You’ve practiced your maneuvers, logged your hours, and scheduled your test. The final step is proving to the examiner that you are a safe, confident, and competent driver.
The Washington driving test isn’t designed to trick you, but it is a performance test. The examiner is not just checking if you can operate a car; they are checking if you make consistently safe decisions. You are graded on a point system and must score at least 80 out of 100 to pass.
While you can lose points for small errors, there are critical driving test mistakes in WA that will end your test on the spot. Avoiding these “automatic fails” is the key to walking out with your license.
The Top Mistakes Examiners Notice Instantly
Examiners are trained to spot a lack of confidence or awareness. These are the “point-draining” habits they notice first.
- Inconsistent Observation (The #1 Error): This is the most common reason people lose points. Examiners are constantly watching your eyes. They need to see you:
- Checking mirrors every 5-8 seconds.
- Scanning intersections (looking left-right-left) before you enter one, even on a green light.
- Doing a full head-check (looking over your shoulder) for every lane change and when pulling from a curb.
- Improper Lane Changes: A lane change is a multi-step process. Failing any part costs points.
- Mistake: Not signaling, not checking mirrors, and not checking the blind spot.
- How to Fix: Signal, check mirrors, then head-check. If it’s clear, move over smoothly.
- Speed Control (Too Slow): In an attempt to be “safe,” many new drivers go dangerously slow. Driving 15 mph in a 25 mph zone (for no reason) will cost you points for impeding traffic. You must drive at the posted speed limit when conditions are safe.
- Following Too Closely: This is a major sign of an unsafe driver. The examiner will be watching your following distance.
- How to Fix: Use the 4-second following distance that WMST teaches. It proves you are proactively managing the space in front of your car.
Common Habits That Cause Automatic Fails
An automatic fail driving test WA means your test is over, and you will have to reschedule. These are critical safety violations.
- The “Rolling Stop”: This is the most infamous automatic fail. At every stop sign or red light, your wheels must come to a complete, 100% stop.
- The Mistake: Treating a stop sign like a “yield” sign by slowing down but never fully stopping.
- How to Fix: Make a conscious effort to stop, feel the car settle, count “one-one-thousand,” and then proceed when it’s your turn.
- Speeding: Driving over the speed limit can be an automatic fail, especially in a school zone (20 mph) or residential area. The test requires close adherence to the speed limit.
- Hitting a Curb: Any contact other than a minor brush with a curb—during your parallel park, backing maneuver, or a simple right turn—can result in point deductions or even an automatic fail. It demonstrates a lack of vehicle control.
- Examiner Intervention: If the examiner has to grab the wheel, tell you to stop, or give you any verbal command to prevent an accident, it is an immediate failure.
How to Correct Small Errors Before They Add Up?
Maneuvers are a common place to lose points, but they are rarely an automatic fail unless you hit something.
- Parallel Parking Errors: This is the most feared part of the test, but it shouldn’t be.
- The Mistake: Hitting a cone/marker. This is not an automatic fail; it’s just a point deduction.
- The Automatic Fail Mistake: Mounting the curb or the “car” in front of you.
- How to Fix: Practice the maneuver using the WMST method until it’s muscle memory. Remember, you cannot use a park-assist feature.
- Backing Around a Corner: This is the other major maneuver.
- The Mistake: Relying on your backup camera. This is banned for the maneuver.
- How to Fix: You must physically turn and look over your right shoulder while backing slowly. You can take quick glances at your mirrors, but your primary view must be out the back window.
WMST’s Step-by-Step Test Preparation Plan
Our WMST driving test guide is simple: we train you to be better than the test.
- Master the Fundamentals: Our six full hours of real behind-the-wheel instruction (not simulations) drill the habits examiners look for: scanning, speed control, and the 4-second following distance.
- Mock Driving Tests: We conduct mock tests that simulate the real thing. Our instructors use the official DOL scoring criteria to find your weak spots before the examiner does.
- Maneuver Clinics: We spend dedicated time on parallel parking and backing around a corner, practicing without the tech-aids (backup cameras, park assist) that are banned on the test.
We build drivers who don’t need to “cram” for the test because these safe habits have become second nature.
Visit: WMST Washington Driver Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What’s considered an automatic fail?
The most common automatic fails in WA are:
- Failing to come to a complete stop (a “rolling stop”).
- Speeding.
- Mounting a curb, hitting a cone, or another object.
- Causing a collision or a “dangerous action” where another driver or pedestrian has to swerve.
- Examiner intervention (verbal or physical).
- Disobeying a traffic sign or law.
Can I correct mistakes during the test?
Yes and no. You cannot correct an automatic fail. If you run a stop sign, the test is over. However, small error, like parking too far from a curb, forgetting a signal or making light contact with a curb will only result in point deductions. The key is to stay calm and continue focusing on safe driving.
How strict are WA examiners on turns and stops?
They are extremely strict. A rolling stop is a 100% automatic fail. For turns, they will mark you down for turning too wide (into the wrong lane) or cutting the corner too sharply.
Is mirror checking a major grading factor?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The examiner needs to see your head move. They are watching to see if you check your mirrors every 5-8 seconds, before you brake, before you change lanes, and as part of your intersection scanning.
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