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sopretty

summer00 wrote: »

I know the feeling - failed for not looking right on a right turn but feel I probably did but just not enough.
This was the only thing that failed me as only had a few grade 2s but not enough to fail!

Have my 3rd test this afternoon (got a cancellation so only had to wait two weeks) in Rathgar and if I dont get it not sure what I will do!

Best of luck!

ProudDUB

miss no stars wrote: »

Absolutely! Car parks are a nightmare. Plus, people seem to go off into la-la land and wander around aimlessly and totally unaware of what's going on around them. The other day I was reversing and someone decided to walk behind me while I was reversing (WTF?! seriously common in car parks all the same). But not alone were they walking behind me, they were so close they set off my parking sensors. Lucky enough I had seen them coming (texting) and had already hit the brakes. They passed blithely by.

THEN as I was about to go full lock I check in front of me and someone is walking right where my bonnet will swing out.

The checks you do in the reverse around the corner? There's a very real need for them.

I don't know how my nerves aren't completely shot from people away with the fairies in car parks.

sopretty wrote: »

Some people might disagree with this, but reversing out of car-park spaces, in busy shopping centre car-parks, really brings home the importance of observation in reversing around the corner. I know it's not exactly the point of the test version, but it will give you a good idea of how much observation you need. You have randomers walking with their eyes wide shut, cars going both directions, a narrow space to manoeuvre, the potential for kids running here there and yonder, wandering shopping trolleys, other cars reversing out behind you and all sorts of potential nightmares!

Agree with these 100%. That's why I often go out of my way to pull into a space that I don't have to reverse out of. Sometimes you have no choice where you park. But in larger shopping centre or supermarket car parks, I am more than willing to park a bit further away from the entrance, if it means that there are two empty spaces & I can drive directly into one and straight out the other. Heck, I could do with the exercise anyway.:(

cppbutler

summer00 wrote: »

I know the feeling - failed for not looking right on a right turn but feel I probably did but just not enough.
This was the only thing that failed me as only had a few grade 2s but not enough to fail!

Have my 3rd test this afternoon (got a cancellation so only had to wait two weeks) in Rathgar and if I dont get it not sure what I will do!

Best of luck
let us know how you get on

summer00

cppbutler wrote: »

Best of luck
let us know how you get on

Thanks! I passed!! Am so delighted and relived as am over driving around the streets of Churchtown and Nutgrove!!

phatkev

failed my first attempt today, had 9 grade 2 errors, 5 of which were for progress on the straight:( im it putting down to being over cautious with the tester in the car and hopefully it wont be too big of a problem to overcome! also got 2 for observation when moving off, and 1 for the observation on my turnabout. does anyone have an idea why i wouldnt have to do a hill start during the test? had i already failed and the tester just didnt bother??

sopretty

phatkev wrote: »

failed my first attempt today, had 9 grade 2 errors, 5 of which were for progress on the straight:( im it putting down to being over cautious with the tester in the car and hopefully it wont be too big of a problem to overcome! also got 2 for observation when moving off, and 1 for the observation on my turnabout. does anyone have an idea why i wouldnt have to do a hill start during the test? had i already failed and the tester just didnt bother??

NO, they put you through the full test even after a red mark.

I was put through the 3 point turn twice on my first test (no marks on this at all!!!). I think they forget what they're at half the time. Or else maybe they thought I'd make an error the second time around haha.

You'll get it. A few lessons as if you're doing the test. Better than any lessons. Tell your instructor to just give you a pre-test. I learn more from my mistakes, than being told what to do in advance.

alexlyons

phatkev wrote: »

does anyone have an idea why i wouldnt have to do a hill start during the test? had i already failed and the tester just didnt bother??

Had you done a hill start already, at traffic lights for example? I've spoken to one or two testers and they have said depending on the driver, if they've done something in the course of the test as normal driving, they may not put them through a deliberate full manoeuvre.

phatkev

alexlyons wrote: »

Had you done a hill start already, at traffic lights for example? I've spoken to one or two testers and they have said depending on the driver, if they've done something in the course of the test as normal driving, they may not put them through a deliberate full manoeuvre.

ah cool i dont recall doing it on the course of the journey, but as you said i might have done itduring the normal route. i just thought it was a bit odd as did my instructor

The_Morrigan

sopretty wrote: »

You'll get it. A few lessons as if you're doing the test. Better than any lessons. Tell your instructor to just give you a pre-test. I learn more from my mistakes, than being told what to do in advance.

On this - I went out with a different instructor yesterday after my fail last week, and he said my driving was fine and I just needed to fine tune a few things. He thinks the pressure of the test - like the silence in the car and the judging make a lot of people crumble and overthink, making them slower to progress etc.
So he wants to put me through a series of mock tests so I'm used to driving in that scenario and hopefully my brain will think it's just another mock test on the day.

Personally I don't see the benefit of an ADI talking you through each junction/roundabout/technical element if you're supposed to be able to do it alone without instruction on a daily basis as a competent driver and in the test - obviously the exception to that is if you've done something stupid and/or dangerous in your driving.

sopretty

The_Morrigan wrote: »

On this - I went out with a different instructor yesterday after my fail last week, and he said my driving was fine and I just needed to fine tune a few things. He thinks the pressure of the test - like the silence in the car and the judging make a lot of people crumble and overthink, making them slower to progress etc.
So he wants to put me through a series of mock tests so I'm used to driving in that scenario and hopefully my brain will think it's just another mock test on the day.

Personally I don't see the benefit of an ADI talking you through each junction/roundabout/technical element if you're supposed to be able to do it alone without instruction on a daily basis as a competent driver and in the test - obviously the exception to that is if you've done something stupid and/or dangerous in your driving.

I think I learned more from the feed-back from the one pre-test, than I did in any lesson.

Bobby42

Hi all, thought I'd ask this here.

I failed my test a few weeks ago and one of the things I got hammered on was position on roundabouts.

Anytime I approached a roundabout the tester said "1st exist" "2nd exit" and didn't say if this was left or straight through. This threw me a bit as I wasn't sure where I going. As a result, I drove up to the roundabout to see what direction I was going, and as a result I got my position wrong and got two grade two's.

Are you allowed ask what direction the exit is during the test?

cppbutler

Bobby42 wrote: »

Hi all, thought I'd ask this here.

I failed my test a few weeks ago and one of the things I got hammered on was position on roundabouts.

Anytime I approached a roundabout the tester said "1st exist" "2nd exit" and didn't say if this was left or straight through. This threw me a bit as I wasn't sure where I going. As a result, I drove up to the roundabout to see what direction I was going, and as a result I got my position wrong and got two grade two's.

Are you allowed ask what direction the exit is during the test?

This also threw me, but when they say 1st exit generally it's left, 2nd is straight through and 3rd being a right and even 4th being going right around and back down the way you're coming I suppose.

In my test I remembered this but to be sure when he said 2nd exit ,as I approached it I just said "so straight through?" and he said yes.
If I said a right turn I presume he would have corrected me.

Mars Bar

I would have thought your instructor would have had that covered in the least!

ProudDUB

Bobby42 wrote: »

Hi all, thought I'd ask this here.

I failed my test a few weeks ago and one of the things I got hammered on was position on roundabouts.

Anytime I approached a roundabout the tester said "1st exist" "2nd exit" and didn't say if this was left or straight through. This threw me a bit as I wasn't sure where I going. As a result, I drove up to the roundabout to see what direction I was going, and as a result I got my position wrong and got two grade two's.

Are you allowed ask what direction the exit is during the test?

That is really rotten bad luck. Most testers do tell people the direction that the turn is going to be in, as well as if it is the 1st, 2nd, 3rd exit. It looks like you got a poorly trained, or lazy tester who just presumed that you would know what he meant.

Anyway, if it happens again, go with the clock face logic to it as the above poster said...first exit is a left, second exit is straight on & the third exit is a right. If you are unlucky enough to be put in that position again, I would definitely ask for clarification. Technically, you are not supposed to engage in conversation during your test, but I doubt very much if asking for clarification on an instruction counts as conversation.

uli84

Failed in finglas, mainly due to reaction to hazards, apparently was over cautious. I mean i dont know, marked a lot on it, i thought i was doin the right thing. Glad i didnt get grade 3 though

caldew

Of course you can ask which direction at the roundabout. The tester would have told you at the start of the test if you are not sure of the directions to ask them to repeat them or clarify. Also it is incorrect to say technically you cannot talk to the tester.

ProudDUB

uli84 wrote: »

Failed in finglas, mainly due to reaction to hazards, apparently was over cautious. I mean i dont know, marked a lot on it, i thought i was doin the right thing. Glad i didnt get grade 3 though

What & where were the hazards? I know the Finglas test area very well.

uli84

Tbh, nothing to do with Finglas as i understood from the feedback, mainly - fault 'Where an applicant makes exaggerated/unnecessary observations to the side or rear, which distracts from forward observation.' sort of stuff. I wanted it so bad I got freaked out I don't check my blind spot enough and it resulted in above. Just wondering-if I made it like 3 times during the test-is that 3 times grade 2 or once? I also got grade 2 for handbrake when once (being nervous) attempted to release it without rising lever up first. Delayed me like 3 secs maybe and I wasn't even first in line. Either way, not in great position now as going away for 1.5 month and also need to renew my permit/get medical report etc, and after returning won't have anyone to mind my baby if I wanted to drive. Tough luck.

AH92

Failed today in Tallaght! Devastated but it was my first time, got 6 grade 2's and 1 grade 3.
Got 4 grade 2's in reaction to hazards not sure what they mainly could be? I know 1 one was because there was a bin man not looking before wanting to cross but I did brake but slightly late.
Grade 3 was failing to yield on the left turn right at the end of the test , just lack of patience really there on my part.

Iron Hide

First attempt at the test Friday just passed (13th!!!!!) in Wilton in Cork. Have had the licence about 4 years but due in no small part to complete laziness I've only been driving since january. Got 19 grade two faults for observation and mirrors and 2 grade two faults for position whilst overtaking parked vehicles, and one grade three fault for not looking in my drivers side wing mirror enough when reversing around a corner.

To say that I'm annoyed with the tester would be an understatement, his feedback afterward was that i did not check my left hand blindspot when moving off after my turnabout (car was pulled into the left hand kerb, nothing can pass on the left hand side?) and for not checking them enough while driving straight ahead, to which i (foolishly on second thought) replied that i must have checked the mirrors because i could see him concentrating on what was happening out the passengers side window rather than the actual test.

The grade three fault was because i apparently failed to spot a car reversing out of a residential parking space about 15m behind me when i was already straightening up after reversing around the corner, another bone of contention!

Retest booked for the 16th of july, gonna have my head on a swivel for that i think!!!

SPM1959

3rd time to fail today. Absolutely gutted. A couple of things but the main (Grade 3) error was the reverse around the corner. Can seem to do it in lessons OK now but in a test situation I fall apart.

Don't know what to do now. Can't face failing this again.

SalEB1990

SPM1959 wrote: »

3rd time to fail today. Absolutely gutted. A couple of things but the main (Grade 3) error was the reverse around the corner. Can seem to do it in lessons OK now but in a test situation I fall apart.

Don't know what to do now. Can't face failing this again.

Don't give up hope! I failed 3 times too... As soon as I got back home I rang up RSA and asked could I have the next available slot (while the experience was still fresh in my head) and got another test 6 days later and passed.

It is soul destroying... but look if I can pass (an absolute nervous wreck) then anyone can! Best of luck :-)!

stefanovich

Jesus Christ!! Failed for the second time. I thought I'd actually done quite well... This was in Limerick at the Woodview test centre. Didn't get off to a great start, tester wasn't too pleased that I was 5 minutes late.

Ended up with I think 12 grade 2's. Failed to check my blindspot a couple of times, hit the curb when reversing around the corner. It started fine and then I failed to straighten up correctly. These are understandable...

The rest were for position on the road on the straight and progress, apparently I was a little too close to the white line a couple of times... Really? I don't think so....

Main reason for failure and where I think I picked up around 6 grade 2's was progress. A bus stopped just before a left turn and he marked me down for not overtaking it.

He also said I was overly cautious on a number of left and right turns. Apparently I need to be more reckless...

Really felt like the tester was overly strict with me. I really thought I had passed. So pissed off, I cannot even begin to verbalise it.

spurious

Apply again and look for a cancellation. You could have it passed by the end of July. Onwards and upwards.

SPM1959

SalEB1990 wrote: »

Don't give up hope! I failed 3 times too... As soon as I got back home I rang up RSA and asked could I have the next available slot (while the experience was still fresh in my head) and got another test 6 days later and passed.

It is soul destroying... but look if I can pass (an absolute nervous wreck) then anyone can! Best of luck :-)!

Re-booked the test again tonight. Determined to get it this time. Failure is soul destroying especially when I know can I drive to a decent level (but continue not to prove it in test situations).

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.

galson

Will be having my 5th test today, last time was in March and I failed for 'passing too close to the stationary vehicles', something I'd never been marked before, but this time got 4 grade 2s. Really annoying, especially there was nothing different in the distance I usually pass vehicles (door's length).

Dublin Red Devil

I understand the pain of not passing this test. It's something that can really get you down, you really feel awful. but you can't let it get to you, It's something you just have to overcome in life. I know it can be hard but you should go ahead and book again right away. It's really not the end of the world, It takes most people a few times, but you'll get there in the end.

SalEB1990

SPM1959 wrote: »

Re-booked the test again tonight. Determined to get it this time. Failure is soul destroying especially when I know can I drive to a decent level (but continue not to prove it in test situations).

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.

If I haven't missed it... best of luck :-)!

SPM1959

SalEB1990 wrote: »

If I haven't missed it... best of luck :-)!

Thanks. Booked in for Monday 30th. Ready as I'll ever be

tHE vAGGABOND

Failed yesterday in Rathgar - no complaints at all, one of the worst drives I have done in ages..

All maneuvers went fine actually, but a bunch of other mistakes due to nerves and basically not being good enough

Time to actually get a car and practice a bit before resitting