annoing
Fallen Angel's
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Posted - 2008.12.12 19:49:00 -
[1]
A few things come to mind:
I'm married to a driving instructor, shes damn good too. Shes got a 67% pass rate atm and thats GOOD. We've had students come down from as far as Manchester (to Essex) to have my wife as an instructor to get them past their test. 1 guy (an Iranian student) came back from holiday in Iran especially to do a 5 day Intensive Course.
I trained to be a driving examiner. To get through the initial test I had to do the full driving exam taking all manouvers, not the '3' usually taken in an ordinary test. The driving test lasted in excess of 90 mins which had to be perfect. No minor errors allowed at all. You have to do the theory test of 75 questions and allowed only 1 wrong. In the 'hazard perception' test you are allowed no mistakes at all. Just 1 is an automatic failure.
Today I got someone doing their test drive across me at a junction (they turned right past oncoming traffic). As they turned into the road, the examiner made them park just up from the junction, got out of the car and walked off. How do I know that? The examiner phoned me and told me thats why  (yeah I know him, he recognised my car)
Most test centers in the Uk have about a 40% pass rate. Less so in cities. Its one of the hardest jobs you can imagine .. why? Well, I know for a fact that, to get past their tests, students try to: Bribe, threaten, offer sexual favours, get violent, use emotional blackmail and so forth.
Ive had friends who have been threatened with the accusation of **** by students unless they passed them. Examiners accused of racism because they failed a student. I know of parents who have waited at test centers to attack examiners who didnt pass their dearest children. One examiner was followed home and his house/car was vandalised and his children attacked by 1 Nigerian who felt his failed test was a personal insult.
Being an examiner is a very stressful job and the financial reward isnt that high (base rate is 21K) and they have to do ALOT of overtime.
I only wanted to be an examiner because after 1 year as a regular examiner you can cross train to be a motorcycle examiner. As a rabid, hairy, leather wearing, back patch toting biker I cant think of a better job to do. Unfortunately, I failed my final exam (after a 4 week intensive course). Do I have an excuse about failing? Nope, I did it wrong full stop. Would I do it again? Damn right I would.
Anyone else out there who is over 21, has a clean driving license held for 3 years or more can apply. They usually advertise on the DVLA website in January or June.
See you at the test center maybe 
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