Newslink October 2021

In conversation with... James May
Calm and happy candidates will ace
the practical driving test
TV presenter James May talks
to Newslink’s Rob Beswick
about his driver training app My
Theory Test by James May and
its latest addition, How Not to
Fail Your Practical Driving Test
How has the theory test app been
received?
Really well. The great news is that
overall, about 98 per cent of users
describe it as being clear and easy to
use, which is brilliant news. When you
are designing something like this it’s
really hard to be dispassionate about it.
Because we know the topic we think
automatically that what we are saying is
clear and easy to follow, but you’re never
sure, so having confirmation from
learners has been really positive. It’s also
great that we’ve had an overall rating of
4.9/5 off nearly 6,500 reviews
You’ve said previously that you think the
government should grant an extension
to theory test pass certificates, as many
learners are struggling to find an
instructor or book a test and their theory
test passes may expire. Do you still
think that should be the case?
Absolutely. The current situation just
isn’t fair. It’s not the learners’ fault that
there are very few tests available, or that
they can’t find an ADI as they are all so
busy. They have been able to extend the
certificates in Northern Ireland, which
runs a system on very similar lines to the
rest of the UK, so why not here too?
Come on, give these young people a
break!
Your guide to Not Failing Your Practical
Driving Test is low tech. Was that a
deliberate ploy to get away from the
hi-tech visuals the DVSA uses on the
theory test?
Yes. Teaching aids for driving tend
to be a bit formal and stuffy. I think
the problem we have is that
we’ve made learning to drive
seem very intimidating when it
shouldn’t be seen like that at
all, it should be fun. It’s a happy
thing to do and will give you
great pleasure. I thought learning to drive
20
was one of the best things I’d done when
I was young. Too often we make the
teaching of it a bit dull and I was trying
to break away from that.
Driving, to me, is 95 per cent about
common sense and common courtesy.
The way the DVSA theory test clips are
used, it just seems so intense, frightening
really. If we can get candidates to just go
out there and enjoy themselves, staying
calm and patient, they’ll do far better.
Are you surprised the L-test pass rate is
so low, at around 45 per cent?
Yes, I am. You can never pass
everyone on a test as it would become
meaningless, but having fewer than half
pass suggests there is either something
wrong with the L-test itself or it is just so
intimidating for people taking it that they
panic and lose concentration. People get
traumatised by the whole experience.
Perhaps it seems too important that
they pass and they can’t cope with the
pressure, or that they think they are
taking on too much responsibility.
A lot of the reasons the DVSA gives for
test failures are based around
observation-related issues, rather than
the technical side of
driving. Do you think
that suggests young
people lose
concentration and
are too easily
distracted, or
that they
don’t have a
good enough
attention
span?
No, I don’t like that narrative. People
have always criticised young people’s
ability to focus and concentrate. When I
was young I was told I didn’t have the
attention span of my parents, and I’m
sure they were told the same when
compared to theirs. Yet when I meet
young people I tend to find that most are
alert, focused and really savvy.
I think the problem with the L-test is
no one likes being tested or having too
much personal scrutiny put upon them,
and you probably never do anything that
puts you under the spotlight as much as
the L-test does. We build it up into this
frightening experience… it’s no wonder
people fail when they get into a lather.
We’ve got to get candidates to relax more
and stay calm.
What more can ADIs do to help improve
their pupils’ performance?
Wear brightly-coloured jumpers!
Seriously, lighten up a bit. ADIs tend to
come across as being a little square.
The ones I’ve met producing the theory
test app were a really nice bunch of
people who are clearly focused on the
job of driver training and are sympathetic
to their pupils, but perhaps they could
do more to help their pupils relax a little.
It’s a serious subject but just lighten
up!
Finally, how well do you think Messsers
Clarkson and Hammond would do on
the L-test, and do you think they
would stay COW (Calm, Observe,
Wait)?
No. Let’s face it, Hammond doesn’t
stay calm over anything, Clarkson is
never patient and neither of them wait
for anyone!
You know, we’ve said loads of
times over the years we should
all take our driving test on
the show again and see
how we’d get on, but
we’ve never dared.
We’re too scared
we’ll fail!
Find out more at
https://www.jamesmay
theorytest.com
NEWSLINK n OCTOBER 2021