Driving theory test. Should there be a limit?

Young girls at work who need to pass are spending most of their income trying to pass their tests one girl has spent over £3000 in lessons and tests I feel for them. We work on an industrial estate and they are getting taxis to work each day.

Well its up to her not your decision is it.

One of my sons had terrible trouble passing the theory test but did get it eventually, he's not stupid but his brain just doesn't work the same way as the test!

My Gs failed numerous times due to dyslexia, his mum found him a tutor who guaranteed he would pass next time and he did, he passed his practical first time. However I do agree when you are reaching over 10 attempts then something needs to be reviewed, although I doubt I could pass without a lot of revision

Grandmotherto8

Having coached and tested various grandchildren over the years, I can attest to the fact that the theory test is not easy to pass. Some of the questions are quite technical, others can be misinterpreted easily. The questions bear little relation to the ability to drive a car. I had a 65 yr old friend whom I was helping to practice for her practical driving test, and she would stay up very late the night of her test, cram till the early hours then attend the test centre and pass with 100%. She would continually fail her practical test, give up for a while, then restart lessons. She then had to retake the theory test as her poor learning method led to zero retention.

I've just done a practice theory test and was surprised that some of the questions were more First Aid than Driving Theory.
I got one of the traffic signs wrong, mistaking a sign for humps for a hump bridge. We have lots of road humps around here and I haven't seen any signs.

Getting a driving licence in Germany is a lot tougher than it is in the UK. I member that DD had just failed her test her in the UK and we happened to have my German teacher opposite number staying on the school exchange. She told us that you have to have a mental ability test there. DD promptly burst into tears!

There are driving schools which offer youngsters some sort of lessons on private land, I think Sunderland Football Club allow their carpark to be used for this.
I can remember my brother taking me to a disused airfield where he let me practise in his precious car!

BlueBelle

One thing for sure Dyslexia and ADHD can effect it I know people who cannot do multi choice questions but know the answer perfectly when asked and are also very good drivers
It’s not always that they don’t know the answers or are not good drivers multichoice can really make it hard for some people and muddle them up

My daughter has ADHD but finds it very easy to pass exams of any kind and passed the theory test first time. However she had a panic attack during the first practical test and failed. She passed the second time and has been an excellent driver ever since.

We had a friend who failed her practical test more than a dozen times, fortunately she gave up after that. Her husband was also a terrible driver (who had passed his test) and drove hunched over the wheel. He once complained that he had been tailgated by HGV's when he was doing 40mph on a motorway.

Having coached and tested various grandchildren over the years, I can attest to the fact that the theory test is not easy to pass. Some of the questions are quite technical, others can be misinterpreted easily. The questions bear little relation to the ability to drive a car. I had a 65 yr old friend whom I was helping to practice for her practical driving test, and she would stay up very late the night of her test, cram till the early hours then attend the test centre and pass with 100%. She would continually fail her practical test, give up for a while, then restart lessons. She then had to retake the theory test as her poor learning method led to zero retention.

Yes 4allweknow - DD2 is disabled. She had lessons (twice the price) with a specialist school in their dual controlled vehicle, fitted with the hand controls she needed. She then got her first Motability car in the June, was 17 at the end of August and passed her practical test a week later in her own car.

* There are driving schools which offer youngsters some sort of lessons on private land, I think Sunderland Football Club allow their carpark to be used for this.

My mother took 9 tests in the days before split. Her final examiner told her that all she really needed was a Valium, but he passed her anyway. She was so very nervous, that she fluffed every question.
PS she was not that great a driver, but much much better than my mother in law who never had to take a test because she drove in the war (I shudder to think how)

4allweknow

Did your DD take driving lessons before her 17th birthday in that she passed the practical so quickly afrerwards? Just asking as have 16 year old GS who would love to have lessons and I'd pay but always thought you had to be 17 to be out on the roads even with provisional.

Message above was in reply to this poster.

If you receive the higher mobility part of PIP or DLA you can start to learn from 16.

Dreadwitch

Just because someone fails that shouldn't mean they can't keep trying. Does that mean you want to limit how many times people can attempt to do anything?

There's a host of reasons it make take people a lot of tries, including disabilities!

Of course, I already said that there can be many reasons why people might fail - and it goes without saying that allowances must be made for those with disabilities - but I'm sorry, if you've failed a driving test (theory or practical) 75 times, then that has to raise some red flags, surely?
As Allira says, you're talking about someone being in charge of a lethal weapon, and if they keep failing so many times either through nerves or lack of ability in one way or another, then I'm not sure they should be in charge of that.

Cars can be lethal weapons.

Just because someone fails that shouldn't mean they can't keep trying. Does that mean you want to limit how many times people can attempt to do anything?

There's a host of reasons it make take people a lot of tries, including disabilities!

Shel1951

No they may be fantastic drivers, useless at tests .nerves get the better of them. And at least they have had plenty of practice , some people on the road would make you wonder how they passed.

If they get that nervous they could be a danger on the roads as you need to be able to react quickly to others on the roads who are reckless or poor drivers.

Failing 75 times is a red flag.

M0nica

It took me 5 attempts to pass my test because I am clumsy and cack handed, so I get nervous if I am being watched and judged when doing anything practical - and that is exactly what is happening in a driving test.

Each time I took the test, I got one manouvre wrong, 3 point turn, backing round a corner. I never got the same thing wrong twice. One examiner actually said to me, if you could relax, you would be fine. This was after doing three perfect hillstops and starts in the ordinary driving part of the test and then getting it all wrong when doing it as an assessed manouvre.

Am I a safe driver, well, it is not for me to judge myself, but two friends I have driven a number of times recently both said they liked being driven by me because they felt I drove safely..

It took me five attempts too and for the same reasons. You only have to mention ‘test’ to me and my mind goes mad. A friend of my mum’s told me to chew on chewing gum as this would help me relax, I did on the fifth attempt and passed. Been driving now for 48 years and have never had an accident or received any points for anything.

I wonder how many perfectly good drivers of middle and older age would pass the theory first time.

Did your DD take driving lessons before her 17th birthday in that she passed the practical so quickly afrerwards? Just asking as have 16 year old GS who would love to have lessons and I'd pay but always thought you had to be 17 to be out on the roads even with provisional.

I did a mock hazard perception test at a police exhibition and failed miserably because I noticed too many hazards.
The person running it says that is common with experienced drivers - they notice more hazards and can assess the importance of them quicker so don't worry.
DH still drives according to the highway code of yesteryear

I used to work with special needs students in a secondary school. One of them was a very poor reader and said he didn't need to be able to read. I pointed out that if he ever wanted to be able to drive he'd have to be able to read to do the theory test. I don't know if the message got through, as I retired and I think he moved to another school. Unfortunately there are many unlicenced driver on the roads and some probably fail the test and decide to drive anyway!

No they may be fantastic drivers, useless at tests .nerves get the better of them. And at least they have had plenty of practice , some people on the road would make you wonder how they passed.

Magenta8

I believe that the test has to be taken in either English or Welsh which might make it difficult people whose first language is not English (or Welsh).

There would be a choice, English or Welsh.

If someone took 75 attempts to pass the theory test they either do no have the intellectual ability to handle a car and busy traffic or they have not got a sufficient grasp of the English language.