First try - 9/10/25  
Second try - 8/5/26

I’m glad this is over and I would like to share some insights:

\- Learning to drive is expensive, failing the test is expensive, failure could make or break you but I was committed to passing the test

\- Watched a lot of videos on YouTube mainly ADM Driving School and Dane Tyghe

\- I familiarised myself with the test routes and speed limits on particular areas (I focused on which area has 50km/h speed limit - at least in Dun Laoghaire there’s only one stretch which is a 60km/h). I found this link very helpful: 

https://dlrcocouncil.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=ca764cf04e3241debd2ff107bb7645a2

\- Plenty of pretest weeks leading up to my actual exam. 

\- Memorise all road signs, take note of commonly asked rules of the roads, bonnet checks, hand signals, secondary controls. Lesser chance of having a grade 2 on your marking sheet, this is done at the beginning of the test and definitely shake off some of the anxiousness when you answered all questions correctly

\- Refresh your mirrors every time to make a move (slowing, stopping, moving, turning). 

\- On my second try I missed the exit but stayed calm proceeded to circle the roundabout and exited where the tester originally wanted me to exit. It is important to stay calm and navigate the situation correctly. Don’t want to risk a grade 3. 

\- Observation mark on the roundabout the tester said was on the timing when I should look at the mirror. It’s not enough to do the observation make sure it is also precise. 

\- Stopping mark - I did not want to risk hitting the kerb so I stopped just a bit far from the kerb but that’s okay for me. 

Note: I applied for a retest right after I failed but only got an invitation on the 27th of April 2026. Half year gone from just waiting but I think it’s worth it once it’s over.

Good luck to everyone preparing for their driving test! You can do it!

Passed today second try - Dun Laoghaire