The Road in Getting a Driving License Final: Practical Driving Test

Previously, I've posted the first 2 parts of learning my driving at Bukit Batok Driving Centre (BBDC) - Theory and Practical parts. Now, to the final part where this will determine whether will I get a driving license in that 30-minute Practical Driving Test. As I previously mentioned in the second part of my entry, I've managed to pass my driving with 16 demerit points. Here's the proof.

Before I explain more about my Practical Test experience and on the mistakes that I've made, I went for my final two practical lessons before the actual test. One was on 7 July and the other one was on 9 July, at 5.20pm. I wanted to pass the Test on my first try as I have already succeeded in passing both Basic Theory and Final Theory Tests on the first try. It would be great if I could also pass the Practical in just one try.

Now, to the actual day of the Practical Test.

Date: 11 July 2014

Time: 3.20pm

Description: Warm Up Session

Before the actual test started, I had a warm up session. I went to a counter which was located at the far end to print out a slip. However, that slip was not the small piece of paper (it can be seen in part 2 of the blog) which stated the car number and the area. It was a bigger piece of paper which there's only a car number on the top left hand corner. Others...not deserved to be mentioned because I find that's irrelevant to me.

I've gotten car number 29. I was shocked to see that number! It was such a strange number that I've ever seen. I've never taken 29 before. Well, I was thinking too much at that time. I thought I would get car number 18 because most of the time I would get that (but additional charges apply due to getting a fixed instructor) during my Practical lesson and hopefully could also drive that same car in my Practical Test. I was WRONG! A different car number meant a different instructor, which also meant I would get to witness his attitude as it was a new face to me.

By the way, the slip that I've printed out must be given to the instructor before the warm up session begins. That means I would have to memorise the car number. The tester...would not even care where's your car if you can't even memorise a 2 or 3 digit car number! I don't know what's the consequence of not memorising your car number but it's better if you have a memory space to put in that simple 2 or 3 digit car number. Fortunately, I knew because 2 multiplied by 9 is 18, a special method which I can remember my car number. Honestly speaking, it doesn't take much memory space to remember that!

In the warm up session, I went to the circuit first before going to one of the 10 test routes. In the circuit, everything looked fine to me except when I accidentally 'rubbed' the kerb at the directional change segment. On the road, I've gotten test route 2, which was in the Bukit Batok area.

A little note, out of the 10, 6 areas are in the Bukit Batok area while the remaining are in the Choa Chu Kang (CCK)/Teck Whye area. 1, 3, 6 and 8 are the CCK/Teck Whye Area. 6 and 8 are the killers because of the slopes and I believe many learners are afraid to get those two during the actual test.

6 - A slope with a pedestrian crossing and a yellow box junction plus another slope with a stop-line
8 - A slope with a pedestrian crossing and a yellow box junction

Though it's look scary as an immediate failure will be given for not giving way to the pedestrian and also not stopping on the stop-line if you're not aware enough, it's consider test routes which I wanted to try out during the actual test because in the actual road condition, you may face this kind of road facilities in other areas of Singapore and even other countries. If you don't dare to face it, there may be a problem if you face this kind of situation once you're a qualified driver. Hence, I even hoped that I can get 6 or 8 during the test.

Just as I thought I did fairly OK during the warm up, my warm up driving instructor told me...

1. I didn't check blind spot on the circuit and on the road most of the time.
2. I didn't use appropriate gear on the road where I should use gear 4 on the road which was 50km/h, I used gear 3 all the way instead.

By saying those 2 plus the 'rubbing' of kerb, I would have failed the Test but...why did he say I didn't check blind spot most of the time? I can strongly suspect that whenever I was checking blind spot, he was doing other things (I bet he's dozing off). I felt very angry and also disheartened but I didn't want to waste my time talking to him and just waited for the actual test.

Time: 4.30pm

Description: Actual Driving Test

There were 10 candidates inside the room waiting for the test. I was around the 6th or 7th person to be called by the tester, who's a Malay. When I was told that I've gotten test route 1, which is a CCK/Teck Whye area, I felt that I can do it even though I didn't get 6 or 8. Furthermore, it's better if I got the CCK/Teck Whye area instead of the Bukit Batok area because in my opinion, there were far more pedestrians in the Bukit Batok area based on my experiences during the practical lessons. It would therefore affect my results if I'm not aware to the pedestrians' actions and some unexpected behaviours from the drivers.

Similar to the warm up, I went to the circuit first before I went to test route 2.

Here's the rundown of my Practical Test.

1. Emergency Brake

2. S-Course @ Number 4

3. Vertical Parking @ Number 37

4. Slope @ Number 51

5. Directional Change @ Number 9

6. Crank Course @ Number 13

7. Parallel Parking

8. Test Route 1

During the Crank Course and getting out to do the Parallel Parking, there were 2 other test cars doing the Parallel Parking hence I would have to wait by turning halfway to the left after the exit of the Crank Course. While I was waiting, the test suddenly opened the door and went out to check something. I turned my head and saw the kerb. Immediately, I thought there would be a big demerit point as he's checking out whether did I strike the kerb (Striking the kerb = 10 points!!) but I didn't feel anything while I was turning halfway to the left. Did I really got the demerit points? The results would be revealed after I finished the test, the last person to finish to be exact.

Time: 5.00pm

Description: Waiting for the Results at the Waiting Room

Inside the waiting room, I was all alone and shook my head. I thought that I've failed and was already prepared to fork out more money for additional revision lessons and another round of Practical Test.

My tester went in and told me that I've passed. 16 points.

I was in disbelief! How could that be? I passed?! On my first try?!

Below is the fully revealed report of my mistakes made during the test.

It was supposed to be a failure as I counted I got a raw score of 22 points. However, there were some mistakes which do not constitute any demerit points if it was done the first time or even two times maximum. I did check on my blind spot for most of the time inside the circuit and on the road except for once after hearing the disheartening comment made by the warm up instructor. Although blind spots were checked, I didn't know that I had to confirm safety while doing Directional Change and Vertical Parking because most of the time during my practical lesson, I did and my instructor said I could move on without saying anything. To my surprise, I did better on the road as compared to the circuit. Also, did I forget to mention I didn't get 10 demerit points for striking the kerb. Yes, I didn't!

No matter what, I've passed my Practical on my first try and I am now a qualified driver since 11 July 2014.

I would like to thank my fixed instructor who had been teaching me since January 2014. He has a good teaching attitude which gave me a good impression. I've met other driving instructors throughout the practical lessons and I can finally prove to one of the driving instructors that you were wrong to told me I'm not qualified to drive. I could not drive well at the time when I was busy doing my internship, I still can learn and try again but it's totally wrong to dishearten a learner and further saying that I could not make it and I was not qualified to drive a car. Thankfully, he was not my fixed instructor or else I could have the worst driving experience at BBDC. To me, he was not qualified to be the patient and friendly instructor which was pasted almost on every car.

I feel that a good instructor must encourage learners and point out mistakes that he/she has done throughout the whole lesson instead of jumping into conclusion and therefore dishearten the learners. I thought of giving up after the disheartened comments made by him went into my ears but it was never a right choice. I chose to continue and avoid using him as my instructor.

I have paid lots of money in getting my fixed instructor but it was definitely a 'good investment' in choosing him, instructor number 2616. Thank you!

There you go, my official driving license after 2 weeks, which featured my so-called the '16-pointer face'.

-The End-