Why 53% of Driving Tests Fail in Great Britain

[@noend4love]

"I'm not teaching you how to pass an exam. I'm teaching you how to drive for life." Best advice I've received from my instructor. It is still engrained in me 5 years since learning how to drive.

[@ad_northstar8622]

something my instructor said to me. and i agree, best thing to do imo

[@shoaibahmed6359]

except the moment people pass they now have the green light to forget all the discipline and sensible driving skills and now drive like a suicidal lunatic. I had an amazing instructor with a really high pass rate for his students and even he admitted when he sometimes comes in contact with his previous students again they drive like crack heads. Seriously i question how so many UK drivers even passed when you look at how insane their driving is.

[@FredKaczynski]

I passed my test first time 18 months ago but still watch your vids cos they're top quality and always useful

[@4kgamecube]

same lol, just over a year ago here

[@aarc2010]

same here. and I'm not even live in UK. 😅 but this channel helped me a lot while I was preparing for my test.

[@ConquerDriving]

That's really fantastic to hear! Thank you for watching!

[@cormacorp]

Same, passed 9 months ago first time, but live in London so don’t need a car and can’t rent yet. These videos keep me engaged with driving!

[@ItsSergeYall]

Same here x

[@Galloway8786]

I failed my test 4 times before passing (7 years on I have never had any points or accidents). My first fail was probably because I took the test too soon, but after my second fail I switched instructor because I thought that the first one was being dishonest when she told me that I was ready for the test. My new instructor immediately told me that my driving was fine, but she asked if she could come along to watch my test. After I failed that one she immediately saw how I collapsed under the pressure and she did a lot to work on my anxiety. If you are failing because of extreme anxiety then I would advise doing mock tests. It is a bit uncomfortable sitting in near silence for 45 minutes knowing that somebody is watching your every move, so if you get used to that in a slightly less stressful environment then it can work wonders.

[@laia9]

I also had a lot of anxiety when learning!

[@Cassi-d4t]

hi

[@deaks25]

Sounds like your second instructor was an excellent one. A good instructor makes such a massive difference.

[@DGQ1Q2]

The DVLA statistics show the people who pass the test in 3rd attemtp are safer than the 1st attemtp.

[@mrsnos]

Been driving 30 years and passed (first time) my taxi driver examination yesterday. First time anyone had assessed my competence since my teenage test and it was nerve wracking! My advice is never to stop learning, and practicing as you never know when a job opportunity may arise where you need to prove yourself behind the wheel. I’ll be taking disabled kids to school in September and I cannot wait, thanks for all the videos and DRIVE SAFELY EVERYONE.

[@Ethan7_7]

Whats a taxi test like? Ive never heard of one

[@mrsnos]

Very similar if not identical to what I believe the driving test is like, and certainly how Richard shows it in his mock tests. I had an examiner from the Blue Lamp Trust take me (in my own vehicle) and I was asked the show me / tell me questions before driving a variety of roads. I had to reverse and turn in a road, stop / start etc and demonstrate all the same ‘good behaviours’ and understanding of handling a vehicle in various conditions. Basically the same test, albeit I was only allowed 9 minors (I got 5, observation being 2)! You need to pass this exam before you can apply to the local council for a private hire licence. There’s also a medical as well and it’s not cheap. Look up Blue Lamp taxi test for more info, I’d recommend them even though I hated every minute of it!! 😂

[@JackKing12.]

Congrats on your taxi exam 🎉

[@mrsnos]

Thank you!

[@ConquerDriving]

Thank you for watching and good luck with your job!

[@luizroberto3648]

My first instructor absolutely milked me out of £2k for 45hr lessons, never went through any manoeuvres with me, never got past 3rd gear and was just angry/aggressive all the time, I went with someone else who I’ve now only done 12hrs with so far (8 more to go) and I’ve gone through all the manoeuvres and he even let me go on a motorway for confidence, feeling ready now so hopefully I pass on 14 August 🙏

[@mygmail1111]

Good Luck 😄

[@abdulwakil2613]

lol my first instructor didnt teach me anything, did 10 hours with him, he was on phone calls all the time, watching the news, just let me drove and pick up bad habits, second instructor was much better and passed with him a few months later

[@jmi5969]

45hours?! I got my first license while in the US 30 years ago, and it took exactly two 45-minute rides to be "all set" for the test. The instructor took me to the interstate on the very first ride, and I recall I had to change four or five busy lanes in less than half a mile to make it from right-side ramp to left-side exit. At the test I blew a red light (did not fully stop prior to a permitted right turn on red) but the examiner - a very old ex-cop - decided that I shall pass.

[@abdulwakil2613]

@@jmi5969 that’s the US test standard for you 😂

[@Carl-tc2yb]

​@@jmi5969 30 years ago was far easier. Can almost guarantee you would not reach the standard to pass here.

[@elliebutler8008]

Just want to thankyou for all your videos. You explain everything so well. Im 57 and i have just passed my test with no minors. I will still be watching.

[@LoneHorizons]

Congrats!

[@karenFrench-u7v]

Oh well done I'm 54 and failed 3 times hopefully next time I will pass

[@samuelmelton8353]

Too many people live in places where they have to be dependent on a car. I'm not talking about villages that have existed for centuries, but new homes and suburbs built nowhere near stations, not on bus routes, and not within a short walk of amenities. This increases the need for bin lorries, increases the miles taken by the ever growing number of delivery vehicles, ramps up the cost of road maintenance and thus taxes. And yet we continue to spend money on new roads. We need walkable communities and money spent on rail.

[@damienmcdonald7610]

As a rail engineer I'd love that. My job within walking distance has ceased production and now the closest similar job is an hour drive away, hence doing my driving lessons at 30 lol. I have a lot of road experience on motorbikes and never felt the need for a car but an hour commute each way in England's ever changing weather and my missus wants me to have a car now too so here I am.

[@samuelmelton8353]

@@damienmcdonald7610 And most people, when put in this situation will call for more car infrastructure - not for providing options to bring work within walking distance of where people live/ or on public transport routes. The problem only becomes further entrenched. More drivers, more roads, fewer trains, less walkability, more drivers, more roads. It never stops.

[@petercollins7848]

@@samuelmelton8353 I think there are more train journeys being taken these days than in recent decades. I would not think of taking a car into say a big city and then have to possibly pay a surcharge and also a parking charge.

[@samuelmelton8353]

@@petercollins7848 I think it's become more normal to expect to be able drive into town centres over the decades - maybe in the past two/ three decades or so pedestrian areas have been reclaimed, but people still increasingly own cars and expect to be able to park nearby. Maybe people would get a train into London, but with smaller towns and cities, this is not the case. People are increasingly becoming dependent on cars and don't even think to promote infrastructure that limits this dependency.

[@Voguegirl-dn5vy]

Yes but I hate relying on public transport. I have to catch the bus to work and it’s so unreliable sometimes it doesn’t turn up. Not to mention the scabby people you see on it. People are reliant on cars.

[@jameswilson3411]

Since you need to book a test way in advance, it's hard to judge what level you'll be at when you take the test. I took my test when a cancellation popped up, I couldn't really plan when to take it since cancellations can be months apart or fall on a day that my instructor couldn't do. I feel the pass rate would be higher if pupils could wait until they were ready and then book a test within the week. Just because an instructor has a high pass rate doesn't mean they're better than an instructor with a low pass rate since an instructor has control over who they teach and when they let them go for a test, so can rig the system. Cost is definitely a big factor, lessons are more expensive than a test so makes sense to risk taking the test even if you think you're more likely going to fail.

[@jeffmtitanium1]

Agree but on the day pupils can do things totally out of character ie never had to address an issue covered in their lessons because there has been no problem, also some people have anxiety problems etc.

[@jameswilson3411]

@@jeffmtitanium1 agreed, no matter how prepared a pupil is there will always be situations they couldn’t plan for or control.

[@tealing_]

oh my god yeah the test booking has been such a pain in the ass, my instructor told me to just look for cancellations and it literally just depends on if im lucky enough to find a slot or not lol - makes me even more nervous for the real test bc if i fail who knows how long it would be before i can retry, just extra stress for no reason

[@raheemcamal998]

​@@tealing_ facts

[@miguelmiranda6755]

How did you manage to find a cancellation date? Did you get an email from the gov site or did you sign up and pay for a test cancellation site that told you if someone cancelled? Thanks

[@A1hsn726]

you're an absolute legend mate, i watched as much of your videos as i could before my test and passed today. thank you

[@ConquerDriving]

That's really great to hear! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!

[@sjg2k]

I don’t normally comment on videos but I just wanted to say a massive Thank You! I passed my test first time last week and found your videos incredibly helpful.

[@ConquerDriving]

That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!

[@Pytheous]

I am in the US and enjoy watching you. I show my son’s, who are learning to drive, many of your videos. They offer wonderful examples and explanations. I just have to remind them to reverse some instruction. lol (I’m a subscriber).

[@qoolbisquit]

in my country everybody says that driving test is most difficult situation in their driving life. dmv wants more money from new tries, instructors wants more money from lessons and very little depends on pupils. so, answer is the system

[@thedragonbrawler9311]

USA?

[@grahamhill676]

​@@thedragonbrawler9311UK

[@mlewendel9682]

Nerves are becoming a huge factor along with money, especially those prone to anxiety. When it’s the actual test itself that causes a poor test result, it takes a very skilled instructor to be able to work with that student to pass the test

[@ekatep6362]

Mine used to say he wished he could remove my brain for the test, as the only reason I would fail would be my own anxiety, overthinking and lack of confidence 😂

[@lalalariza]

This. I’m an HSP and always a nerve wreck during the test. Finally saw a doctor who prescribed beta blockers for me - and passed yesterday on my fourth test! 🎉 Very grateful for both Richard for these videos and my doctor. 🙏

[@Voguegirl-dn5vy]

I’m trying to use mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing to help with anxiety and lessen it. I really hope this helps 🙏

[@Jack-ud3vz]

I passed my 7th driving test. with 0 Faults. It took four instructors, 10 years since I started driving, 3 theory tests passed, probably 300 hours of driving. Thousands of £££ spent. I had undiagnosed ADHD and always had massive Anxiety during the test. Once I was medicated for my ADHD(test 6/7) my awareness, planning and concentration improved drastically. My 6th test I got 0 Minor Faults, 1 Major Fault: Not checking blind spot, during correction of bay park, in an empty car park, no pedestrians or cars. Test 7, was a clean sheet. No faults. Since passing I've driven 15K Miles this year, driven through and around London about 30 times, been up and down the M6, M1, M40, M23, M25, M62, M56, A1, A14, M11 - driven in the Yorkshire Moors, The Lake District, and around Liverpool, Manchester, York, in rush hour. I've been to various little villages and seaside towns / nature reserves. At Night! In Heavy Rain. Even drove in snow once. I've recieved many compliments on my driving! My one take away from this - DON'T GIVE UP. Watching Conquer Driving helped so much! I improved my situational awareness - which meant I could focus more on the task rather than overthinking the nuances of the situation.

[@ingelaimite1766]

You gave me hope!

[@Clairenjeri919]

Am on my 7th attempt and am really anxious 😬

[@sergepat308]

Thank you for sharing! I’m proud of you!

[@DahakaProd]

Here's how it goes in Croatia, firstly, nervs and stress make up for most of driving test failures. However, our DMV (HAK in Croatia) is well known for deliberately failing students over minor things and at times harassing pupils to fail. Why? Money. It's very profitable for DMV to have repeated tests, as you have to have additional 6 hours with your instructors in Croatia, before you apply for a new test, all of which you pay out of your pocket. Ofc UK is a different beast, however I believe there is not much of a difference.

[@LarsPW]

What about passing the test in Slowenia then?

[@BarrenBones-t2h]

Learning to drive can be a quite expensive process in the UK, but instructors, testers, and regulations are all very tight and narrow. If you fail your driving test then its because you broke the highway code, not because the testing centre is corrupt.

[@NunoVippan]

Serbian DMV utilizes this same exploit for 15-20 years already. I must say, however, that many failed attempts are genuinely so according to the rules (if we really want to be honest and adhere to the highest possible criteria). These high test standards (even though it's partly a money grab) still do benefit future drivers because the way I see it many pupils still need some additional practice after the mandatory 40 hours. They simply don't end up being properly equipped to fulfill the highest possible standard at the time of their first test attempt (including the nitpicking stuff) so they mostly do need just a bit more to get there (assuming they've adopted the learning outcomes in a reasonable manner and not being prone to repeating the same mistakes that failed them at their first attempt). Thinking about it 2 years after - being able to effortlessly do everything "by the book" (so that the examiners can't even nitpick to try and find some dubious way to fail you deliberately) is a strong indicator that you'll be capable of driving in a truly quality fashion once you obtain your DL. Will you indeed - there's no guarantee. But there's a demonstrated capacity to excel at driving, worthy without a shadow of a doubt to be awarded the license. My first attempt I failed really narrowly. But still failed. Second attempt was not a breeze but a bit less narrow pass. If I have in mind that correcting the errors in a relative rush to catch the next possible date to re-take the driving test (which was by pure chance very very close), by doing 5 additional (targeted) lessons, last one being a day or two before the second attempt - it's still a success, and of course I would take that second attempt kind of a narrow pass even if it were by the most narrow of margins imaginable lol... Presently I am really good at driving and feel very comfortable and safe while doing it regardless of conditions (and trust me I've seen some heavy road conditions event in the first months of independent driving)... Knowing myself, I would become just as good even if I was given a pass on the first try, but if I look back - I must say I prefer stricter examiners and I don't regret failing the first attempt because attempting even if not 100% confident is also a way to learn more (the failed attempt was a great lesson for me and I was explained to why exactly is it that I was failed at that particular test date, and why are all these little things significant later on...I could have been given a pass, but I don't look at it as being robbed out of additional money). On the other hand, I do know people who were failed like 5 or more times. Many also became solid independent drivers just by further experience once they finally got to pass. And also, I do know a few guys who passed on the first try (like it or not, luck is a factor on test day), and then those few became overconfident even though they weren't as good as they ended up believing by the mere fact that they were among the rare candidates who passed straight on the first attempt... So, I will finish by again siding with the notion that being rigorous is not something that should be compromised on (all while understanding the significance of SENSIBLE rigor in this context of learning how to drive).

[@the_zlatk0]

depends where you take it and on your skill level but from my experience (passed 1st try with no errors), its blown out of proportion. some people who claimed were failed for no reason in actuality are garbage drivers. its not hard, you just need to learn a bunch of little things you can be failed on which ultimately comes down to your driving instructor. my instructor prepared me for literally every possible scenario. also, most examiners take the same (or very similar) route every time so even that makes it easier. but its true that if they notice you are nervous, theyll take you somewhere where they think youll fail.

[@yoshi_flower401]

would doing the driving exam in an another country work?

[@HaeDanl]

Passed my driving test on the 22nd just before my birthday, your videos helped me so much thank you. Will carry on watching since ur videos can still help me become a better driver

[@panpapermate1784]

I passed mine 2 months ago at 1st attempt with just 1 minor. It wasn't easy for me but I did work very hard for it. I'm still thrilled about it and proud of myself. Thank you to your vedios. I did watch them a lot before my test. ❤❤

[@ReaperSab]

I passed my test this morning with 0 driving faults! So happy! Thanks for all your videos. Helped so much!

[@ConquerDriving]

That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!

[@Voguegirl-dn5vy]

How do you pass with no driving faults? Got any tips?

[@lvithan]

I took my test at 9:07AM this morning and passed with just the 4 minor faults! My examiner was so sweet and I'll miss my intructor so much, but im excited to get out on the road in my own little orange Smart ForFour! Your videos helped me prepare so much for the test in the few days leading up to it, so thank you so much!

[@Nymphai1702]

Mine failed me for being too slow on speed bumps

[@lvithan]

@Nymphai1702 thats awful I'm so sorry - that sounds so stupid! Some cars have lower suspensions and need to go slow to be safe! Best of luck on your retry, I hope you get a better examiner! ♡

[@Nymphai1702]

Thank you.

[@ConquerDriving]

Congratulations on passing!

[@susufray3601]

@@Nymphai1702wtf that's so unfair!wouldn't that be a minor if anything ?

[@omotolafatokun3971]

I failed my test thrice, I saw your KZbin videos and I watched almost all of it. I PASSED MY TEST TODAY CONFIDENTLY...ALL THANKS TO YOU🎉

[@ConquerDriving]

That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!

[@christopherendres9759]

Just commenting to say I passed first time today. Watched the videos all the time. Thank you so much!

[@martynlewis9020]

Your videos are a great insight into the ADI industry for somebody like me just starting out. My wife is a FE teacher and she gets great job satisfaction out of one of her students achieving great results with their exams. That is what I would like to experience as an ADI. Thanks for the uploads.

[@z-o-r-o1007]

You literally said the most important and popular reason to fail in the last section. We all know how many unnecessary fails they do resulting in so many re tests. Thanks for at least including in ten video but this needs to be heavily addressed

[@Monkaii]

I've just passed my test today! Your tips and videos have been tremendously helpful to study. Many thanks Richard!

[@ConquerDriving]

Well done! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!

[@RoninWeeb_187]

As a person from South Africa it's always interesting to see an insight on how stuff are nearly similar to that of the UK. The flaws within the system are nearly similar on the aspects that you researched and mentioned and I caught glimpses of it when I was learning driving and when I passed my license test. I failed my license test 3 times, on my fourth attempt I passed but I felt that I needed a bit more of polish and did some bit of extra lessons and I am glad that I did take that initiative to help build up confidence on some aspects I was intimidated by. And also I sometimes watch your videos if I am uncertain about something and they help out wonderfully. It's always good to keep on learning something new and thank you for that sir.

[@harisrahman7777]

I came here to say thank you. I passed my second test this morning. Your videos were really helpful.

[@nathanhinchliffe]

I passed 3rd time this year and I’m 39! Keep going you will get there

[@laia9]

I think instructors could advice more about channels like yours, because for me it added an extra layer of confidence, and felt more in control by being able to watch videos the days that I couldn't practice on the car. I think breaking the stigma of having to pass first time, and the social pressure around that would help a lot, since stresses out people rather than help them. And when I was learning, I alsa wished it was like videogames or centers where you could go and pratice driving (like faking it), so I could get confident for the next class. Getting more immersive experiences on driving, a part from the driving itself. Thank you so much for all your videos :)

[@laia9]

And one last thing, I did yoga and a meditation before the test, and I think I had been able to handle the nerves because of it. I think anxiety around the test is also something that's not helpful on passing

[@nghoiyu]

Ask the DVSA to produce a driving test routes simulator game so that people can practice "driving" at home with their computer even they don't have a car or can't do private practice for whatever reasons. This will cost a bit public money but can address the problems of not enough practice.

[@Terophy]

I passed my test today. I've been watching your videos religiously these past months.. I love your contents

[@legitkoray]

Passed my test because of these videos!!!! Literally any question I had about driving I could come to your channel and find the answer. Thank you man, you’re a legend.

[@OrangeyChocolate]

I've failed my test 5 times so far, got my 6th one coming up in August. I recently got some extra lessons at my mum's recommendation, and the instructor was really good. He saw that I could do the basic manoeuvres, so he focused on drilling me with the soft skills (clutch control, observation, proper positioning and such) and the stuff I asked for help with (roundabouts, 'nuff said...). He also got me thinking more about my attitude, especially how getting frustrated at myself over making a mistake will only set me up for failure. I've got a set of intensive lessons booked and a neighbour who can accompany me on practice drives, so now I'm feeling more confident than ever that this time, I'm finally going to pass.

[@22706]

Good luckily to you

[@OrangeyChocolate]

@@22706 Thank you ^_^

[@williamrowley2019]

Passed 10 years ago now. And I took 7 attempts. And I’m glad I did because the more I think about it the more I realise I wasn’t ready until that time that I did pass. Love your videos they are so interesting and help me as well to think a lot more when I’m driving and I realise things I’m not doing. So thank you for that.

[@om1mayar]

I watched your videos while I was practicing with a family member. And now after passing my test at second attempt, I would say thank you so much, your videos helped me and gave me a great understanding of what the instructor wants to see. Thank you so much ☺️☺️☺️

[@meganjohnston41]

Us driving instructors go through a lot to qualify and are quite rightly expected to teach at a high standard. I think one solution to increase the pass rate would be to stop pupils turning up without an instructor. I also think there should be a minimum number of learning hours required, similar to how we have to be signed off for a minimum number of hours before being able to sit part 3.

[@lasitharajakaruna2084]

I passed my driving test yesterday.Your videos help me a lot.Thank you very much.

[@ConquerDriving]

That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!

[@Silentghost456]

I passed my test today!! And would like to personally thank conquer driving for assisting me and filling in the gaps when I wasn’t on a lesson I highly recommend your videos all the time they really really helped me!! 🥳😇

[@grace5717]

Hi Richard I passed my test today on my second attempt, your videos have been invaluable for helping me learn, thank you!

[@javiTests]

Not only that. I think we all should go through a driving test every 10 years or something like that. The amount of people driving in the UK (and probably most countries) that shouldn't have a driving license is staggering. Lots of people don't care driving well after passing the driving test

[@sara9saysyo]

Unfortunately, with how backlogged the tests are, this would cause way too much havoc

[@javiTests]

@@sara9saysyo It would be a matter of having more examiners. At the end of the day, we need to make sure drivers, that are operating a killing machine, do it responsibly, so... I think harder things have been implemented. Probably the only real problem would be politicians wouldn't continue in their positions 😅

[@MysteriousStranger08]

A much better solution is to increase enforcement of rules and strict punishment. People drive badly because they know they can get away with it it's more to do with attitude and mindset which a driving test cannot fix. Having to do a driving test so often is pointless as they will continue to drive badly after their tests.

[@javiTests]

@@MysteriousStranger08 Well, I guess it's a matter of wanting to use the carrot or stick 😅. But everyone, including me, we get bad habits with time, so a refresher now and then would be good.

[@alfredomariasammartino7728]

Yea here in Italy (especially where I live) the standard is extremely low: I will have my first driving lesson with an instructor in about two hours from now (I drove a couple times with my parents, you can do this here even before getting a license if you have passed the theory exam, idk about other parts of the world), but one of my friends told me that the test is about 5 minutes long, and they just make you drive around in an area with nobody around and then make you do one random maneuver, say parallel park or enter a parking bay or make a u turn or stuff like that. No wonder people say that if you can drive well in my city (or in Naples), you can drive very well everywhere. And yes, even tho I've never driven in the streets (only in parking lots and not for much time), I can confirm that people here have no idea how to drive

[@lauradarts1]

I actually passed my manual car driving test in April 2022 at the age of 39 😬. Took me 2.5 years, thanks Covid, and I passed on the 5th attempt. My main reasons for failing were the gears, fear of stalling, fear of rolling back. I now drive an Automatic car, which I've been driving since about 8 weeks after passing my test. Not having the gears to worry about took the fear away. Now I'm starting to enjoy driving. I drive a manual car for work tasks. I'm a Security Officer at a busy Port so driving is essential. I'm glad I persevered to get my manual licence. I've driven all kinds of vehicles for work, vans, cars, pick up trucks, big and small. I'd never choose to buy a manual car though. I still watch your videos even though I can drive. I enjoy learning and practicing techniques and get better. Passing your test isn't the end of learning to drive. There's been so many situations I've encountered that I've had to deal with on my own that weren't in my lessons or test.

[@reuben3218]

Thanks Richard, these videos are amazing to new drivers and I am happy to say I passed my own test the other day with 7 minors. Top man.

[@ConquerDriving]

That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!

[@TheLittleGuy1]

Past my first try in june just gone. These videos have been a great help i have recommended them to my instructor for other learners 🙏

[@A_7yair]

I passed my driving test(first time) today thanks to your videos, you do an excellent job teaching driving technique, thank you.

[@mercyejimofor]

I passed my test today, your videos was really helpful, I watched all videos and during the test I just remember all you said especially when I drove through a country, Thank you sooooooooo much

[@ellisnsutherland]

I passed in May. In my opinion, your videos made a massive difference to the quality of my driving. I am very grateful for your videos, Richard.

[@ConquerDriving]

That's really great to hear! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!

[@SamOwenI]

I also think a significant factor is nerves/stress/pressure to pass. Especially when the candidate is not used to doing high pressure, high stakes, observed, 'performance' tasks. That stress can be very difficult to recreate and anticipate in driving lessons.

[@dramacyde5]

Thanks for your videos, I don't live in the UK but i just passed my test and got my license today. Your videos helped me and I appreciate it.

[@deborahsmith7924]

I’m really worried about my driving test. But I’m finding your videos very encouraging and calming. Thank you 👏🏻.

[@christopherrobinson7541]

I was a technical apprentice in the RAF and was taught to ride motorcycles and cars, at weekends, in addition to our required duties. The powers at be decided that having spent 3 years on our full time training, if was cheaper to teach us how to be safe on the road, rather than to teach more due to attrition. We learned long and slow and almost all passed the test on the first try. I also learned how to fly and still teach how to fly gliders (more than 55 years later). The fundamental principles of learning a new skill are still the same.

[@Pinnacledrivingacademy]

Hi Richard your videos are always very informative and useful. I’m an ADI, been passed for 5 years now. I find the examiners are a lot more picky now and seem to find any excuse to fail the student. I feel like a good way to see if a student is ready for their test is to have some sort of simulation test on a computer, with all the pedals and gear stick and steering wheel. Sort of like a video game, where they’re ‘driving’ and the computer judges their driving and gives them a score and if they pass that then they can go for their real practical test. I feel like a lot of the pressure is on the DI and it’s unfair that we have to bare the brunt of students failing their practical.

[@milels6917]

My Grandson son would love one of those so would I A good inventor would make a lot of money with that one

[@jasimrans.a.n]

You’re so right, Richard. I was leaning for 3 years on and off and did 3 tests. I had family badgering me saying “why haven’t you passed yet, what’s taking you so long” etc. but I stuck at it and continued getting lesson after lesson every week. Yes, it cost me thousands, but when I finally passed on my third attempt, I actually felt confident and competent. Been driving a month now and I KNOW I am so much safer thanks to those extra lessons.

[@guisilladedino9165]

I failed on first attempt a few days ago and although it sucked, I admitted within me that it was a bit of hit and miss had I passed and that's not ideal. It's reassuring to hear you share your experience and I am glad I can have more lessons to improve my driving skills, however expensive. I find your channel very helpful

[@DiamondPikachu]

I was doubly lucky in that I was older when I started learning (30) so I could afford to take as long as I needed and managed to find a driving instructor with a high pass rate that was prepared to help me make sure I was ready before taking my test. It took me a year (almost to the day) to make it to test and thankfully passed with only 3 minors 😊. I did have to wait 5 months for my test (booked Oct 2023, cancelled due to strikes twice and finally passed March 2024). My instructor was fantastic, pulled no punches with mistakes, but was great at helping me 'get out of my head' and build confidence in my ability. I have been driving 5 months now, and feel like I have been driving for years. Your videos were a big help in keeping my hand in on the days I didnt have lessons and helped me build my understanding, especially with manouvers.

[@nemesisshen9457]

ive got my driving test on the 9th og this month (3 days time) all these are really helpful and hopefully will help me pass thank you for publishing them

[@mosgo3412]

Passed first time today and I'm thanking your videos as the perfect last reminders the night before for it!

[@LaurenRogers59]

cONGRATULATIONS. ive got mine tomorrow xx

[@ConquerDriving]

That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!

[@thedrivingtestguynsw8424]

I love your videos. I can see the same frustrations in your face as I feel. In my country you are lucky to get 5 or 6 hours out of a student. When I read that in the UK having 30 or 40 hours is seen as normal , that's amazing. Most students here book the test because of every reason except being ready. The pass rate is about the same. It's crazy. Great videos 👍

[@Shru-k3i]

Thank you for your great videos. I passed my Driving test first attempt with 4 minors I have learnt a lot from your videos. Best wishes to you.

[@Cherryifeelsospecial]

i passed my test first time today with 4 minors! Your videos are well presented and you give such clear instructions and I couldn’t have done it without your support and guidance! I think thats why i had very little nerves during the driving test, I was confident that I could pass!!!

[@jolanvreys2224]

I passed my test today, thanks for your helpful video's! (I had to reverse some thing, because i live in Belgium, but the basics are the same.) Thanks a lot Richard!

[@michaelkoelbl4004]

When I asked my driving instructor (20 years back now) when I was ready for the test he said "you're ready when I stop having to criticise you". Succinctly put, and when the time came he did tell me he considered me ready, and I did pass first time. Top instructor, and he was highly recommended in our area and had the reputation of getting a lot of people through the first time. As for raising the pass rate, I think making more examiners available and therefore a shorter waiting list would probably take some of the pressure off and make some pupils less inclined to book before they are ready.

[@nouraouni2819]

Just passed my test today! I was quite nervous and didn’t get a lot of sleep, but it went surprisingly well. I took it in Norway so we don’t really get minors or serious faults, they just give us pass or fail, and then the reasons why. If I’m strict with myself I might have gotten three or four minors if I had to guess. There were a couple of times where I didn’t reduce my speed even though the view wasn’t too great, but it was in a 20 zone so it wasn’t too bad. Otherwise he told me that I drove in a safe manner while still contributing to a good flow of traffic. It really helped watching your videos on clutch control, the examiner even said that my control of the pedals are great and that it is very comfortable as a passenger. That made me so happy because I actually worked on it. Again, your videos really helped, and I enjoyed watching them. I appreciate your work 😊

[@galchoots2519]

Passed the first attempt last week, thanks, Richard. I recently moved to the UK and didn't do much driving back home either. I passed within three months of starting the driving. I watched all the guidance videos on KZbin and many mock test videos. I got the formal training under an instructor for around 45 hours and an additional 40/50 hours with the family. My instructor was an absolute gem and identified my errors and corrected them there and there. Further, he did several mock tests as well. However, I can't say my practical test experience was the best. The examiner was rude, and impatient and made some rude comments here and there. After watching your videos, I decided not to proceed with the show-me question if it was raised at a critical moment. The examiner asked me to show how to switch on the main beam. I was near a roundabout and discarded her instructions and said sorry. After we exited R/B she insisted on doing it and told 4 times, with a comment that "if cannot do it while driving I cannot drive". Then I had to do it while driving on an A road. Just after we entered the test centre even before we stopped the car she impatiently asked for my provisional licence. At that moment I genuinely thought my test was terminated early. In the end, rudeness had worn me down and I couldn't believe I passed with 3 minors. No congratulations, no wishes. However, the examiner advised me of my error in the progress of speed. I appreciate the feedback as I am driving in a highly congested area.

[@SiRhodesDriverTraining]

Regarding getting a cancellation test, in my area it is impossible. A local ADI has someone sat on a computer all day long taking every test that comes up then they charge an admin free which takes the test to £95. The DVSA aren’t interested, said nothing they can do to stop them. So it’s pay that person £95 instead of £62 to get a test within the next 6 months as the ones on the DVSA website are now around Xmas time.

[@awsinger1]

I heard that you can no longer take driving tests on a Sunday, but 8 years ago, my driving test was at 8am on a Sunday morning on cloudy but dry day. I don't think I came across more than 3 other cars.I was asked to do the manoeuvre I was most confident with, reverse around a corner (I don't think they do that any more either) and the independent driving section happened to be the route I had just practiced that morning. Passed first time with no minors... and it was totally unfair! I felt as though I'd cheated! Had it been 5pm on a weekday with a different route, different manoeuvre and different weather/road conditions I definitely could've failed. That's why I never ever get braggy about it - I just got so lucky! Edit; don't get me wrong, I was confident and at test standard, I just know there are so many variables that affect if you pass or not, even if you're ready.

[@reefkh5692]

I passed first time in October 23 I have to say thank you as I benefited a lot from your videos more than any other instructor Really appreciated

[@justyourfriendlyneighbourh3315]

Hey rich I passed my driving test the other day and your videos helped a lot from Australia

[@JD.Gardener]

A lot of the points in this video mirror my job, working in a college. Our leadership set certain target percentages for course pass rates, based on Government targets, league tables, and previous years results (we always need to be seen to be improving). In an ideal world the staff would teach better (impossible, we all do the best we can anyway), there'd be better resources (impossible, the resources are either as good as they can be, or the money isn't there to improve them), or we'd admit more capable students (impossible, we'll take pretty much anyone who applies). So to hit these pass rates, we either dumb down the exams, or staff basically do the hard parts of the course or teach the exam in class. Our department teaches practical subjects - we send a lot of leavers out into the world with a bit of paper that says they are competent in their subject, but who really shouldn't be trusted with a power tool.

[@shadowjoker285]

As a person looking to getting a driving lesson in the future, I can think of people to get high pass rates for safer driving. Is a possible reward so that the longer you took when learning to drive, with the higher pass rate, would give an incentive for young drivers,like myself, to take longer learning to drive. For example maybe getting a 1 time ticket for like 20 -25 % off buying a new car for first time buryers, maybe getting a small portion of money, maybe getting when paying for petrol for the 1st year of consistent driving/ a 20% off any repairs to the car incase something happens to their car withing the 1st year and a half. Maybe getting a coupon or something that lets them customise the first car they get, so stuff like new paint job, a way to get better seats for those that have certain difficulties within the body. Just some ideas 💡

[@mga59xbd38]

I’ve had 9 lessons so far and now feel a lot more confident with my driving. There’s still much I need to improve on but I’ll get there eventually.

[@marksheppard8768]

My two fails were both for simple things I knew better than to do, with a heavy influence of test anxiety and trying too hard. Ultimately you can prepare someone perfectly and they can still make a mistake on the day, especially if the examiner takes the pupil down a road they've not used before with a tricky bit there to deal with.

[@shankly1985]

Great points. I can match the same reason with failing first time. I wasn't ready and had I passed I question what I would have been like driving alone.

[@SeanVlismas]

I wish my instructor had been more straight up with me about my readiness for taking my first test. She was great but her philosophy seemed to be more that if I wanted to give it a go then that was up to me. I failed hard. The difference in skill that I had when I passed was like night and day and by then my instructor was telling me that I was test ready. It's only with the benefit of hindsight that I could see how unready I was for my first test and I'm very glad I didn't just fluke a pass at that stage. As you say, I could have ended up spending a lot more when I invariably had an accident.

[@ytchannel44421]

That doesn't seem very professional of her

[@gravemind6536]

The reason most people fail is not a lack of ability but a lack of confidence and being nervous on test. Nerves cause you to be irrational and potentially make the wrong decisions the key to passing is being calm and confident. I speak as someone who has sat 5 driving tests and passed 3 of them. I passed my car test 3rd time although my instructor and I both believed the 1st test should have been passed, the other 2 tests I've done have been PCV and HGV class 1 and I passed them both 1st time and the HGV test I got zero minors which is the only test this occured in and it was the test where I was the least nervous too.

[@UfoLBeerSeeker]

I was doing my test in Poland 15 years ago. There is mandatory minimum of 30hrs of driving lessons with qualified instructor before you can book your first test. And there are plans to increase that to 60 now. And even with that we have similar 50% ish pass rate. It scares me to think there are people lucking on test with just a couple hours practice out there. You usually paid for entire course whole, rather than individual hours, unless you wanted extra ones. Base course costed me equivalent of 500 pounds back then. So it was much cheaper for me that the amounts i hear asked around UK.

[@deano_bites]

He is right about the poorly maintained roads the signs have faded away and junctions councils have got lazy are worst then before round abouts no one indicates people drive way to close to each other and more vehicle's are on the road but it's simple to pass if you have learned the everything you need to know but yes the roads are poor and i have noticed so many roads that was once clear now packed then again I'm going back to the 1980s !

[@notzoebuckley]

I passed first time last week, your videos have been really helpful to maintain my knowledge in between lessons ☺️

[@ConquerDriving]

That's great to hear! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!

[@joshwilliams0391]

When I was learning back in 2009 everyone used to say “they’ve got to fail so many tests every day, they’ve got some kind of quota.”

[@nickhoughton7025]

Any customer service driven job is 85% communication so having a clear set of expectations to start is ideal. Great approach for any service provider.

[@Gingerharry2011]

Make a guaranteed minimum number of tuition hours. For private pilots licence you must do a minimum of 45 hours with a certain number of hours spent on certain areas. This would work to improve standards and set pupil expectations accordingly

[@shamrock141]

It's a bad idea. It further restricts driving only to those who have a large amount of money. Driving lessons are expensive, mandatory driving lessons from approved instructors would ramp up the price even more so and restrict people from being able to drive, which in rural or outskirts areas restricts their ability to work. The standards are good, a pass/fail rate isn't as important as making sure the test is competently organised.

[@andrewbush65]

Thank you for this video Richard. Now a video on how many hours tuition and practice a lot of learners really need to reach that 85% chance of passing.

[@LK-qd5gz]

I was probably one of the minority who was of the view it was probably cheaper for me to have more lessons and be more likely to pass first time than risk testing too early. I took my test 6.5 months after my first lesson, I had 71 hours and no practice outside of lessons. Passed with 0 minors end of October last year. The only pressure I was feeling was I was moving jobs and it was going to be very difficult to get there long term without a car. Thankfully all went well for me. My instructor asked me in June or July have I looked at booking test, and my earliest test was 3 ish months later. I miss my driving lessons though. I liked my instructor and the learning process, I think that was part of the reason I was willing to have all the lessons I needed. I barely passed any mocks but always for silly reasons. The last one before my test I selected my lane late as the lane was splitting into 2 I should’ve chose earlier and moved over if I was in the wrong one. Now been driving nearly 9 months and continuing to watching these videos as always some learning to do or some interesting thing to know!

[@slive360]

funny enough I was speaking to my instructor about this last week said more or less the exact same things about examiners being monitored I always knew it was a myth that they let a certain amount of drivers pass just made no sense. I had to book my test 5 months in advance into September though I am a older than a typical learner at 33 and with a full time job with plenty of money saved up so my situation is different from a typical teen learner. I just finished my 2hr lesson this morning, I feel optimistic I will be more than ready for my test and I have been learning from March. Even though money can be a concern you probably end up wasting just as much money booking in tests when you are not ready and failing them.

[@norbertcsaszar4746]

I'm not from the UK,and right now i'm doing my drivers licence ( going to my first try on driving test next week). I think the standards here in Hungary even higher than in the UK,after watching some of your videos. And its completely fine,i want to be a good driver,not a burden on others. Problem is,that people are not so patient with the learners. Like,if i didnt dart off when the light turn green in 1 second i get honked,sometimes people see that i'm in a instructors car,so they dont give me the right of way etc. It adds some extra burden on an inexperienced driver,who already quite nervous. Thankfully some people understand that i maybe cant park in 10 seconds so they wait patiently,but 1-2 bastard can sour you experience. The standards should be high,just some people forget that most of us didnt born with a licence to our names.

[@renataavgeri1132]

I passed my test first time in Greece almost 1 year ago and i definitely was not ready. I was scared anyway so there was no possibility i was going to take a car driving alone. Almost 1 month passed before i got out of the settlement i live with an experienced driver beside me. 4 months ago dad got me my own car and i did a few more lessons in it with my instructor before i felt ready to drive alone in the city. Now i feel safe driving and i love driving. On my journey to become a driving instructor here as this licence changed my life and i would love to be able to give these opportunities to other people as well

[@akpanekpo6025]

I got my licence in England and consider myself extremely lucky to have done so. If you've ever driven on Canadian roads (particularly in Ontario), you'll appreciate what I mean. I never had to do a test here, but understand you'll pass with none of the basic skills that Brits, Germans and the Dutch take for granted. The result is that driving here is so scary that I've lost the joy of it. The easiest way to understand it is to think of whatever you're not permitted to do in any of the above countries, and consider it the norm on Canadian roads. So I hope the British standards don't change.

[@AhoBakaSaru]

Driver of 35 years, currently studying towards my PDI licence and finding your videos extremely informative. Thank you very much for the great content!

[@legion162]

Don't give up halfway through your test, try and keep it together until the end no matter how badly you think you've done. On my second attempt I was convinced I'd got about 10 minors, was really surprised to find out I'd only got 2 and passed, just waiting to start my part 3 training

[@AhoBakaSaru]

@@legion162 I have my part 2 in September and I’m feeling apprehensive already, thanks for the advice. I’m driving my wife and kids mad with commentary driving at the moment, I’m even calling out all my mirror checks 😅

[@legion162]

@@AhoBakaSaru get a few hours with a driving instructor a couple of weeks before your test to give you a check over. I didn't do any commentary driving really, just a bit of talking to myself occasionally, like if a car was waiting to pull out of a junction I might say what are you going to do, or stay there, or if a pedestrian was near a junction or crossing, again I'd say where are you going, or what are you going to do. Practice with sat nav, regularly, even if you know where you are going, try following Google maps or Waze, or mix it up between them if you have android. I use Google maps every day as part of my job, and still picked up a minor for missing a turning, think it was for planning and awareness. Good luck for September 👍

[@CromulentEmbiggening]

8:00 Same for me when I failed in April 2024. I did not rush at all with my lessons (I had something like 20 to 30 hours), but I was glad that I failed because I didn't even realise the fault I got was indeed a fault. Without that situation happening I would've been a qualified driver, driving on my own with a full licence, then would've done something dangerous (or rather 'serious') when the same situation materialised. Now I'm getting more impatient because of how hard it is to find a test, the threat of the theory test expiring, and due to some changes in my life I haven't been able to practice driving at all since my first attempt. But I've rescheduled my test from August to November because I haven't had a single lesson or drive in 4 months, and will hopefully have time to have another 20 to 30 hours of lessons plus a lot of driving with family. Although, the long wait turned me from patient and reasonable into just wanting my licence at any cost. I hate what it's done to me. If I fail in November then I likely won't find another test before my theory test expires in March 2025. EDIT: some background: my instructor changed jobs in December 2023 and I had my test in April. I did a little bit of driving with family between then and according to my examiner, I didn't pick up any bad habits (yes I failed, but it wasn't due to a repeated bad habit, rather a really stupid mistake), and I prepared for the test by having a refresher lesson to drive the test route and do all the manoeuvres in an unfamiliar car with an unfamiliar instructor and that lesson went absolutely perfectly after not much driving. It boosted my confidence because I'm a very underconfident driver and get nervous behind the wheel. So failing was logical and necessary but after a few weeks after failing it sunk in and became painful.

[@deaks25]

I seem to say this every video of Richard's, but I'm a biker, so I very much support us having exacting standards. The motorcycle test has even high and even more unforgiving standards, and I did get bitten by that when making seemingly small errors, but I do believe it is worth it to ensure new drivers are as safe as possible. Again, as a biker, I want to be as safe a car driver as possible, because I don't want to be a risk to another motorcycle so when I learned to driver, I wanted to be trained to as high a standard as possible and I did indeed pass first time, which I do think because my instructor aimed for a high standard and I was fully on board with that and could afford to make sure I could get the level of training I needed.

[@helenarasmussen571]

You are 100% right on everything you say in this video, can say this from experience

[@arinzenwafor500]

Thanks to this channel. The videos here helped me a lot. Took the test once and pass. Pupils please listen to him, he's good too

[@Draw2quit]

I failed my first test because of a cat. When driving into an estate I noticed that there were two cats lying on the opposite side of the road. After doing a 3 point turn, I headed back towards the cats and I commented to the examiner that as the road ahead was clear, I was going to give the cats a wide berth and use the other side of the road to pass them. I slowed down and went around them. Got back to the test centre and was told that I failed because as I slowly passed the cats. One of them stood up and walked towards the car and I should have stopped whilst the cat moved out of the way. I said this wasn't true and the examiner said, and I quote "it was in your blind spot so how would you know". I was raging and my driving instructor had to talk me out of the car before I said something stupid.

[@matthewthompson4618]

Great video! I'm quite an anxious person during the test (caused me to fail my test, lowering the pass rate). Wish there was a way to not fret when I'm being assessed

[@SiP1984]

The other issue which isn’t taken into account is nerves. I only allow test standard pupils to go to test but for some people the nerves get to them and they don’t perform to their usual standard on the day.

[@honkhonk1042]

I just passed my test yesterday first time with one minor, which was the 'show me, tell me' question, funnily enough. I know it's hard, but the best advice I could give is that you should bring your "test ready" self, not your "nervous for the driving exam in case I fail" self. Don't second guess yourself, especially if your driving instructor says you're test ready because that means you already have the skills, the attitude, and the judgement of a soon-to-be-passer. You guys can do it.

[@julianmcc9436]

Im from Sydney Australia and I did fail the test 3 times, first was due to nerves and external pressure from family, friends e.g, 2nd took the test way too soon after the first one, and probably wasnt 100% ready 3rd made silly mistakes, 4th absolutely smashed it, had my instructor lesson before the test and used his car without any pressure from friends or family and i got nearly 100% and only made 1 minor error. Point is I am so glad I failed those tests because I have taken those as lessons and have improved so much, who knows what could have happened if i got lucky and passed in my first test

[@dancares7]

In Germany we have quite a high amount of mandatory driving lessons that have to be taken before you can book a test. That way it is more expensive to get a driving licence period, but the test pass rate is much higher.

[@shanehodges-evans5108]

I passed first time two weeks ago as of this comment and I added on first attempted on both theory and practical test but finding right instructor is everything as everyone has different learning styles

[@eeyore13]

I was so lucky with my driving instructor, he was amazing, so patient, very much in demand because he is one of the best, if not the best in my area. I failed my 1st test cos my brain farted and had a stupid moment. Passed 2nd one though.

[@Atral557]

A few ideas for how the DVSA could increase the pass rate: - Be more proactive about dispelling driving tests myths. These make students panic and waste teaching time. Not all instructors are reliable because they're biased by person experience / anecdotes. - Release their own educational videos on the curriculum and / or some kind of browser based simulations to help with common faults (e.g. based on this video/image, is it safe to go at this junction?). - Stop allowing drivers who have already passed to book tests and improve bot detection, this is abused by companies that resell tests and increases the "What if I can't get another test?" anxiety. - Make failing more punishing by increasing the time to rebook a test (I think this is already proposed) - Make all ADIs appear on the register and make people more aware of this less. Potentially make things like pass rate public; this should encourage instructors to only put their students up for test when they're ready.

[@dl66662]

I failed my first time because the examiner told me to do a parallel park maneuver and someone else drove up right behind me and sat on my bumper which prevented me from doing the maneuver. She didn't tell me to abandon it and drive on and then failed me for undue hesitation. Absolutely done solely to bilk more money out of me.