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Agree - if you passed before you shouldn't have a problem passing again and it's probably a confidence issue made worse by the fact your 'friends' are taking the pee ! Why waste time with lessons unless they're specifically targeted on the area(s) you failed on ? You can drive, you know the theory all you need is to believe you can do it again. I think for women particularly, nerves and overcautiousness play a major part in test failure. Try to relax and don't dwell on the failures. Also, do pass on details of why you failed - I'm sure lots of good advice will follow. Good luck !
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I'm thinking that maybe your instructor could be sort of at fault here, in that he is treating you like a learner.
Maybe you'd do better contacting your local Institute of Advanced Motorists ( www.iam.org.uk ) who can assess your driving style as a whole, rather than focusing simply on ticking boxes.
At least one assessment lesson with them would probably help you to put things into perspective, if they'd be willing to do this kind of thing. I'm willing to bet that the reason you're failing is that you got into bad habits while you were driving, not because you lack the technical skills to get through the test.
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If you drive to IAM standard on an L test you will fail, the 2 tecniques are completly different. The L test is based on the driving manual (essential skills), and IAM is to Raodcraft, pretty dangerous mixture.
Also beware of whom you take tips from, without trying to insult anyone, I would not advise going into an L test having taken tips from someone who yes may have 20 years driving experiance, but also passed their test in 1983!
Stick with what a qualified instructor tells you, but also bear in mind there are some "not so good" instructors out there with bad pass rates. Can you not go back to your origanal instructor who taught you in the first place?
Could be up for some flack here, but just bear in mind I am only giving my advice as an ADI, IAM, ROSPA GOLD and Police driver.
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tsg
I'm not at all sure you are right on this. You should not have to adopt a 'special' method of driving to pass the test, and then change it to become an 'advanced' driver. Many years ago I took the advanced driving test, and subsequently got my wife through the test, using IAM techniques. The instructor confirmed than that you would not fail the test because you drove in that fashion. Mush more recently my daughter has learned to drive. The Driving Instructor who taught her works on the 'teach them to drive properly' IAM principle, not the 'get them through the test' principle, and has no trouble with pass rate. I know because he dropped by one day and gave me a bit of suble questioning when she mentioned I was going to give her some practice!
Regards
John S
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Well one can listen to whom they want to, if one desires then go into an Ltest driving "strictly" to drivecraft and see what happens.
As for saying "teach how to pass a test and not teaching how to drive" did I say that? No I did not, nor would I recomend one learns just how to pass a test, that is not what it is all about..... however, yes some instructors do this.
Hazard perception is of course important for learners, as it is for blue light drivers, but missing signals here and there, different driving positions for bends r/bouts etc is something that learners should not be encouraged to do if they want to "pass the test".
I dont set the standards for the L test, its the DSA that do that, if one wants to "play" with their rules then fine.... give it a go! Good luck, you will need it!
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Thank you for your replies and kind advice. I think initially I was so cross about the situation that I actually went in for the test thinking that I shouldn't be having to do it & that I would pass easily! Failing was a painful experience & a bit of a wake up call. I think it also shattered my confidence and since then I've failed on a number of minor(ish) things, but nothing in particular. I think you're probably right about the 'friends' thing, but believe me, having had a full licence you feel really stupid going back to being a learner! I am seriously thinking about having a break from it and buying a moped/scooter to get about for the time being. Does anyone have any suggestions on them?
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>>Does anyone have any suggestions on them?
Yes, don't. Wet, cold, unable to carry stuff, can't go out dressed up, forever having incidents with cars, bicycles and pedestrians, worried about damage to your legs and not even fun like a motorbike would be.
I'd change instructor, take a deep breath and start again with a new instructor. Make the first lesson an assessment lesson.
AS for the friends, relieve the pressure by telling them that you've given up and nto mentioning it again until after you've passed your test.
As a matter of interest, what did you get the 6 points for ?
Mark.
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Well, Mark, I'll have to disagree with you there. I own a car, a 600cc motorbike and a 50cc scooter and beleieve me, the scooter takes a bit of beating. You've listed possible disadvantages ; here's the other side of the coin : they're cheap to buy and run, you can park them anywhere (usually outside the front door of where you're going) and in cities like where I live you can zip past all the dopes waiting (usually one per car) in horrendous traffic jams. They also happen to be fun. If they're so bad why does the rest of the world use them ? Millions of Chinese, Japanese, Italians, Spanish, French can't all be wrong can they ??
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Maxine
If you are being failed on various silly minor things, it could be that you are not giving the examiners the impression that you are truly in control. I doubt that many people get everything right when they are tested and I suspect examiners make an overall assessment and, if they do not have confidence in the driver's overall attitude and control, they will invoke the minor technical things to justify their decision to fail the candidate. They often point out the technical misdemeanours when passing people too.
It's hardly surprising if you are not brimming with self-confidence, having taken such a knock, but perhaps that's the level at which you should concentrate. Treat the car as an extension of yourself and impose on it the same degree of control as you do on everything else. Plenty of practice may be the best solution -- not "how to pass a driving test" practice, but just put on plenty of miles with a sympathetic and appropriately experienced friend or family member with you, someone who is simply there to support you rather than there to correct you at every slight error.
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To answer a few points here, firstly if you drive to IAM standards you will sail through your test with a pat on the back from the examiner. They are looking for a safe and efficient drive, not some sort of occult technique that is reserved only for driving tests.
Secondly, the reason for repeat failures by a candidate who has previously demonstrated the ability to pass is probably pure pressure. The test is a stressful event in itself, and when you pass the last thing you expect is to have to take the damn thing again. I would suggest a change of instructor, NOT because your present instructor may not be any good - even the very best get their fair share of fails - but after a while a change of voice in your left ear, putting things in a slightly different way can make a world of difference.
Good news is you can only have your licence revoked once under the two year rule.
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Thank you all for your advice and kind comments!
I am going to give it one more go, then if I fail I'm going to get a moped as at least that will give me some freedom to get around.
I'll keep you posted!
Maxine
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When I was aiming towards IAM standards I was told by several members that driving to IAM standards would fail you on your L test. tsg, an ADI, IAM, ROSPA Gold and police driver seems to agree, and seems qualified enough to hold that view.
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I too had to take my test again, not only the test but my theory as well, dont ask why.
But i did both and passed them both first time, if anything i managed to get less minor faults than when i passed first time only got 4, so it is possible, and wont be making the same mistake again.
So you are right to give it another go i would, after all you've done it before, just relax and take ure time. Unlike me i had an assessor in the car as well so there were 2 of them, I thought it was cause id got 6 points and asked them. Silly me he was there to assess the Driving instructor and they dont know nothing of your driving history or how many points you have etc etc.
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Perhaps you could get these experts to tell you exactly which of the techniques used on an advanced test would be deemed a dangerous enough practise to have an examiner fail you on an L test. There is a lot of misguided belief that to pass the driving test you need to develop a special driving style that only driving examiners understand.
All nonsense, the better you drive the more chance of passing. Don't forget that both the RoSPA and the IAM test are actually approved by the DSA.
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Some people have the mistaken belief that advanced driving is performance driving and includes taking the racing line and so on. It isn't. It's about safe and smooth driving. IAM and RoSPA should teach you better driving techniques than an ADI. But generally trying to pass an advanced test is not recommended until you have had a few years driving experience. Presumably this is so you can get some experience on which to build. I know one IAM observer (i.e. instructor) who passed his IAM test at age 19.
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