Driving test route and lessons

JamesZxr

Did your instructor suggest you book your test for November? If so they must be fairly confident that you are ready otherwise it would be a pointless exercise. Go for the test, what is the worst that can happen, you fail but have then got knowledge of at least one of the test routes (would be surprised if they weren’t on YouTube somewhere these days anyway)?


I can see both sides of the argument to be honest, for what it is worth I took my Class 2 and Class 1 with work 2 and a bit over 2 years ago. We practised the ‘test routes’ but on both actual test days we hardly went anywhere near them! Different ball game I know but although I was narked at the time I can honestly say it made me concentrate more.


At least if you go for it this time and fail (who knows you may surprise yourself and pass) you can talk through constructively with your instructor why you failed and suggest you actually drive that part of the route again so you can see where you went wrong. If you do pass there is no shame in getting some more lessons (pass plus etc.) to build some more confidence.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do

Car_54

JamesZxr wrote: »

Did your instructor suggest you book your test for November? If so they must be fairly confident that you are ready otherwise it would be a pointless exercise.

Not necessarily. An instructor is expected to "discuss with and advise a client when to apply for their driving tests, taking account of DVSA’s cancellation rules, local waiting times and the instructor’s forecast of a client’s potential for achieving the driving test pass standard". [Driver training industry code of practice].

In other words, the OP may not be ready now, but is expected to be ready in November.

heatherw_01

I passed my test a few years ago. I had been shown some of the possible test routes but when I had my test, I only did a little of these and most of it was new road but I still passed.
If you can drive which your instructor must think you can do as you have a test booked, then knowing the route means nothing

Good luck

d0nkeyk0ng

Ask your instructor if you can drive through a new or unfamiliar area, rather than the same three miles. In the run up to my test, I had double lessons ie two hours so we had more time to drive through new areas. This built up more experience for me and hence more confidence.

Mercdriver

matttye wrote: »

Going the wrong way on a driving test isn't a fail so I don't think this would be the reason why your driving instructor failed you on your mock test - perhaps clarify that. If you forget the directions you've been given you can ask the examiner to repeat them.

On my driving test the examiner told me to follow the road ahead unless told otherwise. At some stage the road split into two lanes and I remained in the left hand lane. Quite late I saw a road sign telling me the left lane was for going left and the right lane was for going straight ahead. I simply checked my right mirror, narrated that it was too late for me to safely pull into the right hand lane to carry straight on (due to traffic) so I would have to go left instead. He gave me a minor for that.

I wouldn't have said anything and just gone the wrong way. As long as you are doing your observations properly, you can't be marked down for simply going the wrong way.

Mercdriver

When I took my test in 2013, on an intensive course I drove all the known test routes. So I knew the area quite well. The route the examiner took me on was a mixture of 3 different known routes. You can't really rely on routes - they can all be found online, but they are unofficial and the examiners can choose to go a completely different way.

Familiarity can make you feel more at ease, but is that really a good thing? You don't want to a nervous wreck, but neither do you want to too at ease. You might be there at a completely different time, and then it may as well be a completely different route. It's so easy to anticipate what you have experiences before but to fail to anticipate what is in front of you on the test itself.

JamesZxr

Out of interest how will the sat nav element of the test be assessed when it comes in from December, could you effectively fail if you can't folllow it to a high enough standard?

matttye

Car_54 wrote: »

Are you sure? Taking the wrong turn is not a fault. More likely it was for failing to check your left mirror, ot to signal left.

I thought it was for that but I could be mistaken. I had 3 minors and remember one was definitely for hesitating on a left turn when a solid green light was on and the green filter arrow was not lit up. I'd done thousands on my lessons but exam nerves got the better of me

lister

matttye wrote: »

I thought it was for that but I could be mistaken. I had 3 minors and remember one was definitely for hesitating on a left turn when a solid green light was on and the green filter arrow was not lit up. I'd done thousands on my lessons but exam nerves got the better of me

You don't normally get a driver fault for going the wrong way safely.

But... It isn't unheard of for someone to get an awareness and planning fault (box 26 on the DL25 if you still have it) - usually given when there is abundant clear evidence of where you should be and you fail to notice it or act on it.

lister

JamesZxr wrote: »

Out of interest how will the sat nav element of the test be assessed when it comes in from December, could you effectively fail if you can't folllow it to a high enough standard?

Faults will be marked if what you do following the sat nav falls outside of expected outcomes - exactly as the current indy drive is assessed.

So if the sat nav is saying turn right 3rd exit at a roundabout and you do that from the left lane, you'll probably get a serious or dangerous fault.

If you decided instead to turn left but did it while showing a right indicator or no indicator, you'd probably get a driver fault.

If you correctly cancelled any right indicator, signalled left and turned left from the left lane, no fault would be marked.