5 Mistakes That Could End Your Practical Driving Test Early

Not every mistake made during a practical driving test means that the test will end immediately. However, regulations provide for situations in which the examiner may end the practical part of the test before all the required tasks have been completed.

Under current regulations, this may happen if the candidate’s behaviour could endanger the life or health of the examiner or another road user, or directly affect road traffic safety. The regulation governing examinations for people applying for driving licences also specifies a list of behaviours that may result in the early termination of a driving test. These include failure to give way, improper behaviour towards pedestrians, failure to obey traffic lights and certain road signs, as well as unsafe overtaking.

Which behaviours are particularly important during the practical driving test, and what should you pay attention to in order to avoid them?

1. Failure to give way

One of the behaviours identified in the regulations as potentially resulting in the early termination of a driving test is failure to give way.

This does not only apply to conventional junctions. The regulations also refer to failure to give way:

• to a rail vehicle,
• to a cyclist,
• when changing lanes,
• when joining traffic,
• when reversing,
• when traffic directions or vehicle paths cross outside a junction.

What might this type of mistake look like?

For example, a candidate approaches a junction marked with an A-7 “Give Way” sign but incorrectly judges the distance of a vehicle travelling on the priority road. The candidate then begins the manoeuvre, forcing the driver who has priority to react suddenly by braking or changing their course.

A similar problem may occur when changing lanes. Simply activating the indicator does not give a driver priority. Before starting the manoeuvre, you must make sure that it can be completed safely without forcing other drivers to react.

How can you reduce the risk?

Before every manoeuvre, pay attention not only to road signs but also to the actual traffic situation. Junctions, roundabouts, joining traffic and changing lanes all require particular care.

2. Improper behaviour towards pedestrians

The regulations specify in considerable detail which behaviours towards pedestrians may have serious consequences during a driving test.

These include:

• passing a vehicle that has stopped to give way to pedestrians,
• overtaking on or immediately before a pedestrian crossing,
• failing to give way to a pedestrian entering or already on a marked pedestrian crossing,
• failing to give way to a pedestrian when reversing, joining traffic or driving within a residential zone,
• failing to stop in circumstances specified by law when encountering a person with a disability or visibly reduced mobility.

What should you pay particular attention to?

You should approach a pedestrian crossing in a way that allows you to observe the situation properly and react appropriately.

Do not focus exclusively on pedestrians who are already on the crossing. The regulations also impose obligations towards pedestrians entering the crossing.

A particularly dangerous situation occurs when a vehicle travelling in an adjacent lane stops before a pedestrian crossing. This may indicate that the driver is giving way to a pedestrian who is not visible from your position. In such circumstances, you must not automatically continue driving simply because you cannot yet see a pedestrian.

3. Failure to obey traffic lights or certain road signs

During the practical driving test, the ability to control a vehicle is not enough. Candidates must continuously observe road signs and signals and respond to them correctly.

Behaviours that may result in the early termination of a driving test include failure to obey:

• traffic lights,
• signals and instructions given by persons authorised to direct or control traffic,
• the B-20 “STOP” sign,
• certain prohibitory signs restricting entry,
• signs prohibiting left or right turns,
• mandatory direction signs,
• signs indicating permitted directions of travel from a particular lane,
• double solid lines,
• signs prohibiting vehicular traffic.

Why do learner drivers make these mistakes?

During the driving test, it is easy to become overly focused on the examiner’s instructions, changing gears or maintaining the correct driving path. However, following the examiner’s instructions does not exempt you from obeying traffic regulations.

For example, if the examiner instructs you to turn but doing so at that location would be prohibited, you must continue driving in accordance with the regulations.

How should you prepare?

Before the test, it is worth regularly reviewing road signs and traffic regulations and practising how to apply them in specific traffic situations. Simply recognising the appearance of a road sign is not enough. You need to understand what actions are required when you encounter it.

4. Dangerous mistakes when overtaking

Overtaking requires you to assess the situation in front of, behind and alongside your vehicle at the same time. For this reason, an incorrect decision can directly affect road safety.

The regulations identify behaviours including:

• failing to ensure that overtaking can be carried out safely,
• overtaking on or immediately before a pedestrian crossing,
• overtaking on or immediately before a cycle crossing,
• violating overtaking restrictions at certain junctions, railway crossings and tram crossings, or when approaching the crest of a hill,
• failing to obey a no-overtaking sign,
• overtaking on the wrong side.

What should you remember before starting the manoeuvre?

You should make sure that:

• the traffic situation ahead allows you to complete the manoeuvre safely,
• another driver has not already started overtaking,
• the driver ahead has not indicated an intention to change lanes or direction in a way that would conflict with your planned manoeuvre,
• overtaking is permitted at that location.

You should not attempt to overtake simply because you are concerned that driving too slowly will be assessed negatively. First, you must be certain that the manoeuvre can be carried out in accordance with traffic regulations and safety requirements.

5. Behaviour that could lead to a collision or loss of vehicle control

The first item in the table of behaviours that may result in the early termination of a driving test is causing a road collision or accident, or behaving in a way that could lead to one.

However, this does not mean that an actual collision must occur.

An example would be a situation in which the examiner has to intervene to prevent a dangerous incident.

The regulations also identify causing significant disruption to traffic as a result of losing control of the vehicle. Exceeding the speed limit by more than 20 km/h may also have consequences.

How can you reduce the risk?

The most important thing is to adapt your driving to the situation.

You should not:

• perform manoeuvres in a hurry,
• make decisions without fully observing the surroundings,
• attempt to follow the examiner’s instructions at all costs when it is not safe to do so,
• increase your speed merely to make your driving appear more “dynamic”.

The state driving test is intended to assess whether a candidate can drive in accordance with the regulations, safely, efficiently and without obstructing other road users.

Does every mistake mean that the driving test will be terminated?

No. This is one of the most important distinctions to understand.

Making a mistake while performing a task, receiving a negative test result and having the test terminated before completing all the required tasks are not the same thing.

Under the current Article 52(2) of the Polish Act on Drivers of Vehicles, the practical part of the test may be terminated before all tasks have been completed if the candidate’s behaviour:

• could endanger the life or health of the examiner,
• could endanger the life or health of another road user,
• or directly affects road traffic safety.

The relevant regulation provides a list of specific behaviours that may result in the early termination of the test. Therefore, it would be incorrect to assume that every individual violation automatically ends the test immediately. ELI

What should you do if you make a mistake but the test continues?

If the examiner has not terminated the test, you should continue following their instructions.

There is no benefit in trying to determine, while driving, whether an earlier mistake has already resulted in a negative assessment. Analysing the mistake in this way may only distract you from the road.

After making a mistake:

• refocus your attention on the current traffic situation,
• do not attempt to compensate for the mistake by driving faster or more aggressively,
• continue to obey road signs, traffic signals and right-of-way rules,
• follow the examiner’s subsequent instructions, provided they can be carried out in accordance with traffic regulations.

If you want to become familiar with the format of examination tasks and strengthen your knowledge of traffic regulations in advance, regularly practising with driving licence practice tests can be helpful. Knowing the answers to examination questions is no substitute for practical driving experience, but it helps you organise the knowledge that you will later need to apply on the road.

How should you prepare for the practical driving test to avoid serious mistakes?

During your final driving lessons before the test, it is worth focusing on more than just the manoeuvres you find difficult.

Make sure you deliberately practise:

• giving way in different traffic situations,
• observing your surroundings before changing lanes,
• navigating junctions with different traffic arrangements,
• behaving correctly near pedestrian and cycle crossings,
• responding appropriately to road signs and traffic signals,
• joining traffic,
• reversing,
• changing direction safely.

It is also worth asking your driving instructor a specific question during lessons: “Is this mistake simply an incorrect performance of a task, or could it create a situation in which the test would be terminated?” This will help you better understand the difference between imperfect driving technique and behaviour that affects road safety.

5 mistakes to avoid during the practical driving test

There is no single list of “five mistakes that always cause you to fail the driving test”. The regulations identify a much broader range of behaviours that may result in the early termination of the test.

However, particular attention should be paid to:

1. failing to give way,
2. behaving incorrectly towards pedestrians,
3. failing to obey traffic lights or certain road signs,
4. performing an overtaking manoeuvre dangerously,
5. behaving in a way that could lead to a collision, accident or loss of vehicle control.

The best preparation is not to memorise a list of “mistakes that end the test”, but to understand why certain behaviours are dangerous and how to respond correctly in real traffic situations.

FAQ

Does making one mistake during the practical driving test mean that you have failed?
No. It depends on the type of mistake, how the task was performed and the impact of the candidate’s behaviour on safety.

Can the examiner terminate the test before all tasks have been completed?
Yes. This may happen in circumstances specified by the regulations, including when the candidate’s behaviour could endanger the life or health of road users or directly affect road traffic safety.

Can driving through a red light cause the test to be terminated?
Yes. Failure to obey traffic lights is among the behaviours that may result in the early termination of the driving test.