I passed!! I passed!! I passed!! I passed!!

Good luck, Becca! It's such a relief once it's over.

There are so many steps we all have to take to make our home here, and each one is such a relief when it's checked off the list.  I'm really looking forward to having this one behind me.   

If only I could remember to check all 3 mirrors before signaling!  I've completely lost the habit of moving my head to look in the mirrors. At this point I look kind of strange jerking my head from side to side to demonstrate the mirror check - half the time it's too late anyway. 

I'm working on a more natural head movement.... 

There are so many steps we all have to take to make our home here, and each one is such a relief when it's checked off the list.  I'm really looking forward to having this one behind me.   

If only I could remember to check all 3 mirrors before signaling!  I've completely lost the habit of moving my head to look in the mirrors. At this point I look kind of strange jerking my head from side to side to demonstrate the mirror check - half the time it's too late anyway. 

I'm working on a more natural head movement.... 

I swore after I finished my masters that I was never, ever, ever going to take another test in my life.  Of course I've had to do the driving test since (ugh, at least I passed the first try) and in the next couple of years I'll have to do the Life in the UK test.  I HATE TESTS!!!  I thought that part of my life was behind me.   

If only I could remember to check all 3 mirrors before signaling!  I've completely lost the habit of moving my head to look in the mirrors. At this point I look kind of strange jerking my head from side to side to demonstrate the mirror check - half the time it's too late anyway. 

I'm working on a more natural head movement.... 

I had trouble getting my mirror checks in before every signal. I finally ended up doing it routinely by training myself to say out loud "mirrors, signal" every time I was asked to turn or pull over. You feel a bit stupid saying it out loud, but it worked for me after a week or so of making myself say it every time I drove.

I had trouble getting my mirror checks in before every signal. I finally ended up doing it routinely by training myself to say out loud "mirrors, signal" every time I was asked to turn or pull over. You feel a bit stupid saying it out loud, but it worked for me after a week or so of making myself say it every time I drove.

That's a good idea!  At this point I'm willing to look pretty darn silly if it will get me a passed driving test. 

Thanks! 

It is with extreme exhilaration, and relief that I too can announce;

I passed!! I passed!! I passed!! I passed!!

Yup, my third attempt at taking a driving test was successful and, with just one week to go before my California license expires, I can now legally join all those other UK drivers on the dreaded roundabouts and ubiquitous narrow, winding country roads.... 

But.... most exciting to me (who is ever eager to butcher the English language) ...

I am now officially ambidriverous!!!!   

I am now officially ambidriverous!!!!   

Best word ever.

Congrats!

Best word ever.

Congrats!

Thanks TF! What an amazing relief it is to have it behind me. I suspect you know the feeling very well. 

I finally passed yesterday! I had 10 days of no driving because I was over my year (failed my first test last month - stupid multi lane roundabout!) and was able to get in to retest in Nuneaton yesterday. Didn't have to go back to the roundabout, thank the driving gods (even though I practiced there a million times since I failed!) and it was much easier this time. I had the same tester, but he was really nice and calm and tried to keep me calm the whole time. I think I got a minor for driving too slowly! (I was driving like my mother; I felt bad for the cars behind me!)

Anyway 4 minors and I am now ambidriverous too!

I finally passed yesterday!
Anyway 4 minors and I am now ambidriverous too!

Yay you!  Congratulations, and welcome to the hard earned ambidriverous club!   

Always good to get it over with. Afterwards I noticed how much it was sitting in the back of my head nagging at me.

Congrats writeshawnna!

I was driving like my mother; I felt bad for the cars behind me!

I felt the same way.

A good chunk of my test was sitting in traffic.... which isn't so bad, but it was on a slight incline. Just enough to make me nervous about stalling each time we moved forward a car's length. I left plenty of room in front of me (like we were taught and how we should do, but most people never do).

Ah, yes - the 'overdue caution' minor!

I passed my test yesterday and I have never been so relieved! I found the whole process very difficult.

Here's my experience for what it's worth:
I've driven a manual in the US for the past 30 years but they are so strict here that I knew I would need lessons. My test was in Aylesbury (Oxfordshire) and involved driving through a triple roundabout full of zebra crossings and navigating a gyratory among other things. I passed the first time with only one minor which even shocked my instructor.

It may sound crazy but I verbalized what I was doing throughout the test and it helped me to focus and not panic. I told the examiner at the beginning not to worry if I talked to myself and he laughed and said "it's okay, it's not a test of your sanity" I literally verbalized every time I was checking my mirrors, watching for pedestrians, moving to the left, signalling, etc.

I took 20 hours of lessons in order to fully understand what they are looking for on the test. Although I initially resented it and hated to spend the money, I ended up learning a lot and I think I'm a better driver as a result. I even prepared by printing roundabout maps and studying them because Aylesbury has some really crazy roundabouts that grow extra lanes as you go around-very weird. The instructor also reviewed lots of very tricky areas that would have caused me to fail if I had not known about them (one way systems for example).

I found the theory test and the driving test very stressful and I wish I had started the process much earlier because I never dreamed it would take almost a full year. If you are still going through this process I definitely recommend taking lessons. Learning to drive in the UK has definitely been the hardest part of the adjusting to the culture for me.

I often read these forums and also want to thank everyone who has shared their experiences here. It helps so much to know that I am not alone in how I feel!

I passed my test yesterday and I have never been so relieved!

Congratulations!   

What a wonderful feeling it is to have that behind you - and on such a difficult test route too - well done you! 

By the way, what is a gyratory?

Thanks! I'm so glad that it's finally done:)

A gyratory is a bit of a nightmare. In theory it functions like a roundabout but it's shaped like a big triangle with multiple exits. It's spread out over quite a distance so that you can't see the exits the way you can at a roundabout and there are buildings, pubs, parking in the middle so you can't see from one side to the other. When you turn one of the corners you need to be in the correct lane or you risk not being able to go the direction you intended. I have no sense of direction so I had to literally memorize each side with landmarks so that I would know which lane to choose if I was told to go to town center vs. Stoke Mandeville, etc. I hope they don't exist in too many places!