Cars & Transportation P's Test Tips

[HARPSichord]

Don't beat your self over it because your not the 1st or the last person to miss head checks

I am not overly pissed at missing them, I am just pissed as no one does them once they have their licence.

 

[CrippsonBlue]

Unless you're simply referring to the spectacle nature required for tests, it's a bit of a concern that you would think that.

 

[Knighta21]

Also CHECK YOUR MIRRORS repeatedly (not just a flick of the eyes either, move your entire head), every 5 seconds minimum, whenever you slow down, approach an intersection or are about to turn. Remember to headcheck as well (especially if there is a lane to your left with parked cars and you are turning left you must still headcheck).

Pretty much what Speck said.

Lots of headchecks and looking in the mirror, take it nice and slow, 5 k's under the speed limit.

Obviously you had a pretty strict instructor but these were the first two posts... The help was there.
Better luck next time

 

[HARPSichord]

Unless you're simply referring to the spectacle nature required for tests, it's a bit of a concern that you would think that.

Are you saying you head check when turning left and coming off a roundabout? I head check all the time when changing lanes. If you don't, you're dead.

Obviously you had a pretty strict instructor but these were the first two posts... The help was there.
Better luck next time

She is the strictest in my town, but I should have remembered them.

 

[PykeDream]

So do P's involve a practical test in the other states? Over here (WA) you do your practical test on your L's, so that you can get your second phase L's. Have second phase for six months, complete 25 hours in the logbook and you can go for your Hazard Perception Test (on a computer).

Would be going for my P's next Monday if it weren't for the Labour Day holiday. Tuesday it is.

 

[CrippsonBlue]

Are you saying you head check when turning left and coming off a roundabout? I head check all the time when changing lanes. If you don't, you're dead

You shouldn't be thinking of head checks as only being necessary to certain situations.

Your aim should be to constantly be aware of surroundings, and this should become second nature without conscious effort being put in. So long as you have that, when you actually do them can become irrelevant, including changing lanes.

 

[quin_stick]

Failed my first time, was going to go through an orange that i could have stopped at fairly easily (may have failed for this anyway, but it wouldnt have been a red), and the tester pulled the handbrake on me. Cars all around, pulled up sideways at the lights and it only just turned red when i stopped. I would have thought going through a barely red light would have been safer, apparently not

 

[Speck]

So do P's involve a practical test in the other states? Over here (WA) you do your practical test on your L's, so that you can get your second phase L's. Have second phase for six months, complete 25 hours in the logbook and you can go for your Hazard Perception Test (on a computer).

Would be going for my P's next Monday if it weren't for the Labour Day holiday. Tuesday it is.

In Victoria:

32 question multiple choice test (on computer) about road rules to get your L's. Must get 78% to pass and you can sit this when 16.

Then you have till you are 18 to complete 120 hours of driving (including 10 hours of night) all logged down.

At 17 and 11 months you can sit your hazard perception test (on computer) where you need 50% to pass.

If you passed your hazards, once you turn 18 and complete your 120 hours you can go for your P's which requires a 45 minute practical test.

 

[gareth36]

I got 94% but I failed as I missed 4 head checks.

Really i am in the process of getting my license at the moment i go for my test on the 19th of march and the instructors i go with both of them say if you miss 1 headcheck you will be told to pull over and the test will be marked a s a fail.

Im from victoria BTW where are you from harp ?

And does anyone know if it is 1 missed head check and a fail or is it a case of miss x amount of head checks and fail ( for victoria )

 

[Rustin Cohle]

Really i am in the process of getting my license at the moment i go for my test on the 19th of march and the instructors i go with both of them say if you miss 1 headcheck you will be told to pull over and the test will be marked a s a fail.

Im from victoria BTW where are you from harp ?

And does anyone know if it is 1 missed head check and a fail or is it a case of miss x amount of head checks and fail ( for victoria )

I did my test last week and I missed a head check next to a bike lane (I called BS on it, but that's beyond the point). I got a critical error for it but I didn't fail.

 

[gareth36]

I did my test last week and I missed a head check next to a bike lane (I called BS on it, but that's beyond the point). I got a critical error for it but I didn't fail.

Did your instructor point out to you at the time or did they point it out to you upon completion of the test ?

I dont know if you or anyone on here knows but how may minor or critical errors singaly or combined constitute a fail ?

 

[HARPSichord]

Really i am in the process of getting my license at the moment i go for my test on the 19th of march and the instructors i go with both of them say if you miss 1 headcheck you will be told to pull over and the test will be marked a s a fail.

Im from victoria BTW where are you from harp ?

And does anyone know if it is 1 missed head check and a fail or is it a case of miss x amount of head checks and fail ( for victoria )

I am from NSW and we can miss 2 head checks. Any more than 2 and we get a fail, like me.

 

[Mop]

I'll man up and admit I didn't get it til my 4th try.

First time around the guy stopped me because he thought I was going to hit the BMW in front. I had HEAPS of room. The guy was just a knob of the highest order, real snide and a real smartass. Normally they discuss it with your instructor/parent waiting, what you did wrong and what you need to work on. This bloke deliberately parked behind the shops about 100 meters away from the licensing centre so he could avoid him.

Second time I drove central on the road, thinking this narrow-ass street was 1-way. Wrong. Deserved it that time, this guy was really nice and constructive. Told me not to let my nerves get the better of me.

Third time I was really unlucky. Did 60 in a 50 zone (no signage anywhere) and was auto-failed. Other than that, flawless.

4th time had the same German bloke who was convinced I was of German decent and thus overlooked the few minor errors I made, was unusually (based on his reputation anyway) reassuring and constructive.

My advice to you, as someone who spent months stressing and failing, is to treat it like a normal drive, but make everything you do far more obvious, such as moving your head so that they can see you checking your mirrors. Such as checking your blind spot.
Keep your nerves in check and you'll be fine.

Based on what you said you're not far off at all.
You'll get there.
Best of luck next time 'round.

 

[Plugger35]

I got my license on my 2nd try from memory, did my tests at Subiaco and I don't think I knew anyone that got it on their first go there. I think they're always a lot tougher on your first attempt and prefer to make you sit the test at least a couple of times to make you earn it.

I was pretty nervous on my first test though, so much so I tried to take off by pressing the clutch instead of the accelerator and wondering why I wasn't going anywhere . Not a great start but the rest of the test didn't go too badly, thought I might still have been a chance of passing but ended up failing due to little things like not checking all my mirrors or looking over my shoulder to change lanes. The second test went a lot more smoothly as I was more relaxed and knew what to expect, thankfully they didn't ask me to parallel park because I was hopeless at it back then.

Also had to sit a practical driving test in America to get my US license which was ridiculously easy in comparison, basically just had to drive around the block. Had a mate of mine that ended up driving on the wrong side of the street on his test there and still got his license.

 

[crazyman27]

The licensing systems in Australia really are a joke. The only way you're going to get better at something is by practicing it. I got one hundred times more out of working as a pizza delivery boy for a week than the time spent driving with my folks on my L's (30 day hours and 10 night).

It's too bad that a few people stop it becoming easier to get a license.

 

[HARPSichord]

My next test is next Thursday. I got lucky, usually have to wait a month to get in.

Will ensure I head check EVERYTHING, and I should get it this time.

TBH I wasn't that nervous, but nervous enough to miss a few head checks. This time I won't be as stressed.

 

[Benno_900]

If you passed your hazards, once you turn 18 and complete your 120 hours you can go for your P's which requires a 45 minute practical test.

Wow, it's 45 mins now?

Mine was probably 15-20 mins (in 2007).

 

[Tarkyn_24]

4th time had the same German bloke who was convinced I was of German decent and thus overlooked the few minor errors I made, was unusually (based on his reputation anyway) reassuring and constructive.
.

You did your test in Willagee then.

Blew mine once there as well, didn't stop at an intersection near the shops on the way back to the licensing centre when a pedestrian was waiting at the side of the road to walk across. Deserved the fail but my driving sheet had been nearly flawless (1 cross in flow and that's it) so was not really happy about it. Right call though so can't begrudge him that.

 

[HARPSichord]

You did your test in Willagee then.

Blew mine once there as well, didn't stop at an intersection near the shops on the way back to the licensing centre when a pedestrian was waiting at the side of the road to walk across. Deserved the fail but my driving sheet had been nearly flawless (1 cross in flow and that's it) so was not really happy about it. Right call though so can't begrudge him that.

Was he a nice bloke?

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Was he a nice bloke?

Dunno, never had the German bloke, just know of his reputation.

One of my friends had him for her assessment, said he was a little hard to understand and he was very succinct when giving instructions but he wasn't unfair or anything.

The test I blew was with the Asian instructor down there, nice enough guy, just at the time I wasn't real impressed with how I managed to **** that one up, so was pretty quiet/silently raging while he gave the feedback. Was kind enough to say that if I hadn't of broken the law he would've passed me because my driving was fine.

Second one I nearly ****ed up because of nerves, got through though. Just had one of the older instructors for that one, pretty decent guy to chat to while I did the test. Can't say I've got many complaints myself with that licensing centre but apparently it's one of the stricter ones south of the river.

 

[Mop]

You did your test in Willagee then.

Yeah mate. Spot on.

As for his accent, it was thick, yes, but you could understand him pretty easy.

 

[HARPSichord]

Dunno, never had the German bloke, just know of his reputation.

One of my friends had him for her assessment, said he was a little hard to understand and he was very succinct when giving instructions but he wasn't unfair or anything.

The test I blew was with the Asian instructor down there, nice enough guy, just at the time I wasn't real impressed with how I managed to **** that one up, so was pretty quiet/silently raging while he gave the feedback. Was kind enough to say that if I hadn't of broken the law he would've passed me because my driving was fine.

Second one I nearly ****ed up because of nerves, got through though. Just had one of the older instructors for that one, pretty decent guy to chat to while I did the test. Can't say I've got many complaints myself with that licensing centre but apparently it's one of the stricter ones south of the river.

Well, I got the toughest tester in my town. I don't think she has passed many of my friends.

The fail rate in my town is ridiculous. 46% pass, and failing people on the test is good money raiser as it costs $48 a go.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Well, I got the toughest tester in my town. I don't think she has passed many of my friends.

The fail rate in my town is ridiculous. 46% pass, and failing people on the test is good money raiser as it costs $48 a go.

Think I was told by my driving instructor that there's a 48% pass rate in Western Australia. Not fantastic numbers but it probably is important that they're prudent; otherwise there'd be even more deadbeat drivers on the road.

They need to have a good look at international standards and qualifications though, a guy I know skipped the second learner phase over here because he had a license from another country that I'm pretty sure was purchased.

 

[gareth36]

My next test is next Thursday. I got lucky, usually have to wait a month to get in.

Will ensure I head check EVERYTHING, and I should get it this time.

TBH I wasn't that nervous, but nervous enough to miss a few head checks. This time I won't be as stressed.

Wow NSW bust be laid right back in victoria if you fail you have to wait a minimum of six weeks before you can retry for your license At a cost of near on 70 dollars compared to what harps said it is in NSW 48 dollars.

**** victoria and their strict licensing rules.

 

[HARPSichord]

Wow NSW bust be laid right back in victoria if you fail you have to wait a minimum of six weeks before you can retry for your license At a cost of near on 70 dollars compared to what harps said it is in NSW 48 dollars.

**** victoria and their strict licensing rules.

We don't get an instructor in the car with us.

But you have to be on your L's two years. LOL.