How in god's name do you pass a driving test?

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I took my third driving test today and failed it. I'm not such a bad driver. I might even go as far as to say I'm a good one. I've been driving semi-legally on a provisional licence for over a year, but I just can't pass this bastard test. It starts off with an examination of the rules and signs of the road - all of which I know, having already passed the driver theory test on a computer and worked through them at home. The questions are asked orally though, so I have a hard time visualising what the guy is talking about. He asks about hypothetical situations - which I could deal with were I in the actual car - but I can't make any sense of them when I'm sitting at a desk facing him. I get nervous and my thoughts get flustered.

We then went for an examination of the car engine where I had to point out three of five parts. I knew these and had practiced pointing them out at home, but when I was in the test, I couldn't point to the right ones.

Once we got into the car, I couldn't concentrate on driving while he was watching me. I had already f****d up the first part, so he obviously thought I was an idiot and he was being more critical. The irony is that I managed to do the hard maeuvers easiest - turn abouts, reversing around corners and hill starts, because they were things I had rehearsed. But I couldn't manage simple things like turing corners with him watching me.

<ADDITIONAL GENERIC CURSE WORDS!> I can f*****g DRIVE BUT I CAN'T GET A BASTARD LICENCE.

*breathes slowly*

f**k

Ah yes, the driving test.
I flunked my first one because I was so nervous.

Passed the second time. It can be nerve wracking, as the tester is very obnoxious and nit picky. All I can say is keep practicing your driving, and have someone ride with you pretending to be a tester. Driving, for me, is one of life's pleasures ...

I think the issue you are suffering from is "pressure" You need to learn a way of becoming relaxed while in that situation. Otherwise you will never pass....

I failed my first three and got it on the fourth try.

I have trouble in that area.......

My dad thinks it's dangerous for me to go back to driving after the wreck I was in. They all seem to think I have a problem with depth perception.

> The questions are asked orally though, so I have a hard time visualising what the guy is talking about. He asks about hypothetical situations - which I could deal with were I in the actual car - but I can't make any sense of them when I'm sitting at a desk facing him.

Ah, that's frustrating! We don't have that kind of examination here, I think. What a crazy way to evaluate for skills. Can you ask the guy to make a diagram? You should get some accommodation, even without mentioning any diagnoses, by saying you find it hard to visualize what he's talking about. A diagram should help, as well as buying some time. The test seems unfair and unrealistic. Spoken hypotheticals have nothing to do with being able to drive a car.

When it comes to the driving part the key is to pretend like he is not even there and drive normally. You are focusing so much on the tester that you are not focusing enough on the important thing... driving! Also don't worry about taking your time as well, a lot of people get nervous so they rush through the maneuvers, but I've never heard of any driving test where they penalized you for taking to long. I remember one of the first things I needed to do when I was taking my test was turn onto a busy road. I sat there for like 3 minutes waiting for the perfect opening before I decided to turn. I passed with perfect marks on my first try .

Also if the tester asks you to do something and you aren't sure what it is he/she wants you to do don't be afraid to ask for clarification.

In Texas you don't have to pass a driver test if you're 18 or over. Just have to pass a vision test, and if you're under 18 but 16 or over you have to pass a written test.

Which to be quite honest scares the crap out of me.

I had similar troubles, but I think I put too much pressure on myself.
I did pass on my 5th test.

You can already drive, this is just demonstrating what a great driver you are.
Looking back I think one of things they are looking for is confidence, so if you make a mistake when you are on your own you can get yourself out of it.

I failed my first driving test. I took driver's education, and the teacher gave me some tips on passing.

As far as the visualization problem, can you just say you need to take the oral part of the exam sitting in the parked car cuz you can't visualize? Would mentioning your AS give you problems? (I was diagnosed as a diabetic before I got my license and I had to get a Dr's note saying I could drive before I could take the test because of it.) If you can say you have AS without their giving you any hassles about it, they would have to make reasonable accomodations like letting you take the oral test sitting in the car, wouldn't they?

Go to Wyoming. 20 years living there I never met anyone that had failed their driving test (not including the written portion). This includes people that got into wrecks, or drove up onto the cement medians in the middle of the roads during their test.

Well, let's see, my parents had to force me to learn how to drive because I had no desire to (what 16-year-old doesn't want to drive???)

Then even after reading the driver's manual through TWICE, I still made some dumb answers to the written portion of the test. (For example, no, "yellow" does NOT mean you speed up and clear the intersection. D'oh!)

When we got to the driving part, I almost didn't make it out of the starting gate because I forgot to release the parking brake. Dad had to remind me, much to the examiner's chagrin...

I managed to pass the test by ONE point. After trying and trying to parallel park, the examiner gave up and decided we needed to move on to the next part of the course.

So now I've been licensed for 15 years. And I've only managed to back up over someone's mailbox, total one car, drive another over a dying cow at 60 mph, break a window on my parent's van (so did my sister), and roll my fender over someone's bumper while backing out of a parking space--almost got charged with hit-and-run because I didn't know you were supposed to leave your insurance info and stuff for the other driver.

Does this sound like a typical Aspie's driving record or am I just a bad driver (who's gotten more sensible with time)?

I too have had trouble. You may need to drive awhile with your restricted and whomever is helping you.
That is what I did. It is interesting that this has happened to us. I always wondered why I failed now I know.

Try going into the test with a "f**k this, just let me get this sh!t over with" attitude. You practice and practice so much that really there's only so much you can do. Whatever happens happens, you may as well try to have a blast doing it. Practice hard, expect to fail, have fun. Anything you can do to take the pressure off. If you fail, well you expected it, and you're no worse off than you were before. If you pass, then license and cookies for you!

Good luck on your next try!

You in Ireland? Hmm, I live in Tennessee, USA, and the test here isn't that hard. The knowledge exam can either be written or taken at a computer kiosk. The practical exam they make you do the car's primary auxilary functions (lights; wipers; defrost; seatbelt, wheel, seat and mirror adustments, parking brake) and then they have you pull out of the parking lot and drive along a predetermined route in real traffic. The route is actually examiner's discretion, and can vary based on which DMV station you take the test at. When I took mine, the lady took me down the highway and then made me drive through a residential area with no traffic at all. I didn't even have to parallel park! (Which, unfortunately, was a waste of the training I recieved at driving school prior to the test, but no complaints!) I was slightly nervous but I didn't screw up enough to fail. Best part is, as long as my license stays valid, I don't have to take it again... ever!