Driving tests

[Tilly3]

My first lot of lessons I’d been learning for about 6 months, my instructor was an ex copper and a friend of my Dad’s, I think he delayed my test so he could reap the discount back he had offered, the tight git!
Anyway it all went awry when I was doing a 3 point turn on a slight slope, I was reversing back being careful as I could see a lamp post in my rear view mirror, he said to stop braking but obviously I didn’t he then shouted STOP BRAKING, so I did and hit the bloody lamp post he went absolutely apeshit, was bouncing around on the pavement screeching like a banshee, calling me a silly little girl amongst other things, so I just said to him it’s your fault you told me to stop braking you old fart!!
My Dad had a right go at him and refused to pay for the last block of lessons!!

 

[Scorpihoe]

22 lessons
Passed first time

my instructor was so intimidating, I think that’s why I passed, because I was so scared of making mistakes one time I went to grab the gear stick and grabbed her thigh I will never live it down

 

[MilkAndTwoSugars]

How many lessons
How many attempts
Was your instructor horrible?

* 25 lessons
* Passed first time, in 1999!
* Driving instructor was a pervert, he used to ask me to give him the "full monty" (aka the full spin of steering wheel) when doing a 3-point turn. Also used to tap my thigh everytime he wanted me.to change gear

 

[WilmaHun]

About 30 lessons, passed first time, 1 minor.

I changed instructor after about 10 lessons as the one I went with initially kept putting his hand on my knee and asked me to take him round KFC drive thru on my lesson time (which I commented was a poor use of time which I am paying for and he simply retorted "I'm sure you'll come here when you pass [I won't, I'm veggie..] so it's great experience"). He was weird.

 

[Pixipoppy]

Wow you lot put me to shame I didn’t count my lessons but I’m estimating it was over 100 hours. I had 4 instructors over the time I was learning - first one was fine but I only had him a few weeks then moved away, second one was a twat, third one was lovely but then I moved again and the last one I just had a couple lessons with before my test that I passed. Took a bloody long time but that’s partly my fault as I kept having long gaps and moving. Plus I was an incredibly anxious driver.

 

[Ghostpumpkin]

I had around 30 lessons, failed first time had a female examiner who my instructor said beforehand if you get her “she’s like a head teacher” she failed me, but I did mess up, one of the manoeuvres was to reverse around a corner and I fully mounted the curb, also two occasions I didn’t indicate and she went mental like it was the worst thing in the world. Passed second time with a really normal guy who wanted to know who my boyfriend supported in football, at the end he said to me “you’ve passed but only if you get rid of that forest fan” meaning my boyfriend at the time.

 

[Barbie2020]

I think I must have had about 50 hours of lessons in total but I passed 1st time. I thought I’d failed in the first 5 mins my legs were shaking I felt like I wasn’t driving properly I think that helped me cos I thought f**k it I’ve failed and just drive normally after lol! I’m a very nervous driver and although I do love the independence I don’t drive really far on my own.

 

[Rippedjeanmaybe]

I passed second time in 2019 at the age of 23. I had two instructors and about 40 hours of lessons. I think I was learning to drive for a year and a half.

my first instructor was very intimidating. He was one of those arrogant old gits who thinks he’s always right... he laughed at me once because I was panicking at a roundabout and I couldn’t get the car in gear. He kept bringing it up afterwards and was laughing. he also kept going on about money, he used to make comments because I owned a terraced house and he used to go on about how much money he had and when I told him I was going to Florida he kept trying to work out how I could afford it, even though my partner and I earn a fair bit...

my second instructor was nice, but very laid back and I felt like sometimes he didn’t pay enough attention.

 

[Ohchristmastree]

12 lessons
Passed first time (it snowed on my test)
My instructor was BRILLIANT and taught me and all my friends when we were at college (in 2004)!

 

[Emoji]

I honestly couldn’t tell you how many lessons I had it was so long ago!
Passed 2nd time.
My instructor was ok but she did used to tell me I wasn’t a very good driver. I saw her about a year after I passed and she asked me if I’d crashed my mums car yet? Cheeky cow

 

[Mulholland Drive]

21 lessons
Instructor was great - very patient, thorough and wasn't in a hurry to push me to take my tests until I was good and ready
The examiner wasn't too bad - a woman - but tended to mumble her words. Don't know if she was still pissed from the night before!
Passed all my tests first time, although I thought I'd failed when I made a mess of my parallel parking

 

[Minipizza]

I’m on about 65 hours now I think, failed my test a month ago, now have the dreaded covid wait for my next test, next date is in may!!!! Praying for a cancellation! Any tips on cancellations through covid? Also my instructor is a condescending, misogynistic, racist, nasally asshole. I can’t wait for the day I pass my test so I never have to hear his nasally voice again

Get the app Testi on your phone and you put on the date of your test and then the test centres you want to be at and it will notify you of any cancellations and then you can click on that and book a nearer test date.

 

[NP]

Worked out it was around 17 or 18 lessons, 2 hours at a time. Took 4 months in all. Failed my first test but passed second time. My instructor was really nice but my examiner for my first test was a proper twat. Spoke to me after like I was an imbecile and was really grumpy throughout. I learnt automatic as I figured it would be easier and I needed to learn ASAP.

 

[Causewaygal]

About 50 lessons in 1997 (manual) and failed two tests. Nice instructor but was probably a bit too laid back ( he once fell asleep while in a lesson).
I stopped learning after I was in accident that was my fault. I became convinced that if I drove I’d kill someone so despite living in a pretty rural area I just couldn’t do it.
I started learning again in 2018, when I decided to move to Northern Ireland. I figured I’d learn before I moved over here and ended up with an instructor who was originally from Belfast. I learnt in an automatic and had about 12 lessons. Took my test the day before I moved countries and the day after I’d been diagnosed with severe gallbladder problems. I was in agony the whole time. It was going great till we were on the way back to the test centre and I was at a busy roundabout, nobody was indicating and I hesitated too long apparently so he failed me ... I hadn’t a single minor fault up to that point. I flew back over to England to take it again the next month and passed easily ... I wish I’d done it sooner as it completely changed my life. I finally feel like an independent adult, even if I still avoid slip roads

 

[Amyx1518]

I don’t know the exact number but I learned from May 2009 - September 2010. Passed theory and practical first time! My instructor was great, he actually put back my test date for me because he could see o wasn’t confident and would likely panic and then fail. As a result, I had an extra few weeks of intensive lessons and extra help and lo and behold, I passed first time! During my practical, about half way through I made what I thought was a mistake on a small bridge, and I thought that meant I’d automatically failed, so I was less worried after that because I “knew” I’d failed. So I was mor relaxed and therefore I think that’s how I passed!

 

[wastelandbaby]

I lost count of how many lessons I had as I moved away to uni and only picked it up when I started 2nd year. I had quite a few instructors - the first one was ok but he kept talking to people on the phone during my lessons and didn't turn up, leaving me waiting on the street in the rain as my house didn't have any vehicle access. The second was really nice but ended up retiring, the third was a bit creepy and the fourth spent the hour screaming down my ear. I finally found my 5th instructor who I got along really well with, and passed with her. I passed on my third time, but am quite severely dyspraxic so this could have something to do with it!

 

[Pinkblush]

I took two hour lessons at the age of 17 over a two month period. I failed first time because I approached a roundabout and continued without stopping simply because the road was clear, nothing was coming He said I should have stopped. I passed second time three weeks later. I had three lessons with my first instructor before ditching him because he always seemed like he was in a bad mood. My second instructor was great.

 

[HoGi]

12 hours with one creep when I was 19 put me off so u didn't start learning again until I was 28 and I switched to a female instructor.
Took about 40 hours and passed second time.
First test failed as classed as examiner intervened as I was slowing down but not exactly on the speed limit as we passed the sign and he said "it's a 40 here"

 

[Belulah]

I have my test coming up soon and I'm so nervous! Most people my age can drive so have felt very behind for a while with most of my friends passing when we were much younger but unfortunately I've had to wait an additional year and a bit due to the pandemic. Just wondered does anyone have any handy tips/suggestions/good or bad experiences.. I can't find any other threads for this but wanna hear them all! Thanks in advance x

Learning to drive.

I’ve booked in the next city across from me. My instructor says the test route is in the city I live in, just the test centre in my city is completely full. I know that sounds confusing 😂 Keep looking, I hope a test comes available x

tattle.life

There’s a thread in the advice section of the forum.

 

[openbook1]

I'm from the UK but now live in Canada.
I wanted to try and get my licence before moving as it's very much a driving culture here (it is essential, lol).

Did a few lessons in a manual car and there was no way I would pass before moving. The instructor was nice.

Moved to Canada. Here, you have to do in class style lessons and a theory test before they let you in the car. The theory is not as extensive as the UK's. I passed that first time.

Then I did my driving lessons. They were in an automatic, which is most common. Many places don't even do manual lessons. Standard amount of lessons is 12 hours so 12 lessons or so which is what I did. That covers driving in residential, road signs, parallel parking and highways.

My driving instructor was a lovely man. So patient and understanding. I was very nervous about driving and cried in every lesson apart from my last one .

I passed my test first time. I was a nervous wreck on the day and the examiner came out and she seemed really...grumpy. But I made conversation with her to "humanize" her. Lol. Also, did the driving test in our own vehicle which was good, as I was used to the breaks, etc. I only got one markdown which was when merging, not merging fully into the lane closest, instead cutting across to the other too early. You get three attempts for parallel parking and did it on the second . Haven't done it since, lol.