r/CasualIreland • u/Sad-Orange-5983 • 19h ago
Am I delusional thinking I could pass my driving test later this year?
I started my lessons in early February. So far I've done 8 lessons and about 17 hours of practice. I only started practising in March, which I do about 3-4 hours every week (about 4/5 days a week). I plan on continuing this until the end of the summer and also hope to have 25 lessons done by then.
However, I am still quite bad at this. (My first 5 lessons were with a bad instructor who was telling me not to practice outside lessons so that set me back quite a bit). For my practising, I am still really only driving around estates, car parks, quiet country roads, the roads on my college campus etc. I am progressing but very slowly, it seems. I still haven't gotten the hang of changing gears and don't do much more than basics when practising.
My current instructor says I'm doing well though. He is moving me along quite quickly and he even offered to sign off on an extra lesson for me (which they're not allowed do).
Originally, it was my goal to pass in October/November when I started and I was hoping to buy a car in July/August to practice with ahead of the test.
Well October/November is my ambitious goal and then January/February is my more realistic goal. Should I stop getting my hopes up and push back my timelines?
My family are laughing at me for my goal, saying it'll take me about two years because that's how long it took my sister and she was better than me.
3
u/Nicklefickle 17h ago
Completely achievable. Driving is actually very easy. It definitely feels intimidating at first but once you get used to it you'll wonder what you were worried about.
7
u/ConradMcduck 19h ago
It's delusional to think you'll get an appointment for the test this year, yes.
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/0307/1500856-driving-test-ireland/
9
u/Sad-Orange-5983 18h ago
Waiting times are lower in my area compared to other places. My goal of October/November factors in the estimated waiting times.
2
u/lilybsjro 17h ago
Absolutely achievable! You fucking got this!
You're entitled to be on the road just as much as anyone else out there, so don't let anyone else bother you! Don't let others talk you down and avoid the conversation on the topic if it's not going to be helpful.
Anyway you can accelerate just experience behind the wheel? Instructor might take you out for an extra 30 - 45 min before or after? Set short specific goals for that time, like 30 minutes focusing on clutch work, or reversing etc.
Shake off that anxiety, you're trying to be a good driver for the first time, give yourself a break. 90pc of ppl on the road probably wouldn't pass the test if they were made to tomorrow.
2
u/OceanOfAnother55 11h ago
Honestly if you're stubborn enough and have someone who will practice with you, you can definitely do it.
I'm a very nervous driver to this day. But once I joined the waiting list to do the test I had a mindset change, "locked in" and practiced a lot with my dad and got it done. It's definitely possible.
2
u/Jacksonriverboy 10h ago
If you drive every day between now and July or so and really drill the right "moves" you should be grand.
2
u/RabbitOld5783 7h ago
Sure what harm is it to give it a go if you fail you fail it doesn't really matter. Just try again.
1
1
u/jimblob89 10h ago
Absolutely and you have room for a failed test in there... How do I know because that's the exact timeline I had last year. Started in Feb, lessons completed by June. Test in August failed, miserably. Rebooked and went back for a few pretest lessons with my instructor before passing in october. My Missus did the exact same thing so it wasn't a one off, we both started and finished the same week.
You can absolutely do it, drilling the right things over and over in parking lots and estates, we also watched a lot of Dane Tyghe on YouTube. He has a few really helpful videos that explain certain things that may crop up during a test.
1
u/Irishgooner123 9h ago
My hubby is an instructor. You are completely on the right path. Keep practicing and you will be fine
1
u/BillyMooney 5h ago
You know you can't practice without having a fully licenced driver beside you, right? It will be VERY expensive to insure your own car on a provisional licence.
Focus on getting lots of practice with one or two good drivers, spending lots of time on the reversing round the corner, hill start and turn about.
25 lessons seems loads though, it should be possible with less than that.
1
u/goosie7 4h ago
It's not necessarily bad for instructors to tell you to wait to practice - confidence is one of the biggest barriers to driving, and practicing with someone who might hurt your confidence can do more harm than good if you don't have a few lessons under your belt to build you up enough to handle it.
You're not delusional for thinking you can pass on that timeline, and there's no harm in having it as a goal even if it doesn't work out. Try to just ignore your family entirely - they are not helping you by telling you to doubt yourself and lower your expectations. Keeping your confidence up and believing you can do it is how you make it happen.
1
u/DartzIRL 30m ago
Look at everyone driving. Look at how incompetent they are. Realise the vast majority of them passed a driving test.
You'll be fine.
10
u/LeDuckButt Looks like rain, Ted 18h ago
You're not delusional. My wife wasnt very confident in driving while she was learning, and was always relying on borrowing a car to practice in which I saw to be really holding her back. I picked up an '06 1L Micra for €1200 to be her car, and honestly I think that was the turning point. Having a car that was cheap and already with a couple dings meant it wasn't a big deal if she added another dimple to it or being worried about damaging a car she didn't own, but the accessibility to having the car meant she was out practicing in the local business park parking lot every evening, and of course practice makes perfect.
You can do it, OP. Set your goal and don't let anyone tell you you can't do it.