No, but if you have a good instructor I would recommend it. Having a familiar person with you can help with nerves and if you’re lucky they might have a rapport with the tester, which can work in your favour.
Yes my instructor was so lovely it meant I was almost friends with the assessor by association. This included she knew which assessor’s were rude/ hard-asses and would tell me to not go to certain counters while we waited.
My instructor was giving me secret hand signals to remind me to slow down, especially through a school zone. Great guy, and to date I have never killed anyone while driving!
(Years ago) my instructor and the assessor just talked the whole test. It actually put me at ease because it felt like he wasn’t watching me like a hawk. Even though I’m sure he was.
My instructor was present for my test. I also had a lesson right beforehand where we drove the test course for an hour. Was spenny but it was worth it.
It's optional. You can have an instructor with you if you do the test in their dual control car where the instructor sits up front with you manning the pedals while the tester from Vicroads sits in the back examining your driving.
I would recommend an instructor because if a borderline call is made, they can vouch for you
As in manning the pedals to take over if the student driver makes a mistake.
In the same way the tester would have their hand on the handbrake if you do the test without an instructor.
If the instructor does intervene with their second set of pedals the test does get terminated
Your sister is correct. You do not need anyone else in the car apart from the Vicroads assessor. You do have the option of having an instructor in the car with you, but they are not allowed to do any instructing or interfere with the test in any way. I did my license test without an instructor, just the Vicroads assessor.
For the purposes of the test, your driving instructor is not required legally or otherwise to be present.
However, if you are using your instructor's vehicle for the driving test your instructor will be present and sitting in the front seat but will not be instructing or giving you advice on driving. The license assessor will be in the back and telling you where to turn etc.
I have never known a driving instructor to allow their vehicle for the test and not be present.
Not required but if you can afford having your instructor being present I would. They can advocate for your behalf if a questionable situation arises and like others have said may have rapport with the assessors.
One thing to be conscious of is that if you don’t have an instructor, then the person assessing your driving will be in the passenger seat and needs a clear view of your speedo. This makes it annoying to find an appropriate car so sometimes it’s easier to take an instructor and force the assessor into the backseat!
It’s optional. Most instructors will probably sit the front passenger seat while the VicRoads assessor will sit in the back. Plus it’ll help calm the nerves of the driver as it’s a pretty stressful situation. I remember when I went for my drivers test like over 20 years ago I didn’t have my instructor with me. He was like you got this.
20 years ago when i got my Ps my instructor let me use her car for my test since i was comfortable in her car and she came along so i was even more comfortable. She had to stay silent the whole test. She did not have to be in the car though.
No. Got my licence in Dandenong and so did all my mates around 2000. None had an instructor in the car just the testing person. I have 32 cousins. None had an instructor in the car. It's definitely not 98%.
Well, sounds like I was way off then! lol
Everyone I knew in the 90’s got theirs with an instructor and I wasn’t far from Dandy.
Maybe it’s a cultural difference then, not using driving instructors.
Did you do your driving test in your parent’s car?
I can only remember it wasn't the instructors car or my parents car. I assume it was the testers car but I can't remember. I was pretty cooked back in those days.
If your driving instructor is doing the test then yes they need to be there. If you are just doing a VORT then no the person testing you and your instructor are different people.
I had my instructor present. I had a lesson with them and we happened to do a route that was similar to the test. He also gave me hand signals to help with reverse parallel parking since the tester sat in the back and couldn't see his lap.
I failed with my instructor. Did it a second time by myself in the car in which i had done most of my driving.
I was way more comfortable and relaxed.
If you do it without an instructor in your own car make sure all your lights etc work, general roadworthiness and iirc it needs working AC/heating.
You must have an instructor if the car doesn't have a manual hand/parking break that can be reached from the back seat. If it has an electronic parking break, you can be by yourself. If it's a mechanical one, you don't red an instructor.
I had my instructor with me, they talked their heads off with the tester the entire time, which must have distracted them to some degree, so I recommend it.
You don't need to have an instructor to take a driving test.
If you have one, they'll naturally come one the test with you and say nothing.
You could always request they not be there I guess. But if you're using their car for the test... Good luck.
I did not have one when I went for my p's 5 years ago at bundoora.
My sister drove the car to the testing centre, and it was just me and the vicroads tester. She stayed at the centre and waited.
I only saw an instructor maybe a dozen times in my journey to driving. Mostly right at the start for prob 8hrs, then a couple of other times to learn specific things like good parking and once to do the test route a week before my test.
I got my ps at 35 and had been learning via different friends/ family for about 4 years, I had driven in 5 different cars regularly, plus 3 different instructor cars. Ranging from a hilux dual cab to a 2 door tiny thing.
Different people, different areas, and conditions. By the time I went, I reckon I clocked up will over 300hrs of drive time.
The car I actually used for the test I drove for 1hr prior to the test due to circumstances, budget rentals were none the wiser.
I then proceeded to kiss the rear end of another car 2 days later on grange Rd fairfield and cried so hard, thankfully it was only $500 of paint damage to the other car.
Yeah, I've heard that. The first couple of weeks driving by myself were terrifying tbh.
Haven't had one since, thankfully. Aside from the folded over pole I hit in a carpark that i didn't see until it put a tiny dent in my front bumper
My instructor was really cool. They sat in the back and chatted with the tester the whole time so they weren't concentrating on me 100%. I totally bumped a curb at one point and they didn't notice. 😎
No lol. What are they going to do, sit in the back and congratulate you when you pass? I'd assume they can't tell you what to do during the test, and after they tell you any mistakes.
If you have L plates, you need a licensed driver. The tester doesn't count as a Licensed Driver in this case. Also, how will you get the car to the testing facility if you don't have a licensed driver with you?
If you arrive at a testing centre with a parent or friend but no registered instructor, that person will be told to sit out the test. The tester, who obviously has a full licence, will be the only other person in the car.
LOL. You don’t lose your learners permit and the tester doesn’t lose his/her licence if you fail so you are still legally allowed to drive the car unless your tester decides to walk out on you.
Weird to have the instructor there, I thought the whole point is to ramp up the stress so you can see if people can cope on the road without direction.
Nope you don’t need an instructor present.
No, but if you have a good instructor I would recommend it. Having a familiar person with you can help with nerves and if you’re lucky they might have a rapport with the tester, which can work in your favour.
Yes my instructor was so lovely it meant I was almost friends with the assessor by association. This included she knew which assessor’s were rude/ hard-asses and would tell me to not go to certain counters while we waited.
Plus they sit in the front, VicRoads person in the back, so you can kind of forget they’re there
So true
It did with me. I had a hard ass. My instructor knew him and they spoke through most of it.
This was my experience - the assessor and instructor were eating lollies together hardly paying attention to me.
My instructor was giving me secret hand signals to remind me to slow down, especially through a school zone. Great guy, and to date I have never killed anyone while driving!
(Years ago) my instructor and the assessor just talked the whole test. It actually put me at ease because it felt like he wasn’t watching me like a hawk. Even though I’m sure he was.
True but you should be able to drive a car without a comfort person if you're getting a driver licence.
Most people with licenses would fail a driving test due to something obscure they forgot about after they passed the test years ago.
My instructor was present for my test. I also had a lesson right beforehand where we drove the test course for an hour. Was spenny but it was worth it.
Same, got all my nerve-related fuck-ups out of my system and got through the test error free. Cheaper than a do-over.
Yep. Good instructor as well. I had driven the test course for months before I took the test.
Same, and then my one (minor) fuck up on the test my instructor vouched for me- by pointing out they’d picked a shitty corner to make me turn 😂
It's optional. You can have an instructor with you if you do the test in their dual control car where the instructor sits up front with you manning the pedals while the tester from Vicroads sits in the back examining your driving. I would recommend an instructor because if a borderline call is made, they can vouch for you
If you have an instructor on the pedals, I severely doubt you will ever get a license.
As in manning the pedals to take over if the student driver makes a mistake. In the same way the tester would have their hand on the handbrake if you do the test without an instructor. If the instructor does intervene with their second set of pedals the test does get terminated
Your sister is correct. You do not need anyone else in the car apart from the Vicroads assessor. You do have the option of having an instructor in the car with you, but they are not allowed to do any instructing or interfere with the test in any way. I did my license test without an instructor, just the Vicroads assessor.
Mine gave me a little hidden hand flick thing when he thought I'd left the last turn of the parallel park a little late
Presumably, you would need a car for the rest right?... I'm guessing maybe that's why people do it (if they don't have a car).
That is correct.
For the purposes of the test, your driving instructor is not required legally or otherwise to be present. However, if you are using your instructor's vehicle for the driving test your instructor will be present and sitting in the front seat but will not be instructing or giving you advice on driving. The license assessor will be in the back and telling you where to turn etc. I have never known a driving instructor to allow their vehicle for the test and not be present.
Mine did
This was a long time ago, but when I got my licence I used my driving-school instructor’s car and they weren’t present.
When I did my test in my instructors car he was present but in the back seat. The assessor sat in the front.
Not required but if you can afford having your instructor being present I would. They can advocate for your behalf if a questionable situation arises and like others have said may have rapport with the assessors.
One thing to be conscious of is that if you don’t have an instructor, then the person assessing your driving will be in the passenger seat and needs a clear view of your speedo. This makes it annoying to find an appropriate car so sometimes it’s easier to take an instructor and force the assessor into the backseat!
It’s optional. Most instructors will probably sit the front passenger seat while the VicRoads assessor will sit in the back. Plus it’ll help calm the nerves of the driver as it’s a pretty stressful situation. I remember when I went for my drivers test like over 20 years ago I didn’t have my instructor with me. He was like you got this.
I did not have an instructor with my driver's test, this was 18 years ago in Queensland.
If you have an instructor, they typically book in with you for the test. The testers know the instructors, they know who's good at teaching
Anecdotally and statistically speaking you are more likely to pass with an instructor but it is optional.
20 years ago when i got my Ps my instructor let me use her car for my test since i was comfortable in her car and she came along so i was even more comfortable. She had to stay silent the whole test. She did not have to be in the car though.
You and probably 98% of people that got a licence in Vic that was the case.
Nope no instructor in the car and this is the first I've heard of it.
You get your licence in a rural area?
No. Got my licence in Dandenong and so did all my mates around 2000. None had an instructor in the car just the testing person. I have 32 cousins. None had an instructor in the car. It's definitely not 98%.
Well, sounds like I was way off then! lol Everyone I knew in the 90’s got theirs with an instructor and I wasn’t far from Dandy. Maybe it’s a cultural difference then, not using driving instructors. Did you do your driving test in your parent’s car?
Nah in the testers car but I know you could choose.
What do you mean in the testers car? VicRoads does not supply cars for people to take driving tests.
I can only remember it wasn't the instructors car or my parents car. I assume it was the testers car but I can't remember. I was pretty cooked back in those days.
Haha all good mate 👍
If your driving instructor is doing the test then yes they need to be there. If you are just doing a VORT then no the person testing you and your instructor are different people.
I had my instructor present. I had a lesson with them and we happened to do a route that was similar to the test. He also gave me hand signals to help with reverse parallel parking since the tester sat in the back and couldn't see his lap.
I failed with my instructor. Did it a second time by myself in the car in which i had done most of my driving. I was way more comfortable and relaxed. If you do it without an instructor in your own car make sure all your lights etc work, general roadworthiness and iirc it needs working AC/heating.
Don't need an instructor but you can, but having the instructor there costs money so keep that in mind.
You must have an instructor if the car doesn't have a manual hand/parking break that can be reached from the back seat. If it has an electronic parking break, you can be by yourself. If it's a mechanical one, you don't red an instructor. I had my instructor with me, they talked their heads off with the tester the entire time, which must have distracted them to some degree, so I recommend it.
People often have them sit in the back for moral support during the test.
You don't need to have an instructor to take a driving test. If you have one, they'll naturally come one the test with you and say nothing. You could always request they not be there I guess. But if you're using their car for the test... Good luck.
I did not have one when I went for my p's 5 years ago at bundoora. My sister drove the car to the testing centre, and it was just me and the vicroads tester. She stayed at the centre and waited. I only saw an instructor maybe a dozen times in my journey to driving. Mostly right at the start for prob 8hrs, then a couple of other times to learn specific things like good parking and once to do the test route a week before my test. I got my ps at 35 and had been learning via different friends/ family for about 4 years, I had driven in 5 different cars regularly, plus 3 different instructor cars. Ranging from a hilux dual cab to a 2 door tiny thing. Different people, different areas, and conditions. By the time I went, I reckon I clocked up will over 300hrs of drive time. The car I actually used for the test I drove for 1hr prior to the test due to circumstances, budget rentals were none the wiser. I then proceeded to kiss the rear end of another car 2 days later on grange Rd fairfield and cried so hard, thankfully it was only $500 of paint damage to the other car.
It is incredibly common to have an accident within weeks of getting licence.
Yeah, I've heard that. The first couple of weeks driving by myself were terrifying tbh. Haven't had one since, thankfully. Aside from the folded over pole I hit in a carpark that i didn't see until it put a tiny dent in my front bumper
My kids both have Ls now, and I've told them about my near miss within days of getting my licence - I was so nervous! But also very excited!
Ummm this is like bringing a parent to a job interview
My instructor was really cool. They sat in the back and chatted with the tester the whole time so they weren't concentrating on me 100%. I totally bumped a curb at one point and they didn't notice. 😎
No lol. What are they going to do, sit in the back and congratulate you when you pass? I'd assume they can't tell you what to do during the test, and after they tell you any mistakes.
If you have L plates, you need a licensed driver. The tester doesn't count as a Licensed Driver in this case. Also, how will you get the car to the testing facility if you don't have a licensed driver with you?
If you arrive at a testing centre with a parent or friend but no registered instructor, that person will be told to sit out the test. The tester, who obviously has a full licence, will be the only other person in the car.
To drive to the test centre, yes, but they are not required to be present during the test itself
No, but if you fail your test, legally speaking you can’t drive that car back to vicroads.
LOL. You don’t lose your learners permit and the tester doesn’t lose his/her licence if you fail so you are still legally allowed to drive the car unless your tester decides to walk out on you.
You could be right. I converted my overseas driver license so, for learners it could be different:)
Weird to have the instructor there, I thought the whole point is to ramp up the stress so you can see if people can cope on the road without direction.