Just failed my driving test

I took my first manual pratical test today and failed. I was really .The road are really too small even for one car , and poeple  are parking on it every. The tester want to stay very close to the left of the road. Anyway , I am going to try again in 2 weeks from now .

Question..
Are they really honest broker or not trying to failed people left and right for the first time. Why did he ask me if this is my first test in UK? 
 
Thanks
Kal

I don't know if you saw may earlier post but, think of your first one as a practice to see what they want. My first test the examiner told me to go down a one way street. Sounds fairly simple right? Well, he had me turn onto this street from a side road that I swear didn't have any markings that you were approaching a one way street. He told me to turn Right at the bottom of the road. By the time I figured I was on a one way street(near where he wanted me to turn) I was in the wrong position for turning rt. I got a serious fault for that.
I felt that he did this on purpose. My driving teacher told me that I needed to be careful about oneway streets. When I asked him if the examiners might purposely try to trip someone up on a one way street he just told me to be careful. ( I kinda figured later he probably was thinking "lady take the hint already" ) Just practice what they failed you on and you will pass next time. Good Luck!

Well, he had me turn onto this street from a side road that I swear didn't have any markings that you were approaching a one way street.

Things like this can trip up a new UK driver very easily. That's why it's important to have lessons from an instructor who knows the test route well. He/she will show you all the tricky bits that might result in a fail, and ensure that you're familiar with anywhere the examiner might take you.

myoracle, did you have lessons?

myoracle, did you have lessons?

Yes  .. I took two hours lessons .

This is my test report for manual drive ..
3 points of Move off
4 points on Mirrors-M/C on signalling
3 points on Mirrors-M/C on changing directions.

Clutch 1
footbrake 1
reverse 1
3 positioning ......etc.......


Positioning is the harder part , I cannot stay on the left on very small road with cars parking every where ..
 
Kal ..

Positioning is the harder part , I cannot stay on the left on very small road with cars parking every where ..

Practice, practice, practice. I'm afraid that's the only way to do it. Better luck next time.

When the examiner did ask about my driving experience and first test,  I had a felling that they are using some kind of quota to pass per day.
My cousin told me about it but I can confirm from another source.

Do you know?

Do you know?

No idea. I wasn't asked and I passed on my first try. Anything's possible, though.

This link below is saying
About Quota

All examiners are trained to carry out the test to the same standard, they do not have pass or fail quotas. So as long as you demonstrate the standard required you will pass your driving test
..
..
The driving part of your test will last about 40 minutes. Throughout the test your examiner will be looking for an overall safe standard of driving, including when you are carrying out the set exercises. You can make up to 15 driving faults and still pass the test (16 or more results in failure). However, if you commit one serious or dangerous fault you will fail the test.


but I am having problems with my  old bad habits.
I also need to get ride of the company automatic car and get manual one.
I really did not trust my teacher from his behaviour when he starts using curse word. 

Now I had an idea what I need to do ..I really dont need him .

I am going to practice   Moveoff get tomorrow.

Practice / Practice / practice
Kal

Breaking news   Update at 23:31 PM
I decide to do the test with an automatic car since we dont have a manual car

sorry that you failed.  I know exactly what it's like as I had to take *ahem*, lets just say, more than 3 tests to pass.  Every time I failed on something different.  I've driven a manual for 15 years in the states and felt I COULD do it each time that I tried, only to be told that I had a "serious" fault.  In my opinion, 2 hours of lessons is hardly enough as driving here is just different.  If you didn't like your first instructor than you should look for another one - because if I had one that would swear during my drive, I'd fire him immediately    Supposedly there aren't quotas (dunno if I believe this fully) but subjectivity comes into it because when I finally passed, I was certain that I had failed as my drive was no better than my last one only to get back to the test centre and be told that I had passed. 

Keep with it and you WILL pass.  I did. 

Bad luck.   

The small roads with congestion from parked cars in many British towns must take some getting used to. 

The authorities have always denied that there is any sort of quota system, and that all candidates are passed or failed solely on how they drive during the test.  Of course, some people are inclined to think "Well, they would say that, wouldn't they?"   

Who  knows? 

the driving test is a REAL sore spot with me, after 30 years of safe driving in the states, 15 with a manual, when i took lessons i was told all sorts of things were "WRONG"...i mean if "hand over hand" works for billions of people in the US, how can it be "WRONG"

anyway, i don't have access to a car so the only practice i got was on my driving lessons (at £18/hr) so i'm lucky that i only failed by one point BUT the tester made a few comments that definitly sounded discriminatory....like "you have to drive like we do" and insisting that i pull way over the middle (line, as if they actually used them) when making a right turn and being so close to the steering wheel it's under your chin... i know the streets are smaller and everyone parks willy nilly but..... i think it's all a racket. high priced lessons, repeatedly failing people...i worked with a nurse who said don't worry i failed 9 (!!!!) times!!!!!

my mistake was not practising in the first year i got here...
good luck!!!!....i'm sure the freedom is worth the humiliation

Hi Ladybug,

Yes, I've talked quite alot about the subtle differences in driving style needed to pass your test from the US and UK, and the main one is the UK ten-to-two postion & shuffle of the steering wheel, and the US 'cross yer hands/wrists over' movement when turning. Here, doing that is a fail becuase it's 'deemed' possible that you momentarily are not in control of the steering wheel - i.e you could overcross and bash yer wrists together, undercross and you've not turned the steering enough to complete a required manouvre. Also, with the UK shuffle technique, it's deemed more accurate as to you the driver knowing where and the direction of the wheels are, overcrossing allows just that little more innaccuracy to creep in, so although deemed acceptable in the US where 'generally' roads are wider, that 'innacuracy' get absorbed, here on our narrow streets more emphasis is placed on knowing more precisely the direction of the wheels hence the shuffle technique and knowing the car steering's lock to lock.

Officially the test is done and done well etc, but I also am of the opinion, there's some abuse of the system going on, lessons were approx £14-15 in 1990 when I learnt to drive, so the £18-20 nowadays isn't too bad, however the repeat failures or marking down of people etc I guess does go on in order to 'make a few extra quid' and maybe foreign drivers are a softer target - but just like a few have mentioned, practicing more gives you more confidence and potential to pass -

Cheers ! DtM! West London & Slough UK!

the UK ten-to-two postion & shuffle of the steering wheel, and the US 'cross yer hands/wrists over' movement when turning.

I can't help feeling that the U.K. insistence on the "push-pull" method and the hand never going beyond the top of the wheel is misguided.   Race-car drivers need all the fine control they can get, but look at the way they steer.  O.K., the gearing ratio on their steering is very different from the average road car, resulting in perhaps one turn of the wheel going lock to lock, but even so......

In my (not so?) humble opinion, the important thing is for the driver to be in control of the vehicle, and so long as he achieves that, it doesn't really matter which way he prefers to hold the wheel.  In fact forcing somebody to steer in a way which is uncomfortable to him might be detrimental rather than beneficial.

By the way, with the prevelance of air-bags now some sources are suggesting that the "ten-to-two" position would be better changed to "quarter to three," although the latter has always been considered acceptable.   Again, the design of the steering wheel and personal comfort dictates the exact position, in my opinion.

In my (not so?) humble opinion, the important thing is for the driver to be in control of the vehicle, and so long as he achieves that, it doesn't really matter which way he prefers to hold the wheel.  In fact forcing somebody to steer in a way which is uncomfortable to him might be detrimental rather than beneficial.

But it's not really that difficult to master, is it? I mean, if you know you have to drive that way to pass your test, you do. It's as simple as that. And then after you have the license in your hand, you can drive however you like. But it's not rocket science.

i think that is my point.......i recently heard that they are going to change the test because people gear their lessons to "passing" the test...i was told to off set my mirrors and exaggertate my head movements so the tester can see i'm looking in them.....does that make me any safer when i'm out there on my own????
bottom line is i don't see dramatic superiority in british driving skills on a day to day basis....
people speed, tailgate, miss zebra crossings.......
it's ALL individual driving skills and responsibility