Unsuccessful - post here

JohnMc1

Haven't done one in a few years [i get way too nervous] I'm finally looking into doing it again. My area seems to be ones of those permanently below 50% pass rates. I was thinking of doing it in an area with a higher pass rate. Anybody else here do that? Any advice?

Dublin Red Devil

JohnMc1 wrote: »

Haven't done one in a few years [i get way too nervous] I'm finally looking into doing it again. My area seems to be ones of those permanently below 50% pass rates. I was thinking of doing it in an area with a higher pass rate. Anybody else here do that? Any advice?

I did, Failed in Dublin, Passed in Roscommon. I advise you to book in Roscommon town, Get a few lessons from driving instructor SNIP He's the best, Do the test and you will pass no problem.

JohnMc1

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

I did, Failed in Dublin, Passed in Roscommon. I advise you to book in Roscommon town, Get a few lessons from driving instructor SNIP He's the best, Do the test and you will pass no problem.

Thanks Dublin Red Devil. I'll look into Roscommon then.

BeerWolf

Well I won't say this was anytime recent... I've had my full licenses for a fair while now... but, I did fail on my very first driving test, and got it on my second.



I did the Theory test flawlessly, and my driving test flawlessly til the end... Just as I was at the last roundabout before turning off back to the test center, a car was on the wrong lane and giving the wrong signals... he seemingly implied to be either going left or straight on while I was on the right lane to take the 3rd exit [3 o'clock]. As I was coming to my exit, your car was still moving on around the roundabout with me so I slowed down so he can move ahead so I can turn off safely... the instructor gave me an instant RED for this.

I asked him what I did wrong, and he just told me he wasn't at liberty to say, wasn't allowed to or whatever...

To this day I bet you 100% that bastard was just itching to have me failed from the start.

These tests should be monitored by a dash cam so you can get a 2nd opinion, I got a feeling he just wanted a "fail quota" met. :mad:

JohnMc1

BeerWolf wrote: »

Well I won't say this was anytime recent... I've had my full licenses for a fair while now... but, I did fail on my very first driving test, and got it on my second.



I did the Theory test flawlessly, and my driving test flawlessly til the end... Just as I was at the last roundabout before turning off back to the test center, a car was on the wrong lane and giving the wrong signals... he seemingly implied to be either going left or straight on while I was on the right lane to take the 3rd exit [3 o'clock]. As I was coming to my exit, your car was still moving on around the roundabout with me so I slowed down so he can move ahead so I can turn off safely... the instructor gave me an instant RED for this.

I asked him what I did wrong, and he just told me he wasn't at liberty to say, wasn't allowed to or whatever...

To this day I bet you 100% that bastard was just itching to have me failed from the start.

These tests should be monitored by a dash cam so you can get a 2nd opinion, I got a feeling he just wanted a "fail quota" met. :mad:

This is why I do believe there is truth to the fail quota talk. If what you did was so bad that he had to fail you on that then he should be obligated to tell you exactly what you did wrong. Saying that he's not at liberty to say makes it seem like he has something to hide.

miss no stars

JohnMc1 wrote: »

This is why I do believe there is truth to the fail quota talk. If what you did was so bad that he had to fail you on that then he should be obligated to tell you exactly what you did wrong. Saying that he's not at liberty to say makes it seem like he has something to hide.

Yeah, this is a gripe I have with it. If you do something so dangerous as to warrant an immediate fail (given that grade 3 faults are only given for something that's actually dangerous or illegal), WTF is the reasoning in not telling you what you did? Just to watch you head off afterwards and make the same mistake?

SPM1959

There needs to be some 'secret shopper' type exercises to ensure that driving tests are consistent and fair.

ethical

A friend did the test in the West yesterday ,examiner was nervous beforehand!!!............as they (my friend and examiner ) went to the car ,the examiner muttered something like ......'we are going to have someone with us on this test'............(hence the reason for his nervousness).My friend drove fairly decently but reckon she was always going to fail as your man was showing the 'Big Man' squeezed into the back how good an examiner he was. It would have been interesting to see how the rest of the day went for the examiner,did he pass everyone else once the 'Big Man' had got out of the back seat!

Mark Hamill

Failed in Rathgar today, 2 red marks .

First was totally my fault and was from nerves - I didn't commit to a orange light and ended up having to break hard (I thought I was too far and going slow enough to stop but I was wrong).

Second was right at the end, turning left into the test centre. Can't see anything in the centre car park until your front is right at the gate itself (high walls, the gate is on the rightmost end of the carpark so everything is on your left), and that was when I saw someone driving towards me to get out (just under a cars length away). We saw each other, she even waved at me, but she just stayed in my way instead of moving back. I tried to keep to the left to get around and I ended up scratching the gate. The annoying this that this happened to me at the start of test, with me in the other persons position, but I had the sense to reverse to give the incoming car space :rolleyes:. (I should have sat there and waited for her to give me space though, so I can't really blame her).

Everything else was nearly perfect .

Oh well, reapplied already.

wonderboysam

Failed! Wilton, Cork too nervous

just paid for a new test right away, choose to fill in for a cancellation anyone know on average how long that will take?

phatkev

wonderboysam wrote: »

just paid for a new test right away, choose to fill in for a cancellation anyone know on average how long that will take?

the first time i failed I chose the cancelation option but it was still about 8 weeks before I got a retest! failed the second time and just rang the RSA as soon as i'd payed the €85 and they gave me an appointment within the next week. so think you're best off ringing them

wonderboysam

phatkev wrote: »

the first time i failed I chose the cancelation option but it was still about 8 weeks before I got a retest! failed the second time and just rang the RSA as soon as i'd payed the €85 and they gave me an appointment within the next week. so think you're best off ringing them

Fack I've already selected the cancellation online (realized afterwards that that'd most likely be a popular option and could end up waiting longer than just a regular booking!)

phatkev

yeah selected that when i paid too, and then just rang them afterwards

wonderboysam

phatkev wrote: »

yeah selected that when i paid too, and then just rang them afterwards

!!! Thanks man, just rang them there - have a new test this thursday!! holy f*ck lol nervous again

phatkev

the 1890 customer care number

Peadar2211

Just failed today for having 7 x's in positioning(3 turning left, 2 on the straight, 1 turning right and 1 on a bend). My instructor and my father keeps telling me my positioning is dire but I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm either too far to the left or too far to the right or too close to parked cars or too close to cars on the other side of the road, but I can never tell that I am or not.

I have looked it up before and people have said that you should be a meter or a half a meter from the kerb, others saying that you should be in the center of your lane and I've tried that but always seem to never get it. The weird thing is that during my test I thought I was doing really well and that I was in the center of my lane the whole time and everything else went perfectly. Is there any constructive advice anybody has that might be able to help.

greyc

Hard luck, the centre of the lane means when you're driving on a 2 lane road ie a dual carriageway, you should be in the centre of your lane, generally the left one.
If you're driving on a single lane road you should try and be closer to the left if possible. My instructor gave me some reference points to check my positioning, so if your instructor hasn't done that, maybe try a different instructor.

Dublin Red Devil

Peadar2211 wrote: »

Just failed today for having 7 x's in positioning(3 turning left, 2 on the straight, 1 turning right and 1 on a bend). My instructor and my father keeps telling me my positioning is dire but I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm either too far to the left or too far to the right or too close to parked cars or too close to cars on the other side of the road, but I can never tell that I am or not.

I have looked it up before and people have said that you should be a meter or a half a meter from the kerb, others saying that you should be in the center of your lane and I've tried that but always seem to never get it. The weird thing is that during my test I thought I was doing really well and that I was in the center of my lane the whole time and everything else went perfectly. Is there any constructive advice anybody has that might be able to help.

Do the test in Roscommon Town. I can PM you the name of the best driving instructor in the country, A few lessons with him, and you can't go wrong

Peadar2211

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

Do the test in Roscommon Town. I can PM you the name of the best driving instructor in the country, A few lessons with him, and you can't go wrong

The problem is I don't live anywhere near Roscommon. I have heard that it has the highest pass rate and people have praised the instructors. I did consider it but I think the expense would just be too great for too little reward. Thanks for your help but I want to practice it by myself. Like, positioning is not something you just need to know for the test and then you can forget it afterwards. I will need to know it for the roads I'm used to and the cars I'm used to so I don't think doing lessons in Roscommon is viable

Dublin Red Devil

Peadar2211 wrote: »

The problem is I don't live anywhere near Roscommon. I have heard that it has the highest pass rate and people have praised the instructors. I did consider it but I think the expense would just be too great for too little reward. Thanks for your help but I want to practice it by myself. Like, positioning is not something you just need to know for the test and then you can forget it afterwards. I will need to know it for the roads I'm used to and the cars I'm used to so I don't think doing lessons in Roscommon is viable

Where are you?

Peadar2211

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

Where are you?

I'm in Monaghan, but it doesn't matter because if I tell my parents that I want to go to roscommon to get driving lessons, they might well explode. I appreciate your concern and accept that you are trying to help but I was really looking for more tips.

ProudDUB

How many lessons have you had & have you considered another driving instructor? If you are still having this much difficulty figuring out your correct road position, perhaps he doesn't know the correct road positioning himself, or he is teaching you all wrong?

Peadar2211

ProudDUB wrote: »

How many lessons have you had & have you considered another driving instructor? If you are still having this much difficulty figuring out your correct road position, perhaps he doesn't know the correct road positioning himself, or he is teaching you all wrong?

I don't think that would help either. I have had about 30 and every time he spends his time saying "You should be more to the left, you should be more to the right" He once told me that every time he told me that my positioning was wrong it would result in an x in a test. In the lesson in question that would be about 20-30. I didn't believe him though because I couldn't see what I was doing wrong and I think that's still my biggest flaw

wonderboysam

FAIL FAIL FAIL failed for the second time in three days today! got my next test on the 29th, hopefully this is the last you hear from me!!

J_R

Peadar2211 wrote: »

Just failed today for having 7 x's in positioning(3 turning left, 2 on the straight, 1 turning right and 1 on a bend). My instructor and my father keeps telling me my positioning is dire but I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm either too far to the left or too far to the right or too close to parked cars or too close to cars on the other side of the road, but I can never tell that I am or not.

I have looked it up before and people have said that you should be a meter or a half a meter from the kerb, others saying that you should be in the center of your lane and I've tried that but always seem to never get it. The weird thing is that during my test I thought I was doing really well and that I was in the center of my lane the whole time and everything else went perfectly. Is there any constructive advice anybody has that might be able to help.

Hi,

The only time I ever had trouble with pupils being a little vague as to their position on the road were those who sat very low in the car. A cushion used to solve that problem.

But I do not think that is your problem, yours appears to be your instructor who very simply has not taught you how, firstly, judge the cars actual position on the road and then explain what line you should follow.

Get to know where the left hand side of the car is, then keep it a safe but not excessive distance from the left hand side of the road and/or obstructions. Normally a meter, but this distance varies, depending on your speed, road condition/weather/ visibility/etc etc. There can be no set distance, too many variables. Just a safe distance - that you can stop or drive around any sudden hazard such as car door opening, pedestrian stepping out, etc etc

Change instructor

fillefatale

Nerves really got to me today. Failed in Sligo today, 4th attempt. Thankfully I didn't have that one particular infamous instructor there (had him twice already). Anyone who has had him will know who I mean - talk about making you feel uncomfortable during your test. Awful man.

Have to rebook a 5th, all these lessons and tests are digging into my scant savings. Am very disappointed, esp as I live in Dublin now and have to travel down as I know the route here.

caldew

So your driving standard is so low you can't do the test anywhere you don't know the route? Don't blame the tester, learn to drive properly.

KCAccidental

caldew wrote: »

So your driving standard is so low you can't do the test anywhere you don't know the route? Don't blame the tester, learn to drive properly.

why not be more supportive instead of judgmental?

fillefatale

caldew wrote: »

So your driving standard is so low you can't do the test anywhere you don't know the route? Don't blame the tester, learn to drive properly.

Lol, go troll somewhere else, you don't know anything about my ability to drive. Am I bothered, nope. :cool:

KCAccidental wrote: »

why not be more supportive instead of judgmental?

8 posts in 4 years - lurks on forums and posts comments about sh1te they know nothing about, seems like someone needed to vent on someone else :rolleyes:

wonderboysam

fillefatale wrote: »

Nerves really got to me today. Failed in Sligo today, 4th attempt. Thankfully I didn't have that one particular infamous instructor there (had him twice already). Anyone who has had him will know who I mean - talk about making you feel uncomfortable during your test. Awful man.

Have to rebook a 5th, all these lessons and tests are digging into my scant savings. Am very disappointed, esp as I live in Dublin now and have to travel down as I know the route here.

hard luck, had a particularly hard tester myself last time(second attempt), think I would've passed if I had the tester I got my first tester that time!! Oh well next one on Tuesday!

You should book for a cancellation and then ring them up and you could get a slot within the week, would be nice having to avoid these N plates! I got one twos later after failing the first time and then 12 days later after my second. Anyhoo good luck !