Category Archives: Road Tests

Three New Day Students Pass Point Grey Road Test Today

Today three New Day Vancouver Driving School students passed their road tests at the Point Grey ICBC location. Not only did they pass, in each instance their ICBC driver examiner was very impressed with their performance.

First up was Natalia from Russia. She had been unsuccessful on her first attempt of the Point Grey Class 5 road test some time ago; this time she contacted me in order to try for a happier result. She purchased a package of seven ninety-minute lessons, even though I felt that three or four lessons should be adequate. She really wanted to pass this time, and went for the seven lessons. On successive weekends she diligently followed my advice and focused on the areas that are critical for safe driving and a successful road test. This morning she was a little nervous, but unless something really unusual happened, this to me (I would never tell my student this before the road test) was a guaranteed pass. It was truly a joyful scene in the Point Grey office when she returned from her road test.

The second client was a high school student from Kitsilano Secondary taking the Point Grey Class 7 road test. She was a parent-trained driver, which is not necessarily a bad thing. This young lady was definitely a competent driver, but she hadn’t been taught the things that are crucial to a successful road test. She had originally planned on taking five one-hour lessons, but three proved to be enough for her. After her final lesson yesterday afternoon, I knew she was ready and things should go great. With her mother waiting in the Point Grey office, it was definitely a treat to enjoy the happiness of success.

My final client was Carlos from Brazil taking the Class 5 road test. He had been referred to my by a former Brazilian student. I don’t know exactly why, but all of my Brazilian students have been very successful on their road tests. Carlos was no exception. This was his first attempt, and all he needed was a one-hour lesson a few weeks ago. He went for an hour-long tune-up before his road test, and pulled off his success with just a couple of miscellaneous marks on his road test paper. I am now looking forward to helping his wife prepare for Point Grey road test.

Of course my students don’t always pass; I cannot control what happens on the road. But if you want your best chance of success on the Point Grey road test, try a session with me, Perry, the Point Grey road test expert.

Where Does New Day Teach?

The vast majority of New Day customers are preparing for the Point Grey road test, therefore I focus on the west side of Vancouver. New Day is just a one-person business (me, Perry) and I try to limit my driving time and distance between students. I definitely do not pick up students outside of the city of Vancouver.

When I first started my business, I serviced Vancouver, Richmond, and occasionally ventured off into Burnaby. Now that New Day has become established as the Point Grey road test expert, I try to stick to that part of Vancouver as much as possible. I do pick up students at their location, but as a general guideline, I will pick up west of Fraser Street. I do go into East Vancouver, but my availability there is extremely limited.

I do get students from outside of Vancouver, but I usually meet them at or near the Point Grey ICBC licensing office, or a convenient location such as the King Edward Canada Line station. King Edward station is a very quick drive from Point Grey.

If you are a learning driver, where you learn and practice is not overly important. But if you are preparing for the Point Grey Class 5 or Class 7 road test, I would highly recommend practicing in the road test area. For example, I recently assisted a client from East Vancouver who is preparing for the Point Grey Class 5 road test. I picked him up at home, spent thirty minutes driving to Point Grey, a little practice around there, and back home again. He got very little time learning the challenges that are unique to Point Grey. If you are specifically looking for help with the Point Grey road test, it would be much to your benefit to meet at or near the Point Grey ICBC.

I will be happy to help you prepare for the Point Grey road test. I can assist you if you have failed and need to get ready for your next attempt. If you are new to BC, I can help your prepare for the Point Grey Class 5 road test. But if you want to receive the best New Day service, meeting at or near Point Grey would definitely be to your advantage.

 

 

Point Grey Standby Road Test

With about a three-month wait for a road test appointment being the norm, a standby road test is definitely an option. A standby road test is when you go to the ICBC licensing office without an appointment, and if someone doesn’t show up for their appointment, you can take their place.

ICBC seems to feel that a two or three month wait for a road test appointment is acceptable, but many license-seekers do not have the luxury of waiting this long. For a high school student, a driver’s license is not usually a necessity, but some people have a more urgent need for a license. Someone, especially a newcomer to BC, might have an opportunity for a job that requires a driver’s license, and they can’t just tell their prospective employer that they might have a license in three months.

At the Point Grey ICBC office, there is usually a good chance of going out on a standby road test. For example, I was in the office today (with a student who passed her Class 7 road test), and three clients had gone out on standby in the morning. At noon, there was one more person waiting to go out.

If you really want to go out on standby, the key is to get to the office early in the morning, and try to be first on the standby list. Some clients come as early as 6:00 am, or even earlier. Some days there may be several people waiting in front of the office, some days you can show up at 8:00 or later and there will be no one waiting. A couple of weeks ago, one of my students arrived at the office at 5:45 am – he really wanted to go out. When I arrived at the office just before 8:00 to meet him, he was the only person waiting, and he went out on a road test at 8:00.

Standby is definitely a gamble. You might pop into the office and go out right away; you might sit in the office all day and not go out. But the good thing is that the Point Grey office makes an effort to get standbys out, and if you are first or near the top of the list, you should go out.

I don’t usually assist students with standby road tests, as I have to book off the whole morning for them, and the cost for the student is a little prohibitive. But if you want your best shot at passing your Point Grey Class 7 of Class 5 road test, contact me, Perry of New Day Vancouver Driving School, the Point Grey road test expert. I can show you exactly what the examiner is looking for in a successful road test, and hopefully your standby experience will have a happy ending.

A Great Point Grey Road Test Success

I’m always happy when my students pass their road tests, but a recent student’s success gave me particular satisfaction.

A couple of months ago I was contacted by the father of a potential client. Apparently his daughter had attempted the Point Grey Class 5 road test several times and kept failing. She had also had tried a variety of driving teachers, and she felt she wasn’t getting proper instruction.

This client was a little unusual for me – she is a Chinese lady, maybe in her forties, and English was her second language. I don’t get many clients like this, as most adult Chinese students use the services of a Chinese-speaking driving teacher. But her father was getting desperate, and was ready to try something different.

Before her road test the student took ten hours of lessons and diligently attempted to follow my strict guidelines for a successful road test.  She wasn’t the greatest driver, but I felt she definitely could pass as long as she was disciplined in the critical areas that I had pointed out. She also needed a confidence boost after her previous instructors were eager to point out her deficiencies and offered no positive reinforcement.

I would like to share the letter the student’s father sent me after her successful road test:

Dear Perry:

It was a great pleasure when I heard my daughter Jin had passed her road test yesterday. Now she is able to accomplish her dream of being a qualified car driver with a legal driver license of Vancouver. This will certain have good influence to her future career and living here. I wish to express my deepest gratitude to you for your excellent teaching and specific help to Jin. In last few years Jin learned driving from several teachers, but none of them could teach so excellently as you did. As I know, you designed a ten hour plan for Jin after the first interview and an hour of driving. During the training, you actively explained every detail of driving, encourage her when she did right, explained and helped her to correct when there was an error or she did not so well. This also reestablished her confidence. As a result she could pass her road test after so many times of failure. I wish to tell everybody that you, Mr. Perry Lamarche is an Excellent Teacher and the New Day Driving School is a High Quality Driving School!

Sincerely

John Yang

I can’t guarantee success on the road test, but I can guarantee that if my students strictly follow my advice, they will have a much greater chance. If you are taking the Point Grey Class 7 or Class 5 road test, a session with me, Perry, of New Day Vancouver Driving School will go a long way towards a happy ending.

 

 

Road Test Myths

As a Vancouver driving teacher, there are a few common road test myths that I hear on a regular basis from my clients. Fortunately for these students who are preparing for their Point Grey Class 7 or Class 5 road tests, I am able to quell their worries about these misconceptions.

I was with a student last night from North Vancouver who was preparing for her Point Grey Class 7 road test. She told me about someone who had failed her road test because another driver honked at her. Believe it or not, a lot of people think that honking is a cause of failure on the road test. Just imagine, you know someone who is taking their driving test and you want them to fail – just follow them and honk. You might do something bad on your road test that causes someone to honk, but it is the bad thing that causes the fail, not the honk.

Another common myth is that you fail your road test if you touch the curb while parking. The truth is that you only fail if you hit the curb hard enough to damage the car. A bump or scrape against the curb should be no problem. When my students are practicing, I let them touch the curb (unlike other teachers who are afraid of getting a scratch on their hubcaps). If you get an entire tire up on the curb or sidewalk, that would also be a fail, but if only half the width of the tire gets up there, it should not be a fail. Try to stay off the sidewalk, and you should be okay.

Then there are the drivers who fail for driving too slow, because someone told them that if you go over the speed limit it is an automatic fail. They are so focused on going under fifty that they are oblivious to the traffic lined up behind them as they are crawling down the road. During driving lessons with New Day Vancouver Driving School, I will let you know the appropriate speed to drive at for your Point Grey road test, and it definitely is not 40 km on main roads under ideal conditions.

Finally, there is the classic myth that the examiner automatically fails you if it is your first road test. Of course this is ridiculous, as New Day Vancouver Driving School regularly prove on their Point Grey road tests. The truth is that the examiner usually has no idea if it’s your first or fifth road test, unless you’re one of the examinees who keeps failing, and all of the examiners get to know you. The examiner should not be asking you before the road test if it’s your first time, as this information is irrelevant to your road test.

Before your Point Grey road test, try a session with New Day Vancouver Driving School. Whether it’s your first or fifth attempt, give yourself your best chance with some valuable instruction from the one Vancouver driving teacher who is the true road test expert, me, Perry, of New Day Vancouver Driving School.

 

 

A Typical Day for New Day Driving School

I thought I would let my readers in on what a typical day looks like for me.

I met my first client, a guy from Iran, at the Point Grey ICBC office. He took a lesson on the weekend, and his driving was definitely a little rough around the edges. But during that lesson he was focused and tried to adapt to the key points needed to pass the Class 5 road test. During his practice before the road test today there were a couple of issues, such as not stopping for stop signs, but again he focused and attempted to strictly follow my suggestions. He went on the road test and he nailed it – a passed test with just a couple of minor marks on his paper.

Next up was a lady form South Africa. I think she has taken about four lessons and has made excellent progress towards what should be a successful Class 5 road test at Point Grey later this week. In South Africa they drive on the left side of the road. As with many of my students who are from countries that drive on the left, this client’s major issue was driving to far to the right in her lane, but that is no longer an issue.

My third client is a UBC student who is preparing for her Class 7 road test this week at Point Grey. She is taking lessons on five consecutive days to get ready for the road test. She didn’t have any professional training in the past, but overall her driving is great, just a few details to be worked on.

After her I met a lady from Ireland. My Irish students have all done remarkably well on their road tests. This client just took a one-hour lesson. She is going to try to go on a standby road test soon, and based on her driving today, she has a good chance of passing. My only concern is that with just one lesson, I didn’t have the opportunity to show her more of the common problem areas in the Point Grey area, and there are lots of them.

My next client was an international student from China who is attending Eric Hamber Secondary. When I first met her, she was a brand-new driver. She has been making steady progress towards her Class 7 road test at Point Grey in June.

The final student of the day was a lady from Brazil. This was her second lesson; her Class 5 road test is later this week. She had previously failed the Class 5 road test three times before contacting me. She also had taken a lesson from one of my competitors, which she found to be less than satisfactory. It gave me great satisfaction when she told me that my lesson was exactly what she was looking for. This young lady just needed a confidence boost and some clear direction on the areas that she needed to focus on.

The thing I like most about my business is meeting and helping a diverse group of clients. I take great pride and satisfaction in assisting my clients in reaching their driving goals. I can’t guarantee that you’ll pass your road test, but I can guarantee that my lessons will give you a much better chance of passing the Point Grey road test. And of course I won’t yell at you when you slam on the brakes and my coffee spills all over the place.

 

Perils of Pedestrians on the Point Grey Road Test

On the Point Grey road test, other than other road users, pedestrians are definitely the number one obstacle between examinees and a successful road test.

There is a notorious left turn on a couple of Point Grey driving test routes, the intersection of Broadway and MacDonald, that has been the downfall of innumerable license seekers. It’s a classic set-up for a fail: the examinee is waiting in the intersection for a safe gap to complete a left turn. The driver gets a nice, safe gap and starts the turn, and then, bam, a pedestrian jogs into the crosswalk on the left that the examinee is approaching. The driver is forced to stop and now is blocking the traffic that has suddenly arrived. Fail. At this intersection, when you’re waiting to turn and the light turns yellow and red, the pedestrians are still lollygagging in the crosswalk. These pedestrians are doing everything within their power to screw up your road test.

Another classic fail is when the examinee fails to stop when approaching a pedestrian who is in an “unmarked crosswalk”. Almost every time I explain an “unmarked crosswalk” to one of my students, they are totally unaware that there is such a thing. (I won’t explain an unmarked crosswalk here, but after one of my lessons, you will definitely understand.) Most drivers just blast past the hapless pedestrians who are legally trying to cross the street, thinking that they are jaywalking. Genuine jaywalkers are another bump on the road (hopefully not literally) in the path of a successful road test. You’re cruising down Broadway and some dude is meandering across the street in front of you – to stop or not to stop, that is the question.

Then there is the examinee turning right at a stop sign in an intersection where the cross-traffic has a pedestrian controlled traffic light. The examinee is looking left, waiting for a safe gap to make the turn. They see their gap, start to make the turn, totally oblivious to the pedestrian on their right who has pushed the button and changed the light. The light turns red, the driver starts the turn and the examiner shouts “stop” and points at the pedestrian now in the crosswalk in front of the examinee. Another sad but classic road test fail.

If you plan on taking the Point Grey Class 7 or Class 5 road test, I would strongly recommend a session with New Day Vancouver Driving School (that would be me) before your road test. The perils of pedestrians and other hazards on the Point Grey road test are endless, and I can help you navigate through them. Unlike some of my competition I can’t guarantee that you’ll pass the road test, but I can definitely get you prepared for what you can expect, and for what the examiner expects for a successful result.

Maybe Your Driving Doesn't Suck

Yesterday and today I had customers who successfully passed their road tests, a Class 7 and a Class 5, at the Point Grey licensing office. I was particularly gratified with their results because of the events leading up to their road tests.

Today’s student had already taken the Class 7 road test and failed. She had been taking lessons with another driving school, and her instructor, in my opinion, was less than professional. Apparently he was reluctant to give any positive feedback. Criticism, definitely not constructive, was the foundation of his instruction. Then the road test – the examiner was definitely not Miss Congeniality that day. She made it clear that the student’s driving sucked, and the teacher was able to gloat and say, “I told you so.” But when I saw her driving, I thought, no problem, she should pass her road test. She had a couple of areas that needed fine-tuning, needed a boost in her confidence, but otherwise was good to go. Her practice before the road test was great, she was confident, and she pulled it off. It wasn’t a perfect road test, but the examiner saw what I did – someone who was definitely qualified to drive on her own.

Yesterday’s student was an S.F.U. student originally from Macau. She had already taken her Class 5 road test twice in Burnaby, with unsuccessful results both times. Again the examiners wanted her to know that her driving sucked. So what’s the problem? She, like most examinees, felt that she should have passed. Her confidence had taken a hit.

The student lives in Burnaby, but was able to get a road test appointment in Point Grey, so she decided to give it a shot there. Looking for a Vancouver driving school, she contacted New Day Driving School (me), the Point Grey road test expert. We spent some time going over the Point Grey road test routes and working on the areas that needed to be addressed. On her road test yesterday, she got the same examiner who my other student failed with. Again, the examiner agreed with my assessment – this young lady was definitely qualified to drive on her own, and she passed her road test. It’s amazing how a little confidence can turn things around.

It can be discouraging and frustrating to fail your road test, especially if your driving teacher is not supportive, and the driver examiner is intent on letting you know how brutal your driving is. It is easy to lose your confidence without someone on your side. One of my goals is to build your confidence and have you attend your road test ready and confident that you can pass. If you are planning on taking the Point Grey road test, give yourself the New Day advantage. And if your driving sucks, at least I’ll tell you in a nice way.

 

Who Does New Day Teach?

One of my students asked me the other day what was the average age of my students. She asked this because she is learning to drive at an age of about thirty, and she thought this was older than usual. In fact, it is definitely not unusual for my clients to be learning at thirty plus. This topic got me thinking about the variety of students I teach.

So far this week I’ve had five students take their road tests at the Point Grey licensing office. The first one was young woman of about twenty. The second one was another woman of about thirty. Both of these ladies took about ten hours of lessons and both passed their Class 7 road tests. Next was a newcomer from Malaysia; unfortunately she didn’t pass the Class 5 test – a couple more hours of lessons definitely would have gotten her better prepared. Next was a lady originally from Thailand. She practiced diligently and aced her Class 7 road test. This morning a client from Ireland passed her Class 5 test with flying colours. For some reason most of my clients are female; it seems that more females take driving lessons than males.

Included in my current students who are learning to drive and preparing for their Class 7 road tests are a 40-something lady from Bulgaria; a male originally from Taiwan (maybe 30-ish); a Korean fellow maybe in his late twenties, a female Korean UBC student, a youngish female Korean businessperson; several local BC girls in their twenties; 20-ish and 30-ish females from China; females from Mexico, the Philippines, and the Ukraine; a couple of male high school students; two Thai sisters in high school and university – the list goes on.

Preparing for the Class 5 road test I have lots of females again. These ladies are experienced drivers who want to get a BC license. They are from countries that include Mexico, Russia, Hungary, China, and Spain. I also have some male clients that are from countries including Mexico, India, Ireland, and China.

I just received a call from a fellow who was originally from England, became a Canadian citizen, spent time in Holland getting his master’s degree, is back in BC and now needs to take a road test again. I’ve also just received calls from an Irish guy and a lady from France who has some experience from her home country, but isjust very nervous about getting behind the wheel again.

So to answer my student’s question, I would say that the average age of my students is probably about thirty. The reason for this is that many are immigrants with driving experience. The vast majority of my students are female. About fifty per cent are taking the Class 7 road test, and of course fifty per cent are taking the Class 5.

No matter where you are from or what your age is, New Day Driving School can help you. I can help you prepare for the Point Grey Class 7 or Class 5 road tests. I offer driving lessons in the city of Vancouver. I can teach you how to drive. I will give you friendly, professional lessons and share my wealth of experience as an ICBC driver examiner and licensed driving instructor. Contact me and see for yourself the New Day difference.

A Couple of the Typical Ways to Fail a Road Test

There are innumerable ways to fail a driving test. Most of these scenarios are very predictable, and with my vast experience I am constantly pointing out to my students these situations.

For example, I have a student who started lessons with me with absolutely no experience. She has been diligently practicing since February and has a road test scheduled for early August. The first few hours of lessons were filled with the usual hard braking and uneven acceleration and wild steering, but things started to settle down and smooth out and excellent progress was being made. During a recent lesson I forced myself to keep quiet and let the student make the decisions of when it was safe to make a left turn. She was waiting in an intersection for a safe gap to make her turn. She watched the oncoming traffic come to a stop and was still waiting in the intersection when the light turned red. I had to tell her to go, and if it was a road test – fail. A very typical way to fail: not clearing the intersection after the light turns amber and red. At the Point Grey licensing office this often happens on the first left turn. I was once sitting outside the office and witnessed my hapless student fall victim to this all-too-common gaffe. Thirty minutes to go and already failed.

Another student was a very competent driver when I met her. Her mother must be a great driving teacher because both this student and her brother, a former student, were awesome drivers when I met them. This is the type of student who should, without a doubt, pass her road test. However, during her road test she was the victim of one of the classic failure scenarios. She was at a stop sign waiting to make a right turn. There was a car coming from the left with its right signal on. Assuming this car was turning, my student shoulder checked to her right, all looked good, and she started to go. The examiner stopped her – the car with the signal on wasn’t turning. It doesn’t matter whose fault it was, the result is a failed driving test. Another quick look to the left would have prevented this unhappy situation, but under the pressure of the road test anything can happen.

Now this student is on her second road test. Everything is going great until another one of the classic failures comes up – speeding in a playground zone. Even though we had driven through that speed trap numerous times, a temporary lack of focus led to the inevitable failure. Fortunately, this student passed her next road test.

This how competent drivers fail and borderline ones pass: the borderline ones manage to squeak through the test by not missing signs and not doing anything dangerous. Their driving is not great, but through luck and focus they don’t give the examiner the ammunition he or she needs to make them come back for another attempt.

As the owner and instructor for New Day Vancouver Driving School, I teach new, inexperienced drivers. I can help you prepare for the Point Grey Class 7 road test and the Point Grey Class 5 road test. If you have failed your road test, I can get you ready for your next attempt. Don’t go into your road test without arming yourself with the valuable information that can not only helping you pass, but also preparing yourself for the multitude of situations that arise in everyday driving. If you are looking for a friendly, professional driving teacher in the city of Vancouver, give New Day a try.