Driving Tests?

[codie n]

Has any of you felt unfairly done by on your driving test? I ask this as iv took 7 tests on my 6th test i failed because i indicated too late when changing lanes but the instructer told me i drove like a pro(his words)on my last test i did the same thing but didnt even get a minor,he faild me on my bay parking it was perfect but because another guy taking his test was parked over the white line at the side of me my instucter told me i was too close to him even though i was in my white lines, he failed me for it and i didnt have one minor point . Is that fair or am i just a bad loser?

[Cockney_si]

A driving examiner I had on one of my tests that failed me later was found to have lots of complaints lodged against him... I didn't know at the time this could be done although I had to retake my test anyway and I never lodged any complaints.

[codie n]

I did complain after one of my tests , Im woundering if they kept that complain on file and thats why they keep failing me for no reasons.my boyfriend thinks its all in my head,( it probably is).

[kazza12345]

i've long been a believer that they have to "fail" a certain amount of people therefore its beter to do it early in the week/month/day

[Tim Baxter]

Well you've opened a can of worms here.

Firstly, type in,

"sacked driving examiner"

on Goooogle search engine.  Have a good read and weep!

Secondly, look up the variation in test centre pass rates

goto, http://www.johnfoote.co.uk/passrates.htm.

Why is it that the government allows such a huge variation between test centres?  Surely candidates in Scotland are not that much better than elsewhere?

If you're not happy about your test, complain to:-

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_world/travel/driving_tests.htm#Complaints

[codie n]

Thanks tim baxter , I was watching the osbournes were jack passed first time even though he crashed his car on his test , mabe i should go to america theyd think i was a perfect driver.my test centre passed my 17 year old nephew which i thought was great two weeks later he had  a serious accident(hes ok though) but hed only had 2months of lessons,I dont begrudge him but like iv said iv been doin it for 4 years.

[hedgehog661]

Hi

Multiple test failiure are depressing I know, but it is know use blaming the examiners. !st of all forget all the rubbish about take your test on a certain day at a certain time, or they only have so many pass sheets etc. It is all rubbish. There is only one thing that will pass you and that is a good drive at the time of your test. All the excuses are put up by pupils and some instructors for failiure. It does not mean you are a bad driver just you did not meet the standard on the day.

It is only possible to complain about the examiners conduct and requirements of the test not about how you failed as it is impossible to replicate what happened on the test. Also an late indicator in one area may be serious in one place but merly a driving fault in another.

You say that you failed for the bay park. The examiners notes tell him/her that the vehicle must come to a stop between the lines of the bay, in fact as long as the wheels are touching the lines a pass will be awarded, jHowever you must pick an empty bay and if there was a vehicle even partly in your bay you should have picked another and if none avaliable, expressed concern to the examiner remember YOU are in charge. I assume there was another bay avaliable hence your fail.Now dont take this negativly. Look forward to your next test and lsten to your instructor and I hope you have a good one.

[Tim Baxter]

I know specifically that test students have been failed on their bay park for finishing at too great an angle between the bay lines or finishing too close to an adjacent car because, 'Think of the other driver when they open their door.' etc.

On the other hand I have seen students passing their test, finishing with two wheels over the white line also where the off-side wheels have crossed the line during the manoeuvre but the examiner cannot see it from where he sits.

The manuals tell you never to attempt a bay reverse by starting at a right-angle to the bay and the DSA website says that you can have as many 'shunts' as you like when reversing into the bay.  Unfortunately both these methods will get you a fail on your test.

I don't mind which passes and which fails as long as the reason is consistent hence my previous 'rant' about test centre pass rates.  Hedgehog661 says that if you are good enough on the day then you will pass, to a large extent I agree with him.  Unfortunately there is the evidence submitted by the sacked examiner (see previous post) who was instructed to maintain the failure/pass rate, He was sacked for his concienscious attitude of not passing poor students and given undisclosed monies by an out of court settlement with the DSA for wrongful dismissal.

[cazz218]

tim

are you a driving instructor?

[hedgehog661]

Hi

Tim

I do not think it is fair to cloud the issue with 1 isolated incident over one unconfirmed dodgy examiner, bear in mind he was originally sacked for failing TOO MANY. We must trust the system and from your tone I believe you have some knowledge of the driving test practise.

However I am not sure what manual you are refering to that tells you "never attempt a bay park from a right angle" I teach this method solely and have never had a failiure for it. Also yes unlimited Shunts are allowed but it would be impracticle for a student to spend the next hour reversing in and out till they got it right and the examiner must draw the line somewhere. I have known many cases where the student has not got the position in the bay lets say "not the best" but in the opinion of the examiner the rest of the drive was satisfactory. Remember the examiner must ask themselves before awarding any serious fault " if this was the only fault commited would it be serious enougth to fail them the whole test." If the answer is no, then they must not record it as a serious.

Now Codie n, dont let all this confuse you, trust your instructor and relax, think about everything you do and drive as you would as if your instructor was with you. The examiner does want to pass you, after all if they fail you they have to fill in the report on the back of the DL25 (report sheet coloured green) instead of having a coffee and a natter with thier mates before setting of for the next test.

[Tim Baxter]

Perhaps it is unfair to cloud the issue but that wasn't my intention.  As I've intimated before I have no issue with individual examiners but more with the huge variation in regional pass rates.  I would be interested if anybody can come up with an explanation.

The points about adjacent vehicles being too close to your parking bay position are valid, the examiner does not tell you which bay to use or which way (left or right) to reverse into it.  So it's down to the testee's discretion.

So codie n, good luck with your next attempt, be guided by your instructor, as hedgehog661 says.

Hopefully the hedgehog661 and I can profitably continue this discussion elsewhere.

[John Foote]

I've answered this thread because I am aware the system is failing you (and there's been a fair amount of discussion about driving tests in general). And  because my website: www.johnfoote.co.uk has been quoted (for better or worse)!

I provide Intensive Driving Courses: experience shows me that more people pass Monday to Thursday than Friday. Thursday is statistics day. I employ a former Driving Examiner!

I know the ropes.

Mondays are best avoided: Examiners can (perhaps)afford to be cavalier with passes and failures at this stage.

Tuesdays, well possibly (some leverage here)

Wednesdays?

Perhaps the best day. Examiners will have one eye on their pass rate for the week and "statistics day" is approaching.

ITS NOT A GUARANTEE. SO DON'T CONSIDER LITIGATION! 

Thursdays?

Dodgy: you're relying upon an Examiner balancing his or her Pass Rate for the week against the Test Centre they're working at. 45% pass rate so far this week. Test centre pass rate 33%. Problem on the horizon. The DSA only allows a 10% variation.  

Staistics confirmed and approved by the National Audit Office.

Ooops! Wedsnesday might have been a better day.

Friday is a bad day to take your test, your're up against the statistics for that Test Centre. If your Examiner has already met the percentage pass rate.

Pass rate statistics for Test Centres never change. You can check the DVLA website for this information, though it takes a bit of time finding it).

 

Regards

John Foote

www.johnfoote.co.uk

[Tim Baxter]

Hi cazz218, yes, sorry not to have replied earlier.

John, thanks for your post, I should have given you acknowledgement for your website.  Sorry!

[Tim Baxter]

Further to my previous......

I've compiled a few statistics about the regional pass rate variation.

The top 13 test centres are Scottish and the top 25 contain 22 Scots, 2 Welsh and 1 English

The top 50 are Scots apart from 3 Welsh and 4 English.

At the other end of the scale the bottom 10 are all English.

The bottom 25 are English all but 1 Scot and the bottom 70 are English all but 3 Scots.

The pass rate percentage spread is from 80% to 25.6% across 362 TC's.  27 TC's are Welsh, 91 Scots and the rest (244) English.  So out of a random selection of a continuous block of 13 TC's you would expect 1 Welsh, 3 Scots and 9 English, wouldn't you?  I would!