Following on from my earlier post I thought it timely to mention one of the key issues with driving in this country – the crazy waiting period for actually sitting a test.
The Department of Transport provides some details on the average pass rates and waiting times by testing centre. A quick scan of the list is both revealing and worrying!
You can be waiting up to 54 weeks for a test in Raheny, 60 weeks in Navan and 50 in Wicklow!
Are other European countries as bad as this? I don’t think so!
Michele Neylon :: Pensieri
Technology, Marketing, Domains, Thoughts
Hi Michele,
No other European countries are not this bad. Neither do they have stupid laws and allow the failed driving test candidates to drive home in their cars, after failing the test.
If its any help, if you are waiting for a long time for the test date, you can write them a letter, explaining that you need your car to do your work, and that you would appreciate the possibility of gettign a test quickly.
I went looking for a test date in Dublin, and was told it would take 5/6 months.
Waterford was 2/3.
*mind boggling*
hth,
bernard
Bernard
They’ve started outsourcing some of the tests now, but the backlog is horrendous. The letter trick may help in some cases, but even so you still have to wait for ages.
Hi Michele,
The letter definately worked. I have my test in the next two months or so.
Ask your boss for a letter, shouldn’t be hard 😉
b.
LOL
I could always get Paul to sign it 🙂
Would he do it? I mean he’d probably have to get a background check on you…I mean since you are a southener…..:)
Michele,
I got the “letter” when I was in college in Carlow and had my test 3 weeks later! You have to be ready to do your test though as you only get about a weeks notice about the cancelation.
I’m sure paul will come up with a speil for you :p
you should have to wait as long to repeat the test its a money scam so you wll have to pay again there should be a reduce charge if you have to repeat the test
I applied for my test in May 2005, got called for it on the 25th of May 2006 and had to cancel due to college exams and I got called again on June 17th but I was out of the country. Its now April 2007 and im STILL waiting……its an absolute joke, Ive tried to get in touch with the Driver Testing Centre over the phone without any success (I once waited on hold for a whole hour until I just gave up and hung up the phone) and they send back an automated email if you try contact them that way.
Its absolutely outrageous, Im now on my second provisional which means its okay for me to drive by myself, but having to wait this long is madness
I applied for my test in Finglas in October 2006 and I have tried to contact Driver Testing by phone and e-mail to get a date for the test I could plan my holidays around. I got the automated response to my e-mail and you can’t talk to a human being on their phone number. This system is a shambles. If they can’t organise a test within a year, why can’t they at least have the courtesy to talk to you when you ring up?
I agree Colm. I have been waiting over a year and being away, cannot afford to spend hours ringing around trying to get in touch with someone.
In this day and age, you think we could see something online regarding our application.
Odd.
I did a test back in December and applied for another one immediately which is confirmed for next month …
Was it in Dublin?
No
There appaesr to have been progress in some of the rural centres but not in Dublin. The last time the waiting list on the website was updated was on 13 November 2006. If they had any good news to report I think we can assume they would have posted an update. No news, in this case, is bad news.
They are just waiting until a little closer to the election, so Fianna Fail can give themselves a bit of a boost in the polls! You know the saying “A lot done, more to do” 🙂
I should add (if I haven’t already) that I was waiting nearly a year for the last test I took
Haha… Come to the UK… The current waiting time is… wait for it… 5 weeks!!
I’m in the process of booking mine!
Ellie x
why is it in my pree test im told im very good
but when i do the test in finglas i fail what sort of scam is going on out there
I have done a test in Ennis year and half ago an old instructer has failed me on didn’t gave a way to the right trafic in roundabout where there was acres of space and time to pass me.Mind you i didn’t notice anything after test.Second time when i did in Tallaght the tester failed me on not using gear properly!!!!???no idea what he means there….On my first test i never had a single mark on Gear…The way the test carried out in this country is joke!There is no supervisor in the car(normally your driving instructers sit together in other countries to check as 3rd party)so they fail by the image.And you have to wait ages to get test !!!!!
what a joke…..In other country there is no such L DRIVERS …as you have to do theory and driving test both in order to sit behind the driving wheel….And ofcourse you don’t wait 2 years to get driving test…
Mind you i have full driving license in my home country (non -eu country) back in 1997 which shows that i have experience.I never had an accidient since 1997 and driving over 3 years in Ireland with no conviction.So why i can’t pass the test!!!I heard the tester pass the female drivers when they attractive and sexy etc…what kind of joke is this…Maybe i’m failing the test coz i’m foreigner..I saw almost every foreigner with L displayed on their car on Irish roads….Poor guys same as me..
Test is a JOKE!I did my test today and failed literally in the end of my driving test.I took almost 15 h from ISM paing hundreds of euros and my instructor said am driving very well.I got just one grade 1 and the in the end of the driving test i got grade 3 for observation!It was on the roundabout with no other cars i did everything as usual and there is no way i could get grade 3!I asked later what did i do wrong?And they said we cant discauss details with you also you can go to court but they wont change the results!In other words the instructer is a God and there is no supervisor over him!I now will try to do my DL in Nothen Ireland because this is just so unfair what is going on in this country!
I got my test on wednesday and i’m so scared! Worried about my man. hate reverse round corner gonna avoid it when i pass! Am i thick i just can’t do it perfect. Think i’m gonna fail. Plus the car i been learning in is unusable and i’ll be driving dif car.
LisaUk: I passed my test about three months ago (in Ireland) I too was driving a totally different car, as my own vehicle’s tax was expired and I was in the process of buying a new one. I had two pre-test lessons in my instructors car, a bit nerve wracking due to the fact that everything in his car appeared to be the opposite way around to mine! I was so nervous & almost cancelled my test at the thoughts of having to drive a totally different car..my advice to you is persevere with it-practice in the car you will be tested in as much as possible, and finally-believe you can do it! be confident, although testers are looking for a competent driver, the most important thing of all is that you demonstrate that you are a careful, safe driver… The very best of luck!
Phoebe
Thank you phoebe, i will take your advice! I’ve never been worried about tests and my driving is as good as it’s gonna get I’m struggling with reversing though, seems like i’m missing a few brain cells but I hope i’ll be ok. My instructor is lovely she’s giving me an extra hour on Wednesday for free. Is driving much different over there? My friend has recently moved over there and she loves it!
Lisa. x.
Hi Lisa! Thats so kind of ur instructor to be helping you out, I hated the reversing around the corner thing aswell-i think its just an unnatural feeling or something! Im not sure how different Irish & English tests are from one another- on ours we have to do reverse around the corner, hill starts, turnabouts, etc so i’d say their pretty similar! the only difference i think is the waiting time here! it took two years for me to get a date for my test so thank god i passed the first time!! the best of luck & let us know how it goes! you’ll be fine! Phoebe x
While it is generally agreed that the system and waiting list for the Irish Driving Test leaves a lot to be desired there are positive signs on the horizon.
The waiting list is coming down at last as the SGS contract motors onward.We are nearly half way through the 15 month contract and while the Departmental aim is to have Tests virtually “on demand” it will be an achievement if this is reached.
Probably candidates will have to wait upwards of 10 weeks within the next year or so and this would be acceptable.
However just because you want to sit and pass a driving test in double quick time doesn’t mean that you are going to be granted this privilege without earning it.In other words take lessons and do your homework before sitting the Test.
Today’s Driving Test is more difficult than in previous years and if you think that by buying a car and swanning around for a year or two this will be sufficient to pass then you are in for a rude awakening.
Most of the contributors to this post are putting the blame for their Test woes on everyone but the one person who is responsible…you the Driver.
Robin Piggott said: Most of the contributors to this post are putting the blame for their Test woes on everyone but the one person who is responsible…you the Driver.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.
1000% Scam.
Artificial scam for money….. The difficulty to Pass. Observation ))) Turning Right ))Turning Left)))) Unfortunately You did not Pass…….. and He gives You application again…..pay again…….
The test has nothing to do with Road Safety………. The lazy Croud affraid for their Job….
Stupid Stupid…… I am driving from 1993…..I v took Lessons, v took Pretests, But they not interested to Pass You,,, My driving is Perfect . But they just getting orgasm to see You fail,happy Faces…
Tell me why I failed… Observation…Where tell me ? Where I did not look? Reaction to Hazards…..? I know exactly what it is man……
The system is wrong, artificial. Why?
Because if The Croud will pass everyone, There will Be no Jobs for them to do….. Ireland is Small ….
Meanwhile People from new EU countries just transleting their into Irish licences……….
And they do not understund why problem is here……
In other countries Police does the tests, You have to produce Cert. from Driving School saying thart everything was given to you…. Drive for 15 -20 minutes… You done! if you confident not doing stupid mistakes get Your Licence….. If Failed …..Come next week….Fail Again…Come next week again…Three times in Total….If faild three times…You have to go to school again…for 2-3 months..
So Mister Please do not saY ….Drivers are responsible… Scam is responsible…..
Other wise it would be total Crash……