Ive Failed 3 Times Now

Reactor

Hi, feeling a bit down and just wanted other peoples opinions and experiences, like the title says Ive failed my test 3 times now, got my 4th one next Friday and Im sh1tting a brick over it, my driving instructor gives me mock tests and I can pass them without a tick but then on the day Ill start racking up ticks for progress, roundabouts and position on turns. My instructor cant understand it, neither can my father who always makes me drive him places for practice, they both think I drive perfectly.

Im 26 and really starting to worry now, have many of you failed this much?

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Captain Havoc

I just recently passed on my third attempt and I thought it was the worst of the three tests I did. The only thing you can really do is continue to study the theory and get as much practise as you can in. Best of luck with it.

hondasam

Think positive and try not to be to nervous. I know you are anxious to pass but just relax be yourself and dont think about the other tests. Are you doing the test in your own car? alot of people feel more comfortable in their own car.

You are probably getting a different tester everytime which I think is unfair because that person cannot see how you have managed to recitfy your mistakes. Are you failing on the same point in each test?.

Best Of Luck
let us know how you get on.

magochre

Hi Reactor,

First, can I say I really feel for you. I know how the nerves can set in and take on a life of their own. And it makes it all the harder when you know you are actually a competent driver.

I'm not sure I've any good advice but I wanted to show my support here anyway.

I took bach remedy spray before both my tests, my pretest instructor suggested it. I was very calm on my first test which I failed and while I took the remedy before the second test it was at 8.30am so I had to take my a pretest at 7.30am and I hadn't slept at all well. My nerves were hopping and I was barely in control of them despite the bach remedy but I think it was a lot to ask of a spray that day. I passed all the same and I think it was partly because the tester was kind and told me to relax and that I was doing fine at one point when it was obvious I was shaking. That and having silence, apart from being given directions, in the car calmed me to a certain degree. It goes a long way to know someone is quietly rooting for you rather than gagging to ruin your life by failing you which the stressed mind can presume at times like this.

I hope you get a good night's sleep before it and have a decent breakfast and/or whatever meal the test follows. I also hope you continue to have faith in yourself - and I know that can be difficult - or at least remember the affirmation you've received from both your dad and your instructor.

Wishing you all the very best and good luck

Reactor

Thanks everybody, I dont even want a car, I cycle everywhere but I need an excuse to update my CV atm and a full clean driving licence would be nice, Im not even thinking about it now because if I do my stomach will completely shut down and I wont be able to eat, just want it to be over.

greyc

Why not do a pre test with a different instructor. Maybe your current one is not picking up on something in your driving, and perhaps a stranger may put you under pressure similar to a test situation, which might highlight a problem you have when being tested.

Not sure where you're doing your test, but I can recommend someone if you want to PM me.

biZrb

I passed my test on the fourth attempt a few months ago (I'm 28) It was a stressful and nerve racking ordeal! Also it was pretty embarrassing, people used to laugh at me when I told them how many attempts I've had so far and then they'd tell me how they passed first time, which never made me feel good.

I was like you, I could drive fine when I was with my instructor, yet I kept on failing. I got so nervous coming up to the test that on the day, I was a complete wreck and make stupid mistakes as my nerves got the better of me.

So the day before I had my test I had a pre-test with my instructor, I got him to drive me to all the awkward parts of the test route, the type of places that would make me panic a bit if I encountered them for the first time on my test. After that pre-test I spent the rest of the day going back over those spots and drove around a bit and found a few more on my own. So by the end of the day I felt like I had all the worst places covered and was fairly confident.

On the day of the test I didn't have a pre-test, because previously I would have a pre-test just before the test, make loads of mistakes and be very nervous in my actual test especially if I was going past a place where I had made a mistake in my pre-test. So I decided what was best for me was to not do a pre-test on the day but to drive to the test center in lots of time for my test and sit in my car reading the rules of the road until it was time to go in to the test center.

The whole time before my test, I tried to say relaxed as I had a nice easy uneventful drive to the test center, I had gone over all the rules of the road about 100 times and I knew the difficult spots on the test route and I knew how to overcome them.

It worked as I passed with 8 Grade 2's so I just barely passed, but it was still a pass and the best feeling! I was still nervous during my test but I was also a lot more confident and I was able to control my nerves and not make as many mistakes as I had on previous occasions.

I don't know if doing what I did will work for you, but I hope you find something that will work for you and you get a good result on Friday. Good luck!

ballsymchugh

greyc wrote: »

Why not do a pre test with a different instructor. Maybe your current one is not picking up on something in your driving, and perhaps a stranger may put you under pressure similar to a test situation, which might highlight a problem you have when being tested.

Not sure where you're doing your test, but I can recommend someone if you want to PM me.

i agree with this. i did my test 7 times. the last 4 times out of the first 6, i had the same school who convinced me that my driving was fine, but every time i arranged lessons with them, they block booked 5 or 6 lessons over 2 or 3 days which on hindsight i think added to my nerves.
the 7th time i changed instructor, and when i booked the lessons, i was told just to have one and see how i got on. instead of having this feeing of needing a load of lessons to rush through some things that i was doing wrong, it took one lesson to basically fine tune a few things. it was all nice and easy.
don't worry, if you couldn't drive, your instructor wouldn't have let you book the test so you'll be grand. i can't laugh at you til you fail 4 more times.:o

Reactor

This thread has been seriously reassuring actually

Thanks people, will update on Friday.

Reactor

Well I failed again for a 4th time, 10 blue ticks, one red tick for observation turning right, he said I didnt look right when we were leaving the estate after my turnabout, I could have sworn I did, it would just be against my nature not to having grown up in a house with a driveway on a bad bend.

The test wasnt as bad as it sounds though, sections 1 for rules and then 5 - 18 are completely tick free, its just on position, observation and reaction to hazards he went mad with the ticks, but those are the ones that get you I suppose.

Very depressing, is it time for a new approach? Anyone got any advice if so?:(

ballsymchugh

can you try a different centre? if you're too used to going around the local area, then you may have it in your head where you can get away without looking, but it'll go against you in the test. remember, no matter what anyone says, you'll only drive good enough for the driving test once in your life.
3 more goes!!:D

hondasam

Reactor wrote: »

Well I failed again for a 4th time, 10 blue ticks, one red tick for observation turning right, he said I didnt look right when we were leaving the estate after my turnabout, I could have sworn I did, it would just be against my nature not to having grown up in a house with a driveway on a bad bend.

The test wasnt as bad as it sounds though, sections 1 for rules and then 5 - 18 are completely tick free, its just on position, observation and reaction to hazards he went mad with the ticks, but those are the ones that get you I suppose.

Very depressing, is it time for a new approach? Anyone got any advice if so?:(

sorry you failed . get a different instructor and try a different test center. dont give up. are you driving all the time or just the odd time.

LookBehindYou

People get hooked up on practicing the test route, its the wrong approach.
I suggest to practice on typical roads that would be encountered on the test.
The test is not as hard as people think.
Its only a 30 drive around a town.
What the tester is looking for is to see if you are a safe driver and can drive smoothly while being in the correct road position on the straight and left and right turns, and being aware of your surroundings. You can only be aware of your surroundings by using your mirrors and looking in to your blind spots.
Before any change in direction, its simple, LOOK in your mirrors,INDICATE,a quick look in the blind spot and then change direction (if way is clear). Keep a distance of 2 seconds (in dry weather) from the vehicle in front and drive with the flow of the traffic at the speed limit in 50 or 60 kph zones.
SAFETY is the priority.

So the main things to think about is :
1 : Safety
2: Drive smooth (good use of foot controls)
3 : correct road position
4 : Observation ( LOOK in mirrors and blind spots)
5 : Indicators (to warn other road users of your intention to change direction) and remember to cancel indicators after.

They are the most important things.

J_R

Reactor wrote: »

Hi, feeling a bit down and just wanted other peoples opinions and experiences, like the title says Ive failed my test 3 times now, got my 4th one next Friday and Im sh1tting a brick over it, my driving instructor gives me mock tests and I can pass them without a tick but then on the day Ill start racking up ticks for progress, roundabouts and position on turns. My instructor cant understand it, neither can my father who always makes me drive him places for practice, they both think I drive perfectly.

Im 26 and really starting to worry now, have many of you failed this much?

Hi,

Do you drive the same way in the test as you do when accompanied by your instructor. ?

If so, then the above part of your post (in red) is an appalling statement.

There is nothing mystical or secret about the driving test.

Any competent driving instructor need only observe you negotiate three junctions, a left, right and straight through to know exactly why you were marked for observation and road position - total time - three or four minutes.

Regarding "hazards", instead of merely sitting there and making marks, or in your case not marking a sheet of paper your instructor should be pointing out to you possible or potential hazards at the various junctions and how to deal with them.

Sounds like you had a few "mock tests". any more than one is a complete waste of your money. The only thing you learn on a mock test is the silence of the real thing and that is assuming that the instructor knows his job.

Change instructors, or just use your basic common sense and you will have a much improved chance of passing next time.

misterdeeds

Reactor wrote: »

Hi, feeling a bit down and just wanted other peoples opinions and experiences, like the title says Ive failed my test 3 times now, got my 4th one next Friday and Im sh1tting a brick over it, my driving instructor gives me mock tests and I can pass them without a tick but then on the day Ill start racking up ticks for progress, roundabouts and position on turns. My instructor cant understand it, neither can my father who always makes me drive him places for practice, they both think I drive perfectly.

Im 26 and really starting to worry now, have many of you failed this much?

I failed the first time and the seccond time i said to myself feck it that i wasent going to be afraid to drive the car this time around and walla I passed
so dont b nervous and just drive like u do with your instructor and you will b fine best of luck with the test

spurious

I've failed three times now too.

First time I just wasn't ready and made a hames of changing gears.
Second time I had a dreadful reverse around a corner where I ended up on the other side of the road.
Third time I got loads of marks for progress which I still don't understand, nothing in gears or the reverse around a corner.

I really thought it was fair enough I failed the first two tests but the last one I think I was unfairly marked. Still, no point disputing it and another 75 euro bites the dust.

Reactor

Its horrific the way it just sucks your bank account dry and theres nothing you can do about it. In England you can do an intensive course with the test on the last day and some of them offer a pass or your money back, good luck getting anything like that in this country.

**Timbuk2**

The first test I did, I got loads of marks for progress, which I wasn't expecting - it wasn't mentioned once in the lessons. The tester was nice and all that, but he didn't explain where I actually went wrong (although to be fair, with progress it's pretty self-explanatory).

I took another test with a different instructor (not that I didn't like the first instructor, I just wanted a 'second opinion' as it were, as the first instructor couldn't see any problems with me). He noticed no 'progress' faults in my driving, but did notice some other small problems, such as the turnabout. We then concluded that the progress faults came down to me driving too carefully for the test - a very common thing to do, apparently. He says that if you spend too much time going slowly, and turning your head too much just to make sure you can do everything right, then the tester can't properly test your competency.

Apart from fine tuning a few small things, the best piece of advice I got for my next test was "Drive like you normally drive. If you encounter a situation where you are unsure what to do, which probably will happen on a driving test, do what you would do if the tester wasn't there - chances are it is right. If there is a gap of traffic that you would take if the tester wasn't there, take it."

It sounds so simple it's almost clichéd, but it helped me lots. Only a few weeks after my first test, I reduced my result from 4 Grade 1's + 8 Grade 2's to 1 Grade 1, zero Grade 2 or 3's.

Edit: It is my opinion that intensive driving courses would be a waste of time. They don't teach you how to drive, they aim to get you to pass the test. Passing the test doesn't necessarily mean you can drive well and know how to handle out-of-the-ordinary situations, but being able to drive (properly!) means you can drive and pass your test. I believe the ideal way to have it is about 2/3 lessons (weekly) at the start to get you used to controls, while practicing between lessons, then a break for a week or two as you practice the basics, once you've mastered the basics a few more lessons to get used to handling driving situations, e.g. around town, and then another break to try and get this as good as possible, then a last few lessons running up to the test to make sure there are no issues that would lead to failure.