best time for test

djkat

Hi everyone

I have my driving test in a couple of weeks and it is at 8.30 am on a friday. i was thinking of changing it to a later time as the traffic will be MAD.

What would you do and what is the best time to do my test

ivanthehunter

Best of LUCK with the test.. i,d run with it! The tester will be in a better mood on a fri and yes the traffic will be heavy but he knows that and he or she will prob take you off the main roads to see what your driving will be like. You'll spend most of the test stuck in traffic so prob wont have to do that much driving anyway, dont forget the tester has to be back in time for the next test!!!!!!!!

Caychadh

I'm normally still half asleep at that time so I hope I don't get called at that hour. ("Falling asleep at the wheel- grade 3, driving with eyes closed- grade 3" etc)
There's problems no matter what time you get: mornings and evenings- traffic, afternoon- school run etc. I'd say sit it and good luck. If you defer it you will probably be waiting several more months depending on which centre it is, get it over with at least!

mikemac

Different schools of thought on this OP.
I did my car driving test on a Friday evening so I knew traffic would be crazy.

But my instructor said it was a great time as a lot of the time you will be queing in traffic which gives you time to relax slightly and gather your thoughts. Plus you can look at the junctions coming up and run through the different scenarios in your head.
So look at the positive side.

When I did my motorbike test it was in a quiet residental area on a Tuesday morning and I didn't meet a single red traffic light. Go, go, go, non stop driving the whole time.
Trust me, you don't want that OP, you want your busy Friday appointment.

pow wow

My first test was at 8.30 on a Tuesday or Weds and I was pretty chuffed as I was pretty convinced he'd steer me away from rush hour traffic and round the housing estates.

WRONG! He sent me sailing into gridlock in Cork, we got stuck in major tailbacks on the way back but luckily for you (and not for me) my failure was for one of the manoeuvres and not how I drove in bumper to bumper traffic. Actually crawling along can make it easier in way - lots of clutching and braking.

Best of luck - just don't let it phase you if he/she takes you into the rush hour traffic!

bonkey

djkat wrote: »

I have my driving test in a couple of weeks and it is at 8.30 am on a friday. i was thinking of changing it to a later time as the traffic will be MAD.

Can I ask why this is a problem?

Are you not confident of your ability to drive sufficiently well when its busy?
Are you worried that the tester mightn't have time to test you on everything else, if you get stuck in traffic?***

What would you do and what is the best time to do my test

The best time to do your test is when you're ready for it The time of day shouldn't matter at all.

I'd get some practice in driving in the type of conditions you expect to meet, but not neglecting the rest of your driving in case you don't get taken into the rush-hour flow.


*** Which reminds me...can that happen in Ireland? Over here, as far as I know, there's an upper time-limit on the test. If you're not back at the center by then, the test is still over and your result is based on your performance to that point.

dudara

Anytime of day would be fine.

I just got called for December 28th - what a bad day. I was planning on leaving Dublin on December 19th and not returning until January 1st, so that I can visit all the family and so on. I'll have to ring them and see if I can rearrange it.

John Mason

dudara wrote: »

Anytime of day would be fine.

I just got called for December 28th - what a bad day. I was planning on leaving Dublin on December 19th and not returning until January 1st, so that I can visit all the family and so on. I'll have to ring them and see if I can rearrange it.

oh can i have your test date then ? i am waiting months for mine

oh i was told 12.30pm was the best time, cos you were the last one before lunch and they wold be in a hurry to get back

SeanW

micmclo wrote: »

Trust me, you don't want that OP, you want your busy Friday appointment.

>_< Worst advice in the history of boards. And I should know because I just failed a test a few months ago, partly because I was not used to dealing with school run traffic, and boy was it crazy. There were people pulling over to stop on narrow pedestrian crossings, and I was sent down a 1 lane, 2 way street past the primary school as all the kids were being picked up, 2 very stupid Grade 2s for progress and blazes knows what else.

That particular test I got was a cancellation - I wonder why?

In dense traffic, where you're stopping and going every 5 seconds there's always a chance to make a small mistake in reaction, observation etc. Where a local condition exists that makes timely and legal maeuvres impossible (like the yellow box junction I outlined in another thread) that can land you in a Catch-22 situation.

Avoid Fridays if you can, and avoid - at all costs - school runs and other rat race conditions.

You want as much straight drivng as possible, especially since the test is relatively fixed in both time and distance.

Wishbone Ash

irishbird wrote: »

oh i was told 12.30pm was the best time, cos you were the last one before lunch and they wold be in a hurry to get back

Another one of the many 'urban myths' associated with driving tests. :rolleyes:

Wertz

Got a date for mid january, picked my start time for 9.20am, figured it'd give enough time to get most of the school traffic off the road and allow any frost to sufficiently thaw (unless we get a bad cold snap); last thing I want is a cancellation due to weather...

Rhodney

i have also my test in Finglas scheduled next week at 8.30 in the morning..

SeanW

Rhodney wrote: »

i have also my test in Finglas scheduled next week at 8.30 in the morning..

Ouch. But go for it anyway. Best advice now would be for you to practice driving in traffic - the kind of traffic that will definately be around at your test time.

Rhodney

Thanks SeanW
Anymore tips please?:)

djkat

rhodney let us know how you get on

best of luck;)

harrybosch

Rhodney wrote: »

i have also my test in Finglas scheduled next week at 8.30 in the morning..

I did mine in finglas last thursday at 8.25. Went really well(2 grade 2's, 1 grade 1). Its not as bad, and the tester will keep you out of heavy traffic.

Practise going left from the centre and taking the right and the next lights, happened to all the tests that morning. best of luck

SeanW

Congratulations!

Rhodney

thanks..
yea, im booking for a pretest this week and the weekend..
i just hope also that the weather will be fine next tuesday
hopefully my next post will be in the "Successful" thread:)

ArseBurger

This drives me bonkers. Why can't people just fess up and accept that they've failed because they weren't ready?

SeanW wrote: »

>_< Worst advice in the history of boards. And I should know because I just failed a test a few months ago, partly because I was not used to dealing with school run traffic, and boy was it crazy. There were people pulling over to stop on narrow pedestrian crossings, and I was sent down a 1 lane, 2 way street past the primary school as all the kids were being picked up,

You probably failed because you couldn't drive to a sufficient standard. Not because the roads were busy.
If busy roads effect your driving, you need more practice.

2 very stupid Grade 2s for progress and blazes knows what else.

Surely your marked test has what else, to blazes.

SeanW

True, that was part of it, but the insane traffic conditions didn't help *at all.* As for the faults I mentioned, I know exactly how they arose. What I don't know, is what of the other faults I got arose during that time.

And they (bad traffic conditions) won't help the OP either, which is the point I was trying to get across.

mikemac

SeanW wrote: »

>_< Worst advice in the history of boards. And I should know because I just failed a test a few months ago, partly because I was not used to dealing with school run traffic, and boy was it crazy.

WTF, I'm only reading this now and you say my post in the worst in the history of boards. Get back in your box! :mad:

I've read the charter and I know you don't attack people for failing a test.
But jaysus, I've passed an A & B test and you know better.:rolleyes:

You pass the test for showing competance (sp?) during your test. So don't blame the traffic or day of week Sean, blame your lack of skill.

And tbh people who fail always find something wrong.
It could be delivery vans in the morning, kamakaize pedestrians at lunchtime and stressed office workers in the evening.

I stand by my post that heavy traffic for at least some of the test can be an advantage. Suppose the OP makes a mistake and before they have time to regain composure they are at another busy junction. One mistake can destroy confidence and lead to a string of mistakes.
So if the OP can sit in traffic for a while they can plan how to approach the next junction and remember the advice the instructor gave.

I agree driving past a school is tough and good luck in your next test.
But accept that certain factors will always be outside your control and if you put as much effort into improving as you do in blaming everyone else, you will pass.

SeanW

Ok, first of all I think the general rule is "attack the post, not the poster" which is what I did, so no "back to the box" for me.

I'm not saying I know better than you, I'm saying my experience dircetly contradicts yours. If you found your tests in traffic easier, more power to you - but I sincerely doubt that "you want a busy Friday afternoon" is good advice for everyone. I stand because I firmly believe that getting into stop and go traffic <5 MPH and other stuff like 2 way, 1 lane streets at school out time, and choked up junctions is always an easy way to make small errors and rack up Grade 2 faults.

Thirdly I never claimed that traffic was the only reason I failed, just a portion of it. Driving skill was also a factor.

Thanks for your good wishes and yes I'm putting some serious effort into improving and very little into finding people to blame.

Stark

I'd be of the opinion that light traffic is easier. In light traffic, you're out and back before you even realise what's happening. I did my first test in heavy traffic during the school run and was out for well over an hour. It was fairly unpleasant.

mikemac

Hmm, my response with a bit harsh but if you think my post was the worst ever, step over to The Cuckoo's Nest forum :eek:
Nothing but muck is posted there.

We'll agree to disagree so

I have mine tommorrow in ballymun at 8.30 in the morning and I'm so nervous

delta_bravo

I had mine in Deansgrange at 9 20 am on a Saturday, It was great! No traffic in the area, no problems with artic lorries in the centre. passed 1st time

finnharpsboy

test day and time friday morning 8.25 in tallaght march 11th how did anyone else do on a friday morning?

Permabear

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