Should I give up on the driving test :(

sashafierce

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Permabear

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sashafierce

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**Timbuk2**

Keep going - lots of people have been in the same boat you are! It doesn't mean you are a bad driver. My friend passed his test on his third attempt but I would consider him a much better driver than I am, but I passed my test on my second attempt.

Believe me, once you finally pass your test, it will feel so much better than it would had you passed it first time! Keep doing it, once you pass you don't need to worry about the test, test routes and needing to have an accompanying driver

customPC

HeyOP,

Keep going with it. With regard to the coasting, in the eyes of the instructor, you were coasting.(Even thought u were not). For the entire test, you must show to him/her what u are doing. ie after every gear shift down ,remove your foot from clutch and then go back and do then next gear. Its a pain in the ass, but thats the way ya gotta do it OP. He must see your foot removed from the pedal otherwise he might think u are coasting, hence why he marked you as such. Sucks i know but thats the way it is OP.
It like when someone walks onto the road 50 metres ahead of you even if ur only going 30-40km, u must break a little as they are a hazard. You are never going to hit them, they will be gone, but its all about doing what the instructor wants to see for that half hour.

Skid

Hang in there.

I know how you feel, I failed several times.

I almost gave up on the driving test, I had to be talked into going for it again. The last time I failed I really thought I had passed. The tester failed me on multiple Grade 2 faults for right hand turns. None of my instructors ever said I had a problem with this. I was shattered. It is hard to understand the logic of some (but not all)testers

But then I passed next time out. The feeling is amazing, you will never forget it! Hopefully you will have more luck next time.

The only thing I would suggest is not to 'rest' your foot on the clutch. When you use the clutch, make a deliberate movement of your foot onto the clutch, and then move it away when you are finished.

If your foot is touching (or hovering above) the clutch before you apply pressure, it can look to the tester as if you are coasting. Perhaps you could discuss this with your instructor.

Good Luck, and don't give up.

sashafierce

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hobochris

The coasting thing is not to do with you changing down, that part is fine, but unless your applying the brake as you down shift it would be considered coasting.

you should really try to be in one of two states when driving, Acceleration/maintaining speed or braking/stopped.

If you down shift without braking you're in neither of these states.

The rule of thumb when down shifting during the test is to apply the brake first before clutching down.

sashafierce

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litmus paper

man never ever give up, i would strongly discourage u from doing so. jus work hard and say all is well, u will pass someday.

Faith+1

I agree with everyone! No Surrender! You will pass believe me!

FewToLose

Hi OP, I am really touched by this as I also failed five times, but today passed on the sixth attempt.

I felt just the same as you do, but when practising last week for todays test it made me realise that like a school or college exam, your result rests mainly on the person testing you. Basically what I'm saying is that another tester may not have marked you down for what the testers you had before marked you for. It all depends on them and it has very little to do with your driving ability.

2 hours ago I was told that I had passed and I am over the moon. Take it from me, its all worth it, and please please tell me how you get on the next attempt. You should apply straight away and do it again.

Best of luck x

sashafierce

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FewToLose

sashafierce wrote: »

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Thats the spirit, well done and let me know how you get on!!

sxt

sashafierce wrote: »

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I passed it on my 5th or 6th time-kept failing by one or two marks,was quite frustrating. I passed with only one mark against me on my final run:)

Don't worry about the tester , Don't pay any attention to what they "mark down" (they are forever scrolling.turning the page back and forth on the device) give all your attention to your driving ,exagerate your observation on every stop/turn etc. also make sure you are fell fed and hydrated so you can be physically and mentally alert for the test.

Bon courage!

MonkeyBalls

You're female, I assume.

The Big Red Button

Remember, when you go in for the test, the tester does not know or care if it's your first time sitting it or your tenth time! They are only judging you on your driving on that day, and you have as good a chance as anyone else of passing it.

I didn't pass my test first time round, and I was really disheartened by it. However I passed when I sat it again almost a year later, and I realise now that I'm a far better driver because of all the extra practice and lessons I got between the two tests. I know it mightn't seem much of a consolation, but at least you can tell yourself that the extra money spent on lessons and tests now is worth it if it makes you a better safer driver in the future.

Don't give up on it - you might be able to manage without the full licence now, but you don't know what will happen in the future - you could need a licence for work, and it will be a lot harder to start again and get back into it after being away from it for a few years. You've put in so much money and hard work already - you shouldn't waste that! Hopefully next time it will go your way.

Good luck!

Alanstrainor

MonkeyBalls wrote: »

You're female, I assume.

This is no place for sexism. And comments like that serve no purpose other than annoying people.
Any more of it and people will be infracted/banned.

Magenta

sashafierce wrote: »

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Why would you give up doing the test and keep driving with L plates?
Either give up driving or keep practising and re-trying. You're missing the point of the test, which is to make sure drivers on our roads are above a certain standard. It's not just a formality you go through to save yourself from having to wear L plates.

Side note- Sorry if this isn't what you want to hear, I seem to recall you losing the rag at a few people the last time you made a thread about this.

sashafierce

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Magenta

I'm going against everyone else here, but I think you should just give up driving.
Some people just do not have the skills for certain tasks.
If you failed, say, a maths exam 5 times, would you still consider yourself to be good at maths?
If you had a job interview at the same company 5 times and still didn't get the job, would you still think you were a match for that company?
Except, you aren't liable to harm (or kill) yourself and others in maths exams or job interviews. Would you get on a plane knowing the pilot had failed his flying test 5 times? No, you wouldn't.
At the end of the day, between all the tests you have done, you are the common denominator in all of them. The driving test really is not that difficult, the majority of it is done at below 50kph in a housing estate, and to be honest, if you are not capable of the standard of driving at less than 50kph in a housing estate, then as a driver, I would not like to encounter you at 100kph on the M50.

And before anyone asks- yes, I passed first time.

Faith+1

Magenta wrote: »

And before anyone asks- yes, I passed first time.

Good for you. Might I add I passed my test first time as well as my Rigid test. It doesn't mean I have the right to tell people to give up on their dreams.
You seem to forget that there is plenty of good drivers out there that unfortunately let their nerves get the better of them during the test.

If Sasha can overcome this I'd have no hesitations in saying she's capable of passing. Remember how nervous you were when doing the test?? The only difference between you and Sasha is that you had more control of your nerves, it doesn't necessarily mean you're an excellent driver because you passed "First Time".
As you said yourself the test isn't very difficult. Nevres fail more people than you think.

Andrew33

sashafierce wrote: »

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I drive for a living and I'm also a member of Advanced Drivers Institute but I failed my test first time for "lack of progress" (not going fast enough).Now??? I am a driving GOD but I still had 3 faults when I did my coach licence. Stick with it, just because you failed on 5 different things in five different tests doesn't mean anything, none of us drive perfectly 100% of the time.

Faith+1

Andrew33 wrote: »

I am a driving GOD

Does that mean you can get dressed/Brush your teeth/Do your taxes and Ironing as you drive to work? And maybe parallel park a car the size of a Vetra into a space big enough for a mini? Then I would say you're a driving God.:D

Andrew33

Faith+1 wrote: »

Does that mean you can get dressed/Brush your teeth/Do your taxes and Ironing as you drive to work? And maybe parallel park a car the size of a Vetra into a space big enough for a mini? Then I would say you're a driving God.:D

You seem to know me, have we met?;)

Magenta

Andrew33 wrote: »

I drive for a living and I'm also a member of Advanced Drivers Institute but I failed my test first time for "lack of progress" (not going fast enough).Now??? I am a driving GOD but I still had 3 faults when I did my coach licence. Stick with it, just because you failed on 5 different things in five different tests doesn't mean anything, none of us drive perfectly 100% of the time.

The test does not require you to drive perfectly 100% of the time. It is actually very lenient with the amount of faults you are allowed to have.

Faith+1 wrote:

It doesn't mean I have the right to tell people to give up on their dreams.
You seem to forget that there is plenty of good drivers out there that unfortunately let their nerves get the better of them during the test.

Sashafierce asked for opinions, and she got mine. I have a right to an opinion, particularly as a fellow road user. If your "dream" involves potentially being a danger to yourself and others, maybe you should give it up.
I sure as hell wouldn't give two craps about someone's dream if they ran into me, caused me to swerve to avoid them or otherwise did something stupid on the road.

Faith+1 wrote:

If Sasha can overcome this I'd have no hesitations in saying she's capable of passing. Remember how nervous you were when doing the test?? The only difference between you and Sasha is that you had more control of your nerves

No, the difference between me and Sasha is that the RSA consider me to be competent. They have consistently considered her to be the opposite.
There's plenty of people who get nervous easily but are capable of passing their driving test. Nerves and driving competency are not mutually exclusive.

Faith+1 wrote:

As you said yourself the test isn't very difficult. Nevres fail more people than you think.

So does bad driving.

Andrew33

Now Magenta, don't over rate yourself;). OP is probably a fine safe driver, what about the crazy situation that allows a person to come here from another country and swap a licence for an Irish one? I could quote any number of accidents caused by/involving foreign drivers living/working here who have NEVER passed an Irish driving test. Now all of a sudden I'm a racist pig for even mentioning this elephant.

ballsymchugh

magenta, on the last thread you were rising the op and you're doing it again.

OP, i did my test 7 times. you'll eventually get it. you should consider changing centres if you haven't done that yet though.

magenta again. there's an exam that many doctors have to do to climb higher in the hospital chain called the membership of the college of surgeons/physicians. i know plenty of doctors that failed this exam many times and they didn't give up, and they eventually got there. i'm sure when you need them you won't be too worried about that little nugget of info now.

Faith+1

Andrew33 wrote: »

You seem to know me, have we met?;)

Think I do. You wear a white outfit, gloves and helmet with black visor?:D

Magenta

ballsymchugh wrote: »

magenta, on the last thread you were rising the op and you're doing it again.

On the last thread the OP was saying what a good driver she was, despite (at the time) 3 failed tests saying something different. I'm just saying what I think. If I was told 5 times that I was incompetent at something, I would probably figure that maybe I am actually incompetent at it. After all, it's not just her own safety, it's the safety of others.

ballsymchugh wrote: »

OP, i did my test 7 times. you'll eventually get it. you should consider changing centres if you haven't done that yet though.

magenta again. there's an exam that many doctors have to do to climb higher in the hospital chain called the membership of the college of surgeons/physicians. i know plenty of doctors that failed this exam many times and they didn't give up, and they eventually got there. i'm sure when you need them you won't be too worried about that little nugget of info now.

Ah yes, the Irish healthcare system. A model of efficiency for us all.
Mary Harney, what a hero.
The last and only time I was in hospital, I went unconscious in an ambulance, so actually, I didn't have a choice of what doctor I got.

Andrew33

Faith+1 wrote: »

Think I do. You wear a white outfit, gloves and helmet with black visor?:D

I am the "Stig". you've rumbled me.;)

ballsymchugh

Magenta wrote: »

On the last thread the OP was saying what a good driver she was, despite (at the time) 3 failed tests saying something different. I'm just saying what I think. If I was told 5 times that I was incompetent at something, I would probably figure that maybe I am actually incompetent at it. After all, it's not just her own safety, it's the safety of others.



Ah yes, the Irish healthcare system. A model of efficiency for us all.
Mary Harney, what a hero.
The last and only time I was in hospital, I went unconscious in an ambulance, so actually, I didn't have a choice of what doctor I got.

that has absolutely nothing to do with my post. when doctors want to climb the ladder, they have to become members/fellows of the college of surgeons or physicians, it's the body that oversees their education. it has absolutely nothing to do with mary harney or efficiency in hospitals.

take it this way then, when you were over in dental issues asking about becoming a hygienist, you were encouraged by a few, including myself to think about doing dentistry itself. no one told you to give up and not bother trying before you really looked into it, or to give up after the basic searching that you've done. try being like that here. the OP needs encouragement, not to be belittled.
like i said before, i did my test 7 times, and i'm no less of a driver than you are/were/will be.

sashafierce

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sashafierce

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php-fox

OP, have you tried different locations?
I have a friend who is a great driver. And he failed 4 times. After that he said that the system is corrupt, so he decided to abuse it. So, he just keeps reapplying for learners permit every year and thats it.

Tbh, coasting is a redicilous thing to fail anyone for. Coasting is something everybody does. It's nonsence not to coast. It's much easier to sometimes break in neutral than to do all of this gear down business. I see no point in braking with the engine, when I've got brakes for that. It might only help in really wet weather and will make a huge difference on ice. That's it really.

sashafierce

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**Timbuk2**

About coasting - there are some corners that I have to have my foot on the clutch for. All corners on the road are fine, but for the likes of parking in a space or something, I would be in 2nd gear, and I would put my foot on the clutch and then into the space. It's the only way that feels safe to me, because if I keep my foot off the clutch while parking, and slow down, the car will start to jerk a bit (i.e. ready to cut out), and I don't want to hit somebody else's car.

That's the only time I really use the clutch around corners. For everything else I stay in gear. Back when I was learning to drive, I used to put my foot on the clutch for every turn, but I didn't realise how slow you could actually go in 2nd gear without the car labouring.

Argesean

I also encourage you to go for it-unless aced it by now. Anyway, I've been driving for over 15 years all over Europe, got even a yellow cab license in NY where I drove a cab 2 years, came to Ireland 3 years ago and failed the test- it's a game they are looking for enough points to fail you not your driving skills. So I'd say learn the game- what they are looking for and go in with confidence- the assessor is probably not a better driver than you-show him what's up!

sashafierce

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Permabear

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thenightrider

Never give up you need to get a full licence to have the freedom to be able to drive by your self look at this woman 950 time's it took her to pass her test http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jIXV2Va8vQ_8Pd_02d6k2iblNleA

sashafierce

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erwinvr101

don't give up. i passed the test first time but i almost didn't show up because i had two pretests and i got 18 grade 2's on the first, 22 grade 2's and some grade 3's on the second - the day before the test. i don't think my driving could have had drastically improved in 24 hours. what i'm saying is to pass the test you have to have skills which i bet you already have, and more importantly, a great amount of luck. maybe you can try your luck on another testing area

ballsymchugh

erwinvr101 wrote: »

don't give up. i passed the test first time but i almost didn't show up because i had two pretests and i got 18 grade 2's on the first, 22 grade 2's and some grade 3's on the second - the day before the test. i don't think my driving could have had drastically improved in 24 hours. what i'm saying is to pass the test you have to have skills which i bet you already have, and more importantly, a great amount of luck. maybe you can try your luck on another testing area

while some people may debate this, it's true. of my six failed tests, i had one guy twice who passed my brother on his first go. he didn't put on his seat belt, but the tester didn't notice.