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So, you’ve been taking driving lessons for what feels like forever, right? You’ve nailed those parallel parks, mastered the art of not stalling at every traffic light, and you can even handle a roundabout without breaking into a cold sweat. Naturally, you’re thinking, “I’m ready for my driving test—bring it on!” But then, your instructor drops the bombshell: “Sorry, you’re not quite ready yet.” What?! You might be thinking, “Are they serious?

But before you start an argument with them that you will never in a million years win or worse, plotting your escape to the test center without them, let’s take a step back and understand why your instructor might be holding you back from that all-important driving test.

Why Your Driving Instructor Refused Your Driving Test

Your instructor isn’t just being a killjoy or trying to squeeze more lessons out of you. There are solid, safety-driven reasons behind their decision. Here’s the inside scoop on why they might be hitting the brakes on your test plans:

Safety of All Road Users
Driving isn’t just about getting from A to B; it’s about doing it safely. An unprepared driver can turn the road into a danger zone for everyone, including other drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. If your instructor thinks you’re not quite there yet, it’s because they’re thinking about everyone’s safety—not just yours.

Safety of All Road Users

Driving isn’t just about getting from A to B; it’s about doing it safely. An unprepared driver can turn the road into a danger zone for everyone, including other drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. If your instructor thinks you’re not quite there yet, it’s because they’re thinking about everyone’s safety—not just yours.

The Examiner’s Safety
Imagine being the examiner, sitting in the passenger seat while someone who isn’t 100% ready is behind the wheel. It’s their job to put you through your paces, but they don’t want to be dodging accidents in the process. Your instructor knows this, and that’s why they might say no if they think you’re not ready to give a solid performance.

The Examiner’s Safety

Imagine being the examiner, sitting in the passenger seat while someone who isn’t 100% ready is behind the wheel. It’s their job to put you through your paces, but they don’t want to be dodging accidents in the process. Your instructor knows this, and that’s why they might say no if they think you’re not ready to give a solid performance.

Impact on Your Confidence
Nobody likes failing, especially when it comes to driving tests. Failing because you weren’t ready can knock your confidence and make you more nervous the next time around. Your instructor wants you to pass, but they want you to pass when you’re truly ready so that you can drive off into the sunset without looking back.

Impact on Your Confidence

Nobody likes failing, especially when it comes to driving tests. Failing because you weren’t ready can knock your confidence and make you more nervous the next time around. Your instructor wants you to pass, but they want you to pass when you’re truly ready so that you can drive off into the sunset without looking back.

Instructor’s Responsibility
Let’s be real—your instructor’s car is their pride and joy, not to mention their livelihood. They’ve seen what can happen when someone who isn’t ready takes the test, and it’s not pretty. They also have a professional reputation to uphold, and letting someone take the test when they’re not ready reflects on them too.

Instructor’s Responsibility
Let’s be real—your instructor’s car is their pride and joy, not to mention their livelihood. They’ve seen what can happen when someone who isn’t ready takes the test, and it’s not pretty. They also have a professional reputation to uphold, and letting someone take the test when they’re not ready reflects on them too.

Increased Risk of Accidents Within the First Six Months
Here’s a scary stat—new drivers are up to 50% more likely to have an accident within the first six months of passing their test. Yikes! If your instructor is holding you back, it’s because they want to make sure you don’t become part of that statistic. They’re looking out for your long-term safety, not just getting you through the test.

Increased Risk of Accidents Within the First Six Months

Here’s a scary stat—new drivers are up to 50% more likely to have an accident within the first six months of passing their test. Yikes! If your instructor is holding you back, it’s because they want to make sure you don’t become part of that statistic. They’re looking out for your long-term safety, not just getting you through the test.

The “Are You Ready?” Campaign by DVSA

The DVSA’s “Are You Ready?” campaign is all about making sure learners don’t rush into their driving test unprepared. The campaign asks you to think critically about your readiness—are you truly ready to drive on your own? Can you handle different weather conditions, busy traffic, and night driving without breaking a sweat?

If you’re still having moments where you’re unsure, your instructor is probably right in suggesting you wait a bit longer before taking the test. Trust that they know what they’re talking about—they’ve done this a few times before!

What to Do If You Disagree With Your Instructor

We get it—nobody likes being told to wait, especially when you’re eager to get your license and hit the road. But instead of getting frustrated, try having a chat with your instructor. Ask them for specific feedback on what’s holding you back. Use this as an opportunity to improve those areas, so when you do go for your test, you’ll be unstoppable.

But I KNOW I’m Ready!

If you’re reading this and still thinking, “But I know I’m ready!”—well, that might actually be part of the problem. Confidence is great, but when a qualified professional, who’s been through this process countless times, tells you that you’re not ready, it’s worth taking a step back and listening. Who’s the expert here? Your instructor has years of experience and a deep understanding of what it takes to pass the test and drive safely afterward. Keep in mind that driving instructors themselves undergo many hours of grueling training and rigorous testing with the DVSA, where the pass rate is notoriously low. This means they not only have to be highly skilled but also possess the right temperament and dedication to guide learners effectively. Trust in their expertise—they know what it takes to ensure you’re truly ready for the road.

And just to clear up any misconceptions—this isn’t about squeezing more money out of you. Have you seen the waiting lists for driving lessons at the moment? Yikes. Instructors are in high demand, and trust me, a student can be replaced at the drop of a hat. Your instructor’s priority is your success and safety, not dragging out lessons unnecessarily.

A word of warning though. Push your instructor too hard to take you for the test, and you might just be driving yourself straight into the arms of a new one. And guess what? If your new instructor is any good, they’ll probably tell you the exact same thing your last one did. Instructors also talk… a lot in fact.

They know what they’re doing—trust them!

Can’t I Just Give It a Go?

LOL! No, you can’t just “give it a go.” Think about it—would you go skydiving without the proper training? Or jump into a plane’s cockpit without proper flying lessons? Of course not! So why on earth would you want to speed around in a 1-tonne machine at 70 mph without the right training? Driving isn’t about taking chances; it’s about being fully prepared to handle whatever comes your way. Trust your instructor when they say you’re not ready—they’re making sure you don’t end up in danger, hurt yourself or worse, end up losing your life.

Trust the Process

We’re sorry, but we’re with your Instructor on this one. Yes, it’s annoying to be told you’re not ready when you feel like you’ve got this driving thing down. But remember, your instructor has been through this with countless students before you, and their goal is to make sure you not only pass your test but also stay safe on the road afterward. So, take their advice, polish up those skills, and when you do finally take your test, you’ll be more than ready to pass with flying colors.

And hey, when that happens, you’ll thank them for it.

I passed my driving test last weekend, I want to say huge thanks to my instructor Lisa baour, she's been amazing mentor throughout the process. I'm from different country and I didn't have any driving experience before, so I had to learn everything from the scratch, she's been calm and polite from the very beginning, that help me lot to boost my confidence and take out my driving nervousness. Thank you so much Lisa and shift for making me a better driver, i higly recommend Lisa and shift, you won't be disappointed..cheers 🍻🍻
100% recommend Shift to anyone looking to learn. Simon is an excellent instructor, so calm and confident, took his time to understand me and how I learn best so that I could become a confident driver. Passed today with only 1 minor fault!
I highly recommend Shift Driving School Gateshead for beginners or anyone with some prior experience. Their website is excellent, and the app is incredibly user friendly, it makes booking lessons, tracking progress, making payments, and setting your availability so simple.

One of the things that impressed me most was how quickly Shift matched me with an instructor. Within a week of purchasing my package, I was driving. Other companies I contacted took over two weeks just to respond and told me I’d be waiting up to five weeks for an instructor. Choosing Shift was definitely the best decision I made.

I had Simon as my instructor, and he was fantastic. He was super flexible with my hectic schedule, gave me honest and constructive feedback, and used the app to track my progress so I could clearly see what I needed to work on and what I was already doing well. This made the lessons streamlined and efficient.

Simon also gave me the confidence to believe I was ready before I even felt it myself and he was right. Thanks to his teaching, I passed my driving test with zero faults (not even a single minor!).

Overall, Shift offers great cars (Mercedes 😉), an easy to use system, and most importantly, excellent instructors. Huge thanks to Simon for making the learning experience such a positive one!
Highly recommend Shift Driving School. They were an absolute pleasure to deal with from start to finish. Special shout out to my instructor Hassan, who taught me from scratch in just under 6 months. I had no previous driving experience at all and he talked through the steps and skills needed clearly, always supportively pushing me to be my best. Delighted to have passed at first attempt! Couldn’t have done it without the team at Swift and Hassan. Thank you!
Passed with Simon today! He’s an outstanding instructor, so much patience and understanding, especially for neurodivergent learners. My confidence developed massively whilst learning with Simon. Also big shout out to the whole team, especially Lewis, for being so reassuring when I first reached out about lessons. I’d recommend these guys to anyone.
I 10000000% recommend this driving school my instructor has been appsalutly amazing he had so much patience and really helped me through all my lessons then he recommend me a nervous course which really helped me as I really struggled with my nerve on my test but I finally done it and passed my test and I wouldn't have been able to do it if it wasn't for lewis so thank u sooooo much :)
Lewis is a great instructor very patient, clear, and encouraging he made learning to drive feel easy and enjoyable highly recommend.
What a great company to not only learn to drive with, but to actually work with too. We would highly recommend Shift without a doubt.
Highly recommend Shift Driving School. They were an absolute pleasure to deal with from start to finish. Special shout out to my instructor Hassan, who taught me from scratch in just under 6 months. I had no previous driving experience at all and he talked through the steps and skills needed clearly, always supportively pushing me. Delighted to have passed at first attempt! Couldn’t have done it without the team at Shift and Hassan. Thank you!
I just passed my driving test. With many thanks to Simon instructor at Shift driving school. I learned a lot and Simon was very patient and guide me well. I am grateful for the excellent teaching and kind lessons I had. Definitely recommend.