Raheny driving test

Kevlarsteal

Hi

I am a 31 year old male and I started to learn to drive in January 2017, I do not own a car and live in the City centre so don't want to own a car.

I have been getting lessons weekly since January 2017 and my instructor believed I was test ready in September 2017, I have now failed the driving test a total of 5 times.

The first time I failed by 2 grade 2's - The tester said I was pass standard
Second time 2 grade 2's and a grade 3
Third time same as above
Forth time failed by 12 grade 2's
Fifth 5 grade 2's and a grade 3

I feel like I have improved greatly since my first test in December yet my results are getting worse, I have tried 2 different ISM instructors to see if they could see what i where i am going wrong, but there isn't an aspect of my driving that is standing out that I need to work on (got marked on gears in 3 tests)

I need to drive for a new job I started in January and feel so frustrated and dejected, as taking time off work and the financial costs are starting to affect me (I spent over a grand on tests alone as well as over a grand on lessons over 16 months)

I am looking for help and advice as this is affecting my personal and professional life, any advice

spurious

Are all your fails in Raheny?
I failed loads of times in Raheny, looked for a cancellation, switched to Finglas and got it first time.

Sometimes we give ourselves mental blocks about things. It doesn't help in Raheny that you get testers who take you into Demesne in Killester (or some of the Clontarf roads) with cars half up on the path either side of narrow little roads and then do you for being too near to parked cars. You have to laugh really.

Kevlarsteal

All my tests have been in Raheny, im not from Dublin, have lived here for 12 years but mostly know city centre, I have a good grasp of Raheny area now and am afraid to switch to a location that i don't know at all, how many times did you fail? Its so soul crushing, my last test i was unsure if the road was a 50 or 60 limit, so i stuck to 50 as i thought it would be safer, got marked on progression on the straight, you just can't win..

spurious

I got it on the 6th, the one in Finglas. I did them all within a few months, re-applying as soon as I would get home and looking for cancellations. From first to last test was I think about 7 months.

I had previously held a full bike licence for 10 years, so I had 'road sense' so to speak. I think myself I was a bit too familiar with Raheny, having been brought up there. I don't have an issue with the first couple of fails, I know I wasn't ready then, but some of the later ones were comical, including that 'too close to parked cars' one, which grates. I even got the same tester twice and stuff I had no problem with the first time he marked down the second time and vice versa. I even pointed it out to him that I had not got a mark on it before and he said that's the way it goes. It was the inconsistency that used to annoy me.

I found Finglas much easier. Big wide roads.

Samuel T. Cogley

Couldn't agree more. I can't see how anyone could pass in Raheny - I'm sure some do - but the place is full of old dears that just park and turn where the hell they like.