Driving test

barbiegirl123

Hi everyone, I had my driving test in the last few months (1st time) and I received 14 grade twos. Out of these I got 4 for road positioning. Please don't be rude as I am very nervous but is this a very bad result. I have another driving test in 2 weeks time and I'm practicing way more. I had a lesson with my instructor this morning and she told me my main problems are still road positioning, gear control and reacting to hazards. I've been told I have excellent observation as well as other aspects however these 3 things is what's holding me back. Since I got 14 grade twos in my last test i'm so scared I will fail again. Any advice/ tips? Do ye think I could pass? I feel like last time my nerves will get the better of me and I will doubt myself during the test.

ohnonotgmail

Has your instructor explained what you are doing wrong with your road positioning? what have you done to improve it?

barbiegirl123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118257994#Comment_118257994

Yeah, i'm either crossing lines when i'm turning right/left or i'm not left enough on the straight. I've been trying to fix it ever since by practicing this while driving

barbiegirl123

update: i am taking a pre test next week so hopefully i'll pass :/

The Ritz

Mod Comment

Moved here from Home Entertainment.

barbiegirl123

Do ye think that my previous test report of 14 grade twos is bad or is it pretty normal?

terminator74

Its pointless ruminating over your previous test. Scratch it from your mind and don't let it effect your thinking for the next test - it is, what it is. If you got 9 grade 2's you would have failed too. Just concentrate on your driving weak points and get into a positive frame of mind for the next test.

AssaultedPeanut

I don't think it's a crazy bad result at all. And don't worry about having to re-sit the test a few times. I'm learning too and on a few groups. I see people resitting it multiple times. And some passing first go. Everyone is different and reacts to exam conditions differently.

Like the last person said, just focus on the weak points. Take left turns a bit slower and tighter to the curb. I've tried to sit my test twice and it was cancelled on me twice! So annoying.

Are you part of the Learner Driver Dublin page on fb? It's very helpful, even if you're not in Dublin you should join. There's people from Cork and Midlands on it too. Best of luck.

barbiegirl123

Update: did a pre test this morning and I got 13 grade twos and 3 grade threes, i really need to pass my test :(, last time i did a pre test was before my first driving test and i got 22 grade twos and 3 grade threes

get_test_ready

Hi,

Are you being tested in Dublin?

At this point it is not worth worrying about how the test will go. If you get an easy test you will pass (you only need to reduce your penalty count by five or six).

For positioning, you must stay in your lane. Generally you'll be about 1metre from the kerb pretty much most of the time. As you turn left you should maintain this distance from the kerb. On right turns, you should not turn until the front of the car is in line with the centre of the road you are turning into. You should aim to land in the 1Metre position when you turn.

Imagine a kerb running along a roundabout and maintain your 1m position.

Being consistent will shave a few points off your score.

What specifically is bad gear control? Are you using the wrong gear or is it a clutch issue?

Regarding hazards, if you have good observation, then reacting to hazards should not be an issue. You identify early what is likely to cause you a problem and you either slow down or move away from it (doing you MSM of course).

I would advise you not to worry about the result or the points and just focus on doing you best drive. At this stage your driving is not going to materially change.

Most people think that the test is assessing their competence but this is only partly true -there are other factors at play which means good drivers fail and bad drivers pass. You don't know in advance what tester you will get nor what conditions you will have to deal with. The fact that you failed a previous test actually increased the chances of passing your next one.

Bottom line is to focus on giving it your best shot. For nervous drivers at this stage I would recommend that you stop thinking about pass/fail and just focus on driving as best you can. This will take some of the pressure off and you will drive more confidently.

Jeremy Sproket

IMO the driving test here focuses on ridiculous subjective things and not nearly enough on proper hard skills.

You can be marked for not "observing enough" in the tester's opinion. Accentuating neck movements to show observation is bollocks. I did my D1 and A2 here, although I passed I was marked for observation quite heavily even though I was like something out of the exorcist ......

There's not nearly enough focus on things like emergency stopping, reflexes, proper lane discipline on multi lane roads, parking, night driving, use (or misuse) of lights.

get_test_ready

Correction to my earlier post.

1 meter distance from the kerb is too far from the kerb for test driving.

You should be keeping as far left as is practical without driving in the gutter. For the test this means keeping your wheels around 0.5m from the kerb.