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How many practical driving tests did you take before passing?

How many practical driving tests did you take before passing?

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Matt N

Matt N

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Hi guys. As most of us on here are adults or teenagers, I’m guessing that many of us either have a driving license or are in the process of getting one. In many places, the process of getting a driving license entails a rather daunting final step; a practical driving test, where you are taken out on the road and have to show an examiner that you can drive independently. It’s safe to say that the pass rate for the driving test is not the highest, with many, many people taking multiple; here in the UK, the first time pass rate is pegged at under 50%. With this in mind, I’d be interested to know; if you have a driving license, how many practical driving tests did you take before passing? Were you one of the 50% who passed first time? Or did you have to be a little more persistent to get your license and take multiple tests?

Personally, I’m actually yet to pass a driving test. However, I already know for a fact that I am not among the lucky 50%, as I failed my first driving test two weeks ago and am now preparing for my second. I got 1 major and 9 minors in my first test, and most disappointingly, I committed my 1 major in the last 5 minutes! After a relatively straightforward test route along the dual carriageway, I was driving back to the test centre. We were on a 40mph single carriageway road, and the examiner told me to take the next left. I treated this left like a regular junction and turned straight into it. However, I hadn’t noticed that there was a slip road that I was supposed to use… as such, I failed immediately for not using the slip road when there was one present.

But I’d be interested to know; how many practical driving tests did you take before passing? If you don’t mind sharing them, I’d also be very interested to hear some of your practical driving test stories, as I’m sure people have some interesting stories to tell!
 
First time pass for me, and I was more surprised about that than anyone.

My most feared manoeuvre was reverse bay parking, the ‘rule’ at the test centre I was at, was the last person out of the car park did a reverse park, and that ended up being me.

I thought I was going to end up failing before I’d even left the car park, but by some miracle it all worked out. 20 years later and I’m still not a fan of reverse parking. 😏
 
First time for me too. Reverse parking was my fear also, but luckily the examiner got me to do a three-point turn instead, which I was happy with.

Although I did fail the theory test five times, the multiple-choice question I passed every time, and the hazard perception I failed five times until I got to that final sixth attempt. It was very frustrating at the time, as my instructor had lowered the frequency of my lessons because he felt I was perfectly ready for the practical, and I felt quite confident as a driver. So, all in all, I had a good chance with the practical anyway, mainly due to the theory test debacle.

I feel driving tests are a monopoly. It depends on the examiner, the road conditions of the day, and what routes they take you on. My test was very uneventful. It was a sunny day, and I had gone on all the roads we went on with my instructor (so there were no surprise junctions or slip roads). The roads were quiet, and it was a pleasant experience.

Overall, though, I don't think it matters whether you pass the first time or it takes multiple attempts. Passing the first time does not mean you're a better driver. Being sensible, having good awareness and, most importantly, learning through experience after passing builds you up to become a competent driver.
 
Third time lucky for me. Failed two in close succession then went away to uni and didn’t drive at all while I was there. Left uni, moved home to Worcester and got a job in Solihull so pretty much had to learn to drive over the summer…did a two week intensive course - 4 hours driving a day - and then passed. My dad made me get straight on the motorway as soon as the instructor dropped me home!


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Passed first time, thankfully my manoeuvre was a turn in the road which came towards the end of my test. Got a couple of minors during the test. Reckon they might throw in a more difficult manoeuvre if they've got a candidate that's close to failing the test. Did the pass plus afterwards with my instructor to get some motorway driving done.

Would probably suggest trying to book your test for the late morning, after the school run/rush hour it's usually as quiet as you can guarantee the roads will be.
 
Failed first time (I felt unfairly) but passed second (also I felt unfairly as I didn't think I did the job).

But may I take this opportunity @Matt N to highlight all the nonsense you've spouted on here in recent times about not being able to drive. You made a school boy error in the last few minutes that caused your fail first time. No idea about how the rules have changed in the last 22 odd years (apparently you can cross your arms when steering now and don't need to feed the steering wheel through anymore?) But I failed on 2 majors first time and passed with 12 minors.

You're ahead of me at this stage, if you hadn't made your 1 major you would have passed first time. Quite an achievement. So I hope this experience serves to clear out all that nonsical self doubt that others (bullys) had evidently planted in your head. What you've told us here is what most of us have predicted. That it was utter nonsense that you weren't cut out for driving and I think we're all now vindicated in saying that.

So stop that snivelling, get your second test booked and get it sorted son. Bully lady driving instructor clapping in your ear and saying you can't pass my Aunt Fanny. Give her the two fingers from me when you do. And anyone else who doubted you.
 
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Lucky young first timer, no other reason than luck.
My first girlfriends dad had a military license, drove forwards, backwards and a three point turn in a small truck...passed.
 
Passed the first time, but made as many mistakes as I could make without failing. One more and I would have had to try again.

The funniest part: the person administering the test had actually checked the box for "fail," and then scribbled that over and checked "pass." I believe, though am not 100% sure, that this is because as we were pulling back into the DMV's (this was in America) parking lot, he told me I could go ahead. I saw a car headed our direction that he had not seen, I think, and waited until it had gone by safely to turn into the lot. I imagine this showed him that I was not a fully terrible driver, but I'll never know. And in the end, I was not a fully terrible driver at all, in decades of driving the worst (and only) accident I've caused was scraping the side of my own car against a concrete pole in a parking garage while I was reversing out of a spot. This was about six months after I got my license.
 
First time for me! I don't remember loads about my test, other than I thought there was a pretty good chance I'd failed about half way through when I was driving along a very familiar road and almost forgot the speed limit change from 40 to 30, so I was pretty late slowing down and not convinced that I had slowed down to 30 in time. Clearly I did though, and I wonder if that feeling that I'd probably failed helped me relax for the rest of the test.

I guess that shows the fine margins of a driving test! You can very easily slip in to a committing a major fault despite having an otherwise good drive.
 
Passed first time, but my instructor made sure I had my test the week before the rules changed, just after I got my test done it changed so more than 15 minor faults was a fail and I got 16.
 
Second time for me. I knew I mucked the first one up as the car thumped back down onto the road from a kerb during a reverse around corner, after that knowing it was gone I drove like an absolute tit and picked up a tonne of minors.
 
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Second. Decided before the first to take it steady. Ended being failed for undue hesitation. Second time flew it with a 1 whole minor.

What eased me. Night before my second test, drove to Barnsley to watch the football with me dad and 2 blokes. dealt with that and match day traffic.

I do have my HGV test on Tuesday so will report back on that.
 
Third time for me.

The first test I honestly can't recall. It actually went well but supposedly a car had to slow down for me coming onto the roundabout so I failed there. Otherwise around 4 minors? I do personally think I could've done with a few more lessons before this test though.

Then I went off to uni and tried again in the summer. Now this one, we did a hill start and I actually thought I buggered it up. Stalled, but because I kept doing my mirror checks and didn't roll back too much, he only chalked it up to a minor fault. I was all doom and gloom for the rest of the drive and it made me lose focus, and led to me not checking properly after leaving a roundabout, which resulted in a major. If I had just remained determined and continued to put in my best effort, I would've passed! So never give up, and even if you think you might have failed, stuff that, because you very well could be on your way to getting your full license.

And then finally, I passed. Not much to say about the third go, just put that mentality into practice and made sure not to get hung up on little mistakes.
 
I had a few tests. The ones I did in Stafford whilst are uni I had some really unfortunate moments which caused me to fail (apparently driving under the limit due to school kicking out time wasn't sensible?), and another time was down to a road closure which meant a daft 3 way blocked junction where no one wanted to let others through.

It's sheer dumb luck really. How you react to other drivers and how they react to you. Plus the tester too.
 
I passed second time; my instructor decided not to teach me the very essential skill that is the emergency stop!

Took my second five months later and passed. I thought the odds wouldn't be in my favour as it was in a town I hadn't driven in until several days prior, and about half-way through I thought I'd screwed it as I was doing closer to 40 in a 30 (I hadn't realised the hill was levelling out), and slammed on the brakes and thought that'd be a fail. Turns out that it was only a minor because of the way I reacted. I should've been more gentle with the brakes upon realising the error. The message here - don't write something off just because you think you're doing poorly.

The test is incredibly anxiety inducing - if anyone here is yet to take one and feels nervous - the 40mins do fly by, and regardless of if you pass or not, the examiners will talk you through any errors you may have made, and will point you towards how to rectify them.
 
A key thing to remember.

My cousin did her test and was told "congratulations you've passed" the bloke then asked her to reverse the car into a a vacated spot in the car park. She hit the bollard. Because the examiner hadn't left the vehicle yet, he had to fail her.

Also, lad in our school got out of the car when he told he passed. Was failed for leaving the car before the examiner.

It's not over till the examiner leaves the vehicle.
 
Passed first time for some miraculous reason.

I was sure that I’d failed mid way though after the examiner told me its a 30 when I was doing 20. The part of London I was doing my test in was a nightmare for changing speed limits in the blink of an eye.

I actually thought he was joking at the end when he turned around and said you’ve passed 🤣
 
I started my test by walking round to the passenger side of the car, then when I was in the drivers seat tried to set off only to realise I'd left the hand brake on. Felt reasonably confident the whole time, the biggest worry was getting back to the test centre and just being asked to park up. Was really concerned as I'd done all the test and didn't want to blow it by parking over two bays or hitting the wall.
 
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