Booking a driving test

[Drago]

I once stopped a car with a brake light out. I was going to just inform them, have a speculative sniff for the waft of intoxicating liquor and let them on their way, but it turned out to be a driving test and the examiner refused to continue as the car was not roadworthy.

I bet I was popular!

 

[Dogtrousers]

He was forthright about the shitty system and wasted test and levels of drivers. He told me across the board it wasnt uncommon for learners to fails more than 5 times in the practical test.

According to this https://www.gov.uk/government/stati...nstructor-statistics-april-2023-to-march-2024

The pass rate is 47% or thereabouts. So for 5 fails to be not uncommon there must be a subgroup of hard core dunderheads who just do not learn alongside a subgroup of smart alecs who are very likely to pass first or second time.

Someone better at stats than me could probably draw better inferences from that data.

 

[figbat]

Do check first, but my granddaughter who recently passed, said you can book a test anywhere in the country then transfer the booking to the place you want easier than attempting to get one at your local test centre.

We heard this too and booked her a test in Swindon (the only place with any slots), but this is not a great option for her. We’re looking to swap it to Greenham (Newbury) or even Oxford but having a pre-existing booking gives you no benefit when it comes to booking an alternative time or place.

If it comes to it she’ll have to have a go to Swindon and see how it goes.

 

[presta]

Perhaps the difficulty in getting driving tests is a deliberate ploy to reduce car use in the long term.

The instructor couldn’t make the date so my daughter had to take the test in our car.

I had an instructor with a Hillman Imp because my father had one, but I didn't like it so I used my father's for the test.

I once stopped a car with a brake light out. I was going to just inform them, have a speculative sniff for the waft of intoxicating liquor and let them on their way, but it turned out to be a driving test and the examiner refused to continue as the car was not roadworthy.

I bet I was popular!

I passed my test in a car with no road tax, because my father had forgotten to renew it. I had to get out and stick the L-plate back on when it fell off, too.

 

[oxoman]

Part of the problem with high failure rates is that the instructors are getting increasingly younger and for the majority absolutely useless at teaching. That came from an ex instructor and now an examiner. Doesn't help we have a hard-core of young learners that think they know best. The theory test rates are supposedly worse and that side is privatised. Eldest passed theory 1st time and failed practical test 1st time, lesson learned. Youngest failed theory several times because he cba to concentrate, soon changed when he had to pay himself and actually get there on his own, he then passed the practical 1st time somehow. Sometimes its a lottery. I'm sure if you fail now there's a minimum time to apply for a practical retest to try and stop the constant re-booking after a failure. TBH its a nightmare and when they pass the insurance companies fleece them, although some deserve it.

 

[tom73]

I've been talking to someone I know who is a driving instructor he told me he get's a lot of delivery drivers. Who just drive up to his house and ask for lessons. He always says he's full up , they then get back in the car and drive off. He also told me only last week one turned up at the test centre having driven over 200 miles. When the examiner spotted the state of the tyres they called the test off. The driver then took off the L plates and drove back.

 

[Drago]

Even back in my day folk that use cars or small vans for deliveries were easy pickings for offences. Almost as good as tractors.

These days its sounds even worse

 

[oxoman]

I hope they reported them.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Part of the problem with high failure rates is that the instructors are getting increasingly younger and for the majority absolutely useless at teaching. That came from an ex instructor and now an examiner.

In my experience (Which isn't recent, I know) the instructors who become examiners did so largely because they were poor instructors themselves and couldn't generate much work. When they took the Queens Shilling they turned into the worst type of examiner, often expecting standards they were incapable of getting pupils to themselves. They were never liked by working ADI's.

 

[oxoman]

In my experience (Which isn't recent, I know) the instructors who become examiners did so largely because they were poor instructors themselves and couldn't generate much work. When they took the Queens Shilling they turned into the worst type of examiner, often expecting standards they were incapable of getting pupils to themselves. They were never liked by working ADI's.

I think in a lot of cases your probably correct. Some younger instructors are unable to dish out critism just in case it effects there trust pilot rating. The old guy that taught most of the family till he retired would rap knuckles if you kept making simple mistakes like hand positioning on the wheel. The guy who taught my eldest was brilliant but sadly died suddenly before youngest needed lessons. Took me 2 attempts to find someone decent, 1st guy was all about passing in 15 lessons and social media. Personally not sure how he qualified as an instructor as he was useless.

 

[CXRAndy]

In conjunction with our own driving lessons we used a instructor to give us local knowledge of test routes and brush up on any new tips examiners were keen on catching drivers.

He was OK but seemed negative on my daughters ability to pass.

She failed his mock test, week before the real test. Basically what went wrong, did, obstacles, animals, etc.

The following few days I said to her, I see no reason in her driving or observations skills why she couldn't pass.

She passed with 1 minor, the instructor we used was flabbergasted when we told him.

I think there is a small element of keeping learners having lessons and being negative of their abilities

 

[oxoman]

I think your daughter did well to get past the unhelpful instructors comments. I suspect he expected you to book a wedge of lessons with him, so bruised ego. Along time ago when I took my test I had my worst lesson ever 1hr before it. Kerbed it doing 3 point turn, scraped the wheels as I reversed around the corner and rolled backwards on a hillstart. Somehow I then pulled my socks up and passed with a couple of minors.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Seems like instructors can't win. Either they're afraid of finding fault, or they're finding spurious faults to drum up business.

Some younger instructors are unable to dish out critism just in case it effects there trust pilot rating.

I think your daughter did well to get past the unhelpful instructors comments. I suspect he expected you to book a wedge of lessons with him

 

[Webbo2]

So my grandson aged 11 might need to book his test now so as to get one. We bought him a car driving experience for Christmas thinking it would be a virtual thing but it turned out to driving in a real car. Since then he’s driven my daughters car round the airfield where my son in laws stationed and done another driving is tuition session and would like a sports car experience for Christmas.
He’ll be TWOCing before we know it.🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

[figbat]

So my grandson aged 11 might need to book his test now so as to get one. We bought him a car driving experience for Christmas thinking it would be a virtual thing but it turned out to driving in a real car. Since then he’s driven my daughters car round the airfield where my son in laws stationed and done another driving is tuition session and would like a sports car experience for Christmas.
He’ll be TWOCing before we know it.🤣🤣🤣🤣

Both our kids have had ‘early driver’ experiences - for my son aged around 13 it was just a bit of fun; in fact a lot of fun because although we booked a standard automatic car experience, due to a car going U/S he ended up driving a 560 bhp W12-engined Bentley Flying Spur as his first ever drive!

My daughter did hers around age 16 and it was intended more as a first step towards driving at 17. Her experience was less positive - the instructor assumed too much ability from her and told her to do stuff like ‘now change to 2nd’ when she didn’t know how to do that. I have effectively taught her to drive now but as I said before we started, I can reach you to drive but I can’t teach you how to pass the test, so she is having formal lessons now too.