<p>Poor D has taken the drivers test four times now, and failed each time…while I am for the DMV testers being vigilant and failing drivers for the right reasons, this is starting to border on ridiculous! While D has to keep trying and pay (now with her own $$) for each attempt, we see her peers driving like maniacs on the road, including a classmate who had to be airlifted to the hospital on the first day of school after running into a utility pole - she is lucky to be alive.</p>
<p>Here is the tale of woe…</p>
<p>Attempt #1 - hits the curb while attempting to parallel park - automatic failure, no problem there, we’ll just have her practice that more</p>
<p>Attempt #2 - a few minor dings add up to a failure, including slowing down too early at the intersection - OK, we’ll work on that…</p>
<p>Attempt #3 - She stops to wait for someone in the crosswalk, but starts to proceed at the same time someone else steps off the curb - failure (even though if that person took a head first dive wanting to end it all she wouldn’t have gotten close to the car)</p>
<p>And - the most crazy…</p>
<p>Attempt #4 - At the SAME crosswalk, D stops since she sees a man standing on the curb as if he were to begin crossing. Since he did ended up not stepping into the crosswalk, D fails for OBSTRUCTING TRAFFIC - are you kidding me???</p>
<p>Needless to say, this girl who was once a confident driver while practicing is now a basket case, and I still have to play taxi. Is it just New York that is so picky, or are their other drivers test stories out there???</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about your D’s travails. Here the test is done at a local shopping center where the testing center is. Parallel parking first, and if they manage that they go around the parking lot (which has stop signs), out onto a busy street, drive one block to a light, and make a right back into the parking lot. It’s pretty easy, frankly, but there are 50 hours of behind-the-wheel experience required (on the honor system, though) before you can take the test. D failed the first time because of the parallel parking, but passed on the second try.</p>
<p>When I was in high school my peers would compare DMVs for the easiest driver’s test. Is there another DMV that would be a feasible test location for you? It might be time to try a change of scenery, and ask her friends about the testers there. Is it an “easy” course, all residential driving? Or on busier streets? Is parallel parking required? (I was surprised when I learned that this depends on where you live!)</p>
<p>I failed the first time because I turned right at a yellow light that had just turned yellow.</p>
<p>The second time, I was so nervous about parallel parking (which I did complete the first time) that I never got past it.</p>
<p>Luckily, the third time (and if I didn’t pass the third time I think I would have needed to wait another six months before taking my driver’s test again) everything went very smoothly, though I had heard so much about people failing because they were too close to the stop signs that I made sure I was definitely not past them, and the tester made a comment about it.</p>
<p>I failed my first time…among my problems was forgetting to take the car out of reverse after doing what they called a vermont turn around. So, I stepped on the gas and we shot backwards. This was a common problem of mine when learning to drive lol. That and forgetting which pedal was the brake and which was the gas.</p>
<p>Hi,
We also live in NY, and my twin sons passed the test on the first try in August. Did the examiner give you a printout of what he/she took off for? Apparently, if you lose 30 points, you fail. One of my sons told me that his driver’s ed teacher said that you do not fail if you hit the curb in parallel parking. But, you need to be able to show the examiner that you know how to correct the mistake. Their examiner took plenty of points off, but not enough to fail them. One of my sons got “dinged” for his behavior at an intersection, too. He stopped at the stop sign, but then moved very slowly into the intersection because he couldn’t clearly see around a tree, and the examiner took off for his dangerous behavior. I have told my son to always do what he did to make sure that he can see in all directions. I would strongly suggest that she take the test again elsewhere. All 3 of my sons have taken the test at a location which is not the closest one to our home, deliberately. The “scuttlebutt” I heard many years ago was that the location I have taken them to has more “humane” examiners, so I have gone out of my way.</p>
<p>Understand that I am not advocating passing students who do not deserve it. I made sure that my sons have far more than the recommended hours under parental supervision, and they continued to drive with me for weeks after they passed the test. I explained that now they had to pass MY test. If you are comfortable PM’ing me with details of where you are located and it turns out to be anywhere near me, I’ll let you know where they tested.</p>
<p>I passed my test at a school run by Russians, with the cop being one of the owner’s friends. The mantra was “no one fails” and it consisted of going around a few sidestreets around the high school, without even parallel parking or anything else.</p>
<p>See if there’s any schools around you that have a reputation for not really carying if you can drive or not as long as you pay them. Or does NY only have tests done at the actual RMV?</p>
<p>I failed a driver’s test once (after driving for ten years, moved to another state) for being too careful - evidently the examiner got tired of waiting for me to pull out across a monstous bunch of traffic. The examiner was absolutely abusive about it – what in the world??? Went across town and passed with flying colors. I agree – try another site!</p>
<p>My son–an excellent driver–failed the first time; my daughter–not as good at that point–passed the first time.</p>
<p>I would suggest you make the effort to take your daughter to a DIFFERENT testing facility, where the course and the examiners will be different.</p>
<p>Also, I would pay for a few extra lessons, to give your daughter some additional confidence.</p>
<p>Different testing facilities do make a difference, I think. When our son took the test, he was nearly the last one of his class to take it. Most of the girls seemed to pass with flying colors; however, almost all of the boys failed on the first try-at one particular location. We therefore listened to the scuttlebutt and took him to a different location–out of the way, but worth it in my opinion. He passed on the first try and believe it or not, seemed to think that the examiner did not even give him the full length of the test. He passed–and took his license. Most of his friends were shocked, esp since they had failed on the first try. </p>
<p>My own memory (35+ years ago) of driving tests involves a classmate of mine who went to take the test. Supposedly, when she pulled in the parking lot she entered thru the exit only driveway and the examiner saw her, met her at the car and told her to turn around, exit properly and come back in two weeks when she learned to read “exit and enter”! It was quite the talk when I was in school. </p>
<p>This is an interesting thread as I imagine there are a lot of funny stories about driving tests!</p>
<p>The situation where I live is a bit different, because most facilities in Maryland give their tests on a closed course, but what has helped some kids here is to go back to the driving school where they learned to drive in the first place and ask for one or two extra lessons solely focused on learning the skills necessary to pass the test. It costs money, but it’s worth it. Driving instructors are usually pretty savvy about exactly what the testers are looking for.</p>
<p>When D learned to drive (at age 18), we hired a local driving school. We found out that for an additional fee, she could also take her driving test through them. They had an arrangement with DMV to allow this.</p>
<p>They took her out for driving practice several times, and each time came back to us with a “grade” and what she needed to work on. They wouldn’t allow her to even take the test until they felt she was ready. But during the test, they were more lenient (I think), because they knew already how she drove. Plus, she was more comfortable, because she knew them already.</p>
<p>I wonder if that would be available to you. The class was expensive, but worth it.</p>
<p>By the way, I failed my first attempt at the test (in PA). I feel for your D. I will testify that it is extremely humiliating, especially, as you say, peers who were much worse drivers were passing. After the fact, everyone commiserated with me, telling me that I had the hardest guy, and he was especially hard on girls.</p>
<p>Fast-forward 30 years or so - and I had to take driving lessons and test again to get my European license. I was a basketcase. I passed, but it is an experience I never, ever want to go through again.</p>
<p>I agree with the suggestion to go to a different test center. Start over: different “course layout”, different examiner, different vibes. It will be a fresher retest.</p>
<p>We’re in New York, too, and don’t have a choice of centers. Here’s what my daughter’s driver’s ed teacher told her (she got her license 1 1/2 years ago): to pay for a driving leson at a professional school for the purpose of getting a warm-up on the way to the test, then having a professional car to use. He also believes that the examiners see the students in professional cars as being more serious. I don’t know if it’s true, but it works well for his students.</p>
<p>If you can get an extra lesson and the opportunity to take the test in the driving school’s car, I say go for it. </p>
<p>Back when I took my driver’s test, thirtysomething years ago, there was a sort of ladies-and-gentleman’s agreement between the driving schools and the DMV that the instructors wouldn’t bring kids to the test until they were ready, and the examiners wouldn’t fail the kids for trivial reasons. Perhaps this situation still applies.</p>
<p>Also, driving schools tend to have really small cars that are easy to parallel park!</p>
<p>S1 failed the first time he took the test for…going too slow! It was pouring rain and he weas driving on an unfamilar street. The whole time he had his permit I had to remind him to slow down which was the last thing I said to him before the test…guess he took it too seriously. Found out that DMV had a rep. for failing kids so took him to a different one and he passed with no prob. In our state you don’t have to pay if you don’t pass the test.</p>
<p>Also NY. Son #1, first test: I make him clock 100 practice hours when 20 are required. More nervous than I’d ever seen him in his life, almost quivering in the seat. He fails his first test due to a couple of small things like touching a driveway during a 3-point turn. I thought he would die, he was so completely devastated. Son’s second test, after a bunch more hours finetuning the parallel parking plus a couple of lessons with a professional driving teacher, and the next appointment we can get which is weeks away: he is nervous again. We get to the test site. He is determined to pass. Within 30 seconds, the examiner gets out of the car: son forgot his glasses. He practically dies again. Son’s third test, again weeks away since it’s the next available appointment: He is on a misison to pass. He does. It is still not a funny family story.</p>
<p>Son #2: Keyed up but not very nervous. He passes on the first test.</p>
<p>Definitely go to another testing station. No reason to keep beating your head against the wall. Another testing station may not have as many crosswalks with pedestrians at them.</p>