Yael and other test-passers, do you have any driving test tips?

I don't mean to discourage anyone. It may go differently for you... but I failed again taking my test in Taunton. The next test available there (at least booking online) is mid JANUARY; my husband and friends all think I'm ready now... so I've booked at a different test center and signed up for a 2-hour evaluation/lesson from a new instructor. That two hours will cost me £45.50 and of course the test will cost me £58.

Just so that the price of my third test isn't a TOTAL waste, I will let you all hear why the examiner said she failed me. She wanted to see me turning to look in the blind spot over my right shoulder.

Now my commentary: I did make constant use of my mirrors (see "bobblehead" advice above) and took things slowly, only pulling out and doing the other maneuvers when I was absolutely sure it was safe to do so. Because the geometry of my instructor's car is such that I couldn't actually see anything in the blind spot by doing that turn to look out the right side window, I used the back window (turning and looking over my left through the full range of the back window and left passenger seat window) AND used the right mirror AND allowed extra time watching that mirror. It is a fact that there was no one else (pedestrian, bike, or moving -- or even parked--car with someone in it) on the street behind me on the two events she failed me on.

Maybe this is all just the rationalization of a loser... but it is true that I am losing the will to live -- or at least the will to try to live a normal/active life in rural Britain. There are 3 or 4 busses a day through my village and they don't go where and when I need to go to take my son to his music lessons, to pick something up for dinner, to get myself or someone else to the hospital... they don't go to a church outside my village or to my book club, to the place where the pastoral care team meets, to the home of the person I provide pastoral care to, to my art class, to the library, or to other volunteer things I do outside my village. Taxis are hugely expensive and need to be booked a day in advance. Bicycling to the next village means 2 miles over a winding, hilly road with large, fast-moving lorries and no shoulder. If I don't pass on my fourth attempt, I can throw hundreds more pounds at the problem (more lessons and tests) with absolutely no assurance that it will do any good; become a housebound recluse, or move someplace where I can drive (the U.S.) or at least get around on foot or via public transit. As kind as my husband and everyone else is who has helped me get around since last June, I just can't stand being so "transit-needy". This is definitely not something I had figured in the equation of my life.

I am SO sorry!!!!!!  I really feel for you.  It sounds as if you would have passed though, had you done the futile looking over your shoulder.  I'm sure you will do well next time.  Best of luck!

That is exactly how I failed my second test, I did the paralell park but didn't look over my shoulder when I pulled out.  Keep going, you will pass.

Thanks, Cadenza and Zeusy999, i'm feeling better for having a couple hours in art class, a ride home from my long-suffering hubby and enough wine to put me right under the table. Tomorrow's another day. best of luck to you Cadenza... do whatever you can to make it easy on yourself... and definitely watch out over your right shoulder as well as doing all the other stuff people have warned us about.

Like I said keep going, keep testing until you pass.  I felt like a COMPLETE IDIOT when I failed the first and second time, I kept looking at those boy racers in the Tesco parking lots and thinking "how did those brats pass" and you know what they passed the same way I was going too, bytrying and not giving up.  You might fail 8 more times, or you might pass the next test, you can't let this get you down because you can do this.  PM me if you want some more pep talking!!!

I'm sorry to hear that. I asked my instructor for all my lessons to evaluate my whole lesson as if it was the test. If I did something wrong each time he'd tell me it was a minor or major fault. Also, the instructor they gave me is usually teaches foreign students who have been driving for years like my myself. And we talked alot about lazy mistakes long term drivers make and I found that extremely helpful.
Maybe with the new instructor, have you asked if they have lots of foreign students? I found that with my instructor, I liked that he'd had alot of foreigners and could see the mistakes they make leading to a fail.

Otherwise, I've heard of people that keep their licenses from their home country and just renew their international drivers license each year. My husband said when I was taking my test he was talking to an instructor who said lots of foreigners who can't pass the test use this option.

I'm sorry to hear that. I asked my instructor for all my lessons to evaluate my whole lesson as if it was the test. If I did something wrong each time he'd tell me it was a minor or major fault.

My instructor gave me two mock tests as well, and they really helped.

Sorry to hear you failed again.

My DH is due to start the road to passing his test and has so many bad habits that we don't think he'll pass.  So we were thinking along the lines of this:

http://www.one2onedrivingschool.com/intensive_courses_guaranteed

(not necessarily that one, it's just an example of many)

Basically you get unlimited attempts at the driving test and the whole lessons to test process takes only one week?  It's a bit pricey all in one go, but not so much compared to endless lessons and attempts at a pass?

When my hubby was a teenager he took that same intensive course. He'd never driven in his life. He took three weeks of lessons and passed the first time with only 3 minor faults. He said that even though it was a bit pricey it was really worth it.

I wish you the best of luck with your next test!

I haven't read through the whole thread, but if you can go driving with your DH, maybe you could print out the test routes and drive them with him and get yourself used to the routes themselves. You should be able to find them on the DVLA website.  Keep trying. 

Otherwise, I've heard of people that keep their licenses from their home country and just renew their international drivers license each year. My husband said when I was taking my test he was talking to an instructor who said lots of foreigners who can't pass the test use this option.

I'm wondering if this is legal.  If it is, it'll save lots of people lots of money in driving lessons!

I'm wondering if this is legal.  If it is, it'll save lots of people lots of money in driving lessons!

I don't think so. I don't think its an actual driving license.

Hi Lola, That would not be legal as IDPs are only valid for 12-months and they MUST be used with a valid license.

So if you are resident in the UK, the 12-month rule still applies.

Also I believe an IDP can only be issued in the country where the 'real' license was issued. So one could only get an IDP in the UK with a valid UK license.

The International Driving Permit is a waste of money between the U.S. and the U.K. anyway.  It's purpose originally was merely to act as an official translation of one's own national/state license for driving in foreign countries with a different language.   The U.K. does not mandate an IDP for U.S. drivers, nor does the U.S. require one for those with a British license.

The official position is that once your 12 months are up, your U.S. license is no longer valid, and you are then treated like any other novice British driver.   It's illogical, stupid, and unfair, but "them's the rules."       

The yellow lined rectangles are a definite no no but people don't seem to care where I live.

The yellow box junctions are one of those inventions which wouldn't have been necessary if people had enough sense not to block an intersection in the first place.   

The rules for a box junction:

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Box junctions. These have criss-cross yellow lines painted on the road (see 'Road markings'). You MUST NOT enter the box until your exit road or lane is clear. However, you may enter the box and wait when you want to turn right, and are only stopped from doing so by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles waiting to turn right. At signalled roundabouts you MUST NOT enter the box unless you can cross over it completely without stopping.

[Law TSRGD regs 10(1) & 29(2)]

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070332

Pfewff! I passed on my fourth try. I took this test in another town, about an hour away (Weston-super-Mare instead of Taunton) after having one lesson and an hour's pre-test drive with a new instructor who was just great. Between fail #3 and test #4 I had another new (BSM) instructor for one hour. I also got a pre-driving-test hypnosis mp3 download to help with nerves. Of course I also did a bit of practice with my husband.

 I'm not sure what deserves the credit, but with both of these two short term instructors, I put a notebook in their hands with "minor faults", "serious faults" and "dangerous faults" sections and had them write every thing down that I did wrong -- for me to study and do mental rehearsal at home. My first, main instructor was ok, but, for whatever reason, not able to communicate to me what I needed to know to pass the test. He would mention things as we went along, including the mirror-signal-maneuver mantra, but I didn't 'get' that missing such things and mirror checks before changing speed or turning corners could result in failing the test. When he did say "That WOULD be a fail" on the test, somehow it just left me feeling so rotten that the rest of the drive was basically a waste. My last instructor -- whom I basically found via a recommendation from another person I found via the internet -- was just great. He somehow was able to tell me things in a way that made me not feel like a piece of $^!+. And he took me as a pupil on very short notice (a week ahead), on two consecutive Saturdays, knowing it would just be the two lessons. He was truly a knight in shining armor and I gave him a £20 tip as we parted at the test center after I passed. If there's anyone looking for a great driving teacher in Weston-s-Mare, I've got the man for you!

As for the international driving license or driving on a U.S. license past one year -- what other folks have mentioned is right -- you need a Uk license after a year. The "enforcement" is insurance. At least our insurance company would not cover me driving after a year except as a learner driver with a licensed driver present... until I got my own UK license.

Thanks to all here and best wishes to all who are still trying.