UK theoretical driving test - done!

I've been a bit MIA this past week. All of my free time was spent working on a big law assignment for Wednesday, I had a lot of after hours work calls with the US office, and the rest of the time was spent studying for the UK theoretical driving test.

I had two UK 'how to get your driving license' books from the library, a printout of the UK Highway code from the the government motoring site, and most importantly, The Official Theory Test for Car Drivers from the UK Driving Standards Agency, the government group who licenses drivers. My version was from the library so it wasn't the latest and greatest version, as well it had plenty of pencil marks of previous borrowers, however, I knew I didn't need this book long term so it was good enough for my purposes. This book is all questions from the test bank, actual questions, almost 400 pages of them.

I had booked the next available appointment at the closest testing site. The testing centers for this theoretical computer test are outsourced centers, so a little different from the US version where they are goverment agencies. My corner of Essex is large so we have one in town, a mere eight minutes walk from my house.

I remember when I turned in my Pennsylvania licence for a California one. I was in San Mateo and the Driver's License office was gigantic. You entered a took a number for the main desk. The main desk looked at your forms and ID and insurance papers or whatever, and then instructed you to take various numbers from machines next to them. The number slips were different colors, and it corresponded to different areas. For my part I needed to convert my PA license to a CA one, to do so I had to take the theoretical test. Then I had to change over my car registration as well once that was passed. The changeover included showing the car insurance paperwork, title, etc. to someone at a desk, as well as the car receiving a once over to insure that it was worthy for CA roads. I had three or four little slips of paper and was there a good two hours or so, but everything was done in that one visit, although I did have a little waiting at each 'station'.

So I showed up 15 minutes early for my 10 AM appointment as the appointment letter suggested. Only in the UK--when you walk it, there is a sign 'please take a seat.' There is no number taking machine. There are already five people there, how would they know who is next? When the man sitting at the desk said next, they all looked at each other, eventually coming to consensus as to whose turn it was after 15 seconds or so. Can you imagine this scenario in Germany? ;-)

After reviewing the Provisional license and the accompanying paper form which travels with it, I was sent to his colleague for a second review. Both of them crossed me off their lists once proof was appropriate. The second colleague was also a little older, both of them looked as if this was a part-time retirement job. She goes through the rules--don't stand up until you are done, please use the anti-germ hand gel here, if you have any issues please raise your hand, etc etc--'and most importantly...good luck!'

I took my seat at my assigned computer and followed along the introductory tutorial. The temperatures were rather chilly, I felt like an egg in the icebox. There are two parts to this theoretical test: Part 1 is 50 multiple choice questions in 50 minutes; part two is 14 'hazard scenarios' where the camera is positioned like you're in the driver's seat in the car going down the road, and you're supposed to mouse click when you see hazards developing.

The first part is nicer than any driving test I've taken in the US, or maybe it's because my US driving tests were 10 years ago (CA) or ahem, *cough*, more than 15 years ago (PA). This multiple choice test was completely touch screen, no mouse needed, and it had such fancy things like 'flagging a question' to return to it later or the option to review all questions at the end, etc.

As I started, I recognized many questions from the book, so most were quick. Plus, I was freezing cold, so not dillydallying on the answers. I went through the 50 questions in 7 minutes. Granted, I was on autopilot on a number of them as they were from the book and some of them are just common sense if you are already a driver.

Sidenote: in the waiting area, I was the oldest applicant by a good 15 years or so. The two young ladies near me were chatting--both had failed this test previously and both have been actually driving on the UK roads since August. Boy did I feel old...and maybe wise with experience, not sure.

I then proceeded to part two of the theoretical test, the hazards. I didn't prepare for this bit at all, but probably should have in retrospect. It takes you through these driving scenarios (which make me a little carsick). The camera is bouncing along, just like you're in a car. In the introduction, it gives you an overview of how it works. You're driving along and it circles the hazards for you. There is a pedestrian on the sidewalk...as she approaches the sidestreet to cross it, there is a motorcycle in front of you nearing the sidestreet. It circles the woman as a traffic hazard as the motorcycle might want to turn left and there will be a pedestrian crossing. (In my corner of Essex, that wouldn't be called a 'hazard' but rather a 'nuisance' and the driver would honk the horn at the pedestrian for slowing him down--but I digress.) It gives you the warning not to overclick or willynilly click, or that scenario will be given 0 points. There is the instruction that there is one hazard per clip, with one clip having two, and that you should click as soon as you notice the hazard, and then subsequently click each time the scenario changes.

Off we go on scenario one. I was giving each clip about four clicks in my quest to not invalidate my scenario. A car is signalling to put into the lane (click). The car pulls into the lane in front of me (click), and on and on we go. A child is playing with a ball on a sidewalk (click), a bird flies through the air in front of the car (no click?).

As I muddle along, I get really bored of this game around scenario five. Click, click, click. One scenario has sheep wandering into the road, it looks like you're driving deep in the Wales countryside or maybe up North in Scotland. I have no idea where the closest sheep field would be to my corner of Essex, but I guarantee it's at least two hours away.

I finish with the scenarios, stepping out into the hallway looking forward to putting on my coat and scarf. The woman checks my id once more and sends me to my locker to retrieve my coat etc. with instructions to then report to the first colleague for the results. He hands me two papers folded up and says, 'I'm not allowed to tell you the results.' As no one was there, I unfolded the sheets to look. He helpfully suggests--It's usually the first sentence.

The pass rate on this test seems higher to me than the US equivalent tests. On part 1, one must get at least 43 of 50 multiple choice questions correct; I had 47. On part 2, one must get 44 of 75 points (5 points is the maximum per scenario, there are 14 of them and one has two), I had 44 dead on, so one less click and I would have been sunk. In retrospect, I didn't click enough for their stringent requirements. For example, there is a puddle on the other side of the road and no cars coming on that side. To me that is not a hazard, but I think on this test it was. Then a car comes toward the puddle--that should have been another click--then the car swerves into my lane to avoid the puddle--ok, so I clicked there. And then another car does the exact same. Who swerves into another lane with a car coming to avoid a puddle??

But anyway, a pass is a pass, so it's on to the second part next, the Practical driving part of the exam. In theory, I could drive as a learner with this Theoretical Pass for up to two years, but my 'non-learner' status under the 'one year as a foreign driver' expires in Feb so you can be sure I'll be working toward that date. :-)