Circle of Success - Earned a UK Driving Licence!

I did it! I'm so proud to have earned my UK driving licence. It wasn't easy and in case it helps you, and gives you a bit of a laugh, here's my experience:

There are 3 tests that you have to pass. Two of them are taken together, then there's a third test. The first two tests are called 'theory' and 'hazard perception'. These two tests are taken at a local testing centre, where you have to schedule weeks in advance, then sit in a small room with approximately 10 other people quietly taking the test around you.

I failed the theory and hazard perception test the first time. With over 20 years of driving experience, I thought I could go in and 'wing it'. Well, that didn't work. The test has 50 multiple choice questions and you need to get 43 correct to pass. I scored a 40. During the test you can 'flag' a question, so my little code to myself was 'flag a question you're unsure of, then go back to it at the end'. I flagged 17 questions, so right away I knew 'uhoh'. In fact, I flagged the first 10 questions in a row!

The hazard perception is like a video game. They play 14 short video clips on a computer monitor. You click the mouse as soon as there's a hazard. The faster you identify the hazard and click the mouse, the more points you earn. You need 44 points (I think) out of 75 possible to pass. I score a 52 on my first try.

After failing, I put my pride down and thoroughly studied for the test. I probably spent about 15 hours taking online practice tests, watching youtube videos, reading online notes and the best help was an online book that I bought. The book had hundreds and hundreds of practice questions. I answered every question in my head, then flipped to the answer in the back. If I got it wrong, I wrote down the question and the correct answer. It took a long time, but I started to learn the gist of the questions - and key facts to know - such as stopping distances, types of crosswalks, unique road signs, etc.



I felt much more confident going into the second test attempt. Not to brag, but I scored a 49 out of 50 on the theory, and a 70 out of 75 on the hazard perception - love it! Bought myself some gourmet chocolate to celebrate :)

Now comes the nerve-wracking part. The practical test. Get in a car and have an observer watch your every move. If you make ONE major 'fault', you fail. You can make up to 15 minor faults.

I paid for a professional driving lesson and flooded him with questions. He gave me feedback about my driving. I talked to lots of friends and I looked up youtube videos and pass-rate statistics. 51% of first-time practical tests are failed (average across the UK)! Some locations are as high as 61% fail rate! I honestly figured I had no chance on my first try, but I did my best to keep a positive mental state.

Taking the practical test seemed to be a perfect parallel to some people's experience of work life. I arrived at a waiting room with zero information and assumed I waited there until I was called. I talked to the woman next to me who had the same guess. That reminds me a bit of most onboarding processes. Someone eventually came out and called my name, I signed a few documents and he took me outside.

Just like youtube prepared me for, he did an eye test which consisted of reading a registration (license plate) from about 50 yards away. We then walked around the car for the 'show me, tell me'. Again, well prepared by youtube, I was aware of the 19 different questions they could ask, and all of the appropriate answers. I was asked one 'show me' and one 'tell me' straight off the video - maybe similar to how glassdoor can help you prepare for your first days at a new company.

We got in the car, I drove wherever I was told by a person that I didn't know. I didn't know where we were going or why we were going there, pretty sure there was no rhyme or reason. I was very nervous because I had my eye on the prize, a piece of paper at the end. I barely knew what he wanted me to do, but I sure felt very busy and anxious doing a lot of work, trying to be perfect. All along I was pretty sure we'd end up right where we started and I wondered if all my work was going well at all. Sure enough, when we ended up exactly where we started and he said 'what a minute whilst I grade your performance', I felt the joy of success!

I feel quite lucky that my work experience is very different from that, but I do hear many others that feel that way. I'm passionate about knowledge management, organisation development and several related fields and now I'm all set to drive around and experience even more of that joy!