Driving test faults

When I do mock tests, I know I'm not marking the way an examiner would because I've not had their training. So I'm looking at the driving in a very black and white view - didn't check mirrors before signalling, fault. An examiner maybe looks at when you last checked mirrors and if anything had changed. So usually would have more faults in a mock than an examiner may mark. Even had a pupil want to do a mock the night before their actual test, he failed the mock with 2 serious faults and passed first thing next morning with 4 faults.

I was sat in the back on a test, and get on well with that particular examiner. At the end of the test, before he gave the pupil the result, he turned round and asked me how many faults - I had noted 9. He passed with 3 or 4.

I run mock tests as worst-case - no chit chat during it, only directions. Examiners will make some small talk during quieter moments when there may not be a lot going on. Means that the real thing is less stressful, and people have commented on that.

I also tell people to expect to fail a mock test - the fact I do the first, and maybe only, one a few weeks away from the test dates means there will still be some areas to work on. But some do pass, and generally speaking they go on and pass the real thing first time.