We driving instructors are naturally keen to let the world know when we have a test pass. But not many of us are so quick to let you know when we have a test failure. Or anything else that doesn't go quite so well.
But I'm keen on being very honest about such things. Why do we not post things that can be learned from? Perhaps it can save somebody else from such problems!
And, after some great passes including yesterday's, this morning one of my pupils failed a test. What's more, it was her third try. I won't name her because, while I have her permission to post this, I'm not that mean!
So, why did this happen?
Is she perhaps a worse driver than George who passed so well yesterday? Well no, actually. I take nothing away from George, who thoroughly deserved his pass, when I say that, objectively, she is actually the better driver of the two. Although I take all my learners on a variety of roads, and to different places, she has covered a wider range of journey types and does well on all of those during lessons. Her decisions are generally made quickly, and well thought out in the myriad situations that can occur when driving. So why hasn't she passed?
Here's the thing; The driving test isn't actually difficult pass. But it is easy to fail.
Say what?? Well, to pass it, you only have to drive safely and reasonably competently for about 40 minutes.
But to fail it, you only need to make ONE error that is regarded as serious within what might have been an otherwise excellent drive. And that's what happened today.
Here's what happened on each test:
Test 1) She didn't correctly interpret the signs and markings at a very unusually-shaped and complex junction, and so made a mistake with a right turn. Also, she approached a rather sharp left turn on a country road a tad too fast, and swung wide as a result.
THE EXAMINER COMMENTED THAT IT WAS A GOOD DRIVE OTHERWISE.
Test 2) In a retail car park, a pedestrian marched straight out of the shop with a sack up on his shoulder, and his eyes on his phone, with absolutely no regard to any traffic. She was late to stop.
It sounds harsh, perhaps, but the examiner made the correct decision in my opinion.
A little awareness of the likelihood of such a thing happening in that environment would have served her well. We can't mow him down just because he's behaving like a bit of a wally, now can we? We are the one with a lethal machine, after all.
THE EXAMINER COMMENTED THAT IT WAS A GREAT DRIVE OTHERWISE.
Test 3) This morning's test was at very short notice, due to a glitch with a test booking app she used. She'd done lots of practice in mum's car, but there just wasn't the time to fit in another lesson in my car in the few days running up to test.
Reverse gear in mum's car is in a totally different place to mine. Consequently, (although we'd practiced some reversing just before the test), she selected 6th gear instead of reverse when trying to back out of a parking space. Going forwards when you mean to go back generally doesn't work out well.
THE EXAMINER EXPRESSED DEEP REGRET THAT IT WASN'T A PASS, BECAUSE IT WAS A FANTASTIC DRIVE OTHERWISE.
Can we see a pattern here? In every test, the examiner had seen an otherwise good drive. One moment out of an otherwise very good drive causing the problems.
In each case, the thing she got wrong was something that she's normally perfectly capable of doing. Something that just doesn't happen on lessons.
Since her mum's car is the shape it should be, it's reasonable to guess that these things don't happen when she practices, either.
The moral of this tale of woe? Well, there's two things to say really.
1) Don't go and take a test. Go and have a drive.
If the drive is what you normally do on lessons, there's a very strong chance of passing.
2) Not passing at the first attempt doesn't necessarily mean you're a bad driver.
I'm sure she'll pass it next time. As frustrating as it might be for both of us, she's well capable, and it wouldn't actually surprise me to see her bring back a clean sheet pass.
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