How many times did it take you to pass your driving test?

Mister Vain · 08-12-2019 5:31pm

It took me 4 times. 1st and 3rd attempts were borderline pass. I noticed some examiners were a lot more strict than others. For example, on my 3rd test when I was reversing around the corner, the examiner had me reverse all the way to the back of the estate where I eventually clipped the curb. Usually you only have to go back a few yards. Another guy had me doing a 3 point turn in an impossibly narrow lane. I was glad I finally passed but that fecking pissed me off, especially when I was borderline pass on 2 occasions.

Loafing Oaf · 09-12-2019 11:20am

Took me five goes, and I'm convinced I only got it the fifth time because I had a more lenient tester.

LithiumKid1976 · 09-12-2019 5:30pm

passed first time, after 6 or so lessons, i only started driving around 30 years of age...

Feisar · 09-12-2019 5:37pm

Mister Vain wrote: »

It took me 4 times. 1st and 3rd attempts were borderline pass. I noticed some examiners were a lot more strict than others. For example, on my 3rd test when I was reversing around the corner, the examiner had me reverse all the way to the back of the estate where I eventually clipped the curb. Usually you only have to go back a few yards. Another guy had me doing a 3 point turn in an impossibly narrow lane. I was glad I finally passed but that fecking pissed me off, especially when I was borderline pass on 2 occasions.

I passed on my second time, however I was way worse (IMHO) on the second run.

TinCanMan · 09-12-2019 5:57pm

One and I can thank a pretest instructor for that. He put the fear of god into me but really got me focused on the day.

First Explorer · 09-12-2019 6:27pm

2nd time for a car third time for a motorbike!

victor8600 · 09-12-2019 6:43pm

1st time. But it was my second time taking a driving test (the very first time was in another country).

BeerWolf · 09-12-2019 6:53pm

Had to do it twice. First time around was doing perfectly fine till the last round about before returning to the test centre when someone cut into my lane in front of me where I had to break hard to avoid a collision... and for that I got an instant red mark.

Douchebag tester refused to tell me what I did wrong, and was just itching to fail me to meet some quota...

09-12-2019 6:59pm

Passed first time. I was sick with nerves! Second guessed everything I did.. lots of thoughts along the route like "was I right to do that?? I think I was right?? I was probably wrong. Yep I'm a failure!!!"

Afterwards the tester started chatting to me as we walked inside, about non driving related things. Went back into the office with him and he continued having a chat, nattering away about this that and the other. After about ten or fifteen minutes of this he finally said.. "so anyway, you probably want to get going. Congratulations on passing sure."

I practically shouted "I passed?!?" Course you did, he said. Sure you were practically faultless. I try to remember that when I start convincing myself I'm useless at everything. Maybe I'm just imagining it and I'm actually great!

Strumms · 09-12-2019 7:13pm

rafatoni wrote: »

Passed first time myself about 20 years ago. My instructor told me not to do is as i would fail which i thought was odd as i had done tons of lessons and was fairly confident driving (not cocky) he rang me that afternoon to find out how i got on and when he heard i passed there was just silence on his end, will never forget that.

I wonder was it reverse psychology ? On us both ? I am leaning to the opinion it might have been.. apart from wanting to pass I was completely motivated to prove the fûcker wrong. Declan had been slightly smug guy but a damned good instructor but telling me I wasn’t good enough to pass was a match to a flame and I wasn’t coming back without that pass...

In fairness he called to the house when I txtd him to tell him and stuff but when I asked him if he really thought I’d make a balls of it and he just laughed and we said our goodbyes and he left.

iamstop · 09-12-2019 7:21pm

Passed first time.

Well, technically not 100% true. The first test I had booked we didn't even leave the car park. We did the outside checks, tires etc. Got in and started the car.
"Sorry sir but I can't take you for a test in this car, the airbag light is staying on. As a rule I can not test you in this car." Safety reasons he says.

Didn't have an alternative handy so had to forfeit that test and reschedule. Got the airbag fixed and passed it on the first test where I actually did any driving.

Manic Moran · 10-12-2019 4:00am

Passed all three first time.

Irish civilian one was probably not a great pass, due to a bit of lexicon confusion, and as I recall my hill start was not pretty, but I didn’t roll back.

Irish military one I got a talking to for stopping in a town Main Street to let a pedestrian cross (there was a legal crossing point fifty yards further up), but I remembered all my technical specs on the vehicle.

California one was... wait, that was it?
Granted, maybe I was being given a bit of slack due to obviously having been driving for years, but it basically went as follows.
“So, how do I get a license?”
“Take the written test first, if you pass, schedule a practical. If you pass, you get a license”
“What happens if I fail the written”
“Nothing, you get three tries at it”
“Well, I’m here now. Give me the written...”
Which obviously was simple enough I could pass without studying.

The practical, I took in an automatic, as most cars here are. Nothing was said, no endorsements on the license or anything. It was, I kid you not, out the parking lot, make a right.. go to the freeway on-ramp, merge, take the next off ramp, make another right into a residential street. Pull up next to the curb, reverse straight, then go forwards again, back into the parking lot. Done.
No reverse around a corner, no three point turn, and nowhere to even try a hill start. (Not that that’s hard in an automatic).

No wonder there are so many accidents around here.

Kablamo! · 10-12-2019 4:05am

Third time was the charm for me.
Hit a crow on my first roll of the dice, abandoned the car in the middle of the road and chased after it across a green. Then I started crying. The poor tester!

Plopsu · 10-12-2019 12:15pm

Six times. That did include two that I shouldn't have sat, one I reckon I should have passed and one I definitely should have passed. What was the name of that company the tests were being outsourced to ten years ago? I had three with those guys and they were disgraceful.

Larbre34 · 10-12-2019 12:18pm

First time, age 20 in 1996. It turned out the examiner and I had the same surname, but I'm putting absolutely no stock in that whatsoever!

Good luck to anyone who has it coming up.

DelBoy Trotter · 10-12-2019 12:37pm

I passed both my car and motorbike tests first time.

JupiterKid wrote: »

TI actually think everyone should have to re-sit their driving test every decade.

I'd agree with this, and actually think it should be every five years

ohnonotgmail · 10-12-2019 1:25pm

Manic Moran wrote: »

Passed all three first time.

Irish civilian one was probably not a great pass, due to a bit of lexicon confusion, and as I recall my hill start was not pretty, but I didn’t roll back.

Irish military one I got a talking to for stopping in a town Main Street to let a pedestrian cross (there was a legal crossing point fifty yards further up), but I remembered all my technical specs on the vehicle.

California one was... wait, that was it?
Granted, maybe I was being given a bit of slack due to obviously having been driving for years, but it basically went as follows.
“So, how do I get a license?”
“Take the written test first, if you pass, schedule a practical. If you pass, you get a license”
“What happens if I fail the written”
“Nothing, you get three tries at it”
“Well, I’m here now. Give me the written...”
Which obviously was simple enough I could pass without studying.

The practical, I took in an automatic, as most cars here are. Nothing was said, no endorsements on the license or anything. It was, I kid you not, out the parking lot, make a right.. go to the freeway on-ramp, merge, take the next off ramp, make another right into a residential street. Pull up next to the curb, reverse straight, then go forwards again, back into the parking lot. Done.
No reverse around a corner, no three point turn, and nowhere to even try a hill start. (Not that that’s hard in an automatic).

No wonder there are so many accidents around here.

So you didnt even have any turns where you had to cross traffic?

w/s/p/c/ · 10-12-2019 1:41pm

Got it on the third attempt.

First time I was so nervous and messed up. Tester was a right barrel of laughs, think of the Governess from the game show The Chase and that was her.

Second time I was more confident, thought I did well, but it was in the Finglas test centre and it was the local bin day, bins/trucks everywhere I made an absolute mess of it dodging them. Tester even said that they didn't help my cause!

Third time lucky, I knew I was onto a good thing when the instructor was in the office laughing and joking with his colleague. Only a couple of marks given against me, one was for taking my eyes off the road for a second. He said he did too... we both had a glance at some good looking girl who was walking near the car!!

decky1 · 10-12-2019 1:45pm

got it on the 2nd, found the examiner a bit rude first time , who did i get 2nd time --same guy,put me right off but on the day he seemed to be a completely different person, anyway passed , but told me there was a few small issued but let it go , fair play to him.

recyclops · 10-12-2019 1:56pm

Three

First, out and out fail, old school instructor and i didnt prepare enough tbh

Second , testing lights, instructor goes to get into car, one foot in asks me to do brake lights again, bulb has gone and i cant do test, walking back to get a certificate of non compliance he laughs says the light flickers and chuckles to himself" sure if i didnt check again id never of known "

third, fairly sure this old man couldnt work the new tablet as i was awful that day

evil_seed · 10-12-2019 1:57pm

One go was all I needed. Coincidentally the N plates came off this morning :cool:

Henry Ford III · 10-12-2019 2:00pm

First go, although that was a long while back.

I passed aged 17 and 2 days. not sure I'd pass today's test tbh. Too many bad habits and a lack of patience.

Rubberlegs · 10-12-2019 2:36pm

I passed first time. I can remember my hand slipping off the gearstick and I whacked the tester in the leg, was sure I was going to fail on that.

mayo londoner · 10-12-2019 3:17pm

8 times I'm ashamed to say, was going perfect my first time and overshot a set of traffic lights by about a metre less than a kilometre from the test centre on the way back and the bollocks done me for that. Got back to test centre and called him a **** in frustration, on my third test I'd the same fella again and I may as well not have gotten out of the car! Eventually passed it on the 8th time when my provisional was within a week of expiry, mishaps on other tests involved driving down a one way street the wrong way!

Tbh I think the first test really knocked my confidence and never really recovered, have barely sat behind the wheel since I got the licence 5yrs ago!

dennyire · 10-12-2019 4:24pm

did the test first time I thought faultlessly and failed.
Did it the second time and was sure I failed but was passed.
On another note my daughter did her test last year in the new centre in Deansgrange. I didnt think she was ready but she passed it first time.
Her boyfriend had done the test twice in Wicklow and failed.
He did it then in Deansgrange and passed no problem

How many times did it take you to pass your driving test?

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