View Full Version : Failed my theory
I bought the PC dvd 'driving test success' and i've been using it every few nights doing the mock tests, hazard perception and learning while practicing.
I was confident going in to do the real thing after passing the mock tests every time in under 20 mins, although my hazard perception was weak.
I struggled on a few of the questions in the real test. One was a yellow sign with schoolchildren on it, and i had to say where it should be seen (i answered on the back of a school bus). Another question i wasn't sure about was the braking distances on ice. I answered 5 times longer. Another one was naming a road sign, it was a dark blue circle, with a red outline and a cross through it; i answered parking restriction.
The one i was most annoyed about was the third party insurance question. I do not know what this covers since i have never been insured before, and it was not on my dvd. I answered 'damage to my vehicle and damage to third party vehicle'. I have no idea whether my answers were right or wrong because you don't get told after the test.
I was confident going into the test, and confident leaving the test room, and schocked when i found out i failed. I scored 48 on the hazard perception, and 41 on the multiple choice. (the pass rates were 44 and 43)
Why does it matter so much that i've failed? Because i was supposed to book my practical test today after passing and therefore start my full training tomorrow. I have this week off for half term, and with the test changing soon, this was the absolute best time to get my licence. The training school won't let me have any lessons untill i've passed. (i'm not sure if this is a legal requirement or not)
So now im £30 lighter, lost my entire morning wasting my time doing a test that i failed and sitting on a stinking bus for an hour and 10 minutes which got diverted and took so long i ended up getting off the bus before the stop and walked past the crawling traffic.
I may have to wait 3 days before booking a re test, but i may be able to book it this afternoon. Looks like i will have to have time off college to actually get this test done...
/rant
kwak zzr
16-02-09, 12:01 PM
arrr bad luck :( chin up eh get it booked again :)
NickWilde123
16-02-09, 12:02 PM
that sucks, i failed my bike theory first time and second time i passed, just keep practicing the tests and get used to the common questions and good luck next time
SoulKiss
16-02-09, 12:02 PM
So you passed the Hazard Perception and failed the multi-choice?
TBH you didn't give yourself much of a chance - its only weeks since you said you needed to learn this stuff.
When I first learned the highway code I was learning to drive a car - and you didnt have the theory test. I literally had 9 months to learn the signs/rules alongside the lessons.
You put a lot of pressure on yourself, and unfortunately failed.
Better luck next time - in the future you will look back and be glad you were delayed a bit - who know what other signs you are still unsure of, and if that lack of knowledge would have had consequences in the real world.
Get a copy of the highway code and read that, as well as continuing the tests on the DVD
shonadoll
16-02-09, 12:03 PM
Aww, that's rubbish,Chin up
missyburd
16-02-09, 12:05 PM
:-( Bad luck hun.
When I took mine I got 44 multiple choice and 63 for the hazard perception so I only passed the multiple choice bit by one mark, thought I'd bolloxed that up big style. It really is a question of luck I think, I remember getting a handful of questions I didn't have a clue about and I just clicked the buttons and crossed me fingers :rolleyes:
If at first you don't succeed try again, you'll be reyt :-) At least you've been through the whole experience now and know exactly what to expect. Just forget about the first one as there's nothing you can do about it now. Better luck next time!
tanis34
16-02-09, 12:06 PM
hard luck m8 keep your chin up and try try again as they say you'll get there
So you passed the Hazard Perception and failed the multi-choice?
TBH you didn't give yourself much of a chance - its only weeks since you said you needed to learn this stuff.
When I first learned the highway code I was learning to drive a car - and you didnt have the theory test. I literally had 9 months to learn the signs/rules alongside the lessons.
You put a lot of pressure on yourself, and unfortunately failed.
Better luck next time - in the future you will look back and be glad you were delayed a bit - who know what other signs you are still unsure of, and if that lack of knowledge would have had consequences in the real world.
Get a copy of the highway code and read that, as well as continuing the tests on the DVD
I have the highway code and i've been reading it at lunchtime in college, and break at work.
I know all the important signs, just that parking restriction one i wasn't sure on.
the_lone_wolf
16-02-09, 12:08 PM
I struggled on a few of the questions in the real test. One was a yellow sign with schoolchildren on it, and i had to say where it should be seen (i answered on the back of a school bus). Another question i wasn't sure about was the braking distances on ice. I answered 5 times longer. Another one was naming a road sign, it was a dark blue circle, with a red outline and a cross through it; i answered parking restriction.
The one i was most annoyed about was the third party insurance question. I do not know what this covers since i have never been insured before, and it was not on my dvd. I answered 'damage to my vehicle and damage to third party vehicle'. I have no idea whether my answers were right or wrong because you don't get told after the test.
Sorry to hear you failed dude, i think you can book a re-test immediately though can't you with the theory unlike the practical?
From memory:
Yellow sign with schoolchildren is on a lolipop lady's crossing wand
Stopping distances on ice are upto 10x longer
red circle plus red cross like an x not a + with a blue background means no stopping
third party insurance covers damage to a third party's vehicle or property ONLY
awaits correction;)
Thanks for the support people.
If i believed in karma, i'd blame this on my Jade Goody joke... :rolleyes:
SoulKiss
16-02-09, 12:09 PM
I have the highway code and i've been reading it at lunchtime in college, and break at work.
I know all the important signs, just that parking restriction one i wasn't sure on.
Its still a lot of info to cram in a short space of time.
Wasn't having a go - just trying to point out the steepness of the learning curve you put yourself up against.
Sorry to hear you failed dude, i think you can book a re-test immediately though can't you with the theory unlike the practical?
From memory:
Yellow sign with schoolchildren is on a lolipop lady's crossing wand
Stopping distances on ice are upto 10x longer
red circle plus red cross like an x not a + with a blue background means no stopping
third party insurance covers damage to a third party's vehicle or property ONLY
awaits correction;)
Hmmm it wasn't a lollypop sign, it was a square one that i think i've seen on a bus.
Whoops on the stopping distance... I didn't plan on riding on ice anyway!
Looks like i got the TP question right then.
Its still a lot of info to cram in a short space of time.
Wasn't having a go - just trying to point out the steepness of the learning curve you put yourself up against.
Yeah fair enough, i was just told so many times that the theory is SO easy to pass i thought that a couple of weeks was more than enough.
madness
16-02-09, 12:12 PM
Bad luck. Get it re-booked, I'm sure you'll do it next time.
jamesterror
16-02-09, 12:28 PM
Thanks for the support people.
If i believed in karma, i'd blame this on my Jade Goody joke... :rolleyes:
Well, Clarkson doesn't really get his karma after his comment a while ago about her;
A racist, pig-faced waste of blood and organs.
Get it re-booked mate should all be fine :)
I revised all mine during 2 days whilst I was doing exams in January, but I used a book / a site I found with tests on, on the internet. (If I can fish out the link I'll post it).
Stopping distances it depends how you remember it, I remembered them in a sequencial order.
Kate Moss
16-02-09, 12:34 PM
Oh dear, Don't let it get you down, keep practicing till the next one and Good luck.
Looks like i got the TP question right then.
Nope, you didn't. Third party is somebody else and does not include you.
M - gotta say this, please consider whether you are trying to achieve too much too quick.
Nope, you didn't. Third party is somebody else and does not include you.
M - gotta say this, please consider whether you are trying to achieve too much too quick.
I have realised that it's going to take longer than i first thought to do this properly. Hence my thread i made after this one http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=125770
That should be the best option for me ;)
Sorry to hear that mate, sounds like you were very close and should do it next time.
I think the hazard perception bit of the test is ridiculous. It's so subjective it's laughable.
Bad luck, I guess a percentage of people are supposed to fail it. If everybody passed they'd make it even more ridiculous, subjective, random, useless.........because it would be seen as too easy.
Gene genie
16-02-09, 02:51 PM
now you know what to expect, just re-apply and do it again. look on it as your first 'off '. pick yourself up and get back on.
metalmonkey
16-02-09, 05:53 PM
Doh! But nevermind start over, just take your time. Work out where you went wrong, then from there the rest should be easier, well that my experince of exams and I really suck at them.
Maybe you should look at making notes or something? When I study I do that, even if I'm writing out a complex issue I plan before I write it. I have no clue how you learn, but things like mindmaps work for me. How long have you given yourself to learn everything?
As my Instructor said the theroy is based on the highway code, so if you know that then it will fall into place. I took his advice on that, it worked.
The hazard test part of it, I found werid I took that after driving a car for 10 years, meh strange what they make to be a hazard sometimes.
No one is meant to fail it, there is a minium stardard with any of form of test, if you don't make it then you fail.
No one is meant to fail it, there is a minium stardard with any of form of test, if you don't make it then you fail.
Not everyone can pass a test like the theory test first time. If they did they'd make it harder, if no one passed they'd just make it easier. It's about numbers as much as it is about driving standards.
The practical exam is the same, only worse because the monitoring of examiners means that they can be ahead or behind for the month, and they'll adjust their leniency accordingly.
ArtyLady
16-02-09, 06:20 PM
Bad luck, don't worry you'll nail it next time :cool:
joshmac
16-02-09, 09:22 PM
Hmmm it wasn't a lollypop sign, it was a square one that i think i've seen on a bus.
Yeah you're right on that one. It's displayed in the back window of a school bus
Whoops on the stopping distance... I didn't plan on riding on ice anyway!
Very wise ;)
Looks like i got the TP question right then.
No [EDIT]: Ed already posted why
Don't stress out about it mate. One of my mates failed his theory (car license) 3 times before he got it right.
Study a bit more for it and nail it the second time round :thumbsup:
Know Your Traffic Signs (http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tss/trafficsigns.pdf)
A very handy book that goes into far more detail than the Highway Code.
As for stopping distances, there is a very easy way to work these out...
20mph x 2 = 40ft
30mph x 2.5 = 75ft
40mph x 3 = 120ft
etc
etc
70mph x 4.5 = 315ft
When wet, twice as long and on ice upt to ten times (as already mentioned.
Magnum, if you need any help with the hazard perception, drop me a pm. The explanations you get on the CD/DVD's aren't particularly good and make it sound harder than it is.
I bought the book The Official Theory Test for Motorcyclists, read it from cover to cover the weekend before my theory. I found there were things in there that aren't on the online tests and I did a few of those. It definitely helped me to pass the theory reading the book just before.
Know Your Traffic Signs (http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tss/trafficsigns.pdf)
A very handy book that goes into far more detail than the Highway Code.
As for stopping distances, there is a very easy way to work these out...
20mph x 2 = 40ft
30mph x 2.5 = 75ft
40mph x 3 = 120ft
etc
etc
70mph x 4.5 = 315ft
.
Thanks that's much easierthan the formula my Chief Observer keeps going on about 'x squared divided by x' or something like that.
Does that including thinking distance? I'm sure it does or you would have said braking distance not stopping distance.
Cheers
Does that including thinking distance?
Yeah, those are the overall stopping distances. Thinking distances are generally covered by the two second rule these days (or 4 seconds in the wet, 20 on ice)
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