I Passed!

I passed my driving test this morning. It was my first time attempting the test and I sat it up on the stoney grey soil of Monaghan where the waiting times are the shortest in the country. I felt I had prepared well, and I found the test itself quite straightforward. I was relieved that the tester didn't question me on braking distances during the theory section. I had purchased sample test routes and driven over them the previous two weekends. This proved invaluable and on the road test we covered much of the same routes. I would estimate that I had already driven 95% of the test route, and we even did the reversing maneouvre on the exact same corner that I had practised on several times before. The weather was not favourable as intermittent showers and high winds swept the town, but I was well accustomed to driving in such conditions, and I had my automatic wipers to help me. I didn't feel nervous for long into the test, and in fact, after a few minutes I was starting to enjoy myself as I realised that things were going well. On returning to the test centre I felt entirely confident that I had passed and knew for certain once she asked me to sign a certificate of competency before telling me I had passed the test. I did get 6 of the lowest grade 2 faults, still safely under the limit. They were for:

• position turning right: which I'm sure was for not pulling out far enough into the box junction at the traffic lights.
• reaction to hazards: which I think I got for tutting at a woman who walked out in front of me, and I had seen her and taken action.
• signals changing lane: don't know where I missed that, maybe my lane-change indicator function didn't stay on long enough for her?
• progress turning right: this one I knew I'd made a mistake on when turning right onto a busy road. There was a tractor coming and I debated going before him but decided not to. It was 50-50 though and had I gone she might have thought worse of me.
• progress at traffic lights: again because I hadn't pulled far enough into the box junction it took me a second longer to progress when an opportunity arose to turn.
• competence in the turnabout: don't know what she didn't like here, it took me 4 turns instead of the usual 3, which is perfectly acceptable and unavoidable since the road was as narrow as a toothpick.