raheny

mrfantastico

so i have my test this friday at 14:55 and am just wondering does any one have any tips im feeling nervous now and just want to come already !


thanks for your help in advance

ADIDriving

Assuming you are getting some pre-test lessons. Make sure you do the basic right every time, Moving off, turning and stopping.Be sure you know what you are doing on the mini roundabouts. Raheny has lots of small roads and parked cars. Drift out early, a doors width if possible ( if not go slowly or wait until oncoming traffic is past ), then drift back in.

If you are making a mistake, fix it. If you have made it, forget it ( get back to proper driving and try not make another ).

You'll be fantastico!

spurious

Pray they don't take you up Middle Third in Killester. It's a very unfair route, with lots of blind junctions and cars parked up on the footpaths either side of the narrow roads.

If you get one of the normal routes (through Clontarf or Kilbarrack), it might include the right hand turn from Watermill onto the Howth Road.

As you come down past the Garda station and turn right, they ask you to turn right onto the Howth Road - watch you don't indicate too early, giving a misleading signal that you are going to turn into the parking area outside the Green Dolphin (or whatever it's called now).

Good luck anyway. I'm out there again next month myself.

mrfantastico

cheers guys,yeah my brother got middle third and he failed he said that the cars were really close and the tester marked him for reaction to hazzards anyway hope to post on the succesful thread on friday afternoon

Max Power1

mrfantastico wrote: »

so i have my test this friday at 14:55 and am just wondering does any one have any tips im feeling nervous now and just want to come already !


thanks for your help in advance

PMSL

Its not that type of forum!

superflyninja

mrfantastico wrote: »

cheers guys,yeah my brother got middle third and he failed he said that the cars were really close and the tester marked him for reaction to hazzards anyway hope to post on the succesful thread on friday afternoon

I have my test in raheny next month.what did he do incorrectly if you dont mind me asking?

Shelga

I have my second test in Raheny on the 24th of Feb so will be monitoring this thread! Still not fully sure how I failed last time, and have lost all motivation since. Really need to get cracking with the lessons and practice!

ADIDriving

Shelga wrote: »

Still not fully sure how I failed last time

If you want, you could post the marks you got and I can try explain what you did wrong. If you can remember any of the route that would also help. Learn from the experience and you are more likely to pass, with more practice and lessons.

Daisy!

I just got my test notification for Saturday March 5th at 10am. I am TERRIFIED!

Guys I'm a disgrace. I've been driving for years and have applied a few times and I keep freaking out and cancelling it. It's like this dark cloud hanging over me the last few years. I should have taken the test years ago. I hate that I'm stopping myself from just getting out and doing it.

Please can anyone give me advice? I'm certain I've picked up some awful habits at this stage. I have to be the most nervous person in the world when it comes to the test

If anyone has dealt with any good driving instructors in the Raheny area can they please PM me with their details? Someone who has patience and is good with nervous students if possible. Thanks

ADIDriving

If you have been driving for years, you ARE able to drive. Get one pre-test nice and soon so you can begin fixing your own bad habits. When you know you can drive properly you will hopefully be more confident for your test.

Daisy!

Thanks ADI. The thought of it makes me sick but sure if I fail I fail, it's not even the failing part, I know I'll get it eventually, it's the actual test itself I'm terrified of

Does anyone have any personal recommendations for someone in North Dublin area for the test route in Raheny? There's loads online but I've no idea who to go with.

Reloc8

The test is nothing to get worked up about at all. You can obviously drive. Use the fact that you have nervous sensations to improve your concentration during it - it'll fly by.

Also take control of all of the factors that you can influence :-

1. Learn the answers to the likely questions.
2. Including being able to point out the various bits of the car/engine and how to work them.
3. Get your car nice and clean before the test - they have no choice about going out with you as long as the car is safe but wouldn't you be delighted to be presented with a nice clean vehicle, inside and out - I swear it makes a difference, or at least gets you off on the right foot.
4. Get there in plenty of time, long enough to have a stroll around the block and back again so you're neither legging it in worried about time, or sitting there in the waiting room stressing.

On the test, I would say the most important thought to have in your mind is that you will almost certainly make mistakes but you will drive until the end of the test.

Too many people make an error, presume they've failed and give up all hope and start driving badly when in reality the error would not have caused a fail on its own, or they make a mistake and then in panic make four or five more in quick succession, causing a fail.

Whisper it but my impression is that some testers are not just looking for errors but also how you react (do you panic ? did you realise your mistake and take an appropriate step to correct it if possible ?) - which can be the difference between something being a grade 1, 2, or 3.

And as regards errors that you don't realise you made - sure you can't do anything about them anyway.

I don't have any recommendation for north dublin hopefully someone else can help. I'd say though whilst its useful to run around the test routes, just to get familiar with the unknown, your focus should be on getting a few decent lessons in the area, rather than 'pre-tests'. It will help to be familiar with the roads, but really you want someone to pull you up on any bad habits and give you some improvement in your driving if necessary/possible.

Daisy!

Reloc8 wrote: »

The test is nothing to get worked up about at all. You can obviously drive. Use the fact that you have nervous sensations to improve your concentration during it - it'll fly by.

Also take control of all of the factors that you can influence :-

1. Learn the answers to the likely questions.
2. Including being able to point out the various bits of the car/engine and how to work them.
3. Get your car nice and clean before the test - they have no choice about going out with you as long as the car is safe but wouldn't you be delighted to be presented with a nice clean vehicle, inside and out - I swear it makes a difference, or at least gets you off on the right foot.
4. Get there in plenty of time, long enough to have a stroll around the block and back again so you're neither legging it in worried about time, or sitting there in the waiting room stressing.

On the test, I would say the most important thought to have in your mind is that you will almost certainly make mistakes but you will drive until the end of the test.

Too many people make an error, presume they've failed and give up all hope and start driving badly when in reality the error would not have caused a fail on its own, or they make a mistake and then in panic make four or five more in quick succession, causing a fail.

Whisper it but my impression is that some testers are not just looking for errors but also how you react (do you panic ? did you realise your mistake and take an appropriate step to correct it if possible ?) - which can be the difference between something being a grade 1, 2, or 3.

And as regards errors that you don't realise you made - sure you can't do anything about them anyway.

I don't have any recommendation for north dublin hopefully someone else can help. I'd say though whilst its useful to run around the test routes, just to get familiar with the unknown, your focus should be on getting a few decent lessons in the area, rather than 'pre-tests'. It will help to be familiar with the roads, but really you want someone to pull you up on any bad habits and give you some improvement in your driving if necessary/possible.

So helpful, thankyou so much.

learner74

Had the test today but failed...it was 2nd attempt but I'm still going for same test centre for 3rd attempt.

I failed mainly on reaction to hazard and vehicle control. Lots of roundabouts and turns inside the estates on the route so watch for that. I think practice will make a difference...I didnt practice much this time

Will be keeping an eye on this thread now...

any recommendations for lessons?

Good luck to all who have their tests in coming days.

marshmallow

spurious wrote: »

Pray they don't take you up Middle Third in Killester. It's a very unfair route, with lots of blind junctions and cars parked up on the footpaths either side of the narrow roads.

If you get one of the normal routes (through Clontarf or Kilbarrack), it might include the right hand turn from Watermill onto the Howth Road.

As you come down past the Garda station and turn right, they ask you to turn right onto the Howth Road - watch you don't indicate too early, giving a misleading signal that you are going to turn into the parking area outside the Green Dolphin (or whatever it's called now).

Good luck anyway. I'm out there again next month myself.

This is great advice.

Had my test for 2nd time today in Raheny. Same instructor and more or less the same route as the 1st time. Knew the roads inside out, went up my own road. Still failed. Gutted.

Got brought up Middle Third and both times I was greeted by another car. Didn't deal with it great the first time but genuinely saw no fault in how I dealt with it this morn and got two grade 2s for reaction to hazards and cannot think of another hazard I encountered?

I got five grade 2s for observation, 3 of them for turning left/right. I've been told I have really good observation by both my instructor and passengers who come out practising with me. Can someone enlighten me with what the process for observation when turning is please? I usually look in rearview mirror, side mirror to which I'm turning, (indicate), (have already been looking ahead and anticipate approaching traffic's movements), look both left and right as necessary and make my turn.