Failed my fourth driving test!

Can someone please help me. I keep failing my driving test and I'm getting worse every single time!
For my first one, I did 27 hours of driving and got 4 minors and 1 major.
For my second one, I did 3 more hours and got 3 minors and 2 majors.
For my third one, I did another 2 hours and received 3 majors and 6 minors.
For my fourth one, I went on the day of the test half an hour before with my instructor and received 10 minors and 2 majors.

I had the same examiner for all my tests except the second one (not sure if he recognised me or not). I also did the same route on my second and third test. I'm trying really hard to pass and I was so nervous about my fourth exam. I just don't think I can do it anymore.

I haven't been telling anyone that I'm doing my third or fourth driving test - only my family and instructor know. How can I be doing worse every time. I don't think it's so much nerves even though I get terribly nervous. I feel a bit better when I'm doing the exam.

My instructor recommended doing 3 hours in a week leading to the exam to get in the zone (but if I do that, I am not going to do lessons every week because I don't want to keep throwing money away). I don't feel like I need any lessons, I don't feel rusty and don't even drive outside of lessons. There's nothing else to learn.

Sorry this is so long winded, but you can see I'm so frustrated with it all. Do you/anyone you know have to take their test more than five times to pass? I know of some but it just makes you feel like giving up.

Reply 1

Emma-Ashley

7

Hiya,

Don't give up!

Can you give us some idea of the majors you have received in each test? It helps to identify if there is a common theme running through your attempts. In terms of the number of minors, it is quite common as you settle into your own style of driving.

Oh, and...don't give up.

Emma
p.s., Did I mention not giving up? :smile:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 2

sclez1

9

So you've only had like 33 hours of lessons? That's really not that much, so I wouldn't get too disheartened

Reply 3

User570431

15

Write down what you got wrong and try not to do it again.

Reply 4

Psychstudent2012

I have a friend who failed four times and lost her license (actually lost it- it wasn't taken away) before her fifth test. I think she was just unlucky making silly mistakes. But on the fifth test that she took she passed with 2 minors. I have been driven by her and I think she is actually a good driver but just got a bit nervous. Don't worry too much and don't give up! If you stick to it you should pass even if it takes a few tries, just think how great it will be when you have your license and can go where you like without an instructor watching everything you do! Good luck!

Reply 5

tomrw

3

my friend passed after 7 tests. his problem - when he'd failed his first because his instructor told him he was ready he stopped taking lessons and just used the car.

that could be your problem, i'd keep with the lessons aside the test. when he failed his 6th, i believe he had 8-9 lessons and passed on the 7th.

Reply 6

RevisionSuccess

OP

Original post by Emma-Ashley

Hiya,

Don't give up!

Can you give us some idea of the majors you have received in each test? It helps to identify if there is a common theme running through your attempts. In terms of the number of minors, it is quite common as you settle into your own style of driving.

Oh, and...don't give up.

Emma
p.s., Did I mention not giving up? :smile:

Thanks

First test was for emerging from a junction and my examiner had to break. The woman on the right gave me way and I was only creeping forward to see the other side better. I wasn't going to go but maybe he thought I was going to.

Second test was being too far away from the kerb after a parallel park and another for forcing the driver behind to break hard after changing lanes (I obviously didn't wait long enough I guess).

Third test was not checking blind spot after reverse park (I did glance, I don't think I looked long enough), forcing another car to break hard after emerging from a junction and another problem with observation.

Fourth test was being too hesitant to change lanes and too far away from other car for parallel park.

Personally, I thought the examiner was being a bit harsh but I guess that's natural. I was more confident for my first test but feel less so now - I thought I did it all well because I didn't even get a fault for my reverse around the corner (which I find the hardest manoeuvre) and I knew I wasn't going to go straight onto the road when I got the major but I guess the examiner didn't :s-smilie:

Reply 7

catoswyn

15

Original post by RevisionSuccess

Can someone please help me. I keep failing my driving test and I'm getting worse every single time!
For my first one, I did 27 hours of driving and got 4 minors and 1 major.
For my second one, I did 3 more hours and got 3 minors and 2 majors.
For my third one, I did another 2 hours and received 3 majors and 6 minors.
For my fourth one, I went on the day of the test half an hour before with my instructor and received 10 minors and 2 majors.

I had the same examiner for all my tests except the second one (not sure if he recognised me or not). I also did the same route on my second and third test. I'm trying really hard to pass and I was so nervous about my fourth exam. I just don't think I can do it anymore.

I haven't been telling anyone that I'm doing my third or fourth driving test - only my family and instructor know. How can I be doing worse every time. I don't think it's so much nerves even though I get terribly nervous. I feel a bit better when I'm doing the exam.

My instructor recommended doing 3 hours in a week leading to the exam to get in the zone (but if I do that, I am not going to do lessons every week because I don't want to keep throwing money away). I don't feel like I need any lessons, I don't feel rusty and don't even drive outside of lessons. There's nothing else to learn.

Sorry this is so long winded, but you can see I'm so frustrated with it all. Do you/anyone you know have to take their test more than five times to pass? I know of some but it just makes you feel like giving up.

Passed on my fifth attempt...

Sorry to hear your news... driving tests ugh....
nightmare isn't it... Still I did pass on my fifth attempt so there is hope :smile:

Reply 8

-aimz

17

Not much to say apart from I'm exactly the same as you. I've almost completely given up hope now - it's just not meant to be.

Reply 9

Emma-Ashley

7

Original post by RevisionSuccess

Thanks

First test was for emerging from a junction and my examiner had to break. The woman on the right gave me way and I was only creeping forward to see the other side better. I wasn't going to go but maybe he thought I was going to.

Second test was being too far away from the kerb after a parallel park and another for forcing the driver behind to break hard after changing lanes (I obviously didn't wait long enough I guess).

Third test was not checking blind spot after reverse park (I did glance, I don't think I looked long enough), forcing another car to break hard after emerging from a junction and another problem with observation.

Fourth test was being too hesitant to change lanes and too far away from other car for parallel park.

Personally, I thought the examiner was being a bit harsh but I guess that's natural. I was more confident for my first test but feel less so now - I thought I did it all well because I didn't even get a fault for my reverse around the corner (which I find the hardest manoeuvre) and I knew I wasn't going to go straight onto the road when I got the major but I guess the examiner didn't :s-smilie:

Okay, so looking at your serious faults, they give a pretty good idea of what you need to fix. :tongue:

Parallel parking and judgement. Presumably you have reference points for the parallel parking. If they are correct, follow them; if they are not, correct them so they are and then follow them. Parallel parking should have a consistency and be near perfect every time. If not, then you should practice it until you can do it like that.

Judgement - No rules here. Good judgement comes through practice. Looking back, (ignoring the examiner) do you think you left enough room in those situations? It is possible that you are over-compensating for weak judgement by being hesitant - hence the serious for that. You need to identify why your judgement is slightly and fix the problem the right way.

My comments aren't really that helpful, I appreciate, because I haven't actually seen you drive. However, you are being tripped up by one of the most difficult aspects of driving, that of good judgement and it will improve over time. Get quality advice and keep at it. Take your time approaching your next test...fix the problems and make sure they are fixed! Good luck!

Reply 10

Yawn11

20

I'd do 2hour lessons a week leading up to the test.

Regardless of the fact that I can drive and do every maneuver.

But that's just my advice.... You can do what ever **** you wanna do.

Reply 11

Advisor

8

Original post by RevisionSuccess

Can someone please help me.

I'll advise you according to the facts you've posted, but you have to be prepared to help yourself. It's obvious from your post that changes need to be made to turn failure into success, but only if you accept your weaknesses and make conscious efforts to overcome them, regardless of what it takes.

I did 27 hours of driving... I did 3 more hours... I did another 2 hours... half an hour before with my instructor

don't even drive outside of lessons.

You've had a grand total of 32½ hours of driving experience. If you add all those hours together, that's a day and a quarter of solid driving. Only just over one day and two independent people have told you on four occasions that your standard isn't high enough. Take a step back and ask yourself if you would unleash you onto the roads with so little experience and judgement.

Now compare your situation with other experts in their field. For example, a footballer who is good enough to play at professional level.. has he spent more or fewer than 32½ hours in aggregate practising both on the pitch and privately? Would a budding tennis player who has never held a racquet before enter himself for Wimbledon after 32½ hours hitting (and missing) a ball with a trainer without once practising at home? How many hours do you think good sportsmen train both with tutors and privately before they become good enough to be seen in public, let alone play at championship level?

I'm trying really hard to pass and I was so nervous about my fourth exam.

It sounds like you're putting too much pressure on yourself without really having the skill to succeed. Imagine someone who is dyslexic being pushed in front of the cameras on Countdown. He'd be crapping himself as a large audience will be watching him attempting to do something he's never going to be able to do. Now compare that to a university graduate who has worked with letters, words and numbers all his life. The task will be a breeze, so is less nervous about the exposure that will test his skills.

Maybe not the best analogy, but the point here is that being thrown into a situation where you are completely out of your depth is bound to make you nervous. If you can perform a task "in your sleep", then you have nothing to worry about. "Nerves" are often quoted as an excuse for driving test failure, but consider that everyone is nervous on a test, yet 40-odd percent of people still pass a test every day, so nervous people pass too.

My instructor recommended doing 3 hours in a week

I am not going to do lessons every week because I don't want to keep throwing money away

Now we're getting to the real reason behind your continuous disappointment. You feel that lessons are "throwing money away". Again, think of the last Wimbledon winner or the last goal scorer of the winning world cup team. Did they "throw their money away" on their hundreds of hours of professional coaching? Or was their money a valuable investment in their learning and achievement process? Every hour spent on the road in worth its weight in gold - whatever the cost - to consolidate previously learned skills, experience more and more judgement situations and most importantly, make driving become so natural that you can almost do it "in your sleep", thereby reducing your nerves on the day you're being examined.

I don't feel like I need any lessons, I don't feel rusty ... There's nothing else to learn.

If that were true then you'd have a pink licence by now, but you don't. So you need to accept that you do need more experience, you are rusty, and there is so much more to learn and experience. The perfect driver has not yet been born. You never stop learning. Even very experienced drivers can learn something new, unfortunately in some cases, after a collision or near miss.

Do you/anyone you know have to take their test more than five times to pass?

Only people who are closed minded and think they know it all. Those I have coached personally and become aware of their own shortcomings have achieved success with fewer attempts. Most have had a lot more than 32½ hours of experience. According to DSA research, "those who pass have had 47 hours of professional instruction and 20 hours of private practice."

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 12

ROG.

6

Are you driving outside of the lessons?

That can make a lot of difference especially if the supervising driver has had some guidance from your ADI

Reply 13

AnnaChristina

7

Aw, you poor thing :frown:

it's a horrid feeling to fail - but you WILL get there eventually. I know people (good drivers might I add) who it's taken 5+ times to pass. It's all down to luck imo. I'm adamant that when I failed my test, I was driving better than the time I passed! I definitely put in more practice for the first one.
I know you say you don't think it's nerves, but the likelihood is that you're putting more pressure on yourself each time you fail which is making your performance on the day worse. This sounds impossible, but if you can try saying to yourself 'I don't care how many times it takes to pass' and view the test as just another lesson, you'll be able to relax a bit more.

KEEP GOING :smile:

Reply 14

Tabris

16

What time are you booking your tests for?

Reply 15

username927016

20

Well if it makes u feel ne better i've already failed 6 times & it's all been down to problems with concentration/judgemental/anxiety. I'm just focusing on my studies for now. Can't even imagine how much money i've spent already on lessons/tests :frown:

but the best piece of advice I could give to u is just keep on trying & not feel inadequate compared to others who have passed after fewer atempts :wink:

Reply 16

RevisionSuccess

OP

Original post by Tabris

What time are you booking your tests for?

8:10 am. I don't want to wait for it, I just want to get the test done.

Reply 17

Sherbet

8

PRACTICE! Outside of lessons with your parents, that's the easiest way to pass, it'll become more natural and automatic

Reply 18

ufo_01

10

i've failed twice so far . That was over 2 years ago and i haven't had the motivation to try again as it annoyed and frustrated me so much cos it wasn't my fault.
I will try again maybe this year or next when i can afford it.

Like the others said just keep trying as most of the time it IS down to luck due to the situations at the time.