Tips for the practical driver's license test needed

Hi All,

Could you please tell me some of the annoying things you were criticized about while taking the practical test? What areas are the most challenging areas that cause a lot of us to fail? I've seen some of the older posts and they mentioned things like not using hand-over-hand steering and making it blatantly obvious that you're checking every single mirror before turning etc. Any other ideas?

Many thanks! 

mirrors! mirrors! mirrors!  check them so that it's more than obvious.

don't cross your hands on the steering wheel.

those are the two biggies!

I agree with meggles, those are the two most annoying things.

Besides that, there is "handbrake first."  In the first few lessons in the UK, an American probably uses the handbrake more than in ten years of driving in the US.  The handbrake must be engaged before the car goes into neutral.  And don't make a clicking sound (I don't know why).

Jim

And don't make a clicking sound (I don't know why).

Jim

What do you mean? With the handbrake?

I mean push in the button on the handbrake handle before you pull the handle up, so the latch doesn't rattle on the ratchet.

Jim

I'll show him "handbrake first"!    I should try to do a lurid powerslide halfway through the test and- um, then again, maybe not 

This will be a struggle for me...I have a natural aversion to instructors trying to tell me how to drive, and I see nothing wrong with hand-over-hand steering etc.  To quote a London banker I met with recently:

"Oh crumbs!"

I mean push in the button on the handbrake handle before you pull the handle up, so the latch doesn't rattle on the ratchet.

Jim

Wow! So THAT is why DH always did that! I thought it was an odd quirk of his that he always pushed the button in.

I don't know if they're quite so strict these days,  but 20+ years ago they seemed to be absolutely obsessed with you pulling on the hand/parking brake every time you stopped for more than a couple of seconds, at a red light, a pedestrian crossing, or even just at a "Give Way" (Yield) sign while waiting to pull out.     It was quite ridiculous, making the task of driving around town far more tiring that it need have been.   Of course, once the test is over you can just adopt the normal everyday approach in which the brake is released at the start of your journey and applied at the end!

Wow! So THAT is why DH always did that! I thought it was an odd quirk of his that he always pushed the button in.

That's the way it tends to be taught here, although I've never understood why that's so.  Why do they think the ratchet and pawl arrangement exists?   

Some people even get quite annoyed if they see somebody pull up the brake without holding the button and start going on about wearing out the mechanism.   Of course, if you really wanted to reduce wear-&-tear on it overall, you wouldn't be using the parking brake every ten seconds!   

P.S.  Try turning up for the test in a vehicle with U.S.-style foot-applied parking brake and automatic vacuum release.  That should cause the examiner a few headaches!   

I don't know if they're quite so strict these days,  but 20+ years ago they seemed to be absolutely obsessed with you pulling on the hand/parking brake every time you stopped for more than a couple of seconds, at a red light, a pedestrian crossing, or even just at a "Give Way" (Yield) sign while waiting to pull out.   

Took the test last week and yes, they are still obsessed with that.  Consistent failure to do so would probably be called a major (failing) fault, but if not you would get so many minor faults you would fail on minors.

Jim

Well, I think it's quite clear now that I'll be failing the test next week and have to resort to "Plan B", i.e., getting a French license- which might be a rather good alternative for various reasons. With my feeble memory, I don't think I'll be able to remember to do all the absurd monkey tricks they feel it mandatory for "good" drivers to exhibit. Pulling up the handbrake for every minor stop?!

Do they at least tell you if you've failed right after you complete the test, like with the Theory test?

You're supposed to practice the monkey tricks until they come naturally and you don't think about them.

Yes, the examiner tells you the results before he/she gets out of the car.  Then he/she asks you if you want an explanation.  Suggest you say yes and then listen as closely as you can manage, even if your blood is boiling in your ears.  No point in challenging him/her, even the House of Lords can't change the decision.

Good luck next week and/or with your Plan B.

Jim

The problem is that many of those "monkey tricks"  are simply not the natural way to drive for most people:  Just look at the "push-pull" steering method for example. 

I really think that the govt. should press for reciprocal agreements between the U.K. and all U.S. jurisdictions.    Somebody who has held a U.S. license for several years simply does not need to go through all the rigmarole of the practical test, the hazard perception test, and so on.   

Have them take the written test to ensure familiarity with U.K. traffic rules and signs if you like, but the practical drive seems completely unnecessary.   Come to think of it though, if somebody from France, Greece, Spain, or even now Estonia can simply swap a license without taking the tests, why shouldn't American drivers be able to do the same?   

Amen Paul, I totally agree. And what a stupid irony it is that the UK is closer to the U.S. politically than France etc., yet those countries do accept U.S. licenses from certain states!

The idea of actually paying a professional instructor to get lessons, at the age of 34, really irks me. I figured I'd take the practical test immediately, with the understanding that I'll probably flunk it but will at least in doing so find out what I need to specifically focus on temporarily changing (the monkey tricks!) to pass it the next time around- That strategy will cost me less than wasting many hours with a private instructor who is supposedly going to "teach me how to drive".

I think I'm definitely going to make a quick back to the U.S. to renew my American license before it expires.

The hand over hand steering wheel thing makes a lot of sense.  If you drive a big rig in the USA they make you learn that way as well.

My instructor said this:  think of it this way.  If you are in a car and get hit or hit someone.  If your arms are crossed both arms will be broken and snap.  Not 100% accurate, but it's a good mental image.  The real reason is wheel control and being able to more quickly change the turn ratio.

I still do hand over hand though now that I have passed my test.

I think having a positive attitude helps when taking your test.  Everyone makes mistakes -they will get you for too many minors or for really doing something that is dangerous.

Then again if you have an person who just wants to fail you, they will find reasons.

Good luck!

My impression is that you can just swap a US licence for quite a few EU licences, except for the UK one. At least MrCoffee was able to swap his for a Finnish (EU) licence for just the licence fee, 6 months after having moved in.

Fortunately if you do have an EU licence, you can drive it in the UK for up to 3 years without having to swap. This, btw, should be illegal, as the whole point of having EU licences is that they'll be accepted in all EU countries, but oh well...