Depressing, but true. It’s always been the case that, having failed your practical test first time, you’d then have to expend more money on extra lessons before taking your test again.
However, never before has the cost of failing been so dramatic.
To complete the suggested 40 hours of tuition that the DSA recommends will cost the average learner around £1000. Of course, many learners choose to have fewer lessons – but does that always pay off?
Well, the short answer is no. Fewer lessons means you’re less experienced in a car – and so you’re less experienced when you sit beside the examiner on your test. That lack of experience comes out in a myriad of little ways – and if there are 15 or more little ways, it’s a fail.
Of course, there are a few lucky ones who have fewer driving lessons and still pass the UK driving test first-time, but that’s just life. For the majority of us, we’ll fail, then go back to the drawing books (and cheque books) and plan for extra driving lessons.
Most people, unless they only failed on a manoeuvre or other small mistake (which is usually down to nerves, rather than lack of ability) and therefore don’t need to improve much, will take at least another 5 lessons. That’s instantly another £110 spent. Then there’s another £100 on resitting their test (and that’s on a good day – a test on a Saturday is £75, plus 2 hours’ lesson time at £45 means you can pay as much as £120 just for taking the test!). So that’s £230 extra for failing.
It can be argued, though (and frequently is) that if you’d had 40 lessons instead of trying to cut the corner with 30, you’d still only have paid £230 more and you’d have more of a chance of being one of the elite few to pass first time.
It’s a tricky call to make, though. At the end of the day, the person best able to tell you when you’re ready for your test is your instructor. They know the standards that the examiner will expect, and if you’re meeting those standards in your lessons, then you’re ready. If you’re not, then he’ll keep suggesting you take more lessons.
It can sometimes be a monetary issue that means learners can only afford a certain number of lessons. But often pride plays a big role in making people want to pass quicker.
Unfortunately, when it comes to being a safe driver, pride’s got nothing to do with it. So trust your instructor, expect at least 40 lessons – and if you’re lucky enough to need fewer, then count yourself fortunate.
