Lesson 7: Test Completion, Handling Mistakes & Evaluation
Scenarios during the exam (taking wrong turn, engine stalling), securing the car, Dutch Reach door opening, verbal debriefing and digital test report.
1.1 Scenarios During the Driving Test
- Missing a turn or lane change (perfect 10/10 reaction): Never veer abruptly across a solid white line (Sign 295) or cut off other vehicles just to follow an instruction. Stay in your lane, continue safely, and politely explain: "A lane change is too dangerous right now. For safety, I am continuing straight ahead." Taking a wrong turn is not an error (practical tip) — but crossing a solid line or forcing an unsafe lane change results in immediate test failure.
- Stalling the engine (manual cars): Stalling the engine once or twice does not fail you, provided you handle it safely (practical tip; single minor error per Annex 7 No. 2.5.2 b): hold foot brake, keep vehicle secure → clutch down / shift to N → restart engine → check traffic lights and mirrors → pull away smoothly.
1.2 Exam Conclusion & Exiting the Vehicle (Minute 55 Counts)
When the examiner announces the end of the test and instructs you to park:
- 1. Indicate right before pulling over to the curb or parking spot; never park in front of driveways, within 5 m of intersections, or onto the curb sidewalk (practical tip).
- 2. Strict routine "Securing the vehicle": Keep foot on the brake → engage parking brake → shift to P (automatic) or 1st gear / Reverse (R) (manual) → turn off engine.
- 3. Door opening via "Dutch Reach" (practical tip): This final step is evaluated too! Before opening: interior mirror → left exterior mirror → then reach with your right hand (the hand farthest from the door) across your body to unlatch the door — this automatically swivels your head and torso for a shoulder check to the rear, protecting oncoming cyclists and traffic.
1.3 Evaluation, License Issuance & Retest Guidelines
- No penalty points like theory tests: The exam components are evaluated independently; failure occurs only if ① an error causes immediate termination or ② errors occur repeatedly or accumulatively, which as single mistakes would not yet fail you (FeV Annex 7 No. 2.5.1, 2.5.2).
- Test result: The examiner delivers the result verbally at the end of the test and provides a written performance feedback report with recommendations for driving competence (FeV Annex 7 No. 2.6). In practice, this is handled through the digital test report (ePProt/OPTA — practical tip).
- Retest rules & deadlines (FeV § 18, § 22): After failing, there is usually a mandatory waiting period of at least 2 weeks; in cases of exam deception/cheating, the ban can be set up to 9 months. The law sets no limit on the number of retests. The practical exam must be passed within 12 months after passing theory; up to official license card handover, a maximum of 2 years may elapse. Until the card is issued, the temporary test certificate under Annex 8a FeV serves as proof — it is valid only domestically in Germany as driver license proof (FeV § 22 (4)).