Unsuccessful - post here

zynaps

ronbyrne2005 wrote: »

My cousin passed first time in Churchtown and she was still in school.
In this day and age there should be video recording of your test in a special car provided by test centre. The camera would catch all things you do in car(speed, acceleration etc) and have multiple views inside and outside of car. You could opt out of being recorded if you wanted but opting for the recording would allow you to appeal.

Yes great idea - this would improve accountability, which, even if the testers are all being 100% fair and impartial, would help the test subjects relax more and trust that they're not going to be cheated.

In the absence of that, I suppose you could rig up your own car with a camera - wonder what the legality of that would be; maybe the tester would have to agree? Does the RSA have any official policy on this?

ronbyrne2005

FIF
Failed in Finglas.
Cut out on turnaround and reverese, which i rarely ever do, as my runners were slippy and clutch control was difficult.
Tend went over speed bumps too hard. Four hazard grade twos ruled me out before anything else i scored on.

nomadic

Second post in here in a couple of months. Seriously pissed off. Got 9 grade 2's in finglas today. One for not knowing a sign which is a seriously stupid one to get. Can someone tell me apart from indicating, how else do you signal when overtaking? I forgot to mistery signal twice anyway. Got 4 for reacting to hazzards last time and 3 this time. Seriously baffled.

Whats the procedure for applying for a cancellation test? Don't care where I do it next time.

zynaps

nomadic wrote: »

Second post in here in a couple of months. Seriously pissed off. Got 9 grade 2's in finglas today. One for not knowing a sign which is a seriously stupid one to get. Can someone tell me apart from indicating, how else do you signal when overtaking? I forgot to mistery signal twice anyway. Got 4 for reacting to hazzards last time and 3 this time. Seriously baffled.

Whats the procedure for applying for a cancellation test? Don't care where I do it next time.

Sorry to hear that nomadic. I booked my second test last week, and after I paid for it, I think there was a link for "specify unavailability" or something. In there, you could mark yourself unavailable at certain times, but also check a box to accept cancellations at the bottom. I had another look at the website and there seems to be no way to go back and edit this
You can probably call them and get it sorted out that way though, they were nice on the phone when I last dealt with them.

we'llallhavetea_old

i failed about a yr ago in mullingar. twas an epic fail i must admit, but an amusing one all the same;

broke the speed limit three times

scared pedestrians at a roundabout

drove alongside another car that pulled off unexpectantly (the tester
actually had to tell me to beep)

sat at green lights, got beeped

made a balls of the reverse

clutch and accelerator - 7 out of possible 8 grade twos

so, all in all, a bit of a fright for the tester. he looked shook, but very nice about it!
i have my next test on monday in navan.... bless them

ps3man

we'llallhavetea wrote: »

i failed about a yr ago in mullingar. twas an epic fail i must admit, but an amusing one all the same;

broke the speed limit three times

scared pedestrians at a roundabout

drove alongside another car that pulled off unexpectantly (the tester
actually had to tell me to beep)

sat at green lights, got beeped

made a balls of the reverse

clutch and accelerator - 7 out of possible 8 grade twos

so, all in all, a bit of a fright for the tester. he looked shook, but very nice about it!
i have my next test on monday in navan.... bless them

if your gona fail you may aswell fail in style

good luck monday

MiCr0

failed in raheny this morning

Brow

Failed in Raheny today, first time. 12 grade 2's with 3 for reaction to hazards and 4 for overtaking/clearance on parked cars. Im particularly stumped by the parked cars one. No idea where they came from. How and ever tester was grand and its good to know its not as scary as I built it up to be.

MiCr0

i got marked down for hazards and parked cars too

i wonder what it was?

psycho-hope

zynaps wrote: »

Sorry to hear that nomadic. I booked my second test last week, and after I paid for it, I think there was a link for "specify unavailability" or something. In there, you could mark yourself unavailable at certain times, but also check a box to accept cancellations at the bottom. I had another look at the website and there seems to be no way to go back and edit this
You can probably call them and get it sorted out that way though, they were nice on the phone when I last dealt with them.

hey when i reapplied the site said the seceting a cancellation part wasnt working, just gave them a ring now and have been put on the cancellation list for wicklow, one thing to bear in mind tho is that the girl on the phone said u only get about a weeks notice of a test if your on the list so that might be a problem if you have to get time off work or college

zynaps

psycho-hope wrote: »

hey when i reapplied the site said the seceting a cancellation part wasnt working, just gave them a ring now and have been put on the cancellation list for wicklow, one thing to bear in mind tho is that the girl on the phone said u only get about a weeks notice of a test if your on the list so that might be a problem if you have to get time off work or college

Glad to hear you got it sorted. I got notice on Monday or Tuesday that my test is coming up next Thursday morning. :eek:

Just have to fix my absolute banger of a car first :pac:

littlepink

Failed last week and am really upset. I had 14 grade 2's, no grade 3's and no grade 1's- or maybe the examiner just didn't bother to mark them. I really felt that I had passed and was quite surprised when I was told I hadn't and the extent to which i had failed. I would actually be very critical of myself and had counted up about 5 or 6 faults along the way so feel 14 was being overly harsh. I wonder were some of them really grade 1's.
I wish I could fill out a report sheet for the examiner. Giving an instruction, getting the candidate to start a manouvere, then changing your mind and as the candidate follows that new instruction, changing your mind again is hardly professional conduct, neither is sighing loudly at a fault or rushing through pointing at signs, hardly giving the candidate time to look at one sign before moving to the next one. I would also think trying not to smirk as you are giving news of failing is too much to ask.
I really would be the first to say if I was rubbish but everything my instructor said I was very good on, the examiner told me I had 'major' problems with.
The rule that they can't discuss results with you I feel is extemely flawed. I am left with a page with 14 x's, 5 or 6 of them I can account for and the rest are a mystery to me. They should have to identify exactly what you did wrong for each fault. Where is the accountability?

zynaps

littlepink wrote: »

The rule that they can't discuss results with you I feel is extemely flawed. I am left with a page with 14 x's, 5 or 6 of them I can account for and the rest are a mystery to me. They should have to identify exactly what you did wrong for each fault. Where is the accountability?

Couldn't agree with you more on this, I really don't see the reasoning for not discussing the results; it serves only to make the poor testees (and especially those of us who have failed) feel that the decisions are arbitrary and that they have no way to know whether it was fair or even how to improve for the next test.

Good luck next time!

Sue T

Hi all,

I failed the test on Friday in Churchtown.. feel so disappointed. I have had about 20 lessons and 2 pre tests previously.. dont have access to own car/someone else car's at the moment but still thought I would be fairly OK.

Got a grade 3 for position on the straight.. does that mean I was totally in the wrong postion the road.. maybe I went over the centre white line??

Also got a few grade 2 for reaction to hazards.. i know i was abit close to some parked cars on the left.. do they mark u down every single time that happens..

Does anyone know if Tallaght would be a better place to do the test? I found the test in Churchtown not exactly friendly.. didnt put me at ease at all.

Thanks guys!

NU8

Failed in Churctown this morning. Not to annoyed about it TBH. Only did two lessons and I failed purely on observation. No grade 3's but about 10 grade 2's.
Hopefully I'll get it next time.

Jarren

Failed in Tallaght on wednesday 04/11/09 for being overcautious,progress(I was driving too slow and stopping at a yield sign ) and changing gears. The instructor was one of the nicest guys you could possibly meet - it did not save me.Well.. I have to move on and book another driving test (75 euro going down the drain again:()I will prepare better next time(pre-test lessons)hopefully that will be enough...


RSA-

Money spinning machine

but this is my only personal opinion

Mcloke

littlepink wrote: »

Failed last week and am really upset. I had 14 grade 2's, no grade 3's and no grade 1's- or maybe the examiner just didn't bother to mark them. I really felt that I had passed and was quite surprised when I was told I hadn't and the extent to which i had failed. I would actually be very critical of myself and had counted up about 5 or 6 faults along the way so feel 14 was being overly harsh. I wonder were some of them really grade 1's.
I wish I could fill out a report sheet for the examiner. Giving an instruction, getting the candidate to start a manouvere, then changing your mind and as the candidate follows that new instruction, changing your mind again is hardly professional conduct, neither is sighing loudly at a fault or rushing through pointing at signs, hardly giving the candidate time to look at one sign before moving to the next one. I would also think trying not to smirk as you are giving news of failing is too much to ask.
I really would be the first to say if I was rubbish but everything my instructor said I was very good on, the examiner told me I had 'major' problems with.
The rule that they can't discuss results with you I feel is extemely flawed. I am left with a page with 14 x's, 5 or 6 of them I can account for and the rest are a mystery to me. They should have to identify exactly what you did wrong for each fault. Where is the accountability?

If you feel your test was unjust you can appeal it through the RSA...they won't pass you but they might give you a free test.

lemmingtonsteel

failed in rathgar today, tester said to me you go very fast dont you?, i really and truely dont i never break the speed limit and definitely didnt in the test the roads were pretty clear and i feel he would have got me on progression if i went any slower, he reckons i should always go around corners in first instead of second , which is just not what i was taught, he gave me a grade three for taking corners in second :(:(:(

zynaps

lemmingtonsteel wrote: »

failed in rathgar today, tester said to me you go very fast dont you?, i really and truely dont i never break the speed limit and definitely didnt in the test the roads were pretty clear and i feel he would have got me on progression if i went any slower, he reckons i should always go around corners in first instead of second , which is just not what i was taught, he gave me a grade three for taking corners in second :(:(:(

I think I took about 80% of left turns in second and probably 100% of right turns, on my second test (which I passed, just about anyway). Right hand turns are obviously wider anyway since you're on the opposite side of the road, and you have to get clear of the oncoming traffic lane, but unless a left turn is very tight, the advice to "always" take even left hand corners in first seems bizarre.

Definitely don't see how you could possibly get a grade three for turning left "in second", unless you had your foot to the floor the whole time - I generally (after observing, getting a little further left if need be and slowing down to about leisurely bicycle speed) shift down to second and take my foot off the throttle on a tight left hand turn, or give it just a little on a gentler bend to maintain that speed, until I'm out of the turn, and then pick up speed as normal (sometimes you make a turn and can't see much until you're all the way around... then your way is blocked by a parked car and there's oncoming traffic - hence waiting a little longer before stamping on the pedal).

When you're taking left turns, how much centrifugal force do you feel? Will a pair of sunglasses/whatever on the dash slide across toward you? That's one way to judge it.

But again, grade three? Weird... Good luck next time though!

lemmingtonsteel

i wasnt going fast imo , no sliding sunglasses he seemed very bent out of shape about corners in second like it was his personal mission to stop everyone from doing it

zynaps

lemmingtonsteel wrote: »

i wasnt going fast imo , no sliding sunglasses he seemed very bent out of shape about corners in second like it was his personal mission to stop everyone from doing it

That's a shame - I honestly don't see any reason for it; usually first is only appropriate for getting moving, going up steep driveways, parking etc. And obviously his opinion is not shared by all other testers, which suggests a large and fundamental inconsistency in evaluation methods and expectations (you might expect his personal preferences to cost you a few grade ones or the odd grade two in grey areas, but a grade three for taking a corner in second seems really odd). If you feel honestly hard done by, you could contact the RSA and ask them to account for the decision... but you'll probably nail the next test anyway and forget about the whole thing.

The Volt

Failed this morning in Naas. A little disappointed, was told that he didnt see me checking my mirrors at all and I had a few marks for that. I always without fail check my mirrors when turning, he stated he needed to see me turn my head fully rather than just glance. A little ridiculous but what can one do?

Blazer

failed twice originally

First time <SNIP> down from Dublin to test me ( head supervisor).
In that week alone over 70% of people failed in Limerick...like a said.<SNIP>. Still though I shouldn't have been driving in the middle of my lane.:(

Second time I switched instructors <SNIP> in Limerick who apparently knew it all because his old fella was a tester...
yeah...well <SNIP>..you can't stop in 3rd gear..I had argued this with him (i was saying 2nd for control) but he kept insisting on 3rd...I had a right row with him afterwards.

3rd time lucky....and even still I should have failed it...changed venues to dock road on limerick and on the day we have severe rainfall..could barely see out the window.
I remember reversing around the corner...couldn't see a thing and I hit the kerb. After that I was pure relaxed as I knew it was a fail asap.
However tester was a really nice old guy who when I queried my pass and mentioned the kerb he just said it was impossible to see anything out there in that rain..


so to anyone that failed....it's down to luck and the tester you get on the day...don't be downhearted...just reapply asap and resit it.
It's now 6 years later, no crashes and I can safely say I'm one of the safer drivers out there unlike half the idiots I see; both young and old.



On the other hand my brother and his wife was doing theirs on the same day at the same place in the same car within an hour of each other.
I knew the brother would fail (he's a hothead driver).
He came back to my house like a dog afterwards...his missus was up next and the tester spent the whole hour chatting away to her and passed her..
He said no way was he going to fail the missus on the same day as the hubbie .
He also told her that she was a far better drive than her husband..lol that definitely didn't go down well

zynaps

Berkut wrote: »

yeah...well you <SNIP>.you can't stop in 3rd gear..I had argued this with him (i was saying 2nd for control) but he kept insisting on 3rd...I had a right row with him afterwards.

Not sure about that; an opposing argument is that by staying in 3rd as you come to a stop, you keep both hands on the steering wheel which is good. Although I used to go all the way down to 1st due to watching my ma driving who always seemed to do that (although she says she only goes down to 2nd now), until my instructor asked me to only drop to 3rd. A lot of people do it for engine braking, which is of course a silly reason since brakes are designed to do that and be replaced more cheaply than the clutch.

Berkut wrote: »

so to anyone that failed....it's down to luck and the tester you get on the day...don't be downhearted...just reapply asap and resit it.

Totally true! Also never show panic or stress doing anything - I got two grade 2s in the turnabout on my second (successful) test, where there were none on the first test, because I did it in my old car without power steering the second time and looked like a frantic monkey pumping the wheel around.

mimster

Hi everyone,
Sorry i posted this as a seperate post too i was just so mad and frustrated then i realsied this is the best place for it.

I really need advice i have just sat and failed my driving test for the third time today:mad:. Today and the last time I was very prepared and this time had even passed a mock test with a driving school two days ago, I really skilled up my weak areas which were observation especially when turns and got no marks for this today but got four marks in a row for hazards - which i never got before and four in a row for driving too close to stationery vehicles. I genuinely feel these were very unfair marks and I feel completely frustrated that every time I sit the test with a different tester I get different marks:mad:. I begged the tester today to explain why he gave me the marks he did cos i genuinely felt they were completely unfair. He refused How am i ever going to pass - what is the key ? Ive just reapplied for attempt number four its costing me a fortune and is soooo disillusioning (is there such a word - ive a small baby sleep deprived )
I notice that a lot of you guys are saying you failed for mad things like not taking turns in first gear like WTF or passed when you made big mistakes and that the opinion seems to be that it depends on the tester that you get on the day - this is incredible, while i was doing my test today I had to stop to allow a car reverse and uturn on a main road within a few metres of a junction and my tester marks me for not paying attention to hazards
When i told my tester that i really needed feedback as i had just done a mock test with a driving school and did better without the marks he gave me and he told me that schools are different - so who is supposed to teach you to drive then :mad:
I did my test in Raheny by the way - anyone any experience here ?
My first tester tutted everytime i made a mistake and the second guy gave me three grade three's - so according to him i got worse today's guy just seemed bored ! The first time i did the test i had to go through a number of mini roundabaouts and the tester marked me for indicating coming off them, i didnt do it the second time and didnt get marks and i indicated again today as the driving school said you must and again i didnt get any marks - it was these marks that failed me the first time (insert banging head smilie here :mad:) so there seems to be no general consensus on whats right and whats not and passing seems to be luck of the draw - its crazy ! ~OK vent over if your still reading thanks for listening

brian076

Berkut wrote: »

Second time I switched instructors <SNIP> in Limerick who apparently knew it all because his old fella was a tester...
yeah...<SNIP>..you can't stop in 3rd gear..I had argued this with him (i was saying 2nd for control) but he kept insisting on 3rd...I had a right row with him afterwards.

I can safely say I'm one of the safer drivers out there unlike half the idiots I see; both young and old.

Not only can you stop in 3rd gear, you should always stop in the gear you're in, even 4th or 5th. 20 years ago people were taught to come down thru the gears because braking systems weren't as efficient as they are today, but there's no need to change down to 2nd every time you stop. It's quite acceptable to stop in any gear.

I've never yet met a driver who admits to being unsafe, and anyone who professes to being "one of the safer drivers out there" is only tempting fate.

zynaps

mimster wrote: »

I did my test in Raheny by the way - anyone any experience here ?

Yeah, failed the first time, passed the second with a different examiner (picking up a couple of marks I hadn't received before) - felt a little random but not awful.

mimster wrote: »

The first time i did the test i had to go through a number of mini roundabaouts and the tester marked me for indicating coming off them, i didnt do it the second time and didnt get marks and i indicated again today as the driving school said you must and again i didnt get any marks - it was these marks that failed me the first time (insert banging head smilie here :mad:) so there seems to be no general consensus on whats right and whats not and passing seems to be luck of the draw - its crazy ! ~OK vent over if your still reading thanks for listening

Hmm, never thought about this. For the purposes of signalling, I treat the mini roundabouts as if there were none; indicating left or right if I intend to turn, and not at all if I'm going straight. If it's a really small 'shouldn't be here' roundabout, indicating left as you pass a left junction to show that you're taking the next exit (straight) might confuse people into thinking you're turning directly left. Basically you're not spending long enough on the roundabout for that.
Maybe you can contact the RSA or something and find out the official stance on this - if you're not supposed to, then the instructor was wrong and should be corrected, and if you are supposed to, then the RSA owe you a free test since you shouldn't have failed the first one... if you're sure that's what they marked you for.

Alanstrainor

Berkut,
I would suggest you read the charter before posting again, swearing and insulting driving testers are strictly against the charter, count this as your warning.

mariaf24

I failed in Tipp town today, first time Gutted. I got 5 grade 2's and a grade 3 on a right turn (don't know where this happened). I think the whole thing is a waste of time and if you fail you should be told to return to the test centre at that point instead of wasting yours and their time, i.e, driving around for a further 30 mins when you have already failed.
I think i'm disappointed as i had several test lessons and a pre-test and my instructor was very shocked to hear i failed.
Anyone have anything to say about Tipp town? I had been warned not to do the test there.

tba

They can't tell you you have failed until they are safely out of the car.

I wouldn't look on it as a waste of time, very little can prepare you for the test environment, so take any experience of it you can.