Passing the Hazard Perception part of Theory Test - help
Discussion
Daughter dear just failed her theory test by a few marks. The Hazard Perception part seems to be the main problem. We have each done some of the online 'mock' tests which are not like the actual test because they usually appear as an approx. 6 inch square on screen and are hard to see due to poor lighting etc but in the test centre they are apparently full screen and high definition.
They mark each HP test out of 5 and I have found it very difficult to get a 5 - with a 3 being the usual mark I get. I have been on several ex Police driver run courses and feel I am perhaps over aware so find myself clicking as the hazard develops rather than when an action is required.
Initially I was clicking just once but am told you can click several times without being deducted marks. Have tried this technique and have achieved a couple of 5's but still find it difficult as I'm clicking when the child is heading for the road off the pavement rather than when they actually step into the road.
Can anyone offer some clear and accurate guidance on when the click is most effective and how many clicks you can do without being penalised for it. I've had my licence for nearly 40 years and am lucky I don't need to pass this test - any help for daughter would be appreciated.
Thanks
They mark each HP test out of 5 and I have found it very difficult to get a 5 - with a 3 being the usual mark I get. I have been on several ex Police driver run courses and feel I am perhaps over aware so find myself clicking as the hazard develops rather than when an action is required.
Initially I was clicking just once but am told you can click several times without being deducted marks. Have tried this technique and have achieved a couple of 5's but still find it difficult as I'm clicking when the child is heading for the road off the pavement rather than when they actually step into the road.
Can anyone offer some clear and accurate guidance on when the click is most effective and how many clicks you can do without being penalised for it. I've had my licence for nearly 40 years and am lucky I don't need to pass this test - any help for daughter would be appreciated.
Thanks
When I took my HGV test a couple of years ago, the lady at the test centre told me that I would probably struggle with the perception part of the test, as "older" drivers tend to react too early, and the computer thinks you are cheating. I did pass first time, however, I found that leaving the situation develop on screen for far longer than I would in real life helped. Also, I went through some practise CDs over and over and over again, to get a better "feel" for how the test would run. Hope she has better luck next time.
Hello,
From what I remember it's actually pretty easy to exploit the system they use to mark your reactions, and the point where you see the hazard developing is often before their "countdown" starts. There is a five second period going from when they think you should have spotted the hazard until it has actually occurred with the seconds scoring 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Being alert and on the ball, however, you will tend to click a bit early, for example upon seeing the girl on the pavement, rather than when she starts to turn into a hazard by wandering in the direction of the road.
Because you usually spot the potential hazard before their countdown starts a safe bet is to start clicking at half second intervals once you see the potential hazard, and then stop clicking once that hazard has played out. That way you will almost certainly land a click in the first period of a second which will net you five points. And even if you miss the five points there is no way you will miss the timeslot altogether, unless you miss the hazard, that is.
I'm not saying click like a madman, because that may get you flagged up. They expect people to do a bit of extra clicking because that's just human nature, so if you're clicking every half second or so, ten clicks is well under their radar of what may constitute "unfair" clicking.
Try it out on the online practice one, I think you'll notice your scores go up dramatically.
From what I remember it's actually pretty easy to exploit the system they use to mark your reactions, and the point where you see the hazard developing is often before their "countdown" starts. There is a five second period going from when they think you should have spotted the hazard until it has actually occurred with the seconds scoring 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Being alert and on the ball, however, you will tend to click a bit early, for example upon seeing the girl on the pavement, rather than when she starts to turn into a hazard by wandering in the direction of the road.
Because you usually spot the potential hazard before their countdown starts a safe bet is to start clicking at half second intervals once you see the potential hazard, and then stop clicking once that hazard has played out. That way you will almost certainly land a click in the first period of a second which will net you five points. And even if you miss the five points there is no way you will miss the timeslot altogether, unless you miss the hazard, that is.
I'm not saying click like a madman, because that may get you flagged up. They expect people to do a bit of extra clicking because that's just human nature, so if you're clicking every half second or so, ten clicks is well under their radar of what may constitute "unfair" clicking.
Try it out on the online practice one, I think you'll notice your scores go up dramatically.
Edited by 04mmurkett on Thursday 19th June 14:27
If you click too often and too early it penalises you.
I was one of the guinea pigs for the hazard perception test sometime in the late 90's early 2000's. No idea how I did on that occasion but I do know that some years later when I did my bike test that I managed a perfect score. My ethos was to click when the hazard had fully developed and not when I first perceived it.
I was one of the guinea pigs for the hazard perception test sometime in the late 90's early 2000's. No idea how I did on that occasion but I do know that some years later when I did my bike test that I managed a perfect score. My ethos was to click when the hazard had fully developed and not when I first perceived it.
I waited for the situation to develop on the screen before clicking, everything is very obvious though. There isn't any sort of grey areas, there weren't in my video anyway.
Things like a car reversing out of a drive, a parked lorry on your side of the road ect....
All very obvious things.
I'm not sure how the computers works, but I believe the hazard is a 'target' and the target is green, but it's only green for X amount of seconds, if you click before or after then you miss out.. I think.
I'm sure others are more knowledgeable.
Things like a car reversing out of a drive, a parked lorry on your side of the road ect....
All very obvious things.
I'm not sure how the computers works, but I believe the hazard is a 'target' and the target is green, but it's only green for X amount of seconds, if you click before or after then you miss out.. I think.
I'm sure others are more knowledgeable.
I failed the first time as i clicked a hazard, before it was a hazard (like a child walking down the street).
Then i didn't click when they were a hazard (like them going towards the kerb) as i though i had already done it.
Key is to let it develop into a hazard, rather than clicking on potential hazards.
WHSmiths sell some good DVD's that i used last time round (many years ago)
Then i didn't click when they were a hazard (like them going towards the kerb) as i though i had already done it.
Key is to let it develop into a hazard, rather than clicking on potential hazards.
WHSmiths sell some good DVD's that i used last time round (many years ago)
Indeed - the girl on the pavement IS a hazard before she has turned, perhaps one that can be 'discounted' until she turns, but nether the less, still a hazard.
There was a book, I forget the title about the ' Mind driving' (good read). I met the author when he was giving a talk, he explained that his book had had interest high up with people responsible for driving tests and they had apparently pretty much admitted that the hazard test was a waste of time.
There was a book, I forget the title about the ' Mind driving' (good read). I met the author when he was giving a talk, he explained that his book had had interest high up with people responsible for driving tests and they had apparently pretty much admitted that the hazard test was a waste of time.
mph999 said:
Indeed - the girl on the pavement IS a hazard before she has turned, perhaps one that can be 'discounted' until she turns, but nether the less, still a hazard.
She's a /risk/ until she steps onto the road, and at that point she becomes a /hazard/.I did an online test a while back and failed spectacularly at it. In a real car, on a real road, I tend to find it easy to spot (and avoid) hazards.
I remember doing mine (failed Hazard Perception first time, passed 2nd time). The first time there was a clip of a rural road, and a sheep walked out from a field onto the road, so I clicked when I saw it about to step out. Then another 2-3 sheep did the same; I distinctly remember thinking "do I click once for every sheep or will they think I'm cheating?" 
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff