Failed driving test - Do you think I should appeal???

It's completely subjective, if they have an awful personality, are in a bad mood or have a quota to fill, they can just put any old reason down to fail you. I say appeal the decision.

I swear they actually try to make you as nervous/ irritated as possible, they seem to not want to do anything to ease tension or make the drive go as smoothly as possible. It feels like your driving someone around at gunpoint.

The quota thing is an excuse made up by people who failed and have to justify that they failed. It would serve no advantage to anyone to introduce that. Sure, if an examiner is passing or failing a higher proportion of candidates than typical their examination would probably be checked (they can put a second examiner in the back to 'examine the examiner', but they don't have to stick to six passes, six failures for a day. It's true that they don't chat, but that's probably because they don't want to distract the driver - I don't think most would wish to deliberately put you on edge, that just is the inevitable outcome of having your driving scrutinised. Nearly everyone who passes feels tense and nervous too, you just have to not let that detract from your driving, and if it does then retake. I failed first time, and second time I was still shitting myself, but got through.

Regarding the choice of whether to appeal or not, OP, it is of course your prerogative, but know that to do so would serve you no practical purpose. The decision of the examiner is final. You would have to go to the Magistrates Court, and unless you can identify a point to show that the test was "not properly conducted in accordance with the relevant Regulations", you will not be refunded your test or get an immediate new test date. You'll need something more solid than 'the examiner thought I was too far from the kerb, but I don't agree' to back up a claim of improper conduct.

tl;dr: Quotas don't exist, you'll probably lose an appeal.

The quota thing is a complete myth.

Yep, an appeal would be a complete waste of time and money.

The examiners are not your friends, and you wouldn't expect an invigilator in a school exam to start chatting.

Yep, an appeal would be a complete waste of time and money.

The examiners are not your friends, and you wouldn't expect an invigilator in a school exam to start chatting.

Go for another test centre to avoid this strict examiner

What really made me laugh in my last test was the examiner making me stop 4 times in a row within 2-3 minutes on the same stretch of road, seems absolutely ridiculous to me (no I didn't get any minors for stopping on the road so it couldn't have been to test that). But hey, it'd be a waste to give up now, just gotta keep throwing money at them until it's a pass.

I don't want them to chat, I just want them to be less tense and hostile towards learners. I don't mind being scrutinized about my driving skill, I wouldn't see this as anything other than them doing their job. It's very dismissive to assume it is a rumour or myth.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/driving-test-examiners-fail-people-6440186
http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2010/09/26/sacked-driving-examiner-was-told-to-fail-more-people/
Not exactly proof of the claim I suppose.

On the other hand here are some reasons it's a false claim...
http://www.drivingtesttips.biz/are-driving-tests-fixed.html basically 'People who fail their test want to find someone else to blame'

Even then they have to state "We’re not suggested that each and every driving examiner is fair when it comes to conducting tests and correctly assessing a drivers ability. Some are far too strict and can seem like they have failed a learner even before getting in the car."

http://undercoveradi.blogspot.co.uk/2007/01/dsa-quotas.html

"This is the old wives tale that if your test is at the end of the day/week/month/year/financial year, then you won't pass - because the examiner will have passed his 'quota' already. (And showing what stupid thinking this is - by the same logic if they haven't passed enough people then you'd be almost bound to pass!)"
(Um yeah, it's stupid to assume you'll be passed based on what time you take your test, it would be unpredictable as to where they're at.)

So I had my second driving test today, which I also failed.

This time I got 1 serious fault, due to 3 minors for the same thing.

The reason apparently was because every time he asked me "to stop on the left in a safe place", I did not stop close enough to curb each time.

Do you think this is fair? Or should I appeal and how? Only reason I'm asking is because the same guy failed me last time as well and I've heard he's a harsh marker and a racist but not sure how true that it!

Many Thanks,

E

Oh ok, well thats what i thought. I would understand if I got 3 for speed or something and he failed me, but this is flipping stopping on the side of the road! Last time i got 3 minors for steering and 3 minors for speed and they didn't turn into serious faults yet this did!! This guy is just not constant in terms of how he marks people. AND THEN HE WAS SHOWING OFF TO ME THAT HES GOING ON SO MANY HOLIDAYS . GOOD FOR YOU MATE!!

If you didn't stop close enough to the curb, then you didn't stop close enough to the curb. You can't ask them to change the rules just for you, perhaps you need more driving lessons?

I'm surprised anyone is being sympathetic here. Anyone who has done a practical test knows how many times you are asked to pull over. If you can't get close enough to the curb even once then you aren't aware of the size of your car.

All this talk of quotas and bad moods is a load of rubbish. Examiners are audited regularly and they each sit enough tests to know what is acceptable and what is inadequate. Unsurprisingly these people have more experience than you and are better equipped to rate your driving ability than you. Some of them have "higher than thou" attitudes which reek of a superiority complex but this can also be construed as testing under stressful circumstances - you can't have your driving falling to pieces when you're not comfortable.

If you aren't willing to look at yourself and accept you aren't up to scratch, and just want to blame everyone else for you failing your test, please stick to public transport. I don't want to be driving around your parked car because you can't get close to the curb.

How about stop being a rubbish driver and retake the test. If you're going to park far away from the curb myself and over drivers don't want you on the roads. Thanks. (may seem harsh but it's true)

I understand what you're saying and yeh its true, but calling me a rubbish driver!? Woah!!!

hahaha parking close to a curb surely has to be one of the easier things??? If you can parallel park you can do that.