Driving instructor says learners often forget one thing - and it costs them their test

详细摘要

Never ever do this, or you'll go home in tears - and forced to pay for another driving test

When I was taking driving lessons (thank god that's over!) I would constantly ask for tips and tricks on how to pass. But I would also ask how other students were getting on.

He’d tell me how people were doing - nothing personal, just general updates like who’d passed or who had a test coming up. And one thing that really stuck with me was when he said he’d had a couple of students, and knew of others, who’d made one stupid mistake that caused them to fail, and it had nothing to do with their motivation or skills.

He told me that some candidates would arrive for their test without their provisional licence - and without it, they weren’t allowed to sit the test. Despite him telling students not to forget it, he said many assumed it would be in their wallet or purse, or tucked behind their phone case, but had taken it out to swap cases or use it as ID on a night out and then simply forgotten to put it back.

In its official list, with a warning in bold, gov.uk warns: "You must take your UK photocard driving licence to your test.

"If you have a licence from Northern Ireland, bring the photocard and paper counterpart licence. Your test will be cancelled and you will not get your money back if you do not take the right things with you."

Drivers are charged £62 for a car test - and that's money that was wasted for those students. Not only that, but time too - think of them missing school, work, moving around appointments or meetings.

With unpredictable waiting times - although they are coming down - it could mean waiting even longer and spending money on more lessons until you pass. And if your theory is up for renewal soon (your certificate is valid for two years from the date you pass), you may have to spend another £23 just to retake it to sit your test.

That's £85. And I don't know about you, but I don't have £85 to fritter away - especially for such a simple mistake.

New driving test appointments are added 24 weeks in advance, according to gov.uk.

文章开头，摘自Daily Mirror。如需阅读全文，请前往媒体网站。