Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

I took my behind the wheel exam earlier today confident that I was going to pass no problem since I've been riding dirty with no license for 9 years, which equated to plenty of driving practice in my book. NOPE, failed. Damn they are picky.

I failed because I did not check my right mirror or over my right shoulder as I merged with a bike lane when I made a right turn at an intersection. Son of a horse.

So I am throwing caution to the wind for those in the process of getting a license as well: STUDY for the behind the wheel test even if you've been driving for a long time!

And for gawd's sakes, check your blind spots EVERY TIME you use your directional

lights. Engrave this magic formula into your brain:

Turn signal --> rear-view mirror --> side mirror --> shoulder

And definitely drive SLOW. That's another thing I got docked for.... What can I say, the need for speed is hard to control.

EDIT:

Here's the study guide so you guys don't have to dig through the thread for it:



Alright guys, here is my quick study guide and pointers for when you take the behind the wheel test:

• First and foremost, they ask for your permit (the one you get after passing the written exam) and valid insurance and registration and for the vehicle you use so make sure you have that (there's a small chance they might ask for the registered owner too--though they didn't for me--so maybe keep that in mind).

• Make sure you take the test on a vehicle that you are familiar with. If you have your own car, great. If you don't then make sure you've at least driven whatever car you are going to use once, just so you get the feel of it and can familiarize yourself with the different controls.

• The examiner is going to check for the following main things before entering the car:
  • Working left/right directional lights (going to ask you to turn them on while parked)
  • Working brake light (going to ask you to turn it on while parked)
  • Working horn (going to ask you to honk it)

• There are a few other basic things they glance at your car for and just check off on their clipboard if it looks good such as:
  • Working driver window
  • Mirrors (both sides and rear-view)
  • Clean windshield
  • Acceptable tires

• The examiner is then going to ask you to demonstrate the left turn, right turn, and stop hand signals and say which one is which.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/imageserver/dm.../signaling.gif

1. LEFT TURN: arm straight out to the left
2. RIGHT TURN: arm bent 90 degrees up
3. STOP: arm bent 90 degrees down

• The examiner will then ask you to point to the following controls in the car:
  • Back/front windshield defroster
  • Windshield wiper
  • Headlights
  • Emergency lights
  • Emergency/hand brake

• If everything is good up to this point, they will finally enter the car and it will be time to get down to business. Make sure your seat belt is on and MAKE SURE THE EXAMINER HAS HIS/HER SEAT BELT ON before you drive off. Some are assholes and try to fail you on the spot if you don't check for that.

• The driving portion will last about 10-20 min. The examiner will give you directions as you drive. Hard to predict exactly what they will have you do but the main things are:
  • Drive through busy streets
  • Drive through residential areas
  • Drive through parking lot (DMV's parking lot most likely)
  • Make various left/right turns (at stop lights, stop signs, yield signs, etc)
  • Change lanes

• They didn't test the following things (though it might depend on the examiner/DMV/state so better prepare anyway):
  • Freeway driving
  • Backing
  • Parking (you only park when you come back and your exam is over)

• I can't tell you where you'll drive or what exactly you'll be asked to do, but I can tell you about what mistakes you should avoid and which are considered "Critical Driving Errors" which automatically cause you to fail. Lets begin with the Critical Driving Errors, avoid these or it's automatic game over:
  • Needing the examiner to intervene - if he/she has to take over for whatever reason
  • Striking object/curb - hitting anything while driving, including the curb
  • Disobeying traffic signal - not stopping all the way, etc.
  • Disobeying safety vehicles - not pulling to the right and stopping for ambulances/firetrucks/cops
  • Dangerous maneuver - this is the one that got me and seems to basically mean failure to check your surroundings before performing a maneuver, such as a turn or lane change
  • Speed - if you drive close to 10 mph over the speed limit (I was driving 5 mph over and was docked)
  • Auxiliary equipment use - not using your wipers, hazard lights, etc. when necessary
  • Lane violation - not turning into the proper lane, not signaling, etc.

• Some other mistakes to avoid:
  • ALWAYS use your mirrors and look over your shoulder to check your blind spots anytime you use your directional light (whether it be for lane changing, turning, merging, pulling out from a curve). They are critical about you looking over your shoulder (and constantly scanning your surroundings in general). Follow this order when checking blind spots: check rear view mirror -> check side mirror -> check over shoulder
  • This next point goes along with the previous point but is the reason why I failed my test so I really want to reiterate it; make sure you check your blind spot when making a right turn where there is a bike lane to check for bicyclists. This also applies when there is a lane of parked cars just before you make a right turn--as illustrated below:

• • Make FULL stops at stop signs (count for three seconds). Also, make sure to stop BEHIND any street line marked (such as a crosswalk). If you are stopping before making a right turn at a busy intersection and need a clear view of oncoming traffic, stop behind the line first and then drive slowly up past the line to get a better view (make sure you yield to any pedestrians first though).
  • Make sure to signal well in advance of any turn or lane change you make and also for an adequate amount of time.
  • Obey the speed limit! Seems pretty straightforward, I know, but some have a tendency to keep a heavy foot on the gas (*cough* me *cough*). Don't go over but also do not drive like molasses either because they will dock you for driving too slow. Obeying the speed limit is especially critical around residential areas and schools.
  • Do not tailgate cars, keep a safe distance behind the car in front of you.
    • While driving, stay at least a full car length behind the car in front of you, or about 2-3 seconds behind.
    • When stopping, make sure to stop far enough behind to be able to see the bottom of the back tires of the car in front of you.
    • When driving or stopping behind a big vehicle such as a semi truck, increase your distance.
    • When it rains (or there is poor visibility), also increase your distance from the car in front of you.
  • Do not stop or accelerate abruptly. You want to gradually step on the brake to smoothly come to a stop and gradually step on the gas to smoothly start going again. There shouldn't be any jerking forward or backward when stopping or accelerating.
  • Be familiar with road signs and how to follow them (yield signs, left turn yield on green, lane merging, one way, etc). Also be familiar with what to do when certain road elements are present, for example if there is a train track know where to stop, if there is a construction zone know to slow down, if there is a school bus with flashing lights know to stop (this one happened to me during my exam).
  • When making a turn, make sure you turn into an appropriate lane. Here are some diagrams that illustrate the correct lanes to turn into:

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/imageserver/dm...dlhdbk/29a.gif
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/imageserver/dm...dlhdbk/29b.gif
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/imageserver/dm...dlhdbk/29c.gif
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/imageserver/dm...dlhdbk/29d.gif

• Finally, I found a great link from the DMV which lists the top 10 reasons why drive tests are failed with great video explanations. Highly encourage you guys to check it out:

• Last but not least, here is my failed test evaluation sheet so you guys can check out how they grade (sorry it's a little scrunched up... was stuffed in my pocket for a while). Quick points to make:
  • You get 3 chances at the behind the wheel test, if you fail all 3 times then you have to apply for a DL, pay the fee, and take the written test again
  • If you get one Critical Driving Error on your exam you fail
  • You are allowed 15 scoring errors, anymore than that and you fail

That's about all I have for you guys. Hope this helps!

P.S. Taking the behind the wheel exam again this Friday, will update on how it goes.


UPDATE:
Took my retest yesterday and passed. Finally can call myself a licensed driver, pretty stoked.

Anyway, the test was pretty much the same as the first time I took it with one major exception: I was asked to back up this time around, whereas in the first test I wasn't.

So for backing up, make sure to turn your head and look back--don't just use your rear-view mirror:

http://image.shutterstock.com/displa...p-35324200.jpg

Also, she had me pull over along the curve, so make sure you put your directional lights if you are asked to do the same because I didn't and got marked with an error for it. Only got two errors total for the whole test (you're allowed 15), 9 years of illegal driving helped with that, hehe ;) I'll upload my new evaluation sheet.

How to interpret the evaluation sheet:

• There are 7 categories (Parking Lot Driving, FWY or HWY, Intersections, Turns, Business/Urban/And Residential/Rural, Lane Change, Backing). In each category, there are columns with either a bold number or letter at the top.
  • Intersections: Numbers 1-8 represent number of intersections
  • Turns (LEFT/RIGHT): Numbers 1-4 represent number of turns
  • Lane Change: L means Left and R means Right
  • Backing: E means Entering, B means Backing, and X means Exiting
  • Business/Urban and Residential/Rural: B means Business and R means Residential
  • Parking Lot Driving: Numbers 1-2 means number of times you drive through a parking lot
  • FWY or HWY: Number 1 means one time you drive in the freeway (they don't test for this category, hence they put a line through it in the evaluation sheet)
• Each circled bold number or letter at the top of each column by the examiner represents each graded procedure (e.g. in the Intersections category numbers 1-8 were circled so that means that I was graded for 8 intersections, in Lane Change L and R were circled so I was graded for a left and right lane change, etc)
• A driving error is shown as a dash through one of the 0 characters in the column under a circled number or letter within the appropriate explanatory row
• At the end of the examination they tally all the dashed 0 and put the number of errors in the top, right-hand corner

And that just about concludes this update and my process journey. Good luck to you all!!

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

You've been driving for 9 years and you still failed the driving test..I never drove before in my life so I should fail about 6 times..

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

You should be checking your blind spots. Really. Common cause of accidents.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Dude it could happen. I got a freaking bigot and passed. But ye since you have been driving for a long time, you are more likely to make stupid mistakes. The test was fairly easy for me, but I kinda knew what they were going to look for. Looking over your shoulder was a pain in the ass for me because I wasn't used to it. Good luck next time.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Nah, you can pass on the first try as long as you study and practice the main things they look for. YouTube and the Google are very useful for this.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Of course I check my blind spots when necessary, that goes hand in hand with being a safe driver. But seriously, if you don't see any bicyclists riding towards the corner where you are about to make a right turn, chances are they won't magically appear seconds later warranting a blind spot check before you turn. It's like driving down an empty street, how often do you check your blind spot before changing lanes to really make sure there is no car there?

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

damn, i am definitely going to freaking fail it then i don't drive and the last time i attempted to i almost crashed into another car. How does the whole permit thing work?

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

9 years huh? I've been driving for two...

Now you got me worried. :shock:

Thanks for sharing your story. If at first you don't succeed, try again.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

yeah i guess we all do it sometimes

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Not all DMVs are as strict. There's one really close to my home and all of my friends, that also live nearby, always avoid it. They go to one that is like 10 miles away because the people that test you there are a lot more lenient.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

After you take and pass your written test, you get a written permit for a year which allows you to drive only when there is an accompanying licensed adult with you. You are supposed to take your behind the wheel test within that year otherwise once that permit expires, you have to take the written test again.

Last thing I want is to get you guys worried! Don't want to add to the level of nerves taking the behind the wheel test already brings. The point I'm trying to make is that it is necessary to study the main points they look for. It's not as simple as being able to drive steady without hitting any other cars or running over pedestrians.

When I have more time later, I'll compile a list of the main things they test for and upload my grading sheet so you guys can look at what it says on there that way it gives everyone a good study guide.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

This is what I'm scared of. I've been driving for two years, and I've got a lead foot. I also have blind spot checkers on my side mirrors, so I rarely look over my shoulders.

After I got my EAD, though, I started training myself to drive more carefully. I count to 4 at stop signs, and I definitely look at the mirrors and at my blind spot every time now.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

I meant worried in the sense that I have to prepare more than ever. I have been driving for two years and that has caused me to forget the little things. I think a list would be very useful. I imagine most driving tests are generally the same minus state laws... :-D

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

I've been driving legally for about 7 years now and one thing I always do is look over my shoulder while trying to switch lanes...almost got in a crazy accident by not seeing the bike in my blind spot and since then I always check twice.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

You'll nail it next time.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

hey everyone,

i'm taking my permit test this thursday. if i pass, how long do u think it would take me to learn how to drive and pass the behind the wheel test?? i've never driven a car before... aside from like go carts lol. do you think i can learn in two weeks and pass? i need to drive soon because i have a job interview in san diego in NOVEMBER!

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Idk maybe but thats a short time. Youll need to practice like every day.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Yeah thats exactly what i was talking about.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Ouch and you have been driving for 9 years. I been driving for about 6 years on and off and I don't feel confident about passing the test. Yup we need to be careful about speeding and scanning the road.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

I took my driving test in the rain, and the reason I passed is because my driver's ed teacher was an awesome dude and because I made a correct decision in an emergency situation during the test

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Isn't looking over your shoulder every time when switching lanes already common sense? That should happen naturally.

I had one of my friends fail within the first minute because he started driving without noticing that the instructor had purposely left his seat belt off though.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

I never said I was failed for not looking over my shoulder while switching lanes. No shit that is common sense.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Wow, you're absolutely right. I had no reason to post that. Can't believe I misread past the didn't look at the right mirror or over my shoulder as I merged that badly. I served myself. Feeling like a nice sized d*ck right about now. Sorry big time.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Hey. If you have never driven then after you pass your written test if your under 21 you will have your permit for 6months if you are 21 and older you will have 3months. This means you either have 3 or 6 months to learn how to drive and can only drive with a licensed person here in NJ that person needs to have 3 or more years of having their license. After those 3 or 6 months than you can take your road test. It's not that you learn to drive and that's it. Unless you do it illegally.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Oh that sucks but it happens if I hadn't been told what they were looking for I would have probably failed not like parallel parking is enough lol. I'm curious do they test you on the actual road or at the DMV facility. Here us at the DMV facility.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Again, I never said I was simply switching lanes. I'm sure you are not a dick, just need to read a little better.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

That was my mistake, that I was too overconfident and didn't take the time to look into what they test for so didn't prepare. Thought it was just going to be like "Okay you didn't crash into anything or kill anyone, you didn't swerve around, you properly used your directional lights, you followed all the street signs and made fulls stops. PASS!"

Here in California they take you out to drive on the actual road.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

I think the rules are different here in california. for those who are 18+ you can take the behind the wheel test whenever you are ready. there are a few people on this forum who have been driving illegally so they kknow how to drive. they took their permit test and went in for the behind the wheel next day. every state is different.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

It took me about a month of on-and-off driving practice in 2010 to learn how to drive. My mom or her friend would take me to small residential streets or behind business complexes on weekend mornings so I could learn to park, brake, turn, etc.

Then I would drop off my mom at work or drive to church or the grocery store. When I got my car, I learned how to drive to and from campus on the freeway. A week after school started, I started driving every day.

It's the freeway that was the scariest for me, but I got over it eventually. If you can handle your car breaking down on the freeway, you can handle anything ;)

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Tips to pass the first time.

#1. Wear your seatbelt!
#2. Both hands on the wheel. (Make sure your arms don't cross when turning)
#3. Don't go over the speed limit.
#4. Make sure you FULLY stop at a stop sign for at least 2 seconds, then look to your left and right.
#5. When switching lanes check your mirror and also look over your shoulder to check for blind spots.
#6. Learn how to parallel park!
#7. Don't do anything stupid!

I think that pretty much covers everything. If any one else wants to add something please do so.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

hey OP are you still going to post your checklist?? that would help us so much! thank you!

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Yes!! I still am planning on putting together a conscience study guide for you guys but I have midterms and a bunch of school work so I've been busy. Give me a little bit more time and I'll hopefully have it done tonight or tomorrow :)

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Drive test was easy passed it like a BOSS and it was in one of the hard DMV's. They gave me stupid errors, like waiting too long for a pedestrian who crossed the crosswalk when it was RED??? Wtf.. But I passed like a boss.
Tips.
1. Scan
2. Look at your mirrors when turning/merging/for no reason but to scan
3. Always look over your shoulder, turns/merging/for no reason but to scan.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

I have been driving for 6 years without a DL. I am also going to the DMV (once I get my SSN in the mail) without studying. Thanks for those pointers.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Alright guys, here is my quick study guide and pointers for when you take the behind the wheel test:

• First and foremost, they ask for your permit (the one you get after passing the written exam) and valid insurance and registration and for the vehicle you use so make sure you have that (there's a small chance they might ask for the registered owner too--though they didn't for me--so maybe keep that in mind).

• Make sure you take the test on a vehicle that you are familiar with. If you have your own car, great. If you don't then make sure you've at least driven whatever car you are going to use once, just so you get the feel of it and can familiarize yourself with the different controls.

• The examiner is going to check for the following main things before entering the car:
  • Working left/right directional lights (going to ask you to turn them on while parked)
  • Working brake light (going to ask you to turn it on while parked)
  • Working horn (going to ask you to honk it)

• There are a few other basic things they glance at your car for and just check off on their clipboard if it looks good such as:
  • Working driver window
  • Mirrors (both sides and rear-view)
  • Clean windshield
  • Acceptable tires

• The examiner is then going to ask you to demonstrate the left turn, right turn, and stop hand signals and say which one is which.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Did you remove the file that was attached?

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Yeah, because it showed my DL number, but I just re-attached it-- properly edited this time ;)

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

I appreciate the time you put in this guide for us Californians. The only problem I have is staying within the speed limit. :-P

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

This is where having an out of state license helps. I have a wa license and all i had to do was pass my written test i missed one questio. And bam!!!! They gave me the license.

Re: Failed CA behind the wheel test
 

Thank you very much for your time and effort! This guide has been very helpful. It is important to recall the basics. :-D

I will probably take my drivers test sometime next week, just as soon as my ssn card arrives in the mail.

Good luck, I hope you pass this time.