The top ten reasons for failing the test as published by the DSA are:
- Observation at junctions - ineffective observation and judgement
- Reverse parking - ineffective observation or a lack of accuracy
- Use of mirrors - not checking or not acting on the information
- Reversing around a corner - ineffective observation or a lack of accuracy
- Incorrect use of signals - not cancelling or giving misleading signals
- Moving away safely - ineffective observation
- Incorrect positioning on the road - at roundabouts or on bends
- Lack of steering control - steering too early or leaving it too late
- Incorrect positioning to turn right - at junctions and in one way streets
- Inappropriate speed - travelling too slowly or being hesitant
These are the official reasons but they don't explain why people make these errors.
Nerves is my explanation. Most people when they go for their test are ready for the test. But they take with them a whole heap of nonsense. People start the test convinced the test is difficult; convinced the examiners are not nice; convinced the examiners have a quota! People start the test programmed to fail!
People are so worried they are going to fail they make it happen. All the examiner wants to see is a competent sensible drive, not perfection. You don't have to over exaggerate the mirror checks, just be sure you act on what see in them! You don't have to take risks at a busy junction because you worry the examiner thinks you are being hesitant, just make a sensible decision based on what you see! If you start worrying about messing up you will mess up. It's like trying to walk a straight line when you think someone is watching you; you put so much effort into walking the straight line that you can't.
When people fail doing manoeuvres it is usually down to confidence. When people worry they are going to mess it up they generally do. Being confident with manoeuvres will in fact make the manoeuvre easy. The pupil that is worried they will mess it up often realises they are messing it up but does nothing and hopes for a miracle. In my experience every pupil recognises when they are making an error in a manoeuvre but only confident pupils stay calm and fixes it. The nervous pupil knows they are going to hit the kerb in a manoeuvre but fails to correct it before hitting the kerb; instead they get so worried about hittng the kerb they generally sacrifice their observations and watch the offending kerb get closer and closer; if they luckily miss the kerb they then fail for not making effective all round observations.