There are a lot of myths rotating about the much dreaded driving test. Driving instructors get asked a lot of peculiar questions about stories which aren’t true! We are here to debunk some of these and to clarify these misconceptions.
Myth: We are given more lessons than necessary
The first common fallacy that people believe is that driving schools make you take more lessons than needed. This is not true; large numbers of students learn at very different rates and some can be more challenging that others. If you can drive without the guidance of the instructor, you’re good to go!
Myth: Stalling can make you fail your test
Wrong. Stalling does happen but it is how you handle the situation that counts. Panicking at such a crucial moment is downright foolish. Breathe in. Breathe out. Carry on and handle the situation to the best of your abilities.
Myth: The instructor failed me numerous times. He hates me.
Seriously, where do you get this idea from? Driving examiners are professionals who keep aside their personal feelings and prejudices and judge you impartially. If someone has a history of showing biased behaviour towards a certain group of individuals, his activity will soon be spotted. Take responsibility for your mistakes and try harder next time.
Myth: Only a certain number of pupils are passed each week
Utterly false. This myth was conjured by a creative person trying to brush off the feeling of failure. If you are good enough, you WILL pass. The driving test is difficult for a reason; when you have a car, you are responsible for the lives of those around you. The difficulty is to make sure only the best are sent out to the road.
Myth: Mirror, Mirror on the wall
Some people say that setting your mirror slightly off will allow you to move your head to a greater degree. Then, this makes it obvious to the driver that you are checking your mirror constantly.
This is false because the examiners are qualified experts who can detect the smallest movement of our head or eyes. Trying to put together this performance will only create difficulties for you.
Myth: Gender discrimination?
A common fact is that more men pass the test than women. It is true because research has shown that men take 36.2 lessons before passing the test while women take 51.9 lessons. Also, men pass their tests in lesser number of attempts than women.
Myth: Some test centres have a better pass rate
This is true that the pass rate varies across different test centres in the United Kingdom. The reason for this is that the traffic in some areas makes it easier to pass a test or other factors in the test routes and so on.
Myth: Some examiners are stricter than others
This myth is incorrect because all examiners are trained so that they don’t have pass or fail quotas. If an examiner exceeds more than 5% of their centre pass rate and 10% of national pass rate, they are carefully scrutinised.
However, one instructor once admitted that the percentage range does cause problems. If an examiner has had candidates who have all passed, he will be stricter with the next student. Same goes the other way round; failing many people may cause him to think and mark leniently next time.
We hope now that some of the misconceptions have been clarified. If you have heard of any other myths or funny things please do share them with us, we would love to hear them.