Driving test faults and marking in Ireland

How does the tester mark your driving test?

The tester sits beside you with a tablet or a report sheet and records faults against a list of aspects of driving. Each fault is graded by seriousness. The RSA publishes the guide testers use, called the Driver Tester Marking Guidelines, on rsa.ie. This page explains it in plain words. The guidelines themselves are the source to check.

The RSA’s test booklet says it assesses road position, overtaking and passing, anticipation and observation, mirrors and signals, speed, compliance with traffic lights, signs and markings, and use of vehicle controls. The tester’s report breaks these into more detailed aspects.

What is the difference between grade 2 and grade 3?

Only two grades are recorded:

Anything less serious is not recorded. The guidelines say faults at the low end of the marking scale are not deemed serious and are not marked. That means grade 1 faults, which you may read about online, no longer appear on the sheet.

The pass rule counts any grade 3 fault, and grade 2 faults that repeat, either in the same aspect, under one heading or across the whole test. Websites quote different numbers for each limit. We do not give a number here because we cannot confirm one that is not in an RSA document, so read the current RSA marking guidelines or ask your instructor.

What aspects are on your report?

In our words, the main ones are:

• Rules and checks. The questions, hand signals and technical checks, and setting up the car (door, mirrors, seat, seatbelt, head restraint).
• Position. Where you are on the road on straights, bends, in lanes, at junctions and roundabouts and when stopping.
• Observations. Looking properly before you move off, change lanes, cross junctions, enter roundabouts or turn.
• Reacting to hazards and anticipation. Seeing hazards in time and expecting what others will do.
• Signals. The right signal in good time, then cancelled. A misleading signal is marked too.
• Progress. Moving on when it is safe, including at traffic lights, without holding others up.
• Speed. Not too fast for the road or conditions, and never over the limit.
• Traffic controls. Lights, signs, road markings, crossings and bus and cycle lanes.
• Right of way. Yielding when you should.
• Vehicle controls. Clutch, gears, brakes, steering, handbrake and secondary controls.
• Reverse and turnabout. Control, position, observation and right of way on each manoeuvre.
• Parking. Legal and safe, usually at the end.

On a car test a missed mirror check is marked under observations, not mirrors. There is no separate heading for the hill start: a fault there goes under the heading it belongs to, such as vehicle controls or observations.

Is one mistake a fail?

No. The RSA says everyone makes mistakes and that a mistake might be a less serious fault that does not affect your result. Some points from the guidelines:

• A single wrong answer on the questions is not marked on its own. Several wrong answers, counted with hand signals and checks, can be.
• If you go off the route or miss a turn and do it safely, no fault should be recorded. A sudden swerve to make the turn can be a fault in itself.
• Faults are not usually marked twice. The tester records the one that gives you the most useful information.
• On the reverse and turnabout, the tester waits until you finish and marks each type of fault once.

Learners who passed often say the same thing: if you think you made a mistake, correct it and carry on. One candidate was sure of a fail after the first few minutes and learned at the end it was a single grade 2.

What are the common reasons for failing?

The RSA publishes a list of the most common reasons candidates are unsuccessful. In our words:

1. Inadequate observation when moving off, at junctions, at roundabouts and when changing lanes
2. Failing to anticipate what other drivers will do
3. Incorrect or inadequate use of mirrors and signals
4. Incorrect road position on straights, bends, turns, roundabouts and when overtaking
5. Inadequate progress at junctions, roundabouts, on the straight and when overtaking
6. Excessive speed for the road or traffic
7. Not complying with traffic controls such as signs, markings and lights
8. Failing to yield the right of way
9. Poor use of vehicle controls, including gears, clutch, accelerator, steering, handbrake and brakes
10. Lack of competence in the reverse and U-turn manoeuvres

Read our guides on observation and mirrors and making progress for the two areas where candidates most often go wrong. For the manoeuvres, see the reverse around a corner and the turnabout.

What happens at the end?

The tester refers you to the faults recorded that contributed to the result, without going into detail. If you pass you get a certificate of competency and a short run-through of what to improve. If you are unsuccessful you get a statement of driving test outcome and a briefing on the main points to work on.

After a fail, the RSA encourages you to review the result and the faults with your approved driving instructor. Our guide on what happens if you fail covers rebooking and appeals.

How do you use this to practise?

Find where you lose attention. Most faults cluster in a few places: junctions, roundabouts, move-offs and speed changes. Turas shows the junctions, roundabouts, STOP signs and speed changes on test routes around your centre, and has a mode where a passenger can mark you by the main aspects. Find your centre on the test routes page. Practise with your instructor, then use the how to pass guide to plan your last weeks.