The first time was really bad. I was unreasonably nervous, which resulted in me not paying attention to traffic or signs. Nevertheless, I told myself that it was my first try, so it's forgivable to fail. 40€ down the drain.
Today, I wasn't quite nervous. I got an upset stomach due to anxiety, and felt weak afterwards, but that didn't really disturb me. I got behind the wheel and drove quite well. I only made 2 serious mistakes, but that was enough to fail. If I'd done only done 1 mistake, I would've passed the test. If only I had payed more attention. 40€ down the drain.
I've also taken extra driving lessons, which is 15€ each. I plan on taking a few more lessons and do the exam again, which means that in total I will have spent around 250 € on retaking the test and extra lessons. Combining it with the mandatory amount of lessons I will probably have spent around 700-800 € on trying to get a drivers license. 3rd time's the charm... Right? Still, I'm quite disappointed in myself.
College time is also approaching. I've applied to study philosophy, but I probably won't go there. Even if I'd be accepted, I would probably deny it. Studying programming with a mix of business seems a bit more reasonable, and profitable (even at a low position job). First try at college didn't go so well, but I'll definitely work harder now.
On July 18 2014 00:04 Ilikestarcraft wrote: I failed my driving test 3x before I got my license
Well, that cheered me up a bit (sorry!). Despite that, I still have a lingering feeling that even next time I'll make some stupid, silly mistakes due to not paying enough attention. :|
I failed once because I didn't stop the car fully at stop signs, which is how people normally drive but it's not quite how you're supposed to drive. It happens. 800€ is a drop in the bucket over the course of your lifetime anyway, don't sweat it.
I lucked out on my driving test, the first time I passed I failed so hard the guy didn't take any notes on my maneuvers, which the second guy took to mean that I had succeeded in all of them, and I never had to do them again =)
Driving test is just that, a test. If you fail it just by one mistake, you're almost there, there's not a ton of ground to cover until you pass it.
On July 18 2014 01:24 HappyCamper wrote: I passed my driving test the first time I took it O.o. How does one fail it so many times? Is it extremely hard in your country or something?
The States generally have much more lax standards when it comes to safe driving than many other countries. I've heard that in Germany, for example, it's all but expected that you will fail your first driving test because of how stringent the requirements are.
On July 18 2014 01:24 HappyCamper wrote: I passed my driving test the first time I took it O.o. How does one fail it so many times? Is it extremely hard in your country or something?
The States generally have much more lax standards when it comes to safe driving than many other countries. I've heard that in Germany, for example, it's all but expected that you will fail your first driving test because of how stringent the requirements are.
That's not quite the case. There are a lot of people who fail on the first try, but it's not really the expected outcome.
Usually driving "well" is not a requirement in these tests, don't try to show how good you are. Just do things right, even if it takes a while.
On July 18 2014 00:35 Djzapz wrote: I failed once because I didn't stop the car fully at stop signs, which is how people normally drive but it's not quite how you're supposed to drive. It happens. 800€ is a drop in the bucket over the course of your lifetime anyway, don't sweat it.
Near my driving school, just a few hundred meters down the road, there was this stop sign. My teacher told me that this was the #1 cause for people to fail the test at that driving school. 60 seconds after the test has started, they already failed. And I would assume that everyone heard that story from his teacher.
All i can say about it is that I managed to pass my driving test on 6th try so your situation is really not that bad: D Just keep trying, when u finally do it the sight of relief may be the biggest u have ever had lol:D
Don't worry about it too much, what I found for my driving test and after is that it is good to go at it with confidence, because you already know all the rules and have had lots of practice.
I started out really nervous in mine and forgot where the emergency lights were on the dashboard TT (they weren't super obvious on that model of car tho and I hadn't been doing my practice in that car)
I do think it is a little easier where I live to pass, but sometimes I wish they made it harder, it would maybe force those that really are terrible drivers to work on their skills, or at least re-acquaint themselves with the laws...
3rd times the charm OP! if you know about where they will be taking you on your test, practice driving around in that area. That might help you feel a little less nervous
On July 18 2014 00:01 Bunn wrote: The first time was really bad. I was unreasonably nervous, which resulted in me not paying attention to traffic or signs. Nevertheless, I told myself that it was my first try, so it's forgivable to fail. 40€ down the drain.
I really want a drivering license. T_T
Damn, only 40 €? I've payed around 150 € per try. So 300 in total just for my practical tests. I don't know about the general prices of things in Estonia though. You'd think the introduction of the Euro would equalize things more or less, but there are still pretty big differences.
I don't remember the exact numbers, but I think in Germany about 25-30 % fail their first driving test. It's not thaaat much really. But there are a lot of things that can go wrong, so don't bother too much. It's important that you feel comfortable with most everyday traffic situations during your practice drives so you can just mentally follow the program. Much like a BO, really. :D
On July 18 2014 00:01 Bunn wrote: The first time was really bad. I was unreasonably nervous, which resulted in me not paying attention to traffic or signs. Nevertheless, I told myself that it was my first try, so it's forgivable to fail. 40€ down the drain.
I really want a drivering license. T_T
Damn, only 40 €? I've payed around 150 € per try. So 300 in total just for my practical tests. I don't know about the general prices of things in Estonia though. You'd think the introduction of the Euro would equalize things more or less, but there are still pretty big differences.
I don't remember the exact numbers, but I think in Germany about 25-30 % fail their first driving test. It's not thaaat much really. But there are a lot of things that can go wrong, so don't bother too much. It's important that you feel comfortable with most everyday traffic situations during your practice drives so you can just mentally follow the program. Much like a BO, really. :D
'only 40 €' I guess that's where the difference in GDP comes to play. Our domestic goods prices have caught up with those of EU, but salaries not quite so. ^^
I wasn't really nervous doing the test, in fact, I was feeling quite confident. I could always blame the on-going road construction, which suddenly had changed the usual route a bit, but I should've known better.
Took me two times. First time fail was bollocks had 3 mini mistakes (like not looking in mirror long enough lolol) then i came to traffic light and it was some female taking ages in front on filter light. If she went forward and got through the light of would of been able to follow in time and been fine, but NOPE. She then goes on Amber and me not realizing/rushing went after her and technically "nearly" went through red light until the test guy said "stop"
Oh well, i re took it and have 6 mini mistakes that time and passed lolol xD
Not sure if same in Estonia, but cost around £400-500 total in England, then you have like £1200+ minimum insurance for your first of driving anyway LOL
Sounds like they are more strict over there than here in the U.S. At least, when comparing your experiences with ones I know.
My sister failed her drivers test 2 times before getting it. She was crying the second time because here if you fail three times you have to wait longer and take some mandatory driving course before you can test again. But she (barely) passed it the third time.
Four year later, my turn. I only practiced parallel parking specifically in preparation, other than that my Dad just had me chauffeur him around town for about a week prior. I got marked down for failing parallel parking (lol), stopping at an unmarked intersection (it's okay to slow down to a crawl but not stop wtf) and some minor turn signal stuff when parking. In all I missed four items, parallel parking was the only big item and scored somewhere in the 70s (69 or less is a fail). Seems like they were pretty lenient.
Oh yeah, and don't kick yourself so much. Just like dealing with a cop, a lot of it depends on the personality of the instructor you get. My instructor kept asking me "Are you done?" during all the parking sections, tipping me off to recheck tire alignment on hills, turn signals, etc., when she could have just as easily caused me to fail them instead by not giving me that chance to reevaluate and just marking them fail as I made the mistakes.
I got my drivers license on fifth try with a special state exam (in the netherlands if you fail 4 times you have to take this exam instead). Dont sweat it man .
First time was parallel parking, where I personally would've said "that one is too small!" (today I can easily park in similar spots^^). But overall, I just fucked that up, since I wanted to get in "on my first try". My driving teacher told me later, that it doesn't matter if I park on the first try. I can even try from the start again if I want.
The second time I failed I had a shit tester. Happens. I failed because I didn't do a shoulder look after continuing form parking. I did look into the mirrors for 10+sec, but whatever. Technically he was correct, but I still haven't met a moving object that stays in my blindspot for 5+sec He also seemed annoyed that I didn't care too much about failing and threatened me with a MPU (Medical-Psychological examination to test if I'm overall able to drive a vehicle).
3rd time was easy, except that I followed a through street at a junction and only asked at the latest possible situation if that was correct (the overall rule was "always straight, except I say something else"). But the guy didn't really care and said "Well, if you want to drive this way, we can drive this way".
Usually the driving test takes 45min in germany. After 22min "gratulation". Teacher was speechless.
However if I try today again, I would fail pretty hard because I dont follow all stuff (look on driving mirror, side mirror, etc) before turn anymore. Dont try to persuade the boss, just focus on traffic and drive solid/normal.
In Canada they're also not so easy. You can easily fail the first time by stopping too far past a stop sign, turning right on a red light, or messing up any other things like that. However, if you don't do anything outright illegal you will almost guaranteed pass. You lose 1 point for messing up, and you get 30 before you fail. I got 99/100(or whatever it was out of -1) because I didn't rest my wheels on the curb after turning them on the hill park. Meanwhile I sat at a 3way stop for 5 to 10 seconds waiting for a car that was coming from the side because I didn't realize he had a stop sign as well. It worked out because that car barely slowed for the stop sign and just ran it. I told the instructor I was psychic haha.
Also, going to university for philosophy may be a bad idea. It's good to choose something you love, but you have to consider whether you can justify the ~40K you spend on the degree. If you ask philosophy students they will give you a biased answer that it is useful, because they want to justify it to themselves. Try to figure it out for yourself.
On July 18 2014 01:24 HappyCamper wrote: I passed my driving test the first time I took it O.o. How does one fail it so many times? Is it extremely hard in your country or something?
The States generally have much more lax standards when it comes to safe driving than many other countries. I've heard that in Germany, for example, it's all but expected that you will fail your first driving test because of how stringent the requirements are.
Pssh , lax? Thats crazy talk. I only smacked into one snowbank and I barely passed! :p
To the Americans talking about standards... I didn't realize we had standards. I thought they just thought we had to jump through imaginary hoops to obtain our license at the ripe old age of 15-17 depending on state.
On July 18 2014 01:24 HappyCamper wrote: I passed my driving test the first time I took it O.o. How does one fail it so many times? Is it extremely hard in your country or something?
You are not taking the same test he is. They practically sell licenses at wal-mart over here. $30 and you're a brand new driver.
On July 18 2014 01:24 HappyCamper wrote: I passed my driving test the first time I took it O.o. How does one fail it so many times? Is it extremely hard in your country or something?
You are not taking the same test he is. They practically sell licenses at wal-mart over here. $30 and you're a brand new driver.
I live in the US and I didn't have to pay for my license. Granted, it might be different per state but yeah.
I agree that the US gives out licenses like candy, given that we have a large number of horrible drivers, but I failed my first driver's test too. I thought it sucked a lot and wanted to cry (because I'm a very sensitive guy who is in touch with his inner feminine side) but don't worry about it too much. You'll eventually get it as long as you keep practicing with your parents (unless you're not allowed to drive without a license or an instructor in Europe....)
If that could cheer you up, I think we have one of the most difficult (if not the most) driving tests ever here in france. Not only that but we also lose it rather quickly after a few stupid errors (like 1 km/h more than the speed limit which result a 1 point lost for a total of 6 points available for the news drivers). Not to mention the price which is like 700 euros for the basics training alone. AAAAAAND for ppl like me who have a handicap (I'm deaf), we have to do a medical check every 5 years so they know if we're able to drive or not (cost at least 50+ more euros).
Don't worry, I also failed my first driving test (for many, many mistakes... haha). I didn't end up getting my license until I was 23 years old which I think is almost unheard of in the United States (unless you're from NYC or something). It helped to just start driving every day to places like the grocery store, school/work, etc.
On July 18 2014 01:24 HappyCamper wrote: I passed my driving test the first time I took it O.o. How does one fail it so many times? Is it extremely hard in your country or something?
You are not taking the same test he is. They practically sell licenses at wal-mart over here. $30 and you're a brand new driver.
I live in the US and I didn't have to pay for my license. Granted, it might be different per state but yeah.
I agree that the US gives out licenses like candy, given that we have a large number of horrible drivers, but I failed my first driver's test too. I thought it sucked a lot and wanted to cry (because I'm a very sensitive guy who is in touch with his inner feminine side) but don't worry about it too much. You'll eventually get it as long as you keep practicing with your parents (unless you're not allowed to drive without a license or an instructor in Europe....)
Yeah you arent. Also In the Netherlands you can get your license at 17 but even then you have to drive with somebody licensed next to you until youre 18
Eh I actually failed my driving test 4 times - First time I made some little mistakes - Second time I suddenly got very nervous and blacked out - Third time I rushed some things because I wanted to show I could drive fast and be in control still, better to take it slower in narrow streets - Fourth time was the same like third time... ahhh stupid . - Fifth time I made it comfortably
Been driving 5 years since without any problems... mountain roads, long trips, busy areas etc. etc.
I sometimes wonder what would happen if I took a road test again after a number of years of driving... I have probably developed plenty of habits and tendencies that the instructor would not like... wonder if I would even pass or not without consciously avoiding my normal driving style haha
On July 18 2014 20:26 micronesia wrote: I sometimes wonder what would happen if I took a road test again after a number of years of driving... I have probably developed plenty of habits and tendencies that the instructor would not like... wonder if I would even pass or not without consciously avoiding my normal driving style haha
There was a study done in the UK where they made a bunch of people over the age of 40 retake (mock) driving exams. Something like 80% of them failed. Not sure where the info is though, coulda been on anything i just remember it.
I failed my car driving license 2 times. The third was a charm me for me, hope it is you as well. Then i got my truck license with the first try. My 2 failed attempts were due to being nervous. Once that settled down a bit, it was easy. ps. I am from Europe as well.
Don't feel bad. I also failed twice. First time it was on the paper tests as I didn't bother to even look at them, just assumed it's all common sense and I would answer all of them correctly. Second time the inspector was looking at his phone when we passed the sign that is the triangle pointing down (meaning I should let cars pass at the intersection IF there are cars but I am not required to stop) and I didn't stop as it was not needed. But the inspector thought it was a STOP sign and when he asked me why I didn't stop at it I answered something in the lines of "Maybe if you were actually doing your job instead of looking at that crappy phone, you would've seen it was not a STOP sign.". So he got pissed and I failed. The third time it was the same inspector as the second time and I just went to him and said "If you're going to make me fail, just say so and I can leave." But he said he was sorry for the previous time and basically let me pass after 200 meters on a straight road. But just follow the traffic laws. After so many hours you should be comfortable.
On July 18 2014 17:49 RaiZ wrote: If that could cheer you up, I think we have one of the most difficult (if not the most) driving tests ever here in france. Not only that but we also lose it rather quickly after a few stupid errors (like 1 km/h more than the speed limit which result a 1 point lost for a total of 6 points available for the news drivers). Not to mention the price which is like 700 euros for the basics training alone. AAAAAAND for ppl like me who have a handicap (I'm deaf), we have to do a medical check every 5 years so they know if we're able to drive or not (cost at least 50+ more euros).
It's just a pain in the ass really.
So Good luck, third time is definitely the charm.
What ?
Taking into account the "Code de la route" plus 20 hours of lessons with a monitor it costs around 1200-1400 euros in Paris' region.
Rough but I'm sure you'll get it next time. If it's any consolation to you, my driver's license expired so I have to do everything again. What a pain ><;
On July 22 2014 01:28 BigFan wrote: Rough but I'm sure you'll get it next time. If it's any consolation to you, my driver's license expired so I have to do everything again. What a pain ><;
What that's a thing? Here in QC when the license expires you just pay to renew it buy you don't have to test for it again.
On July 22 2014 01:28 BigFan wrote: Rough but I'm sure you'll get it next time. If it's any consolation to you, my driver's license expired so I have to do everything again. What a pain ><;
What that's a thing? Here in QC when the license expires you just pay to renew it buy you don't have to test for it again.
Well, it wasn't a full license just yet so ya, in ON, you have to start from step one again if it expires lol. Couldn't be helped ><
Third time really was the charm. The day before I tried to get as exhausted as possible, so I would get a good sleep. That meant exercising, reading a book, making a pot of soup. I went to bed 23.00, read a book for an hour, and woke up around 7.30. After waking up, I laid in bed for about 15 minutes and then I ate. After that I washed myself and took a nervous dump. I decided to also take my headphones with me so that I could get into the 'zone' before the exam.
By the time I reached the local DMV, I felt exhausted and nervous. Thankfully there was a place to get free water, so I drank a lot. And took my second nervous dump.
I had read somewhere, that the best way to not worry, is to think what is the worst that could happen. And I understood that failing wouldn't be the end of the world. So what if I fail? I'll just have to take the test again and pay some more money for them, but that's about it. Life won't stop moving and the money could be easily earned back. After that I was ready.
I did the mandatory light and tire check, and got behind the wheel. I didn't feel very nervous, more like, ice cool. Later on I did a few small mistakes, which I thought were the end of my ride. The instructor told me to take the route which usually meant failure for me, but instead he told me take a right and to my surprise I managed to drive the whole hour without major mistakes. After we got back to the DMV, I felt that I probably failed. But to my surprise, I passed! After that I couldn't keep back a smile and feeling joyous. The build order worked and I beat the final boss.
I failed my driving test 3 times then I had numerous accidents in the next several years. I totalled 2 cars. What I'm saying is you probably failed the driving test because you are bad at driving. Be very careful to not crash and kill yourself when you are on the road.
On July 27 2014 15:00 kushm4sta wrote: I failed my driving test 3 times then I had numerous accidents in the next several years. I totalled 2 cars. What I'm saying is you probably failed the driving test because you are bad at driving. Be very careful to not crash and kill yourself when you are on the road.
lol. cmon, I dunno what it's like in the US but sometimes you can fail for silly things and that could've been happening to the OP.
I've failed two times as well.. Now I have to retake my theoretical exam because it's only valid for 1.5 years. Blerghh. I hate this so much. I believe 50% fail their first test here :/
On July 27 2014 15:00 kushm4sta wrote: I failed my driving test 3 times then I had numerous accidents in the next several years. I totalled 2 cars. What I'm saying is you probably failed the driving test because you are bad at driving. Be very careful to not crash and kill yourself when you are on the road.
The exams are joke in the US according to my sister who lives there.
EPT
I guess that's where the difference in GDP comes to play. Our domestic goods prices have caught up with those of EU, but salaries not quite so. ^^
He also seemed annoyed that I didn't care too much about failing and threatened me with a MPU (Medical-Psychological examination to test if I'm overall able to drive a vehicle).
.
