ingenie telematics insurance blog

Find out what's going on at ingenie

The top 10 reasons people fail their test – part 2!



So, you've read part 1 of our top reasons on why people fail their tests.


Now check out the other 5 and be super clued up when it comes to yours!

  1. Response to traffic signals (traffic signs)


    Sooooo, this is where your theory test is going to really come in extra handy! According to the gov website, the most common signs that will trip students up are:

    - Not noticing a no-entry or stop sign

    - Going to the wrong side of a ‘keep left’ sign… this one got me too!

    - Driving in a bus lane

    - Not paying attention to signage at a roundabout and using the wrong lane for your turning

    - Not changing your speed or reacting quick enough to a speed limit sign

    - Not looking in time when you emerge from a junction

    - Not looking left when turning left

    It’s so so easy to make these mistakes but it’s even easier to avoid them if you’re prepared!

    Response to signals (road markings)


    This is a sneaky one that will get you if you don’t pay extra attention.

    Just make sure you know your zebra crossing from your pelican, your A roads from your B’s, your slip roads from your laybys… I could go on, but you get it.

    Different road markings can mean different things, so the white marks in the middle of the road will be different sizes for a reason, which you know, coz of your theory test… essentially you gotta keep it fresh in your mind.

    Move off safely (control)


    Ok, so this one is a quick win – remember those mirrors? Well, all you need to do is use them and look as much around you as possible when doing the following:

    - Moving off from behind a parked car into the road. Check your mirrors and your blind spot before making any movements into the road. As long as you don’t pull into the path of an oncoming car and cause them to slow down, then you’ve done well

    - Moving after an emergency stop – check that rear mirror, your right and left and the blind spot. You’re showing that you have acknowledged there could be hazards behind you

    - Moving off from the side of the road – check your blind spot!

    - Moving off after the ‘pull up on the right’ manoeuvre – again check for all potential hazards, look behind you for your blind spot and in front of you to avoid causing another car to slow down or stop

    Then you’ll be able to prove that you can move off safely and have the ability to turn your head in ways you never thought possible!

    Positioning (normal driving)


    This one again is just abut showing you’re in control, alert and safe. Ensure that you’re always thinking about how your driving your car, is it too close to the curb? Are you within the marked lanes? Are you only changing lanes when necessary?

    - How close you get to the centre of the road

    - How close you are to the curb

    - This one is a bit tricky; if you’re taking a raondabout with no lane markings, don’t just go in straight line over, follow the bend of the roundabout

    - What lane you drive in on a dual carriageway… usually in the left if and only in the right for overtaking.

    Get accustomed to the car you’re practicing in, it’s width and how it feels when you drive along the roads, this will make a big difference to your spatial awareness.

    Move off (control)


    Again, this one is to prove you can handle the hunk of metal that you are controlling. An examiner wants to see you own the car and not the other way round. But of course you do, you’re the boss after all!

    Here’s some little insights into what they will be looking for:

    - Hill starts – urgh, even now I sweat a bit when I get stuck at a traffic lights on a hill. But just remember, you are in control here! Use that technique that you’ve been taught and keep your cool if you get it wrong. If you stall, don’t panic, just do what you’ve been told and make sure the car is secure, so it won’t roll back considerably.

    - If you keep stalling when moving off, this one is annoying, because when you stall, all you want to do is get it going again… you can feel the impatience of the driver behind you. But you know what? They don’t matter, you being calm and staying in control is. All you need to do is just carefully and slowly do what you’ve been taught to do when you stall, so you get back on track 1st time

    - Not being in gear when you move off

    - Stalling throughout your test more than once

    Again, it’s all about keeping a cool head, doing your checks, showing you know what’s what. The test isn’t’ a race, sometimes the unexpected happens and your examiner wants to see how you react when something like this happens. If you cn show that you can be in control… even when it appears to have been lost, then you’re winning.

    Remember, even if you do stall, it’s not the end and you haven’t necessarily failed. Just do what you would do in a typical driving lesson, keep your cool, be calm and show you know how to rectify the situation safely. It might even be the thing that helps you pass!

And there we go!

The top 10 examples of why people fail their test and to be honest, they are quite easy to avoid if you know what you’re going to be judged on.

So, we hope this helps and if you get a spare minute you might want to check out our other blogs on what you might be tested on or the test itself.


If you're still feeling uneasy about this, check out our other tips on how to pass your driving test. You've got this!


Chelsey Fielding

By Chelsey Fielding

Chelsey loves her convertible... a resident poser at ingenie. She had 5 driving instructors overall and during her practical test there was a hail storm! She still passed though - a stroke of luck or attempted sabotage from the driving gods? You decide.