You got zero grade three. Well done. Just keep trying.
You’re with good company. The vast majority of people failed their first test. Depending on where you do it can be extremely difficult to pass. But you only need to pass once and you can be tested as many times as is necessary. You’ll get there in the end. You’ve just gained some test experience. You’ll be more prepared for next time.
My GF failed her test several times. Each time she would book a new test as soon as she could. I kept telling her she needed more time behind the wheel to build up here confidence. She didn’t listen and failed several more times.
So my advice is get in as much practice as you can before you attempt another test. Drive several different scenarios. City, suburbs, country lanes, motorways. Reverse park when you can. Just work on being a better, safer and confident drive and the test will practically pass itself.
Edit: I forgot you’re not supposed to drive on motorways without a full license. Dual carriage ways are fine though.
>words of encouragement
Be grand.
[deleted]
Took me three tries. Just takes a certain number of hours on the road, and eventually it stops being a complex sequence of moves and just turns into something you don’t think about any more.
I did mine 5 times, although i still claim 2 of those were not my fault
Buses aren’t that bad
Dust yourself off and try again.
Positioning, clutch, handbrake and gears are all easy fixes. You just need a bit more practice. It could all be down to being nervous on the day.
You will fly it next time!
The clutch and gear issues are usually caused by lack of driving and not having a feel for the car, momentum and speed. I had a shit load of marks on my first test too and got another few lessons and drove as much as possible and got it the next time around.
I was garbage on the clutch for ages. An instructor just got me to just roll start with the clutch to get a better feel. Made all the difference
Switch instructor. Worth trying. I’d a really good one that had a knack for explaining stuff like pretending the clutch and accelerator are linked by a string of blutac. Too rough and it snaps. Gentle in gentle out. Stuff like that. He’d a really good student driver first time pass rate. The clutch failures would suggest you weren’t ready.
There’s always the bus.
[deleted]
This is like sending your car for NCT then fixing the issues,you can now work on your cluch and gear control everything else seemed spot on you’ll flu through the second test no bother.
Sure it’s no big deal.
I failed a few times too.
One time I had a few marks on the clutch thing too.
I just kept thinking “it’s my clutch I can fuck it up if I want to!”
You’ll take it again and be grand. Order some chips, put on a film, try to forget this go and give it another shot later.
Few more lessons and you’ll be there.
It’s absolutely no measure on how good of a driver you are. My aunt passed first time and you couldn’t pay me to get in the car with her. My friend is a phenomenal driver and she had to do it 4 times. Maybe try a pre test with a different instructor next time and they might be able to spot things your usual instructor missed. The very best of luck to you next time!
Welcome to the club. I know you feel crappy now but you’ll get there. Don’t think of this as a fail list, think of it as a list of improvements to work on. Sounds stupid but it really helps the mindset before the next test.
I failed my first test. It was too soon and I really wasn’t ready. I went in thinking I was great and then stalled the car twice in the middle of it. That’s a great way to bring a person back down to earth. I was sure that the stalling meant I’d failed (it doesn’t) so all observation, etc went out the window because I just wanted to get back to the test center so I could leave. Second time I took the test, I had worked on the list and also had an attitude of “fuck it, worst that can happen is that I fail again”. I was a lot more relaxed and I passed.
I failed the first time. Was an absolute bag of nerves. Really fucked it up. When the tester was checking my tax and insurance I started the car in gear and the car jerked forward and he had to jump out of the way. Just awful.
I realised though that the test is actually grand if you know what you’re doing, which I definitely didn’t at the time! Was much better the second time and much less nervous.
Just keep practising and get more lessons if you need to! You’ll get there.
>need some advice
What you need to do in future is get more marks in Grade 1 and less marks in Grade 2.
Failed mine many times, but more practice and you’ll get it. Learn to drive with confidence on the road.
Go up your gears with confidence too
Drive in straight lines, don’t snake up roads from left to right.
Be aware of what’s in front of you and further up the road and anticipate decelerating.
Over exaggerate checking your mirrors and blind spots when maneuvering. Don’t glance in mirrors make sure he sees the head turn towards them.
Over exaggerate checking your mirrors when driving. Don’t glance with your eyes make sure he sees your head turn.
Over exaggerate taking your foot off the clutch especially when stopping. Your were probably coasting.
Don’t kill anyone
You’ll be grand
Seriously a little more time behind the wheel should sort you out. Give this sheet to your instructor. Do your test in a car you are comfortable and familiar with
Didn’t realise there was any parking on the Irish test, I certainly don’t remember being asked to park. By the time we got back to the test centre your man had closed the ipad.
Be careful with coasting on the clutch too long especially going around corners.
Sort out the coasting on the clutch and a lot of it will probably fall into place from there I’d say as you’ll have more control of the car.
I’m in a similar boat to yourself, failed similarly badly in my first test and failed again recently but was much closer once the clutch was sorted. Down from 19 grade 2s to 11 myself so hoping I’ll have it next time
My best friend and my boyfriend both only got it on their fourth go. Keep trying!
Consider driving and testing on an automatic. You’ll only get an automatic license but honestly it’s not so bad. Driving automatics is more stress free imo.
I failed on a manual twice because back in my home country I built a pretty bad habit of overusing the clutch and it just distracted me and made me nervous everytime, so I wasn’t focussed on everything else.
I also just got a car and practiced every single day instead of paying for lessons. I passed in my third attempt with just 1 grade 1 fault. The instructor didn’t even bother giving me any feedback.. said I drove perfectly and gave me my test result.
I remember I thought I totally failed mine before we even left the test center car park, tried to pull out in second gear 😅 nerves went after that cause I thought sure I’ve already fucked this. I will say my reverse around the corner was also touch and go 😂 I was shocked when I did pass though. Nerves is the biggest thing usually. Take your time maybe try another pretest instructor for a few lessons? I think I only passed mine because I thought it was already a lost cause so I stopped putting the pressure on.
One piece of advice I got when going for my driving test a few decades ago, was to angle the rear view mirror and side mirrors slightly off where you would normally set them, that little difference in angle makes your head movement when using the mirrors a touch more obvious. Don’t know what the general consensus is on this. Passed my test first time if that’s any endorsement.
I know how you feel. I failed mine last month and I still feel like crap. I get so nervous when I drive, my fitness tracker sees the increased heart rate as excersice.
I also didn’t get any majour mistakes but too many minor ones.
I hope what everyone here says is right, I can’t tell you just yet… But know you’re not alone.
You kinda did really shite but keep practicing.
Advice: Get an automatic
Encouragement: there there…there there.
I sat my test on a Saturday. I requested it specifically because if i was gonna fail it again i sure as shit wasn’t gonna waste another day off on it lol.
I’ve recommended sitting a test on a Saturday to anyone who will listen. The wait time might be longer but it’s much better.
I don’t even know if it’s an option these days in fairness. Nearly 8 years since i passed my test (second time around)
You get a different caliber of road user on a weekend I find. Less commuters. Less people on school runs. Less stress and rush. Overall a much calmer experience which really helped me out.
As everyone has said. Keep practicing. Grade 2s are nothing major. The more you practice the less grade 2s you’ll get.
You’ve a lot of clutch faults. Would it be possible to do it in a different car? Smaller engine perhaps? Or possibly a bigger diesel engine? The bite is different on all cars and some suit more than others.
Find yourself a quiet hill with good views both ways and practice hill starts. That’ll sort out clutch and handbrake issues. It just takes experience.
Don’t worry man, just keep practicing and practicing and practicing. I know it’s hard to maintain a will to live when you’ve done your 400th reverse around a corner, but one day it’ll just click. I failed *ahem* 3 times, but after many, many hours of practice I knew on the fourth one I was gonna pass. Just keep going!
Just look forward to telling your grandkids “yeah you had to drive the car yourself and you even had to pass a test to prove you could control it. I even had to do the test twice because I was nervous the first time.”
I failed 3 times before passing. First test was a complete unmitigated disaster, second test went better but not well enough, third test I failed for petty reasons. Aced the fourth test. As the saying goes, if at first you don’t succeed…
Don’t worry. I passed on the second time. The first time I panicked and drove into the exit of a multi-story car park like a f*ckin eejit.
You’ll get it the second time. Give yourself a break.
I think they make everyone do it twice these days I don’t know anyone who passed first time in the last 10 years.
41 comments
You got zero grade three. Well done. Just keep trying.
You’re with good company. The vast majority of people failed their first test. Depending on where you do it can be extremely difficult to pass. But you only need to pass once and you can be tested as many times as is necessary. You’ll get there in the end. You’ve just gained some test experience. You’ll be more prepared for next time.
My GF failed her test several times. Each time she would book a new test as soon as she could. I kept telling her she needed more time behind the wheel to build up here confidence. She didn’t listen and failed several more times.
So my advice is get in as much practice as you can before you attempt another test. Drive several different scenarios. City, suburbs, country lanes, motorways. Reverse park when you can. Just work on being a better, safer and confident drive and the test will practically pass itself.
Edit: I forgot you’re not supposed to drive on motorways without a full license. Dual carriage ways are fine though.
>words of encouragement
Be grand.
[deleted]
Took me three tries. Just takes a certain number of hours on the road, and eventually it stops being a complex sequence of moves and just turns into something you don’t think about any more.
I did mine 5 times, although i still claim 2 of those were not my fault
Buses aren’t that bad
Dust yourself off and try again.
Positioning, clutch, handbrake and gears are all easy fixes. You just need a bit more practice. It could all be down to being nervous on the day.
You will fly it next time!
The clutch and gear issues are usually caused by lack of driving and not having a feel for the car, momentum and speed. I had a shit load of marks on my first test too and got another few lessons and drove as much as possible and got it the next time around.
I was garbage on the clutch for ages. An instructor just got me to just roll start with the clutch to get a better feel. Made all the difference
Switch instructor. Worth trying. I’d a really good one that had a knack for explaining stuff like pretending the clutch and accelerator are linked by a string of blutac. Too rough and it snaps. Gentle in gentle out. Stuff like that. He’d a really good student driver first time pass rate. The clutch failures would suggest you weren’t ready.
There’s always the bus.
[deleted]
This is like sending your car for NCT then fixing the issues,you can now work on your cluch and gear control everything else seemed spot on you’ll flu through the second test no bother.
Sure it’s no big deal.
I failed a few times too.
One time I had a few marks on the clutch thing too.
I just kept thinking “it’s my clutch I can fuck it up if I want to!”
You’ll take it again and be grand. Order some chips, put on a film, try to forget this go and give it another shot later.
Few more lessons and you’ll be there.
It’s absolutely no measure on how good of a driver you are. My aunt passed first time and you couldn’t pay me to get in the car with her. My friend is a phenomenal driver and she had to do it 4 times. Maybe try a pre test with a different instructor next time and they might be able to spot things your usual instructor missed. The very best of luck to you next time!
Welcome to the club. I know you feel crappy now but you’ll get there. Don’t think of this as a fail list, think of it as a list of improvements to work on. Sounds stupid but it really helps the mindset before the next test.
I failed my first test. It was too soon and I really wasn’t ready. I went in thinking I was great and then stalled the car twice in the middle of it. That’s a great way to bring a person back down to earth. I was sure that the stalling meant I’d failed (it doesn’t) so all observation, etc went out the window because I just wanted to get back to the test center so I could leave. Second time I took the test, I had worked on the list and also had an attitude of “fuck it, worst that can happen is that I fail again”. I was a lot more relaxed and I passed.
I failed the first time. Was an absolute bag of nerves. Really fucked it up. When the tester was checking my tax and insurance I started the car in gear and the car jerked forward and he had to jump out of the way. Just awful.
I realised though that the test is actually grand if you know what you’re doing, which I definitely didn’t at the time! Was much better the second time and much less nervous.
Just keep practising and get more lessons if you need to! You’ll get there.
>need some advice
What you need to do in future is get more marks in Grade 1 and less marks in Grade 2.
Failed mine many times, but more practice and you’ll get it. Learn to drive with confidence on the road.
Go up your gears with confidence too
Drive in straight lines, don’t snake up roads from left to right.
Be aware of what’s in front of you and further up the road and anticipate decelerating.
Over exaggerate checking your mirrors and blind spots when maneuvering. Don’t glance in mirrors make sure he sees the head turn towards them.
Over exaggerate checking your mirrors when driving. Don’t glance with your eyes make sure he sees your head turn.
Over exaggerate taking your foot off the clutch especially when stopping. Your were probably coasting.
Don’t kill anyone
You’ll be grand
Seriously a little more time behind the wheel should sort you out. Give this sheet to your instructor. Do your test in a car you are comfortable and familiar with
Didn’t realise there was any parking on the Irish test, I certainly don’t remember being asked to park. By the time we got back to the test centre your man had closed the ipad.
Be careful with coasting on the clutch too long especially going around corners.
Sort out the coasting on the clutch and a lot of it will probably fall into place from there I’d say as you’ll have more control of the car.
I’m in a similar boat to yourself, failed similarly badly in my first test and failed again recently but was much closer once the clutch was sorted. Down from 19 grade 2s to 11 myself so hoping I’ll have it next time
My best friend and my boyfriend both only got it on their fourth go. Keep trying!
Consider driving and testing on an automatic. You’ll only get an automatic license but honestly it’s not so bad. Driving automatics is more stress free imo.
I failed on a manual twice because back in my home country I built a pretty bad habit of overusing the clutch and it just distracted me and made me nervous everytime, so I wasn’t focussed on everything else.
I also just got a car and practiced every single day instead of paying for lessons. I passed in my third attempt with just 1 grade 1 fault. The instructor didn’t even bother giving me any feedback.. said I drove perfectly and gave me my test result.
I remember I thought I totally failed mine before we even left the test center car park, tried to pull out in second gear 😅 nerves went after that cause I thought sure I’ve already fucked this. I will say my reverse around the corner was also touch and go 😂 I was shocked when I did pass though. Nerves is the biggest thing usually. Take your time maybe try another pretest instructor for a few lessons? I think I only passed mine because I thought it was already a lost cause so I stopped putting the pressure on.
One piece of advice I got when going for my driving test a few decades ago, was to angle the rear view mirror and side mirrors slightly off where you would normally set them, that little difference in angle makes your head movement when using the mirrors a touch more obvious. Don’t know what the general consensus is on this. Passed my test first time if that’s any endorsement.
I know how you feel. I failed mine last month and I still feel like crap. I get so nervous when I drive, my fitness tracker sees the increased heart rate as excersice.
I also didn’t get any majour mistakes but too many minor ones.
I hope what everyone here says is right, I can’t tell you just yet… But know you’re not alone.
You kinda did really shite but keep practicing.
Advice: Get an automatic
Encouragement: there there…there there.
I sat my test on a Saturday. I requested it specifically because if i was gonna fail it again i sure as shit wasn’t gonna waste another day off on it lol.
I’ve recommended sitting a test on a Saturday to anyone who will listen. The wait time might be longer but it’s much better.
I don’t even know if it’s an option these days in fairness. Nearly 8 years since i passed my test (second time around)
You get a different caliber of road user on a weekend I find. Less commuters. Less people on school runs. Less stress and rush. Overall a much calmer experience which really helped me out.
As everyone has said. Keep practicing. Grade 2s are nothing major. The more you practice the less grade 2s you’ll get.
You’ve a lot of clutch faults. Would it be possible to do it in a different car? Smaller engine perhaps? Or possibly a bigger diesel engine? The bite is different on all cars and some suit more than others.
Find yourself a quiet hill with good views both ways and practice hill starts. That’ll sort out clutch and handbrake issues. It just takes experience.
Don’t worry man, just keep practicing and practicing and practicing. I know it’s hard to maintain a will to live when you’ve done your 400th reverse around a corner, but one day it’ll just click. I failed *ahem* 3 times, but after many, many hours of practice I knew on the fourth one I was gonna pass. Just keep going!
Just look forward to telling your grandkids “yeah you had to drive the car yourself and you even had to pass a test to prove you could control it. I even had to do the test twice because I was nervous the first time.”
I failed 3 times before passing. First test was a complete unmitigated disaster, second test went better but not well enough, third test I failed for petty reasons. Aced the fourth test. As the saying goes, if at first you don’t succeed…
Don’t worry. I passed on the second time. The first time I panicked and drove into the exit of a multi-story car park like a f*ckin eejit.
You’ll get it the second time. Give yourself a break.
I think they make everyone do it twice these days I don’t know anyone who passed first time in the last 10 years.