My pass-rate plummets

It’s a Wednesday towards the end of the month, so it must be Driving Test day in Ullapool. Not as hectic as last month. Today I ‘only’ have four pupils taking their test, three for the first time.

My three alarms all go off around 4.45am (I don’t trust myself to get up with just one alarm). Two cups of Earl Grey and, as a breakfast treat, two pieces of Jane’s unbeatable raspberry cheesecake - unusual maybe, but it combines plenty of fresh fruit, protein, carbohydrates and, an extra bonus, gingernut biscuits crumbled up in the base…. perfect breakfast food.

My new ‘FarLe’ roofhat arrived yesterday and was proudly displayed on my car. I intended to remove it this morning, for the eighty-mile drive to Ullapool, but the torrential overnight rain meant that it was too wet to spoil my pristine boot, so I left it on. Big mistake. I have been averaging about 65mpg on my runs to and from Ullapool but, with the roof hat on, this dropped down to 54mpg; I won’t be doing that again.

My first pupil had her test at 8.40am. She has been with me since I started teaching in Ullapool nine months ago, but, since failing her first test, has been away at college, so has not had as many lessons as I would have liked. Like many pupils taking their second test, she was more nervous than she was for her first. That time, she failed for letting the car roll back on her hill-start. She got a hill-start early on in this test and the car rolled back slightly. She then thought that she had failed, but this had the effect of taking the pressure off. As a result, she only picked up two other minor faults and the examiner complimented her on ‘a very nice drive’ when he told her that she had passed. Eilidh was so pleased she almost forgot to pay me. Almost.

My next pupil was another one who I inherited from another instructor in Ullapool. This was her first test and she was playing down her chances of passing…
“I’m now hoping I don’t pass.”
“Don’t be daft,” I replied, “why do you say that?”
“Because I like these lessons.”
“Well, I’m sick of them and I can’t wait to get rid of you.” (I’m fairly sure she knew I was joking.) “You don’t have to stop lessons once you pass your test. Also, when you pass your test, you can always do the Pass Plus course.”
She had a lesson last weekend and, halfway through, I complimented her on how she handled a tricky junction. “That was perfect.”
She beamed from ear to ear, then made a complete hash of the next junction.
“That was your fault for telling me it was perfect.”
Today, in the hour before her test, she dealt with an awkward situation very competently.
“That was perfe….. that was ‘ok’, but it could have been better.” I quickly corrected myself.
Unfortunately, Sam didn’t make it necessary for her to take more lessons with me, because she passed with 6 minors. She threw herself into a hug with me before promising to book her Pass Plus, then she danced home.

Phew! After five tests with my new car I still had a 100% pass rate. Surely it couldn’t last?…..

I didn’t have any pupils on the 10.44am test and I was curious as to who had that slot. A couple of months ago an Inverness instructor took a pupil to test in Ullapool (and the pupil failed). ‘A bit of a shame’ you might think, but I had never seen that instructor in Ullapool before the test day. Ok, I’m not in Ullapool every day, but the cynic in me suspected that it was another case of an Inverness instructor bringing a pupil to Ullapool for a supposedly easier test (than Inverness). Anyway, the same instructor was back today (and another fail). Perhaps it was the same pupil too. I just find it strange that the only time I have seen that instructor in Ullapool is for a test. I hope I’m wrong. I hope it was a pupil from Ullapool. I know of at least one person who will reading this thinking this is a bit ‘rich’ considering I travel from beyond Inverness to Ullapool. Well the difference is that my Ullapool pupils take their test in Ullapool, my Inverness pupils take their test in Inverness and my Elgin pupils take their test in Elgin. The only time I have ever taken a pupil to test in a supposedly ‘easier’ area is when Chris would have had to wait months for a test in Ullapool, so we went to Gairloch.

My pupil taking the 11.41am test had asked for extra lessons last weekend. As a result, I was feeling very confident, even if they weren’t. In the hour before their test I expressed concern that his observations could be better when reversing and that occasional misjudgements of speed caused wayward steering. Sometimes it’s a curse being such a smartarse… Only a few minor faults, but a serious fault for approaching a bend slightly too fast, causing him to go wide, and another serious fault for insufficient observations during his reverse park. Only a few moments to discuss rebooking his test as my final test pupil was already waiting.

It is very, very rare that I completely relax while a pupil is out on test. No matter how confident I am of their abilities, there is nearly always the niggling doubt that they could do something out of character. Not so with Craig… no niggling doubts at all. I am still waiting for my first completely faultless test. I have had many pupils that have come close, but no-one has yet passed without a single fault. Craig was my best hope this month, but my hopes were cruelly dashed when he passed with five minors. “FIVE!!” I blasted, when he proudly showed me his certificate and his green sheet. Seeing the look on his face made me hastily congratulate him and reassure him that he had done very well.

Four more lessons followed and now I am back in my favourite B&B. It is officially closed as the landlady is away on holiday, but she told me to let myself in and leave the (reduced) money on the table when I leave tomorrow. If I was a bit younger I might be tempted to throw a wild party, but my landlady is far too nice for me to do that to her.

As with last month, despite three out of my four pupils passing today, and my ‘new-car-pass-rate’ being 86%, I still have a slightly disappointed feeling because of that one fail. It wouldn’t be so bad in Inverness or Elgin, but, in Ullapool, a failed test means the pupil will probably have to wait FOUR months for another chance to gain their freedom. This drastically increases the pressure on pupils to pass. Not fair. Especially if it is true that people from Inverness are stealing test slots that should go to Ullapool residents. Perhaps I should initiate a ‘Passport to Pimlico’ style policy for Wester Ross? But then I wouldn’t get in.