Understanding the Driving Test

It is important to prepare properly and in good time for your driving test. We at Excel School Of Motoring Cork have a proven track record of over 30 years experience to ensure you are properly prepared to pass your driving test.

Trying to change certain habits and attitudes ingrained, in some cases over many years, can be difficult to do and not something that can be done overnight. The earlier these habits are identified the sooner they can be worked on and rectified. It is important to take some pretest lessons well in advance of the driving test date to allow time to work on any issues that might arise.

Many people fail the driving test not because they are not good drivers but because they do not understand what is expected of them on the day of their test.

It is not enough that you are mechanically adept at controlling your vehicle. You need to be able to demonstrate an awareness of your surroundings, knowing where you are on the road and where everybody else is and knowing that where you are is correct.

Certain aspects of normal everyday driving that many experienced drivers do would in some instances not be what the tester is looking for, some examples of this would be road position and use of the gears.

As you get more experienced you get more proficient and develop a more fluid style of driving. It is not that one style of driving is right and the other wrong both can be correct but with subtle differences and these are the differences you need to be aware of.

A thing to remember is that the driver tester is not expecting a perfect driver, they do not expect an experienced driver. Everyone presenting themselves for the test holds a learners permit, the vast majority of these are relatively inexperienced drivers. Once you can demonstrate that you are knowledgeable and safe on the road they will allow scope for development as you get more experienced.

Common misconceptions relating to the test are that……

1) They have a quota to fail

This is not true. You start your test with a clean slate, the tester can only record any faults when or if they occur. If a fault does not occur then they can’t record one, e.g, they can not record you broke the speed limit if it did not happen, they can not record you went through a red light if it did not happen, they can not record you mounting the kerb if it did not happen etc etc…

2) It is a money making racket.

Again not true. The driving test fee does not cover the full cost of conducting the test, each driving test is currently conducted at a loss. From that test fee the driver testers need to be paid, buildings leased (Test centres/offices in Ballina etc..) , admin staff in Ballina paid and all other associated costs covered.

3) Certain testers are more likely to fail you.

Again not true. Each tester has their own individual personality, some can be chatty and smiley and others may adopt a more distant demeanour. However the tester appears to you they are all thoroughly professional, genuine and fair. The driver testers are also assessed by their supervisor on an ongoing basis.

4) Take me over the Test Route.

This is a request we hear a lot when people initially ring up to ask about pretest driving lessons. There is a surprisingly common misconception that there is only one test route that every test candidate is brought over by every Driver Tester. There are in fact a number of test areas that the testers frequent regularly but they have many options as to where they go. From the Doughcloyne Test Centre in Wilton for example you could be brought to Bishopstown or Glasheen or Togher. There are many different ways of getting to those areas and once there the tester has a choice of any of the many housing estates to do the manoeuvres and any of the various roundabouts, traffic lights etc.. that they wish to utilise.