Blog posts tagged ‘test’

You may have heard that on the 4^th October this year the driving test is changing. I’d like to clear up some of the facts surrounding the new test, as I’ve heard all sorts of rumours and scare stories about it. Following a meeting with the test centre manager at the King’s Heath test centre, I have it on good authority that this isn’t going to be the problem that many in the media have made it out to be. Some may even find the new test easier, and all should find it beneficial.

Independent driving
The main change is the inclusion of an independent driving phase. This will take about ten minutes of the time on test. It will involve you having to either:
1.  Follow signs to a specific location e.g.  “follow signs to the station until I tell you otherwise”
or
2.  Follow a short series of up to three directions given verbally by the examiner and sometimes backed up by a simple route diagram. You will be asked to repeat the instructions to the examiner before you set off. 
or
3. A combination of the two.

It is the second of these that seems to worry people the most. Many are scared that they won’t be able to remember where they’re supposed to go. Well fear not, as it is perfectly acceptable to ask the examiner if you have forgotten. The examiners are generally nice people, and are there to help you achieve your potential on the test. Feel free to ask them anything that isn’t clear to you. Also, just like on the rest of the test, if you make a wrong turn (get left and right mixed up for example), so long as you’ve driven correctly to wherever you’ve gone, then there is no problem at all. It is not a test of your ability to follow direction instructions, merely a test of your ability to drive a route with minimal prompting.

Manoeuvres
Now for the good bit! Before the changes, you would have had to perform at least two reversing exercises. Now, there will be only one! So that’s got to be good for you hasn’t it? There is still a second manoeuvre, as EU law states that there has to be two on all tests. The second manoeuvre is “moving off at an angle”. This means that you’ll be asked to pull up about a car length behind a parked vehicle, and then to pull away from behind it. This is something that has always been asked of you in the driving test anyway, but it wasn’t given its own status as a manoeuvre before.

Test Routes
This won’t directly affect your test at all, but the test routes will no longer be published by the DSA. As a driving instructor, my aim is to teach you to drive safely, and legally wherever in the country, or even the world you will be driving. As such, I have never taught “test routes”. If you can drive well, you can drive anywhere. Obviously there can be some tricky junctions that can confuse in every area, and of course you will familiarise yourself with these on your lessons with me. For example, many find the bus lanes and approach to the Maypole roundabout confusing, and having a go at these before the test is a good idea. In my opinion  the lack of published test routes won’t affect your chances of passing the driving test in any way.

Hopefully this has clarified some of the facts about the changes to the test, but if you are still unsure, please feel free to give me a call, and also check out the DSA’s You Tube video about the changes.

It’s that time of year again when term is about to start or has just started. Among your list of things to do could be learning to drive. Whether you’re going to be leaving school, college or university this academic year, or in the near future, your ability to find work is highly likely to be affected by whether or not you have a driving licence. You may need to drive as part of the job itself, or just to commute to and from the workplace.

Learning to drive is also a great way to gain freedom, not relying on lifts or public transport all of the time. One of my current pupils, a Birmingham University student, recently told me she enjoys getting to see parts of Birmingham outside of the bubble of Selly Oak and the uni campus.

So when you’re considering your options this term, don’t forget to add driving lessons to the syllabus.

The date is fast approaching that the DSA’s latest change to the driving test will be implemented. The independent driving element of the driving test will come into effect on 4 October 2010. But does that mean you have to rush into taking your driving test before this date? I don’t think so. The new element to the test is designed to be more realistic, and more like the type of driving you’ll be doing after passing. It will involve you following a series of verbal directions, following traffic signs to a destination or a combination of both. There really is nothing to be scared of. It’s exactly what you’ll be doing when you’ve passed your test and you’re driving alone. As long as you are driving safely, it doesn’t even matter too much if you take the wrong direction or forget where you are supposed to be going. After all, that even happens to experienced drivers.

For more information click here to view a video clip from the DSA

Most learners I teach don’t have the opportunity to drive other than when on driving lessons. But some do get the benefit of being able to practise in their own/parent’s/partner’s car. These lucky few are able to gain experience of different road traffic situations more quickly and are generally ready to take their test earlier than those who haven’t had extra practice.  Some instructors feel that learners tend to pick up bad habits from their family and friends supervising them, but as long as the practice is taken alongside regular professional driving lessons then I don’t believe that this is the case.

Adding a younger learner to a policy can be prohibitively expensive. There are cheaper options available such as short term policies, held by the learner themselves. One such policy is offered by a company called Marmalade Provisional, who have a tie in with Halfords. They offer policies from as little as £90 per month although this does vary with location. I have checked with them, and for a learner with a Selly Oak B29 postcode, the cost would be £99.50 for one month, or £187.00 for two months.

I believe that in the run up to a test this type of policy can really give a learner an extra boost to their learning experience, raise their confidence and increase their chances of passing the test first time.

Click here for more details…

This year, the driving test in the United Kingdom is 75 years old! Back in 1935 there were 200 examiners across the country. Now there are around 2000. The current test has changed quite a bit  – it’s considerably longer and involves more reversing manoeuvres, not to mention the relatively recent additions of the theory test, hazard perception test and more recently still the “Show me, tell me” element of the practical test. It’s a constantly evolving beast, with more changes ready to be introduced later this year with an independent driving element set to be included.

Currently Britain has the second safest roads in Europe, and this is surely in part due to the high standard of driving required to achieve a pass. So happy 75th birthday driving test. Here’s to another 75 years. Mind you I very much doubt I’ll still be teaching people to pass it by then………

Whilst doing a little driving test research, I stumbled across this newspaper article from 2006.  Not sure exactly how true it is but I found it quite amusing all the same…

From 28 September this year the theory test for car drivers, motorcycle and moped riders will include a case study. It will take the form of a scenario on which five multiple choice questions will be asked. This case study, and the questions based on it will appear at the end of the multiple choice phase of the test and make up the final five questions of the fifty asked. 

The reason for the inclusion of a case study is to improve the assessment of the understanding of the candidate, rather than just their ability to memorise answers. Unlike the theory questions, the DSA won’t be publishing the case study scenarios.  If you know your theory and understand it, then the case study element shouldn’t be a problem for you.

If you’re a nervous driver, or think that you will be, don’t worry – you’re not alone.

 Research carried out by the RAC has found that approximately 10 million drivers in the UK suffer some kind of driving anxiety disorder, with women being more commonly affected. For example, it is estimated that one in five female drivers refuse to drive on a motorway at all.

Some of the more common fears that learners have are fear of large vehicles coming towards them, fear of impatient drivers behind them, fear that they themselves will cause a hold up by stalling and fear of judging when to go at roundabouts.  These fears tend to lead to more mistakes, thus compounding the problem and reinforcing a negative driving experience.

But these fears can be overcome, and hopefully the following three points can help with that:

1) Relax before a lesson

Driving lessons themselves can make people anxious. Pupils sometimes worry that they won’t understand what’s asked of them, or that they’ll look stupid if they can’t do it, or if they have to ask again how to do something.  These should never be fears that you have. I (and any good driving instructor) will be patient, willing to answer any questions, however many times they are asked, and will never think anyone is stupid for finding driving hard.  We don’t bite! The reason that you are having lessons is that you can’t drive yet, so it stands to reason that you won’t be able to do everything straight away.

2) Understanding your needs

 As your instructor I will make every effort to ensure that each lesson you have is tailored to your specific needs. For example, I won’t be making you drive around the Maypole roundabout on your first driving lesson! We’ll progress at a rate which suits your learning requirements. It’s always better to walk before you can run, and there’s little point trying to get across a busy junction in the rush hour if you’re still struggling with clutch control, so we’ll work on your clutch control in a quiet environment. That way you’re far less likely to make mistakes, which lead to a lack of confidence in the future. If you’re finding steering a problem, we’ll work on that in a safe environment with wider roads, and get you proficient before expecting you to negotiate a tricky narrow street with numerous parked cars and other obstructions.

 3) Breathe

I know it may sound crazy, but learner drivers who get stressed often forget to breathe! If you’re finding a situation stressful, maybe before doing a parallel park on the driving test, it’s a good idea to take several long deep breaths.  This is a very simple but effective method of relaxation which can help to reduce nerves so that you feel calm and in control once more – hopefully bringing you closer to achieving your goal of learning to drive and passing your test!

I attended a meeting a couple of weeks ago, where the speaker was a DSA Assistant Chief Driving Examiner. He works for a department within the DSA which looks at and regulates the standards of driving examiners. The presentation he gave mainly related to the examination and continued testing of driving instructors (ADIs) but was also relevant to examiners who take learners out on test. His talk certainly reassured me that every effort is taken to ensure that all driving tests carried out are fairly and consistently marked as far as they can be.

Obviously there is always a possibility of human error, and for those occasions that you feel you’ve been unfairly treated then there is a complaints procedure that can be followed. This procedure is marked out on the driving test report, a copy of which you receive at the end of the test.

But in general I believe that examiners' marking is consistent and fair. If anyone fails a test there is always a genuine reason for it, and that reason needs to be addressed and worked on to get you ready for, and able to pass,  the next test you take.

The driving test fees for 2009/10 have recently been revised by the DSA.

The new fees are:

Car Theory Test:            £31

Car Practical Test:         £62