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The Driving Test

Before you consider taking the 'Driving Test' you should ask yourself one very important question..' Is your instructor still prompting you during training'? . If the answer to that is yes then you are not ready for the test.

Driver training is very much a learning curve. The diagram below illustrates this very well.

Your instructor is a professional. All instructors no matter if they work alone, or for one of the 'national' schools have undergone the same extensive training and achieved the same qualifications. They are best placed and qualified to advise you. It is wrong to assume that driving instructors 'just want your money'! Think about that logically. Any business is built or destroyed on reputation. The instructor needs you 'the customer' to be happy with the service you have been given. More pupils are generated from 'recommendations' than by any other means. So to 'rip you off' would result in a very short term business plan that would be bound to end in failure.

It is the instructors job to teach you to be a safe driver not pass the test. If you listen carefully to everything that the instructor tells you and drive the car safely you will pass.

Which Test Centre?

As a general rule your 'local test centre' is the best to choose. In actual fact it should make little difference but a little 'local knowledge' may help on a roundabout with 'tricky road markings ' for example or that junction with 'the stop sign' that everyone misses...yeah you know what I mean!!

Be advised by your instructor but there isn't an 'easy test centre'. It is true to say however that if you can't drive safely they are all 'difficult'.

Dont rush to take your test. Make sure that you are ready and confident with lessons to spare.

Top 10 reasons for failing the test

Failure to act properly at road junctions 149,439
Reversing round a corner incorrectly 119,617
Failure to make proper use of steering 101,318
Problems with parking 94,728
Failure to make proper use of gears 76,945
Failure to make effective use of the mirrors 66,270
Driving too slowly 64,942
Failure to act properly when turning right 64,215
Causing delay by not pulling out promptly at junctions 62,221
Failure to move away correctly from stationary positions 56,086

Test Marking Sheet (DL25)

The DL25 is the official form that the test examiner uses to record your driving faults. The faults are devided into three catergories, (driving fault) (serious fault) and (dangerous fault). A dangerous fault will result in the test being abandoned and of course failure. A serious fault will cause a failure. Driving faults will not cause failure unless you either accumulate more than 15 or a particular fault is repeated 3 or 4 times.

When deciding if a fault is serious or not the examiner will take into account the road and traffic conditions and the circumstances at the time.

If you neglect to take effective observation before emerging at a T junction for example, the fact that nothing was coming is not relevant. The point is, if there had of been you wouldn't have seen it!!!

Follow the link DL25 for an explanation of the system.