New Driver Theory Test

M

MANTO

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Hi All,

My sisters done her Theory Test on Saturday gone and failed. This i found very surprising as she is quite bright until she explained.....

Came out of the test and was told she failed and asked did she use the CD or Book? She advised she used the book and was asked did she use the 4th Edition?? She was shown the new book and realised she was using the old one. The supervisor advised her 140 questions were taken out of the old test and 140 new questions added.

Now what really peeved me off is:

1 - When booking the test she was not advised a 4th edition of the book was brought out
2 - she was not advised the test had been changed from 30th May 09
3 - The book does not display what edition it is so you can easily buy the wrong one
4 - How can 140 questions be taken out and replaced?????

There were 7 people in front of her waiting on results and 1 passed - all of the others were unaware of a 4th edition of the book.

Surely when booking the test there should be a prompt - not everybody buys the book and takes the test a week later - i am sure there are plenty of people right now studying the wrong book becuase they got it before May 09 :mad:
 
The moral of the story is to know the 'Rules of the Road'. Not the answer to 300 odd multiple choice questions.
 
I agree with Towger. I'm sure if you compared the questions they are the same but asked a different way. I would also think that the onus is on the person doing the test to make sure they were using the correct materials.
 
I'm studying for the test, and I have the most recent book. It does have 4th edition on it.

See link here. It's clear as day.

[broken link removed]

This isn't school. It's real life. The onus is on your sister to make sure she is prepared for the test, and ensure herself that she is prepared fully.

To answer some of your questions then

1 - Surely she could have searched and enquired about it instead oif being told what to do?
2 - Can't answer that one as don't know the facts. Presume she arrived on the day and it had been cacnelled.
3 - Yes It does
4 - Reworded, updated, increased difficulty, questions being repeated, lots of reasons.
 
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Having looked at the book and the cd, the main gripe I had was in the way a lot questions were phrased. What had this got to do with rules of the road. I would challange any full licence holder to try and sit a theory test and pass without trying to memorise the answers.
 
So if you buy the book today and a new edition is released 3 weeks later and a new test implemented you are supposed to know?????????
 
First thing MANTO, you never mentioned that in your OP, you simply said she was using the old one.

Secondly, does she really need someone to hold her hand? She's booking 3 weeks before the test? Should have a little more patience and take a little longer, and maybe...just maybe...asks someone when she's booking the test to confirm what book is the latest.

Other wise she was just uinfortunate. They are hardly going to run an add campaign to say they are launching a new book. No doubt here was a notice on the Website, in the Offices.
 
Obviously, the objective of the Theory Test is that drivers know the rules of the road.

If people passed based on the 3rd edition, but failed because the questions have changed, then there is something seriously flawed with the test. It is not testing the knowledge of the rules of the road, it is testing the knowledge of the book or rote learning or something.

What is the pass mark? Are the answers that different?

Can this not be done online? I would like to test my own knowledge of the Rules of the Road.

Here is what the website says:

Latest News

New Version of Driver Theory Test from 30 May 2009


Details of a significant revision of the Driver Theory Test which will come into effect on 31 May 2009 have been announced. Approximately 10% of question bank has been refreshed and updated across all licence categories. The new test will cover exams delivered from 30 May 2009. All exams for Car, Motorcycle, Bus and Truck categories from this date will contain new and amended questions. The complete list of updated questions is published in the 4th Edition – May 2009 of the Official Driver Theory Test Book and CD-Rom which will be available shortly to purchase on-line at www.theorytest.ie and in bookstores nationwide. Aproximately 140 questions out of 1400 are being amended, updated or replaced. These include a number of legislative changes to licensing regulations, the introduction of Digital Tachographs, and changes to speed limit rules. New Stopping distance information in the Rules of the Road have been added. Updates to Hazard Perception questions are also included which test a candidate's ability to analyse a potentially hazardous situation and select the correct course of action. The improvements to the test are designed to be a more thorough examination of a candidates' knowledge and understanding of the rules of the road and the safety considerations behind these rules. It will assist them to become safer drivers.
Click to expand...
 
Oddly enough, you can do a practices test by mobile phone, but not on the website? I doubt if it's the current test though.

I would have thought that it would have been so much easier to fire random questions at people on the website, but then it's easier to charge by mobile phone

Practice Test Now Available on Your Mobile Phone


A new Mobile Phone Practice Test Service is now available. To help candidates preparing for their car theory test 4 different practice theory tests can be downloaded on to your Mobile Phone for a fee. You can practice on real questions based on the Official Driver Theory Test question bank to see if you are ready to take the theory test. You can start and stop the test at any time, practice on questions that are used in the actual test, instantly be told if you have passed or failed, see what questions you got wrong and take the test again as many times as you like. This is a flexible and convenient way for candidates who have studied the Official Driver Theory Test Book and CD-ROM to see if they are ready to take and pass the car theory test. To access the service candidates simply Text PDTT1 or PDTT2 or PDTT3 or PDTT4 To 57800. Four different practice tests are available to download at a cost of € 5 per download.
Click to expand...
 
I was trying to point out that i am sure there are other people out there that bought the book before 30th May 09 and are also unaware of the new test.

I can only rely on my sisters opinion but according to her some of the questions were not covered in the previous edition or else as somebody already said they are being worded very confusingly.

Brendan you are correct - there was a practice test online which was removed (obviously to charge for the mobile service);

The ISM website has one but related to the old test so i would advise to avoid this also.
 
These Cds cost €20 and were been given to pals who were doing the test, and I rekon the theory test people didnt like that loss of revenue.

Good for you Locke that you have the 4th edition and you knew to ask these ever important questions and confirm this book and that book,
 
Maybe this is why there's such bad driving on the roads.

People are just getting answers out of a book!

Doesn't matter what edition it is, you either know the rules or you dont.

They might be worded differenty but it's still the same rules.
 
LS400 said:
These Cds cost €20 and were been given to pals who were doing the test, and I rekon the theory test people didnt like that loss of revenue.

Good for you Locke that you have the 4th edition and you knew to ask these ever important questions and confirm this book and that book,
Click to expand...

Thanks for your concern.

Prefer not to be like a headless chicken and just jump in
 
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