Practical test: how it's marked
Part of the reason why people worry so much about the driving test is that they believe they have to drive perfectly to pass.
This is not so.
To be successful, you have to demonstrate to the examiner a reasonable level of competence.
You can make errors and still pass, depending upon their type and how many you make.
Examiners divide driving errors into three possible categories, which are:
- DRIVING FAULT these are less serious faults, and you can make up to 15 of them and still pass
- SERIOUS FAULT these are recorded when a potentially dangerous incident has happened. They are also marked if you make a habitual driving error, which shows a serious weakness in your driving
- DANGEROUS FAULT these are recorded when you make an error that has actually caused a dangerous situation to occur
If you make either a serious or dangerous fault, the examiner will not pass you.
If you are aware that you have made a fault, then try to put it right, if you have the chance to do so. Pupils are notoriously bad at judging their own errors on a driving test, so what you think has been a cause to fail may not be so.
If you make mistakes, which you will, do not dwell on them, but concentrate on what is next. In some situations, the examiner may give you the benefit of the doubt if you correct the error, and then show that it was an uncharacteristic mistake, by not repeating it.
The general advice is don't aim at the wrong goal, by trying to drive perfectly, no one can, and it is not what is expected. You should also remember that in many driving situations there is not always one right answer.
Why People Don't Pass
Of those candidates that fail their test, most do so for one, or a combination of the following general reasons:
- They did not have enough practice and prepare properly, taking their test before they were ready.
- They did not do justice to their driving ability, by becoming too nervous and worried about the test.
- They had not been taught correctly because they did not learn with a professional driving instructor.
The truth is most people fail for reason 1, with reason 2 having a greater or lesser effect on the result. Some people still even fail for reason 3. Our advice is simple, do not cut corners with your driver training and test preparation, it simply does not work, and you end up having to do it again.