You Might Fail Your Driving Test. Here's Your Plan B

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]This might sound like terrible driving test advice, but I think you should go into the driving test fully accepting that you might fail. Not because I don't believe in you, but because the second you stop treating like failure is the end of the world, you actually start driving better. I'm Francis. I'm a driving instructor and I talk to literally hundreds of you every day and you talk to me about the pressures that you're feeling because of the driving test waiting times, because of friends and family, because of social media.

[00:00:25]When you're taking a driving test and scrolling Instagram res or Tik Tok, it looks like all you see is wall-to-wall passes. Pass, pass, pass, pass, and you're like, "Damn, everyone else is doing it. Why isn't that me?" Not to mention the cost of getting a driving license as well. Plus, then you've got pressure from family and friends who know that you're taking your driving test soon, who are then expecting you to pass your driving test soon. The biggest problem from speaking to you guys though, I know, is the waiting times.

[00:00:54]You might fail your driving test and then not be able to get another one. All of this adds up to a feeling of I need to pass now. This is my one and only chance. And if I don't make it, game over. The problem is the more desperate you are to pass, the less naturally that you'll drive. When it's past today or game over and there's no plan B, your body goes into fight or flight. Your adrenaline starts peaking and your mind's at 1,000 mph. You start rushing those decisions. You start speeding everything up. you start making mistakes that you wouldn't normally make. Which is why when you're on your driving test, the skill level, which used to be here on driving lessons, goes all the way down to here. And the more hyped up you are. And the more that you're banking on this as the last ditch attempt, the only chance that you'll ever get to pass your driving test, the more that that skill level drops, where actually now you've got no chance of passing your driving test. Easy things that you practiced over and over again, like when to enter a roundabout, is that gap big enough or not? you'll overthink them and you essentially look like and feel like you've forgotten how to drive. I know this feeling well when I was really nervous for my motorbike test recently that I passed. I had this feeling as well. I was doing slaloms which is part of the mod one motorcycle test and there's certain times that you can't put your foot down and other times like when you're stopping you can put your foot down and I was doing and I was going around these cones doing slaloms and for no reason at all like my mind was not connected to my body at all. I put my foot down as I just passed the second cone and I was like, I what? I did I just I don't know. I had to watch it back on the video to realize that I was going in a straight line. No reason to put my foot down. I was perfectly in control of the bike. No reason to put my foot down. I was perfectly balanced and aligned. No reason to put my foot down at all. What went through my head? I don't know. Literally, maybe because I was filming it for everyone to watch, the pressure built up so much that I had tunnel vision. I wasn't in control of my body. And the pressure was so high that my skill level was then really low. And here's the thing, having a plan B removes that feeling of everything resting on this one drive. If you fail, you rebook. It's fine. It's difficult to find a driving test, but you can do it.

[00:03:03]When you fail, you improve. You'll become a better driver. I've become a better rider. Even if you had a job resting on this, even if you had something huge that you needed a driving license for, life still continues. You still are in the same place that you were before you started the test at the end of the test. You haven't lost anything. £62 on the grand scheme of things isn't a huge amount of money.

[00:03:24]You'll rebook it again. You'll pass the next time. You'll learn some stuff.

[00:03:28]You'll become a much better driver.

[00:03:29]You'll get to hang out with your awesome driving instructor some more. And you'll get to have a better experience of your driving test next time once you're less nervous, less under pressure. And you'll actually enjoy it. That sounds mad right now. Enjoy my driving test. This is scary and horrible. I don't know if you've watched Re's driving series, but she was super nervous on the leadup to her driving test. It feels like the driving test is this big scary Mount Everest task that you can't ever peak overcome Summit, but it's not. When Re did her first driving test and met her first examiner, he was lovely. And she was like, "Oh, yeah, but that's just cuz he was lovely." She then did her second driving test on Monday, passed that and said, "Oh, yeah, that examiner was lovely as well, in a different way, in his own way. But the driving test was fun. It was great. It was enjoyable. Not because she passed, but because the examiners aren't scary, but because the driving is just driving and you do that already and you enjoy it. The point is, if you were able to pass and you didn't, you're not stupid or incapable. Your mindset wasn't right. You had everything your entire life, hopes and dreams resting on this 30inut drive. And if it doesn't go to plan, then well, boy, game over. Life's over. I have to tell people I failed. I have to do this, that, and the other. And now I can't get another driving test. You feel hopeless and alone. But go into your driving test expecting to fail and you'll have a whole different experience. It's good to be confident and it's great to believe in yourself, but also know that you can fail your driving test on the smallest, tiniest detail. And having a plan B of what you're going to do when you fail, even share it with the people that you love the most that are around you to support you through this, that's going to take the pressure off so much. So that when your family and friends around you are like, "Oh, your driving test is coming up next week." And you get that little that pang in your belly and it's like, "Oh yeah, but what if I fail? Now, all of you guys know that I'm taking it and I have to tell you that I passed at the end. Otherwise, I look hopeless and useless and stupid. Let them know what your plan B is. Yeah, I'm ready for my driving test. I can do this, but if I fail, here's what I'm going to do. X Y Z. And remember that you're only doing this for you. Nobody else but you. Your mom, your dad, your auntie, your uncle, your boyfriend, your girlfriend. Nobody needs this except you. Nobody's going to lose faith in you. Nobody's going to respect you less if you don't pass.

[00:05:36]They're behind you because they support you. And if you don't pass, they'll be there to support you as well. So, here's what you're going to do. When you finish watching this video, grab a piece of paper and write down your plan B. I'm going to give you some suggestions. When you've written it down on a piece of paper, it locks it into your head. It takes the pressure away cuz now you're committed to it. You've written it down.

[00:05:54]If I don't pass, I'm going to do XY Z.

[00:05:56]Okay, cool. Less pressure instantly.

[00:05:58]Number one, as soon as you get back home after your driving test, you're going to get back on the DVSA website. You're going to try and find another driving test. If you can't find one instantly, you're going to keep checking. Keep hitting refresh until you find one at any point. Doesn't need to be soon. It doesn't need to be far away. It doesn't need to be in the same center as you did it before. Just get another driving test locked in. And you'll instantly feel better after failing. You know that it's not indefinite now. Ah, I failed. Now there's no driving test. Now I've got nothing to look forward to. You've got a driving test banked. You can look forward to it again. And then set your sights on the next day. Be prepared. Get your mindset right again and go for the second try. Point two. Identify your weaknesses calmly. This doesn't mean that you can't drive. This doesn't mean that you're bad at driving. It means that there's room for improvement with everybody. For me, for sure, there's room for improvement. Everybody can improve every skill that they have. You can come back stronger. You can come back less likely to pass by putting in more work and effort and dedication.

[00:06:54]Yes, you were ready to pass before, but hey, if I take five more lessons, I'm going to be even more ready and even less likely to fail next time. And number three, please take some more lessons. Let's put that down on the paper for me and you. Let's do that.

[00:07:07]When you fail your driving test, the first reaction is, "Nah, this I'm out. Done." But that's a bad reaction. You've come all this way.

[00:07:15]You've overcome the hurdles. You've committed time, money, resources, effort. You've learned the skill. You just need to get signed off now. This would be the worst place to leave it.

[00:07:24]You've done a driving test. You've got that experience as well. Right now, you quitting now, that's stupid. Honest. Be honest with yourself. If you quit right now, that's the worst decision of your life. So, yes, you have to spend a little bit more money, but in return for that, once you pass your driving test the next time, you get to drive for life forever. You get a driving license, a pink card that lets you go all around the world, rent cars, and explore.

[00:07:49]That's worth it. Number four, write this down. Reflect on your test properly.

[00:07:54]Once you've calmed down, what you need to do is look back on every single aspect of the driving test. How was the examiner? Nice. Cool. How was the test?

[00:08:03]Easy, hard? I'll put money on you'll say it was easy. How was the route? Easy, hard? Stuff you've done before? Yes. But most importantly, how did you feel? How were your emotions? And how was your mental state? Were you calm? Were you relaxed? What could you do next time to get to that point if the answer is no?

[00:08:19]Lastly, number five, I want you to write down how you're going to feel. Because right now, before your driving test is a great time to to log how you should feel if you were to fail your driving test.

[00:08:31]Imagine failing. Imagine the examiner telling you that you haven't passed this time without all of the emotions of actually being told that you failed with a chance of still passing up ahead.

[00:08:40]Think about how you want to react to being told that you failed and write that down. And then write down anything else that you need on your personal plan B. Maybe you're expecting a baby and you were hoping to be able to drive that baby home from the hospital. Then you won't be able to do that. What's the plan B? Uber. Simple. Maybe you're going off to uni and you're expecting to be able to drive you and your stuff to uni.

[00:09:01]You can't do that now. What's the plan B? Passing today would be amazing. But if it doesn't happen, you regroup. You learn. You go again. And your life keeps moving forwards. That's your plan B. If you want more hints, tips, help, and advice, this button subscribes you to the channel. You'll be notified of all the videos that I make on the leadup to your driving test to push you one step closer. Plus, this playlist right here is my driving test tips playlist. If you watch that on the leadup to your driving test, you'll know more after than you do right now. Good luck. I'll see you the next one. Thanks. Peace.