The Chron examines plans to make the driving theory test more of a challenge
Northampton Nene Campus Catharine Corbett, with her theory test result. 26/01/12
TIME was that a question asked from the Highway Code during a driving test would have been seen as enough to assess a driver’s thorough knowledge of the signs and symbols of Britain’s road system.
But not any more.
Since 1996, learner drivers have been sitting a theory test, which became computerised in 2000. This assesses their knowledge not only of road signs but also basic aspects of First Aid and the correct procedures to carry out in a roadside emergency.
But something the Driving Standards Agency has also been doing is making available a bank of pre-published questions which could be learned ahead of time and could appear on the test; that is, until this week.
Earlier this week the DSA stopped making it possible for candidates to access the questions which could appear on the test, in a bid to prevent them learning the answers parrot-fashion.
Rather than simply memorising the answers, it is hoped that the move will encourage prospective drivers to actually learn topic areas, applying them to real-life situations.
The decision has been greeted with a mixed response from the public with some voicing their views that the DSA is simply trying to make things harder for learners, while others are pleased that a little more thinking is being introduced to the whole learner driver process.
John Norrie, chairman of the Northampton Advanced Motorists group, said: “I think from what I have read about it, they are trying to ensure that people learn the material rather than just parrot it back.”
He continued: “I would encourage people to certainly understand what the Highway Code is saying rather than learning a lot of multiple choice options off by heart two days before the test.”
But does the theory test go far enough in helping drivers to understand the road systems and their own behaviour on them?
He said: “When I passed my test there was no theory test, you went along and you were tested by a man with a sour face and a clipboard. I think it was a good thing to introduce the theory test, now people’s knowledge of the Highway Code is pretty good, although there are people who have been driving for quite a long time and let it slip a bit.
“I’m sure a re-test would be a good idea but the administration would be a nightmare and who would pay for it?”
Northamptonshire driving instructor Robert Woolley, of RED Driving School, believes the theory test does not go far enough in certain topic areas such as hazard perception, when students are given images with fairly limited visibility to examine the road around them.
He uses a programme with his students called DriveiQ PRO, which he thinks gives a more realistic view of the area around a vehicle, so hazards can be thoroughly assessed.
He said: “People need to learn that these things affect their driving, you need to know the road signs but also how you are supposed to react to things.”
He believes it is good there have been changes to the theory test preparation.
He said: “People do tend to learn parrot-fashion and many people are lazy to a certain extent.
“You can have no end of fun trying to find out if people actually know what a ford is, there are a number of people who don’t know at all. Some also don’t know what the phrase dual carriageway means.”
He added: “I’m sure there are things about the theory test that could be better but in many ways it is about as good as it is going to get for a while.
“It is important because the world has got so much more complicated. There is so much more to know now, if you think back to when I took my driving test, I was asked a question at the end of the test. The guy said to me ‘why would you slow down when you are approaching a roundabout?’ I did not know what to say and then I said: ‘because you might have to stop.’ We did need a system better than that.”
Instructor David Robinson of Avago Driving School in Northampton said: “Certain aspects of it do need to be changed.
“The Highway Code has not changed a great deal. In a number of ways it needs to be brought up to date with modern cars.
“There are older cars out there with different braking systems and it needs to encompass the newer ones.
“When sitting the test, someone can still pass getting six questions wrong and they might never know the answers to those other questions.
“I think the test definitely needs tidying up a little at the end of the day as people’s lives are on the line.”
University of Northampton student Catharine Corbett is currently learning to drive and recently passed her theory test first time.
She confessed she would have found it much more difficult had the pre-published questions not been available.
The 19-year-old said: “Because I looked at the questions on the website, a lot of the examples came up and when I was practising I could review it and go over them again.
“If they are removing them, I think it will make things much more difficult. I think it is just making it harder for people.
“I don’t really know why they are doing it myself, it is to prevent it from being so easy for people but some people don’t pass first time and can practise as much as they like and not pass.
“They need to offer some guidance to people.”
A WORD FROM THE DRIVING STANDARDS AGENCY
In the face of worries that it is simply trying to make passing harder for learner drivers, the DSA has defended its decision to stop pre-publishing theory test questions.
With sets of theory test books, revision software and even an iPhone app available to learners, there is still plenty of preparation help at hand, according to the DSA.
Peter Weddell-Hall, the DSA’s head of e-learning, said: “We have always published our questions in the past and candidates have learned them by rote, so we have taken these questions and reworded them. We are still producing learning material and sample questions but when they come to do the test they won’t be exactly the same.
“We want people to have better knowledge and understanding of the theory as well.
“It is ok to know what a particular sign means, but what are the implications for you as a driver?
“We don’t want to make it harder for the candidate but to encourage that candidate to have an understanding of what has been learned.”
He added: “We never want people to stop learning, we want people to carry on learning. Road signs change and we want people to keep up to date.”
Taking the theory test 10 years on
IT may have taken me six goes to pass my practical driving test a decade ago, but I am proud to say I passed my theory first time.
To be honest, I did study for it diligently, and I didn’t use any of those pre-published questions and answers; to be honest, I didn’t know about them.
I simply read the Highway Code religiously, from cover to cover, learning and making notes.
My geekiness paid off with a pass but, 10 years on, I wondered if I would still be able to take the electronic test and pass, but this time without revising.
The DSA informed me that, although no questions were now pre-published, the old style questions, which have now been reworded, were still available to use in online practise test sessions.
My goal was to get 43 out of 50 questions right, a task I thought could not possibly be too tough as I had already passed, right? Well, as it turned out . . . no.
The questions which posed situations I had encountered in real life, for example the use of mirrors to look for hidden motorcyclists, were easy to get right.
But there were some questions which alluded to situations I had not come across in real life so, having forgotten what I learned all those years ago, I didn’t get them right.
I couldn’t remember when a motorist is allowed to drive with hazard lights on, and there were two questions on this one, both of which I got wrong.
Nor could I remember all three of the reasons why fog lights should not be kept on during a clear day. There are the obvious answers relating to not dazzling other drivers but I did not realise these lights made brake lights less visible. Another two questions went down the pan.
Finishing the test, I came out with 39 out of 50 and a miserable fail, forcing me to wonder if theory tests are effective after all. Or, at least, should drivers be re-tested?
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