Driving test - how many times did it take you to pass?

Jayo11780

Took me 6 times to pass mine, and was still only 20 when i got my license... Failed twice in Athlone and passed on my 4th attempt in Birr..
I love telling that story!:D

That was back in 2001 - I'd be rightly screwed if i was trying to pass it now, what with all the extras in the driving test nowadays!

Anyone else fail a few times?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

First time aged 19.

Pinch Flat

First time. In London. In the middle of a tube strike so the roads were packed.

the evasion_kid

3 times...its only a money racket

Crunchienut

First time - age 17 - still not sure how I managed to pull that one off!!

egan2020

Passed first time. Had a half hour lesson before test - it was twelve years ago so the requirement to have a certain amount of lessons wasn't in place. I honestly believed I hadn't a hope of passing and was only doing it because my provisional licence was up so the lack of nerves went in my favour :pac:

corsav6

1st time aged 24. The tester was in a very good mood so maybe had a bit of luck.

Venus In Furs

Jayo11780 wrote: »

Took me 6 times to pass mine

Same here. Was 26 when I passed. 2005.

Summer wind

Started to drive at 22 and passed my test first time at 25.

blindside88

Pasted first time when I was 17

Tilly

Passed first time.

RayM

Passed first time. My pre-test was, in the words of my instructor, 'a fucking disaster'. Stalled in the middle of a busy roundabout, almost hit a pedestrian at a zebra crossing, did 70 in a 50 zone... The test itself was somehow flawless. I completely fluked it.

Intensive Care Bear

I passed first time with only one lesson 2 hours before the test.

Pherekydes

One. No lessons, no pre test. It's too easy.

Macavity.

Passed the theory first time, have to do the practical one. Driving isn't a huge priority for me right now.

Second time
On the first time, I shouldn't have been let near a car, in hindsight

Found a much better instructor for the second go round as well

starlit

Second attempt to pass driving test at 27, two years ago aprox!

shanec1928

First time 17.the instructer tried his hardest to fail me. Went off the usual routes. Have me a lecture then when I passed.

keithclancy

3

First time the car was banjaxed

Second time I was a nervous wreck and thought about doing every little step too much, my head was moving all over place looking at mirrors.

Third time I was moving to another country the week after and I was convinced I wouldn't pass anyway so I didn't give a sh1t, was chatting away to the instructor (one way conversation, he didn't talk back except for "Next left" "first exit on the roundabout"

Got back to the test center and he told me I passed :pac:

starlit

Best way to approach it drive like you would normally drive more likely to pass!

r3nu4l

Passed first time, two minor faults. Then drove home at 70 mph in a 60 zone, with one hand on the wheel while eating a sandwich in my little 1.0 litre Corsa like I was too cool for school...

/total idiot!

doovdela

doovdela wrote: »

Best way to approach it drive like you would normally drive more likely to pass!

Unless you drive really badly
then dont

anncoates

Passed on second attempt. To be fair, I had only been learning a few months when I failed the first one.

Karl Stein

D'you remember that fella who was so good at driving they had to shoot him?

SMJSF

Passed first time, in January in Wicklow (:

Alun

First time, 6 months after my 17th birthday.

tim3000

Failed it three times and counting. Hideously expensive waste of time.

Venus In Furs

I don't blame all my fails on it being "a money racket" etc. I blame it on me just not being very good at driving.
If it's a money racket, nobody would pass first time.

Scared Hitless 2

Second time. 19. No fatalities second time round.

wiz569

First time aged 33

pwurple

Passed car test first time, even though I went through a red light on the test (floored it from a good way back as it went orange). Must have done everything else perfectly.

Did a bit better on my bike test... Don't remember any feckups, passed that first time too.

wiz569

Double post

mikeruurds

Passed 2nd time. This was when I was living in South Africa. The 'K53' test there is regarded as one of the toughest, but I screwed up on the reverse parking.

starlit

I think its how you are taught and how you progress in between is what matters. Its the practice in between that really counts on your progress with your instructor. Do think picking the right instructor to suit your learning needs can help. Structure can really help and learning over a period of time can be valuable. Learning younger can help too as you likely pick it up and learn quicker. Sometimes it comes naturally sometimes you have to approach it like you do when preparing and sitting an exam.

Amazingfun

Three agonizing times.

Tokyo

17. Car and motorbike, first time. Truck, second time - the day I did my test happened to be bin collection day - got stuck behind a bin lorry for God knows how long and failed on account of being an obstruction to traffic

rsl1976

First time at 27. The tester said I passed in spite of myself

dirtyden

pwurple wrote: »

Passed car test first time, even though I went through a red light on the test (floored it from a good way back as it went orange). Must have done everything else perfectly.

Did a bit better on my bike test... Don't remember any feckups, passed that first time too.

If you drove through a red light the instructor has to fail you I thought?

I passed second time round, first was a mess, I neglected getting any lessons and had too many little bad habits.

masseyno9

Passed 2nd time. Felt robbed the first time, but felt like I failed the 2nd one. I haven't much faith in the testing consistency!
Since then I passed my bike test first time with no lessons.
Then moved abroad and passed the "advanced road test" first time with no lessons and a jolly good chat with the instructor on the way around.

Venus In Furs

Karl Stein wrote: »

D'you remember that fella who was so good at driving they had to shoot him?

Yeh, several of them on this thread with their "passing firsts" - fecking swots! :mad:








/not bitter

Woshy

Embarrassingly - 3 times. I failed the first two times for "observation turning left". My friends ripped the piss out of me and called me Zoolander for ages - I'm not an ambiturner!

First time, aged 18. Would probably have been much more nervous had I been older as a learner/testee.

nirvana78

Back in 2000 was moving from city to midlands, needed to start driving, had 5 lessons booked with an instructor. After first lesson wasn't impressed with instructor, done two more then cancelled remainder. Done test 18 months later, passed first time aged 23

If it takes you six attempts to pass you probably shouldn't be allowed to drive.

Knasher

Two, the first time I was behind a large truck which decided to park on a narrow road on a blind bend and I failed for passing him without being able to see where I was going. Which was true, but to be honest to this day I don't really see what else I could have done.

keithclancy

Venus In Furs wrote: »

I don't blame all my fails on it being "a money racket" etc. I blame it on me just not being very good at driving.
If it's a money racket, nobody would pass first time.

If it was a money racket, it would be better to pass as many people as possible to encourage car sales and get VAT, VRT and Motor Tax into the Coffers :pac:

Karl Stein

Venus In Furs wrote: »

Yeh, several of them on this thread with their "passing firsts" - fecking swots! :mad:

I passed mine first time too and I actually noticed the examiner guy getting bored about a third of the way into it.

What some people don't realise is that passing the test is meeting minimum standards. Driving is a life skill; a skill that we can all seek to ever improve.

Fin.

Venus In Furs

AdamD wrote: »

If it takes you six attempts to pass you probably shouldn't be allowed to drive.

True. I have my full licence nearly 10 years (nearly time to renew) and not a tip (never a claim during the years I was learning either) but you're right, I think it'd be best for all if I don't renew it.

RDM_83 again

pwurple wrote: »

Passed car test first time, even though I went through a red light on the test (floored it from a good way back as it went orange). Must have done everything else perfectly.

Did a bit better on my bike test... Don't remember any feckups, passed that first time too.

Did you know the instructor/was the instructor asleep/are you amazingly sexy
Because I am 99.999% sure thats an automatic fail (had my instructor go through the test list with me on monday and that was mentioned as a red)

aulddub

First time, 1974, very handy those days, little or no traffic

ballsymchugh

AdamD wrote: »

If it takes you six attempts to pass you probably shouldn't be allowed to drive.

bollox.

took me 7 goes. 13 years ago. now what do i win??