Hiring a driver for the driving test

Scrapit

alihd said:

Scrapit said:

3 previous tests say otherwise 

Passing all the mock tests and failing the actual tests doesn't say otherwise.

It does. Unless you pass the real thing nothing else matters, hence why you are still a learner.

forgotmyname

Fairly sure a new instructor will want to see your skill level before taking you to the test.

Unless its changed, I think they can have issues if they take too many students that are not upto the test
standard.

Find an instructor, have a couple of lessons and then book the test or get them to book the test.

Assuming your insurance is provisional only, are you covered to drive home after the test?

neilmcl

forgotmyname said:

Fairly sure a new instructor will want to see your skill level before taking you to the test.

Unless its changed, I think they can have issues if they take too many students that are not upto the test
standard.

Find an instructor, have a couple of lessons and then book the test or get them to book the test.

Assuming your insurance is provisional only, are you covered to drive home after the test?

Probably the reason the OP is trying to organize it all himself 😉

JamoLew

can this person help you (or didnt you find anyone for this daft idea either?)

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6203463/gifting-a-driving-companion-for-legal-driving-with-a-provisional-license/p1

alihd

JamoLew said:

can this person help you (or didnt you find anyone for this daft idea either?)

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6203463/gifting-a-driving-companion-for-legal-driving-with-a-provisional-license/p1

Yep, the same issue: ”Shortage of proper instructors due to high demand” AND ”no regulation on how much they can charge for test” is causing so much trouble.

alihd

forgotmyname said:

Fairly sure a new instructor will want to see your skill level before taking you to the test.
Unless its changed, I think they can have issues if they take too many students that are not upto the test
standard.
Find an instructor, have a couple of lessons and then book the test or get them to book the test.
Assuming your insurance is provisional only, are you covered to drive home after the test?

neilmcl said:

Probably the reason the OP is trying to organize it all himself 😉

That's partially true. The instructors figure out that my failures are for the stress and not the driving skills, so they have no help to offer. Sadly, there is a rule that "once you fail a test, the next test cannot be taken until two weeks later". This usually means I will forget the UK-specific stuff and develop more stress; OR, I need to keep practising (which is again, not possible because the instructors will be fully booked by the time I take the test). To add to the complexity, any new instructor soon admits in the first session that I don't have any lack of skill: All they do is to teach me the new reference points on their cars and CHANGE the way I learnt the parking manoeuvres, etc from the previous instructors... The UK system has left me no way to consecutively get help from the instructors.
So, as this is moneysavingexpert.com, what is the workaround for not spending thousands of pounds on this and yet pass the test? 

AdrianC

There's one thing I'm struggling to understand here...

You have been driving for nearly a decade and a half elsewhere, you are apparently very ready for the test, and perfectly capable of passing it. It's purely the stress of being in the test environment that causes you to have failed four times so far.

Yet if you don't drive for a fortnight, you'll forget how to use a mini roundabout, you'll forget how to observe properly, you'll forget how to use junctions, you'll forget how to park, "a thousand other things" - and you'll even forget how to drive on the right of the car, left of the road...

Dr_Crypto

Yeah what you are saying doesn't make sense apart from the thing about stress. 
You are an experienced and competent driver overseas. There isn't really much different about driving around the world except the side of the road and speed limits. Fundamentally a competent driver should be able to pass a practical test anywhere. I only drive overseas when on holiday so not more than 4 or 5 times a year, but even then I don't forget how to do it. I don't see what you would forget in 2 weeks. 
How to deal with stress? No idea apart from taking a deep breath. Presumably you passed your test overseas so had to deal with anxiety then too?

NBLondon

alihd said:

This usually means I will forget the UK-specific stuff and develop more stress; OR, I need to keep practising (which is again, not possible because the instructors will be fully booked by the time I take the test). 

If you are forgetting stuff every time you don't drive - have you really learnt it?  If you're that experienced a driver and don't need to learn the mechanics of car control then you should also be able to adjust to a different car without reference points being highlighted and perform a competent parking manoeuvre without the new instructor needing to show you a different technique.   Either you've got a series of rubbish instructors or you're not actually as good a driver as you think you are.  In your other thread you claimed you had no experience of car control on hills because of living in a flat country - have you mastered that yet?

Also as said on your other thread - it does require concentration to drive on the "wrong" side and is easy to slip into mistakes when you relax.   Possibly worse if you regularly swap sides...

As for actually going out and buying a car that you can't use - because you have absolutely no friends/relatives/colleagues who can accompany you on practice drives - unless it was a fantastic deal, you were bound to lose out.

neilmcl

Why not put a request into your local Facebook page(s) and see what comes up. I'm sure they'll be plenty of strangers willing to take your keys for the day and help out, and get paid for the privilege.