The Student Room Group

Appealing A failed driving test?

I'm considering appealing a driving test that I failed today. To be honest I think there ridiculous some of the things you can get failed for.

I failed with 1 serious fault and 8 minor faults.

The serious fault was given to me on my Reverse park, and was listed under "observation". I touched the curb at a very slow speed and was allowed to correct it. However the Examiner said that I did not look over my left shoulder when reversing before I nudged this curb. Given the fact that I was traveling so slow is then any chance of an appeal.

Has anyone appealed before? or Know how to?

thanks

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The result can not be changed. Only a free retest given if you are deemed to have had an unfair happening in your test.
milan5baros
I'm considering appealing a driving test that I failed today. To be honest I think there ridiculous some of the things you can get failed for.

I failed with 1 serious fault and 8 minor faults.

The serious fault was given to me on my Reverse park, and was listed under "observation". I touched the curb at a very slow speed and was allowed to correct it. However the Examiner said that I did not look over my left shoulder when reversing before I nudged this curb. Given the fact that I was traveling so slow is then any chance of an appeal.

Has anyone appealed before? or Know how to?

thanks


no there is no way for you to appeal in the sense that you will now have passed your driving test. You can only 'appeal' if for example the examiner was unprofessional or was doing something wrong. But even then, all that would do i probably get the examiner looked in to, not mean that you get to pass.

But i agree some of the stuff they can fail you for is absurd...
I rarely think, u can appeal, as it is your word against the examiners. The fact you touched the curb, even though it was at low speed, it is an instant fail.
But its worth a shot, u got nothing to lose. You need to call the DSA office and ask for instructions,
Reply 4
I think quite a lot of people feel like appealing after they fail their test.
Do you think it is really worth it? Do you really think the examiner was at fault or do you think you are just feeling a bit bitter?
It's going to cause a lot of hassle for other people and as the hitchhiker said it will not change the result. You will have to retake the test.

And honestly, with 8 minor points... do you not think that maybe the examiner was right?
Reply 5
i cant see u being successfull to be honest. My driving instructor always told me how big they were on observation and not looking over your left shoulder is a big thing to them, cos in theory that curb could have been a car or a toddler or something! I know it seems daft but theyre very strict on that sort of thing:smile:
Reply 6
I failed first time with one minor and one major. The major was because i didn't look over my left shoulder enough during the turn in the road. How do you think i felt, and no, you cannot have the result changed.
Reply 7
I appealed when I failed my driving test. I got 2 minor faults, and 1 serious fault.

The serious fault should NOT have resulted in a fail - but it did.

I appealed, with my driving instructor backing me up, and bascially the DSA said that they were happy the test had been conducted correctly, so I wouldn't get a refund.

You can't appeal against the decision I don't think, just against the fact that the test was not conducted in accordance with the regulations. And as other people have said, it's your word against theirs...
Haha, you can just tell the OP is the kind of person who appealed all their exam results in the hope of getting 1 or 2 more marks.

No chance.
Reply 9
I'm Not going to appeal, simply no point. but I still feel angered about the whole thing, I mean all I did was one small thing, and people do things like that everyday on the road. I'm not justifying it but I think there trying to get as much money out of everyone as possible.

Whats more each test costs me nearly £100! I know I can drive and I'm not just saying that, 8 minor faults sounds a lot but have you taken the test recently? they give you a minor for honestly the slightest thing.

I'm going to re-book as soon as possible, get my reverse park confidence back, and make sure I pass next time :angry:@
Reply 10
Next time, ask your instructor to sit in the back of the car during your test. This is allowed and I think it is a good idea just in case anything like this does happen. It will also wipe out any chance of an examiner being overly harsh (for whatever reason, thats another debate).
Reply 11
yeah, I think I will, Only other thing that bothers me is that I know loads of idiots that have passed first time. Don't say there safer than me, because I'm sure there not.

Has anyone else been in the situation where they drive into the car park thinking they've passed.
Reply 12
Just accept it. You can't change the result - next time do your observations properly.
Reply 13
milan5baros
yeah, I think I will, Only other thing that bothers me is that I know loads of idiots that have passed first time. Don't say there safer than me, because I'm sure there not.

Has anyone else been in the situation where they drive into the car park thinking they've passed.


Yep, I was convinced I had passed. Turned out I failed quite badly. Just don't worry about it, not many pass first time and it doesn't matter how many times its takes you. Worse drivers may have passed on their first time, but that is life. It just wasn't your day.

Good luck for next time.
Reply 14
milan5baros
yeah, I think I will, Only other thing that bothers me is that I know loads of idiots that have passed first time. Don't say there safer than me, because I'm sure there not.

Has anyone else been in the situation where they drive into the car park thinking they've passed.


Yeah on my first test I thought I had passed. Only to discover I hadn't. Oh well.
Reply 15
tomoli
Next time, ask your instructor to sit in the back of the car during your test. This is allowed and I think it is a good idea just in case anything like this does happen. It will also wipe out any chance of an examiner being overly harsh (for whatever reason, thats another debate).


My instructor reccommended AGAINST him being in the car with me, purely because then the examiner has to do mark you harshly, just incase the instructor reported them (not sure why they'd want to .. but still)

who knows :smile:
I think you should probably just let it go. I failed my first test for not dropping down into second gear to go round a small roundabout, despite the fact that I had a clear view of the exits, all of which were completely devoid of other vehicles (the approach was down a gentle hill, so you can see the entire thing as you come up to it). It's annoying, but I doubt there's much you'll be able to do about it.
milan5baros
I'm considering appealing a driving test that I failed today. To be honest I think there ridiculous some of the things you can get failed for.

I failed with 1 serious fault and 8 minor faults.

The serious fault was given to me on my Reverse park, and was listed under "observation". I touched the curb at a very slow speed and was allowed to correct it. However the Examiner said that I did not look over my left shoulder when reversing before I nudged this curb. Given the fact that I was traveling so slow is then any chance of an appeal.

Has anyone appealed before? or Know how to?

thanks


Can I ask where you were looking? Obviously you have to look all around to check for traffic on the other side of the road when your nose comes out (when you start to turn), and to the right to see cars on your side of the road. When you're reversing, though, you're going backwards, so you should be looking behind you.. (over your left shoulder).

The DSA say that in the driving test if you touch the curb at any point; normal driving, left reverse, turn in the road, parallel park, whatever it maybe, it's an instant fail. So if you touched the curb, you failed. End of.
You can't appeal against a decision, as it's final.

If you feel your test was not conducted in a proper way, you can appeal on those grounds and may get a free test out of it.
Reply 19
I was definitely looking forward and backwards, not sure If I looked over left shoulder. I hit the curb so I'm failed thats okay, its confusing why he decided to mark me up on observation instead of just hitting the curb :s-smilie:

but yeh thanks for the advice people.