# Failing - Road Tests



## vivaciouswacky (Mar 25, 2012)

Hi,
I have failed my road test for the third time today. I know you are going to tell me 'come on! I know someone who has failed 10 times' , but the truth is it is very demoralizing. I do understand that, I make few mistakes, but I really do not know how to overcome those mistakes. Each time I attend the test, I make a new mistake. It is really taking a toll on me, both time and money is getting wasted!! I am planning on giving it one last shot and if it still doesn't work out, bid adieu to this driving licence fiasco. Any recent experiences??


----------



## egalia (Jun 12, 2011)

Hi, i know how it feels to failed on the road test for more than once but don't let it get to you, keep up the spirit! Try to not to do everything the instructor said, they will tell you to park on prohibited areas or speed up over the limit. Give them the correct reason why you cannot do that, they will appreciate it.


----------



## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

Try being less vivacious and less wacky. And drive better.


----------



## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

As terrible the drivers are out there that have passed the test I can't fathom how bad you have to be to fail.


----------



## IzzyBella (Mar 11, 2013)

It might have more to do with your nationality than your ability to drive. (Realistic)


----------



## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

Many terrible drivers with licenses drove well during the 2 minutes of their test, so someone failing is not necessarily much worse than those driving badly.


----------



## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Scream and yell at the little man... and do a decent job on the driving test. You will magically pass because he will be scared of you.


----------



## Maxfree (Jun 5, 2013)

I never understood how people fail driving test. I passed from the first time in 4 countries without ever getting any lessons from any driving school. In UAE I got it from Sharjah which people claim is the hardest. 

It was very simple I studied the road rules from the book and applied it on the road. Passed. 

The instructor did try to fool me, he told me to turn right just before the roundabout and I was in the left lane of the road, so this was the wrong thing to do. So I entered the roundabout took full turn and then entered the road he pointed to me. Didn't talk to him just did what he said in the right way.


----------



## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

Maxfree said:


> I never understood how people fail driving test. I passed from the first time in 4 countries without ever getting any lessons from any driving school. In UAE I got it from Sharjah which people claim is the hardest.
> 
> It was very simple I studied the road rules from the book and applied it on the road. Passed.
> 
> .


I dont know what it is like now, but from what I hear, at one time it was much more subjective; 2 people could drive without making any mistakes, but one would get and one would not.


----------



## Maxfree (Jun 5, 2013)

Tropicana said:


> I don't know what it is like now, but from what I hear, at one time it was much more subjective; 2 people could drive without making any mistakes, but one would get and one would not.


Don't think so, the majority do mistakes and that's why they fail. If you do a mistake in a test that you have prepared for, then how you will do on the road. 

Failing the test might have saved his life.


----------



## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

Have to agree with IzzyBella. Where you are from does make a huge difference. I was handed a UAE license when they saw my US one. For all they know, I could have been a terrible driver, who barely managed to not have his license revoked while in the US, or in fact could have had it revoked for a 6 month period etc.... But that didn't factor into the scenario as me having a US license was deemed good enough. 

From what I hear via colleagues etc, it's a money game, the more people fail the more money they spend on classes etc ... @OP next time you go, try taking your companies PRO or someone with some pull at the traffic department, it helps a lot ...


----------



## Maxfree (Jun 5, 2013)

of coooooooourse they will replace your US driving license. They have a law to replace US, EU and some other countries driving licences. 

I have no idea how this proofs you invalid point???

I will agree with you that people from developed countries have it easier but not because just they happened to come from there so Dubai gov likes to help them. 

Its because the fact that there is huge difference between people in developed countries and undeveloped countries in terms of roads, cars, driving rules, following the rules, etc.


----------



## IzzyBella (Mar 11, 2013)

Maxfree said:


> of coooooooourse they will replace your US driving license. They have a law to replace US, EU and some other countries driving licences.
> 
> I have no idea how this proofs you invalid point???
> 
> ...


This is twofold. 

Where it's true that a lot of "underdeveloped" (as you put it) countries have laxer driving regulations and rules. For example, drivers in India, Pakistan, Thailand, Egypt, Saudi, to name but a few are all a little "reckless" when it comes to driving. However, it doesn't mean they can't drive or learn the rules in a few months like everyone else from the "developed" world (again, as you put it).

I learnt to drive in 3 months. 0 knowledge to pass in 3 months. I only had 16 hours of professional tuition and I passed both exams first time. In England, where driving exams are pretty strict and most of my peers took 3/4 attempts on both exams. So in my opinion, anyone can pass a hard exam as long as they study.

However, and this is a big however, I've been informed by Philyand that a lot of his Indian coworkers had to repeat their exams in UAE up to 10 times to the fact they're funding the whole process/government sector. Unless the company has wasta, which his doesn't, then you are facing a bit of a lengthy and expensive foray into driving in the UAE if you're not from one of the easily-converted-licenses country.


----------



## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

Maxfree said:


> of coooooooourse they will replace your US driving license. They have a law to replace US, EU and some other countries driving licences.
> 
> I have no idea how this proofs you invalid point???
> 
> ...


Not everybody coming from the 'developed' world is a good driver, your assumption that everyone in the 'developed' world follows the rules etc. Is categorically false! If that were the case then there wouldn't be a need for traffic police/citations/courts etc ....

There is no way for the authorities here to know about anyone's driving history no matter where they are from, they just apply the stereotype positive or negative, the same way you have applied it in your argument.

p.s: in the 'developed' world stereotyping is not seen in a favorable light, of course no one really cares as long it is a positive stereotype, but when it's a negative stereotype everyone is up in arms ...... (this applies to everyone from everywhere in the world) ...


----------



## Maxfree (Jun 5, 2013)

saraswat said:


> Not everybody coming from the 'developed' world is a good driver, your assumption that everyone in the 'developed' world follows the rules etc. Is categorically false! If that were the case then there wouldn't be a need for traffic police/citations/courts etc ....
> 
> There is no way for the authorities here to know about anyone's driving history no matter where they are from, they just apply the stereotype positive or negative, the same way you have applied it in your argument.
> 
> p.s: in the 'developed' world stereotyping is not seen in a favorable light, of course no one really cares as long it is a positive stereotype, but when it's a negative stereotype everyone is up in arms ...... (this applies to everyone from everywhere in the world) ...


I don't know from where you got the "everyone in the 'developed' world follows the rules" Please point me to where I said that!!!!

However, I do believe that the Majority of people in the developed world do follow the rules and do know how to drive than people in the undeveloped world. Would you like proof of that? Anyone with common sense knows that. Its not stereotype, its fact. Why to deny it?

In Russia people drive crazy, most bought their driving licenses. Just across the border in Finland people drive with respect to the road rules that most Russians will never have. Is that stereotype? I don't think so. Just ask any Russian. 

Another thing that I have seen over and over is that learning how to drive at early age is more effective, so again most people in developed world have cars, and so they learn how to drive as young as 16 years old. While in undeveloped countries many have no chance of sitting behind a wheel until they come to work in the UAE. 

So again I say of cooourse they will have hard time getting the know how to drive. The older you get the harder it gets. 

So please stop blaming and accusing the UAE for their perfectly understandable rules.


----------



## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

Maxfree said:


> of coooooooourse they will replace your US driving license. They have a law to replace US, EU and some other countries driving licences.
> 
> I have no idea how this proofs you invalid point???
> 
> ...




There is no law to blindly replace US and EU licenses, 

if you are an American with a 1 year old license, it will be exchanged.

if you are a Thai/Korean/Spaniard with a 5 year old American license, it wont be exchanged, in most cases. 

Your license needs to be from the same country as your citizenship; if it was merely about rewarding drivers in developed countries, having driven 5 years in a developed country would have allowed you to skip the test, but it does not, at least in most cases


----------



## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

I think we have a troll....


----------



## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

Actually your license AND passport have to come from the same country for them to exchange it. If you have for expample a US drivers lciense, but an Indian passport - no exchange for you, off you go to do mandatory lessons, a theory and practical test. Driving schools have quotas - they can onky pass so many people every week, so some are going to be failed regardless. And as others have pointeds out, if you're of certain nationalities, then they are also more likely to fail those than others. Just the same, they will pretty much automatically pass certain nationalities, even if they are horrific behind the wheel.

It's a numbers and money game. Welcome to the UAE.


----------



## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Tropicana said:


> There is no law to blindly replace US and EU licenses,
> 
> if you are an American with a 1 year old license, it will be exchanged.
> 
> ...


Oh no it seems i will be going throu this but i have a NZ passport with NZ licences but expired 2 years ago..do you think this could fly? Do they look at the date? This wil save me so much money and time...


----------



## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

telecompro said:


> Oh no it seems i will be going throu this but i have a NZ passport with NZ licences but expired 2 years ago..do you think this could fly? Do they look at the date? This wil save me so much money and time...


Did your actual license expire, or just your photo licence? If it's anything like the UK one, you have a paper part - which is your actual license and that is valid for something daft like 75 years. The photo card is only valid for 10 years and must be replaced, but it doesn't mean your actual license has expired.


----------



## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Chocoholic said:


> Did your actual license expire, or just your photo licence? If it's anything like the UK one, you have a paper part - which is your actual license and that is valid for something daft like 75 years. The photo card is only valid for 10 years and must be replaced, but it doesn't mean your actual license has expired.


No we only have a photo licence and it expired in 2012...would that work you think?
Not sure if they actually look at the licence date or not...as i heard you just hand in over your pasport and licence...


----------



## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

telecompro said:


> No we only have a photo licence and it expired in 2012...would that work you think?
> Not sure if they actually look at the licence date or not...as i heard you just hand in over your pasport and licence...


So what do you normally do when your photo license expires? I'd try to obtain another one if you can. There must be some sort of paperwork to shw the actual expiry date of your lciense.


----------



## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

Herev we go - google is your friend 'what tyo do if my photo license expires whilst I'm overseas'

Overseas travel by New Zealand driver licence holders (Factsheet 65) | NZ Transport Agency


----------



## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Chocoholic said:


> Herev we go - google is your friend 'what tyo do if my photo license expires whilst I'm overseas'
> 
> Overseas travel by New Zealand driver licence holders (Factsheet 65) | NZ Transport Agency


hehe yes i read this and aware of it, i will need to go in person to NZ to renew which is a big hassle to be honest as i have no plans in the near future to go over..so my only choice is try with the licence i have or else would have to pay 8000AED for the driving lessons etc.. (((


----------



## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

But can the NZ authorities not send over something to say when your actual license expires?


----------



## vivaciouswacky (Mar 25, 2012)

I am quite surprised with the responses ! I would like to clarify that I know many Indians who hold driving licences from the states, could just get them converted here in the UAE. Mind you, they did not hold an American Passport!!Likewise I also have Indian friends from Australia who converted their licences with an Indian Passport. 

I have traveled to Australia as a tourist, and was entitled to rent a car with my Indian license. I have to admit that I hail from a place where we are used to reckless driving, but I have been driving sensibly for many years.

Somehow, luck doesn't favor me here. I am going to give it up!!


----------



## anne86 (Dec 12, 2012)

Dont loose hope... I finally got it on my 6th try .... Just drive confidently n within the limits but not too slow..and it depends on ur luck too becoz the day i got it most of them got it despite minor mistakes...Good luck n keep trying.. 👍..


----------



## vivaciouswacky (Mar 25, 2012)

anne86 said:


> Dont loose hope... I finally got it on my 6th try .... Just drive confidently n within the limits but not too slow..and it depends on ur luck too becoz the day i got it most of them got it despite minor mistakes...Good luck n keep trying.. 👍..


Sure! Thanks a lot  much appreciated!


----------



## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

How much does it cost nowadays? What about if you fail..how much do you pay?


----------



## vivaciouswacky (Mar 25, 2012)

Each time you fail, you'll have to cough up a whooping sum of AED900


----------



## ps4ever2003 (Mar 11, 2017)

I have failed two times and reasons were 1. Leaving the lane to another lane and turning left and right 2. Turning the vehicle in a limited area of the road. Can someone explain what that means please?


----------



## svgeorge (Jul 9, 2016)

ps4ever2003 said:


> I have failed two times and reasons were 1. Leaving the lane to another lane and turning left and right 2. Turning the vehicle in a limited area of the road. Can someone explain what that means please?


Your driving instructor is the best person to explain what it means. My understanding is just the literal meaning of those words, but anyways, here is what I think - 
1. after changing lanes, do you keep the steering steady, or do you continuously keep adjusting the steering left and right to stay in the middle of the track? Examiners prefer you keep it steady even you're not bang in the middle. They like to see that you have control on the vehicle.
2. when turning left/right/Uturn, do you stay very close to the sidelines? you need to keep sufficient distance from the pedestrian footpath and preferably be in the middle of the track. I've had my internal and external examiners emphasize how I need to stay in the middle of my track, so advising likewise.
ATB!


----------



## ps4ever2003 (Mar 11, 2017)

Thanx george. I think i have a problem of positioning vehicle i guess. Also i had another mistake marked "crossing intersection, squares and roundabouts" during my test i met only roundabouts and i believe i did it properly. Any idea about this mistake?


----------



## Aliz (Apr 5, 2012)

Be confident.. that's the key... they try to make you nervous, and if you are already, that makes it worse. Advice that I have given and worked for people is, go into it thinking whats the worse that can happen, you'll fail? so be it .. I dont care.. a person who has nothing to lose is fearless.. good luck


----------

