

esharknz

While I did get some practice time (automatic is the only car I had) alone, I mostly used the services of an instructor to pass my restricted license test (New Zealand) on 5 lessons. I found the instructor invaluable!
I guess it is doable, but the more road practice you get, the better, in terms of confidence.

kaimera

thats what I did; just lessons and the test in 2 weeks.

certainly doable.

Cornflake.Girl

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Have you had your learner permit long?

I've had it since the end of August '08, so my six months waiting period were over at the end of January.
I didn't do any driving or have any lessons during that period because of one reason or another. I had my first lesson at the beginning of Feb, and have been having one a week since then.
So, the only time restraint I'd have to cope with will be test centre waiting times.
I suppose I better get my application in asap, eh?

kaimera wrote: »

thats what I did; just lessons and the test in 2 weeks.

certainly doable.

You took your lessons and sat your test within a two week period?
You must've already had driving experience? Otherwise, you're the greatest learner driver of all time!

Permabear

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Downey Penguin

I'm in the same boat Cornflake.Girl. Although i'd hoped the replies would be more positive to sitting the test only on lessons.

My boyfriend has a car but its owned and insured by his workplace. Don't want the run the risk driving in that! All my family live in England.

Oh well...

There is an untapped market there... Someone should set up a company - Anyone over 21 years old with a car insured for anyone to drive it. Hire out their time and use of car!

Downey Penguin

Downey Penguin wrote: »

There is an untapped market there... Someone should set up a company - Anyone over 21 years old with a car insured for anyone to drive it. Hire out their time and use of car!

edit: took me ages to realise what you meant.. nevermind.

Downey Penguin

Ha ha yeah - Except a Instructor is qualified to teach.. Hence you pay for the lesson.

I'm just saying that a facilty to pay for the practise would be useful for those that don't still live at home with their parents!!

Permabear

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Downey Penguin

Maybe I'm feeling bitter but I do feel like the learning process is skewed in the favour of younger people looking to learn how to drive...

Parents have almost an obligation to help you to drive... Unfortunately - you can't start pulling guilt trips and tantrums on friends/work colleagues!

Also, if something did happen, and you scrapped your friends brand new Mazda. You won't get that unconditional love and forgiveness that your parents may afford to you! :rolleyes:

vms7ply9t6dw4b

I passed my test @ 17 without ever having practiced outside 8 driving lessons. Booked my test and forgot about it then when the letter came through the door it was panic stations. I couldnt get insured back then on anything unless i had a full licence.
Its achievable if you're as good as your instructor seems to think

kaimera

You took your lessons and sat your test within a two week period?
You must've already had driving experience? Otherwise, you're the greatest learner driver of all time!

No driving experience.

and I failed :P tho title of greatets learner would have been nice

Cornflake.Girl

kaimera wrote: »

and I failed :P

Oh. I was getting immense encouragement from that post too! Oh well, better luck next time!

Timothy Deafening Mineral wrote: »

I passed my test @ 17 without ever having practiced outside 8 driving lessons...Its achievable if you're as good as your instructor seems to think

Ah, finally some feedback on a positive experience. Well done you!

I almost knew what most answers would be before I even asked the question.
However, I've decided that I'm not about to give up now.
If I'm going to wait for a fully-licensed driver to allow me to insure myself on their car and come with me to practise, I'll be waiting forever.
I'm going to apply for the test as soon as I can, I'm looking at about a 10 week average wait for my centre, so that's about 10 more lessons or so.
I think I'll be ready to take it then.

Either way, I'm not quitting. I'm not doing this because I have to. I'm doing it because I want to. I love driving.
I honestly think I love it more than the average person. I won't be happy until I'm spinning around fully licensed in my own car.

Burtchaell

Thats the spirit! If it helps I know a girl who passed her's maybe 2 years ago at 18 just taking 10 lessons. It is doable alright.

brian076

Downey Penguin wrote: »

I

There is an untapped market there... Someone should set up a company - Anyone over 21 years old with a car insured for anyone to drive it. Hire out their time and use of car!

They do it's called a Driving School

Downey Penguin

brian076 - You are the second person to come back with that response. Have I misunderstood something here? I thought you had to actually qualify to give lessons to be an instructor for a "Driving School". Correct me if I'm wrong.

According to the citizen information page... "the person accompanying you, must have had the full driving licence for the relevant vehicle category for at least two years."

Says nothing about qualifications here...

I am in no way under-estimating the need for lessons, but most people on this thread has expressed the value in practice aswell. To practice 150 hours odd at instructor rates is waaay out of affordabilty anyway. :eek:

brian076

Downey Penguin wrote: »

brian076 - You are the second person to come back with that response. Have I misunderstood something here? I thought you had to actually qualify to give lessons to be an instructor for a "Driving School". Correct me if I'm wrong.

:

At the moment you don't, anyone with a full licence can be a driving instructor although this will change after 1st April

Downey Penguin

Opps. Ok. My apologies. I didn't know - I just assumed you had to be qualified in some way...

brian076

You're right to assume that, it should have been the introduced long before now. I actually know of a driving instructor who never sat a test, they got one of the free licences at the end of the 70's

Beau x1

Even if you pass your test with driving lessons alone I don't think you'd actually have the experience of driving in your own vehicle for hours in real life traffic conditions. You can pass the test as long as you have relatively easy conditions in doing so, but there's only so much 'real' experience you can get from doing lessons alone.

So, in a nutshell:
Can you pass the test with lessons alone? Yeah, of course.
Can you be a fully competent driver? Not really, I mean I hate to sound so pessimistic but from my experience there's just too many scenarios that I wouldn't have faced during my lessons that I have had driving separately. These have made me a safer and better driver.

Cornflake.Girl

Beau x1 wrote: »

Can you pass the test with lessons alone? Yeah, of course.
Can you be a fully competent driver? Not really

I understand what you're saying, but unfortunately my circumstances don't allow me the opportunity to get out there without my instructor.

However, getting out there "on your own" and dealing with "real life situations" as you are referring to, has been made illegal and unfortunately nobody has the opportunity to do so until after they've passed their test regardless of whether they're practising or otherwise.

Posy

A girl I work with did 20 lessons over 5 months, got called for her test, took 2 more that week, used the instructors car and.. failed. BUT she only got about 3 grade 2's and a grade 3 (I think not observing properly on a junction) She was just delighted to have driven without her instructor (the only one she's had) and got through the test without too many bad marks or disasters. She reapplied straight away, took 5 more lessons in the meantime and passed it 2 months later.
I'm also learning without practicing- taking about a lesson a week; although it's been over three months now since I've had a lesson but sure I'll go back at some stage! I'l take a lot more when I get called for the test.

Downey Penguin, I think your 'car hire' thing is a good idea! It's not the same as learning it'd just be say, practicing reversing around corners for an hour or so with the obligatory qualified driver! Isn't that kind of the same as most of these people here on boards have done in their parents/siblings/partners car.. :P

And naturally if someone takes lessons and passes the test, the trick is not to get too cocky- you're still inexperienced and to be a competant driver takes years. I wouldn't plan a solo road trip across the country the second I have that pink licence! Of course there's a difference between being a good driver and (just) passing the test. Driving is a learning experience that never ends.

5unflower

Certainly doable! In other countries the driving lessons with an instructor is all you ever get as preparation for the test, no "private" practising allowed.

Practise and experience is what you get after your test, so don't worry, enjoy your lesson!

Permabear

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Downey Penguin

Taking inspiration from the friend of Caderyn's experience I have just negotiated a rather tidy deal for 30 lessons over the next 6 months.

The instructor was very shocked at someone wanting to book up 30 lessons in advance. Especially someone with driving experience, once I asked if a cheque would suffice, shock turned to - ching ching euro signs methinks!

But the reduction I managed to get means it actually works out cheaper than insuring yourself on a car for a year and begging people to sit in with you every now and again!

Beau x1

Cornflake.Girl wrote: »

However, getting out there "on your own" and dealing with "real life situations" as you are referring to, has been made illegal and unfortunately nobody has the opportunity to do so until after they've passed their test regardless of whether they're practising or otherwise.

I was obviously referring to going out with an accompanied driver.

@donegalfella: Well, you pretty much said what I meant to say - but you can easily pass the test and not have basic competency in driving, too - which is where I'm coming from.

Alanstrainor

Beau x1 wrote: »

I was obviously referring to going out with an accompanied driver.

@donegalfella: Well, you pretty much said what I meant to say - but you can easily pass the test and not have basic competency in driving, too - which is where I'm coming from.

That is the whole thing about the Irish test system. It doesn't prove you are a good or competent driver, it merely shows you were a "safe" driver for the time you were taking the test. I say "safe", but in reality the test doesn't cover enough of even everyday driving conditions to say you will be safe in most situations. Night driving, motorway driving being the biggest i can think of that are omitted.

ardmacha

has been made illegal and unfortunately nobody has the opportunity to do so

There is nothing unfortunate about it. People learn throughout their driving career, but they it is quite proper that they are not allowed drive unaccompanied until they pass the basic test of competence that is the Irish driving test.