Today i failed my driving test, i think?
Today after close to a year of driving lessons i took my first driving test and honestly i thought it went perfectly, i was on top of everything focused everything consciously taken care off like i'v done it a hundred times over (which i likely have at this point) but my examiner was acting strange.He was an old guy who was constantly giving me a glare and kept sighing and made me do weird things like pull into the side of the road and pull away again immediately 5 times within 10 minutes like he was trying to force a mistake, i got to the end and just heading up to the traffic lights they turn amber so i press the brake to slow down and stop and he a second after stamps his foot on the brake way ahead of the line and say 'ohh no, wouldn't do that now would we' and i stopped well ahead of time and behind the line. After we got back to the test center he just said 'Sorry mate you've failed, see you next time' and said it was the traffic lights and i wouldn't argue this kind of thing because it's done but he said i didn't indicate at a roundabout to which there where 5 off and i absolutely did every time, i was very focused to do everything in the correct order but he still signed it.Is this normal?
I'm now down over £100 to pay for the test and instructor's car hire and have to pay all over again for the same center probably the same guy and wait at least 2 months plus paying for more lessons. I'm pretty annoyed about it. I know it sounds like nonsense but it just feels like i got screwed over.
Also does anyone have any advice like can i request a different examiner next time or would having my instructor in the car to watch it help? It's become a crazy amount of time and money i'v dumped into this and i just want to get it over with but if this kind of thing is gonna happen the next for more times i'm looking at probably another 6 months of money grubbing and repeating myself.
I'm now down over £100 to pay for the test and instructor's car hire and have to pay all over again for the same center probably the same guy and wait at least 2 months plus paying for more lessons. I'm pretty annoyed about it. I know it sounds like nonsense but it just feels like i got screwed over.
Also does anyone have any advice like can i request a different examiner next time or would having my instructor in the car to watch it help? It's become a crazy amount of time and money i'v dumped into this and i just want to get it over with but if this kind of thing is gonna happen the next for more times i'm looking at probably another 6 months of money grubbing and repeating myself.
(edited 8 years ago)
You can have your instructor in the car with you as well.
From your point of view you were screwed over. However, looking back at when I first passed I realised how bad I actually was. Maybe you don't realise that you're making these mistakes.
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From your point of view you were screwed over. However, looking back at when I first passed I realised how bad I actually was. Maybe you don't realise that you're making these mistakes.
Posted from TSR Mobile
I know it doesn't feel like it at the moment but - the examiner is on your side. He wants you to pass.
Most of them are old guys. Most of them are ex-driving instructors who have gone over to the dark side for regular hours, paid holidays and a civil service pension. They know how important it is to you to pass and it makes their day to hand over a pass certificate to someone who clearly demonstrates they are ready.
The pulling over and stopping thing is normal. I always warn my pupils about it. They pull you over for a normal pull away, up hill, down hill, at an angle from behind a parked car, to brief the emergency stop if you get one and the start of the independent drive. They may even pull you over during the independent drive to tell you where to go next.
There is only one reason an examiner will use the dual brake. As an expert driver he really didn't think you were going to stop in time. If the stop seemed a bit harsh and ended up short of the stop line it was probably because he left it as late as he dared then slightly over did it. Easily done with dual controls. My car is a sod for it and I am used to it!
Don't worry about getting the examiner again. They do 7 tests a day 5 days a week. Nothing you did was particularly unusual and I would be amazed if he remembered you. You can't dictate which examiner you get but the chances are that you will get a different one any way.
Keep up with the lessons before the next test. Most of my pupils pass first time. The rest are usually kicking themselves because it was something silly they usually get right. But a few end up taking 3 tests because they think they only need to get that one little thing right next time and don't get enough practice in between tests.
I would advise taking you instructor with you next time. It won't in any way affect the attitude of the examiner or the result. But if you do fail again your instructor will have seen first hand exactly what happened and be in a better position to help you sort it.
Most of them are old guys. Most of them are ex-driving instructors who have gone over to the dark side for regular hours, paid holidays and a civil service pension. They know how important it is to you to pass and it makes their day to hand over a pass certificate to someone who clearly demonstrates they are ready.
The pulling over and stopping thing is normal. I always warn my pupils about it. They pull you over for a normal pull away, up hill, down hill, at an angle from behind a parked car, to brief the emergency stop if you get one and the start of the independent drive. They may even pull you over during the independent drive to tell you where to go next.
There is only one reason an examiner will use the dual brake. As an expert driver he really didn't think you were going to stop in time. If the stop seemed a bit harsh and ended up short of the stop line it was probably because he left it as late as he dared then slightly over did it. Easily done with dual controls. My car is a sod for it and I am used to it!
Don't worry about getting the examiner again. They do 7 tests a day 5 days a week. Nothing you did was particularly unusual and I would be amazed if he remembered you. You can't dictate which examiner you get but the chances are that you will get a different one any way.
Keep up with the lessons before the next test. Most of my pupils pass first time. The rest are usually kicking themselves because it was something silly they usually get right. But a few end up taking 3 tests because they think they only need to get that one little thing right next time and don't get enough practice in between tests.
I would advise taking you instructor with you next time. It won't in any way affect the attitude of the examiner or the result. But if you do fail again your instructor will have seen first hand exactly what happened and be in a better position to help you sort it.
I'm pretty sure they purposefully fail you first time because they got me like that as well.
Made me do literally everything they possibly could until they could scrape a fail.
Made me do literally everything they possibly could until they could scrape a fail.
Original post by TheThugSlug
I'm pretty sure they purposefully fail you first time because they got me like that as well.
Made me do literally everything they possibly could until they could scrape a fail.
Made me do literally everything they possibly could until they could scrape a fail.
No, they don't. You're driving a 1 tonne death trap. They want to make sure you aren't going to kill anyone before they pass you
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Original post by thad33
No, they don't. You're driving a 1 tonne death trap. They want to make sure you aren't going to kill anyone before they pass you
And yet I didn't do anything stupid or dangerous
Original post by TheThugSlug
And yet I didn't do anything stupid or dangerous
Maybe not intentionally. You've only just started driving. You'll notice how many dangerous errors people regularly make without realising once you've been driving for a while
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We can be pretty sure that there is no official policy to fail a certain number of candidates. Most examiners are ex-instructors so they know what it is like on this side of the fence. Also they go on strike pretty regularly. Clearly they do not have the best relationship with their bosses. If there was an official memo somewhere that told them to fail every other test or what ever you can be pretty sure it would be leaked to the press or wikleaks so fast the DVSA's head would spin.
They don't keep you going round and round until you fail. They work to carefully designed set routes. The routes are carefully designed to be more or less equally difficult no matter where in the country you take the test (in theory). If you complete the route without doing something blatantly wrong (like failing to stop at a stop line), causing unnecessary inconvenience to another road user, something potentially dangerous or actually dangerous you will pass the test.
Examiners are also closely monitored to ensure that they are testing to the official standard and not to their own agenda. So if one has way more passes or fails than his or her colleagues the test centre manager may sit on a few tests to see if they need remedial training, or whether they have just had a run of particularly good or duff candidates. In any event the test centre manager will sit in on a random selection of tests every month just to make sure that every body is on the same page. Then every so often a senior regional manager will come and sit in on tests with all the centre's examiners to make sure that centre is not getting out of line with the rest of the country. So if you turn up for your test and find yourself with two examiners it's nothing personal. Only one is testing you. The other is there to kick their butt if they don't give you a fair test!
Most of the time the DVSA struggles to keep within it's performance target for waiting time for test appointments. It is particularly bad at the moment. They really can do without failing anyone they don't have to.
They don't keep you going round and round until you fail. They work to carefully designed set routes. The routes are carefully designed to be more or less equally difficult no matter where in the country you take the test (in theory). If you complete the route without doing something blatantly wrong (like failing to stop at a stop line), causing unnecessary inconvenience to another road user, something potentially dangerous or actually dangerous you will pass the test.
Examiners are also closely monitored to ensure that they are testing to the official standard and not to their own agenda. So if one has way more passes or fails than his or her colleagues the test centre manager may sit on a few tests to see if they need remedial training, or whether they have just had a run of particularly good or duff candidates. In any event the test centre manager will sit in on a random selection of tests every month just to make sure that every body is on the same page. Then every so often a senior regional manager will come and sit in on tests with all the centre's examiners to make sure that centre is not getting out of line with the rest of the country. So if you turn up for your test and find yourself with two examiners it's nothing personal. Only one is testing you. The other is there to kick their butt if they don't give you a fair test!
Most of the time the DVSA struggles to keep within it's performance target for waiting time for test appointments. It is particularly bad at the moment. They really can do without failing anyone they don't have to.
Original post by myDrivingInstr
Most examiners are ex-instructors so they know what it is like on this side of the fence. .
Whilst I agree with most of what you say, I cannot agree with this. As far as I am aware, none of the examiners at my local test centre are ex-instructors. One is a failed instructor but that's as far as it goes...
Original post by myDrivingInstr
We can be pretty sure that there is no official policy to fail a certain number of candidates. Most examiners are ex-instructors so they know what it is like on this side of the fence. Also they go on strike pretty regularly. Clearly they do not have the best relationship with their bosses. If there was an official memo somewhere that told them to fail every other test or what ever you can be pretty sure it would be leaked to the press or wikleaks so fast the DVSA's head would spin.
They don't keep you going round and round until you fail. They work to carefully designed set routes. The routes are carefully designed to be more or less equally difficult no matter where in the country you take the test (in theory). If you complete the route without doing something blatantly wrong (like failing to stop at a stop line), causing unnecessary inconvenience to another road user, something potentially dangerous or actually dangerous you will pass the test.
Examiners are also closely monitored to ensure that they are testing to the official standard and not to their own agenda. So if one has way more passes or fails than his or her colleagues the test centre manager may sit on a few tests to see if they need remedial training, or whether they have just had a run of particularly good or duff candidates. In any event the test centre manager will sit in on a random selection of tests every month just to make sure that every body is on the same page. Then every so often a senior regional manager will come and sit in on tests with all the centre's examiners to make sure that centre is not getting out of line with the rest of the country. So if you turn up for your test and find yourself with two examiners it's nothing personal. Only one is testing you. The other is there to kick their butt if they don't give you a fair test!
Most of the time the DVSA struggles to keep within it's performance target for waiting time for test appointments. It is particularly bad at the moment. They really can do without failing anyone they don't have to.
They don't keep you going round and round until you fail. They work to carefully designed set routes. The routes are carefully designed to be more or less equally difficult no matter where in the country you take the test (in theory). If you complete the route without doing something blatantly wrong (like failing to stop at a stop line), causing unnecessary inconvenience to another road user, something potentially dangerous or actually dangerous you will pass the test.
Examiners are also closely monitored to ensure that they are testing to the official standard and not to their own agenda. So if one has way more passes or fails than his or her colleagues the test centre manager may sit on a few tests to see if they need remedial training, or whether they have just had a run of particularly good or duff candidates. In any event the test centre manager will sit in on a random selection of tests every month just to make sure that every body is on the same page. Then every so often a senior regional manager will come and sit in on tests with all the centre's examiners to make sure that centre is not getting out of line with the rest of the country. So if you turn up for your test and find yourself with two examiners it's nothing personal. Only one is testing you. The other is there to kick their butt if they don't give you a fair test!
Most of the time the DVSA struggles to keep within it's performance target for waiting time for test appointments. It is particularly bad at the moment. They really can do without failing anyone they don't have to.
You mentioned that sometimes you might have an examiner and their manager or something sit in on your test. I have a test next month and I would not like this to be the case, but is it possible to say that you do not want that extra person there? I reckon it would be off putting.
Original post by Bubble_10
You mentioned that sometimes you might have an examiner and their manager or something sit in on your test. I have a test next month and I would not like this to be the case, but is it possible to say that you do not want that extra person there? I reckon it would be off putting.
Official guidelines for examiners are as follows:
Candidates are required by regulation to allow an authorised person to accompany the examiner for quality control or assurance purposes. The examiner should explain to the candidate the need for quality control or assurance to ensure, in the interests of all candidates and the public at large, that arrangements for tests are satisfactory and in accordance with regulations.
Quality control or assurance officers should also mention the legal situation and that the test will be terminated unless the candidate agrees to their presence. If the candidate persists in his objections, the test should be terminated.
Quality control or assurance officers should also mention the legal situation and that the test will be terminated unless the candidate agrees to their presence. If the candidate persists in his objections, the test should be terminated.
Original post by Advisor
Sorry, but you won't have a choice. The extra person is there for everyone's benefit, including yours. It happens so that you (and the public) have reassurance that the test is fair and that the examiner is doing their job properly.
Official guidelines for examiners are as follows:
Official guidelines for examiners are as follows:
Oh wow, I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for letting me know
I know how dumb they can be. I did my test today and failed for going at 50mph on a country lane when it was 60mph.... But I only slowed to 50 or less when I knew there was a dangerous bend approaching. I've never had any proper lessons, just lessons with my dad, so he told my dad at the end that I am an excellent driver and am 'so close' but I just need to not make that major ... We were so angry😂
Sorry for the late reply to this but I agree they fail you on purpose, on your first and if they don’t like you. So yesterday examiner refuses my handshake and looks me up and down, broke whilst I was overtaking safely, shouted at me at one point for missing a turn and was huffing which is what made me overtake when I didn’t want to. He made me parallel park 1 metre off a main toad so not 2 car lengths to do it in, cars parked on both sides, no passing room, reversing uphill and kids everywhere- still did it perfectly as always. My instructor is furious with him, no reason to fail with 2 minors! He says that 2 other instructors were shocked at how he was sexist or racist towards me in the test centre (Asian males won’t shake hands with a female but even other instructors and candidates who were male asian greeted me as not to leave me out
... To which I responded cheerily of course) Right in front of me 1 ran a red & just stopped in the middle of the road, I could not move- that’s a fail! 3 years of being a provisional license holder, not accidents & 35, my insurance is lower than most I know who’ve had a license for over 10 years! I’ve got a car in my garage with the battery keeps dying because it’s getting zero use! I had my instructor teach me reversing, he doesn’t want my money any more, just wants me to pass, no need for lessons he said. I should’ve passed today. He despite me neat & polite, he failed me for being female & possibly white!
I’m not a bro and I got a free retest out of it, my new instructor (last one quit last week) said never mind failing cos of the examiner, my instructor wanted sacking for no sticking up for me at the test centre?before the test and I should’ve gone for my test in my own car years ago! ;-) no bring brake tested then. Also do you know what a driving assistant app even is? Go get an education! Both instructors said I need NO more lessons!
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by Redcyan1
I’m not a bro and I got a free retest out of it, my new instructor (last one quit last week) said never mind failing cos of the examiner, my instructor wanted sacking for no sticking up for me at the test centre?before the test and I should’ve gone for my test in my own car years ago! ;-) no bring brake tested then. Also do you know what a driving assistant app even is? Go get an education! Both instructors said I need NO more lessons!
You wouldn't have failed if you drove correctly.
You were a danger on the road.
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