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Good News! CP's Theory Test Passed.

Blog Date - 16 October 2012

CP, one of the bike club members, has completed her Theory test successfully.  I was a very lucky young man who missed out on the whole written and observation test thing, I was asked a few basic highway code questions at the end of my test and that was that.  I did however have to take my test with an examiner who followed me and issued instructions by radio.  Back in the good...or bad...old days it was basically left left left around the block, right right right around the block and if the examiner held his board up you had to do an emergency stop.

I also used to be a bike instructor, teaching people how to ride, putting them through their CBT's and preparing them for their tests.  I know what CP has to go through as I've done it myself and seen many other go through it too.  There's one piece of advice I'd give to anyone taking their test, be it motorcycle, car, truck or PSV...keep at it!

I've had customers who can ride every bit as well as myself or even better.  They've been fully competent, completely in control of the bike, observant and perfectly safe.  Yet on the day of the test they've failed due to some silly mistake or the examiner being over enthusiastic.  Some candidates would be terribly nervous before the test, acting as if their life and existence depended on the outcome.  I recall one gentleman who was a high flying barrister, who had a full car licence, who oozed money and confidence and who was taking his test just for fun.  On the day of the test this man who stands in court and calls a judge "m'lud" turned into a quivering piece of jelly.

It's so easy now having had my licence for 20 years to wonder what all the fuss is about.  But I can recall that nervous young man I was myself.  I was one of the fortunate ones, the lucky ones for whom everything fell into place on the day and I passed.  I hope CP is lucky too, but if not all you can do is sulk a little, pick yourself up, book in and try again.  I've ridden with CP, she's just fine.  She's still young and inexperienced but she makes up for it by being careful and keeping her eyes open and that's more than most of us older more jaded riders do. 

Good luck to her.

Reader's Comments

Tom McQ said :-
Well I hope that my tale helps calm CP down on her test day. My test was due at 13:00hrs on the 13th day of the month (good job there's no 13th month or I'd have probably copped for that too). At 12noon, my instructor and I arrived at the Test Centre (Preston) and he decided that we should do a "Mock Test". I wasn't keen on this, but he insisted.

After checking my bike over and answering a few maintenance questions, we set off on the mock-test. When I reached the end of the road, I pulled out a bit too early, causing someone to alter their speed. A loud voice came over the radio "FAILED"!

I carried on and heard another loud "FAILED"! And then another and another. I pulled over to the side and got off the bike. I explained to the instructor that I just needed him to bugger off and let me chill out before test time. We returned to the centre and I sat there just trying to chill and not worry.

At 1pm, the examiner came out and he gave me instructions over the radio while he followed in a car. About 20 minutes later, we returned to the test-centre and went inside. He gave me a pass certificate with a big fat ZERO errors score!

Secret is - just chill! Who gives a monkey's if something goes wrong? It's no biggie. Take that attitude and you'll get thru it no bother.

Good luck.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
You make it sound so EASY Tom! I can fair remember bricking myself before the test.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
John Almond said :-
Well, only having passed my test last year, the experience is very clear in my mind still. On the Mod 1 I failed first time and that was for not doing a life saver when starting off doing the U turn maneuver. That was the ONLY thing I did wrong on that Mod 1.
So I had to retake it about a week or so later.
In all honesty I found it really easy and the main thing was to take each part of the module one at a time, DO NOT THINK about the next part of the test while you are doing the test you have been instructed to do, in other words, don't think about the swerve test while you are doing the figure of eight, just concentrate on what you are doing at the time. Also, BE PREPARED, PREPARATION IS UP MOST regarding the Mod 1 test. Watch videos of the test being done (i have forwarded CP a couple of you tube vids where the rider has a helmet cam on).
The beauty of the Mod 1 is that it is a set number of tests, so doing your home work will prepare you.


The Mod 2 is slightly different, but in some cases easier. More on that when the time comes.


01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC

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