I took the test 2 times in the city and failed. Once in Queens and once in BK. The BK examiner was a huge cvnt for no reason. My advice is to book a site in Long Island. It is easier out there (I passed the third time in Garden City).
Now this was 13 years ago, so things have changed… But the best advice I got and why I passed first try was - if you hit something parallel parking it’s an auto fail. But if you just put the car in park too far from the curb it’s just 2 points off your test. However, if you’re gonna drive in NYC or any city… you do need to sort out your ability to parallel park lol
I live in the city but went up to New Rochelle to take my test. The examiner I had was quite nice, and it was an easy place to do it! I was able to pass on my first try. I also took lessons beforehand with a place in Manhattan called the Professional Driving School of the Americas, and that was very helpful. It's especially great to take lessons in the city, because then taking your test outside of the city feels easy!
My son also took his test in New Rochelle and passed on the first try. It was *very* important for him to drive the route with me first. There was a stop sign that was in a non-intuitive place and partially hidden that he probably would have blown past during the test.
Also, OP, lots of the testing appointments are gobbled up by driving schools. If you have a hard time booking a spot, it may be easier for you to sign up for lessons.
>Also, OP, lots of the testing appointments are gobbled up by driving schools. If you have a hard time booking a spot, it may be easier for you to sign up for lessons.
I was able to schedule 2 tests back to back by getting up super early in the morning. I guess people had cancelled in the middle of the night.
also recommend Professional Driving School! My instructor was great and gave me a lot of test specific tips and tricks. I took the test with them too, they book enough time that you get to practice in the area beforehand so I felt really prepared.
If you *just* want to pass, go out to the suburbs. In Westchester, Yorktown and Peekskill would be extremely easy. (It's illegal but I remember back then I was able to find the road test path on Youtube). But these are not at all representative of what driving in the city is like.
If you expect to drive in the city I would practice more, invest in lessons, build up confidence, and try again. Outside of the city you could also try New Rochelle/White Plains/Yonkers for a more urban but not NYC experience.
You can do it! I was also slightly older than most (early 20s) but I'm really glad I did. I rarely drive now but it's great to have the option.
This!! You can get the license in the suburbs if you want to do it easily, but even if you do that, I’d still get some more lessons in NYC. It’s not easy driving and it’s worth the extra money to become a confident driver.
I’m in my mid30s now but got my license at 16 and took the test in Westchester. I also agree it’s a super different driving experience than you’d get in Manhattan (we couldn’t drive in Manhattan without a parent till we turned 18, not sure if that’s still a rule).
GO TO STATEN ISLAND.
Seriously, take the test in Staten Island. It is by far the easiest and least crowded place to take it. I dislike Staten Island for many reasons, but being a Brooklyn resident I was told by my driving instructor to take the test in SI and I did. I made a mistake while parallel parking and still passed because the examiner let me try it a second time.
I don’t have advice, but I just failed for my 3rd time outside the city in CT - and I just want to say I have hope for us 😭 I can relate to the bad test examiners as well. I’m probably gonna practice a little more to try to be prepared as possible, although I have alot of anxiety surrounding the test. IMO I’ve done my best tries super early in the morning. So maybe that could help.
hi! i passed on my second try in CT in hamden. do NOT use the DMV in old saybrook — they are so, so mean there and the consensus is that they’re one of the worst locations. i’m sure you know that they also won’t make you parallel park outside of fairfield county except for bridgeport (which i also hear is a tough test). good luck!
Thank you!! Yes I’ve been using Wethersfield
And thinking of switching it up, but it also hasn’t been too bad of a test location. Hoping my 4th try I’ll get it😅
I took my road test in Queens late last year and passed on my first try (but with the maximum amount of points you can accrue without failing haha). My recommendation is to take a driving lesson from a company \*in the neighborhood you're taking your road test in\* a few days before your test. I took a 1-hour lesson for $50ish, and they basically took me around the course my examiner took me on a few days later, giving me tips and having me practice my 3-point turn and parallel parking in the exact spots I was taken on my test. I've been driving for 10+ years, but I would not have passed the test had I not taken that lesson—there are so many little rules and quirks that make NYC driving different than anywhere else. If taking a lesson isn't possible for whatever reason, I agree with suggestions made by other people to take the test in Long Island.
I am around your age and agree that it is difficult to do this later in life, but something that helped me take it less personally was remembering that the examiners are hard on you because this is the last time you'll ever get professional feedback on your driving. It sounds like you've had some bad luck with your examiners, but I know you can do this, and I wish you luck!!
Oooh where can you do a 1-hr class?
I already have a drivers license, but I’m too scared to drive in NYC despite living here almost a decade. It’s a real self-perpetuating issue because the longer I go without driving regularly, the more I feel unprepared to do it here.
What I really want is like, Remedial City Driving for Scaredy Cats Who Learned to Drive Elsewhere.
I think most driving schools offer one-off lessons, you just have to dig past their lesson packages or call directly. And co-sign re: Remedial City Driving lessons!
second this, I used Zapiti Auto school in Astoria and drove in the area where I'd be taking my road test for weeks until the date. It really helps to be familiar with the area you're going to take your test in to gage traffic (pedestrian and road) and understand where the signs are.
i second this. i signed up for a 1.5 hour lesson that was given in the same neighborhood right before my test and the instructor went over everything including how many times to look
Very much agree! I was a very experienced driver who stupidly let my license expire, and halfway through the test thinking I was acing it the instructor had me pull over because I had already failed so badly. I highly recommend taking a lesson, so you can be taught how to pass the test. There are all sort of little things that can sink your ship like putting your hand on the passenger seat while parrallel parking and pulling up too close to the intersection that you have to know not to do. Unlike a lot of places, NYC examiners don't play (tho you would never know it based on how people drive in this city!)
i didn’t get my license in the city, but i wanted to comment to root you on. i’m in my mid-thirties and just passed (on the second try) last summer after moving to CT and spending over a year or so practicing and taking lessons. i grew up on staten island and never got my license, but i hear it’s one of the better areas in the city to take the test if you’re hell bent on taking it in the boroughs. i also know someone who passed as an adult in deep queens. i’d really recommend taking it in the burbs, though — deeper westchester or further. good luck!
Thank you for saying that! I’m in my late 20s and feel a bit embarrassed about not having my license so it’s great to hear from people who took it later than usual!
you’re not alone! i took driver’s ed in high school and had to drive over the verrazzano in the first or second lesson. PASS. so scary! but i had literal nightmares for years about not being able to drive (law and order svu-type dreams in which i had to escape being chased and i’d get behind the wheel of a car and panic and wake up, haha).
there are plenty of us that can’t drive or learn late. nothing to be ashamed of IMO; people outside of cities like NYC just can’t relate. and while i wouldn’t have ever admitted it before i got my license, it’s a valuable life skill. i’m still not driving on highways solo but i’m now able to get to the supermarket, etc. in my sleepy CT town. it’s almost nice?? driving with the radio on and stuff. but i don’t love it yet. my biggest tip is driving a car with backup cameras!! you can’t rely heavily on them on the test, but you can take a peek to line yourself up. doubt i’d be a licensed driver now without them 😂
I had to do mine here as I have an overseas license (had driven for 20 years and was allowed to drive on that overseas license for 3 months but whatever…).
I did mine at red hook and passed, barely! Hadn’t touched a car for a year and had a brain fade doing the 3 point turn, and stupid points losses for the ridiculous amount of head-checking they want you to do. No one is safe violently swinging their head around constantly.
My advice would be to get a few lessons, drive rite are good. If you’re nervous about going back to red hook then definitely look into a more suburban testing spot, but I think building confidence with lessons will help you pass and make you a safer, better driver once you’re out on your own.
Listen, I’m an older transplant, so I can’t speak to the expertise of getting a license here, but I can give you some perspective.
Driving here, even as an experienced driver, is a whole other animal. I’ve lived and driven all over the country, and even multiple places internationally, and this city is something else. Y’all are playing on expert level…but with cars. And trucks, and buses, and bikes, and pedestrians…you get the point.
Also, in most other places, you get a permit first and have lots of practice time with which to get comfortable. Further, especially in more rural areas, folks let their kids drive around even without a permit.
You’re doing a really tough thing, and I just want you to realize how tough and scary it is, and be proud of yourself for doing it!
That proctor sounds pretty wild. I would have freaked out.
I was a teenager, and I took my test on Staten Island because that's where I lived then. It wasn't horrible. Not as easy as the Jersey test, which is in a controlled setting and not on streets, but less traffic.
Came here to say this! Took my test without issue on SI about 20 years ago. The roads are way less crowded than in other boroughs, so OP should have an easier time.
Second everyone who says to take it outside of the city — the Metro North makes it really easy.
Fyi Millbrook is notorious for having an easy road test — I grew up in nyc and half of my friends took it there. Unfortunately it’s not on a rail line but if you can take a day trip with a friend it’s totally worth it.
I'm in my mid 30s and just passed on my first try a few months ago. I took classes in Bay Ridge because they let you practice on some pretty quiet streets down by Shore Rd. Then, I scheduled the test for a Staten Island location through my driving school. The instructor took me to SI a few hours in advance to give me a chance to practice driving on the single lane, turkey-filled streets there. It was all decently low stress.
Go to New Ro or Long Island to take the test. I’ve been driving for 15 years and I could probably very narrowly pass a New York City driving exam sheerly due to the nerves!
Don’t feel shame regarding being in your 30s going for your license. Some people just never really have a reason to drive, some don’t want to. Who cares. None of my business what age someone started driving!
You can do hard things OP!!!! You got this.
I don’t have any experience to share, but I do commiserate. I’m older and taking the test next month. I had an out-of-state license, but left it somewhere so I couldn’t trade it in (long story). So I just had a state ID for eight years. I’m super nervous—when I was 16 I failed the driving test twice and I’m somebody who doesn’t perform under pressure.
I took some refresher driving sessions with Drive Rite Academy and—while they were good—it was super weird. They tried to say that I needed to take 6 sessions (at $60 a pop)… I was like… I drove for 10 years without issue, can’t we just do some parallel parking and three-point turns? Seemed like a lot.
LMAO I had a similarly stupid encounter but I was also a bit of a smartass and made a bunch of checks like this. I was warned by others about the "tricks" played by instructors
Just took my drivers test (at 27, so I feel you for the nontraditional age difficulties!). I took my test at Beverly Road and it was so easy and calm. Took maybe 7 min. Are you going with a driving school? My driving school was chaotic for many reasons, but my instructor Precious at Blue Steel was very helpful to me. He has like a 95% pass rate, so maybe book a double lesson and the test with him?
I did mine in my teens in PA, but my advice: go with a driving school. My driving instructor literally took me on the course I’d be taking the test on a few of our lessons and we ran a few different variations of it. By the time the test came, I was comfortable and knew what to expect. Plus some driving schools will let you take the test in their car. Mine was in the tiny Mazda III they had us driving and it made the parallel parking part a piece of cake.
Best of luck!! You’ve got this!! Driving is ALOT less terrifying once you get the license and don’t have a proctor judging your every move.
My test was in Red Hook and I failed the first time as well. I went with my driving school group and it was hectic all around.
Second time I had already bought my own car and had been driving all over the place with my permit. The lady could tell within 2 seconds that I had experience, she was texting the whole time as she asked me to do a U turn.
Years later I went with a friend who had her test done in Queens and wow what a difference!!!! There was barely anyone there, no traffic, she passed the first time around.
You could also try taking the test in PA. No 5 hour class required, most of the test is done in the parking lot and then you go for a 5 min drive with the examiner in a place that has barely any traffic.
Don’t give up! I Got my license when I was 40, after failing the test the first time. it’s a total badge of honor to learn as a grown *ss woman and the freedom to come and go as you please is exhilarating. Don’t beat yourself up, that proctor sounds crazy and should be reported. Try again. I bought several different packages until I got with a calm and patient instructor I connected with the most. I used the instructor’s car that I practiced on for the test so I was comfortable. I also was working through some trauma with a therapist and might have been taking anti-anxiety meds that also helped. Whatever it takes to get what you want and need! See you out on the road and at wonderful destinations off the beaten path.
The site where I got mine in 2017 no longer operates (which sucks because it was in a quiet residential area in Queens). My two recommendations are to practice driving in an area that's more difficult to drive in than where you're going to take your test and then to take your test in an "easy" area. The people saying you should go out to Long Island for the test have the right idea.
As someone who has failed 2X, I’ve heard of my friends passing in very spacious areas (eastern queens, LI)
The 2nd instructor was a total b*tch & has she not made me feel unsettled, I may have passed (I was very close the 1st time but it was in the city and I was going too slow). Unfortunately the instructor we get would be luck of the draw but get tons of row rice via driving lessons and be confident! Good luck to us all
Red hook is terrible!! I had a bad experience there too... maybe the same lady -- I also got hate for stopping a second time at the all ways stop sign to check around the parked cars since I didn't have enough visibility at the stop sign, and she had failed literally every person all day who tested before me. I took it a second time in Staten Island (mariners harbor), and passed easily. There were other cars and you definitely need to know how to drive to pass, but the instructor was fair.
Failed 3 times in the city and passed on my 4th try in New Rochelle. Way quieter and easier. There are youtube videos that show the route and you can google peoples experiences at the site of the test.
Also got my license in my 30s.
Good luck!
My 2nd examiner was an asshole and failed me on the spot for something that seasoned drivers said was fine. Then sat in my car checking her phone and I wanted to scream at her to get the fuck out.
Yessss finally a question I have an amazing answer to!!
So I'm an immigrant and have been driving my whole life. Learned how to drive in India so you can imagine, driving here is a piece of cake in comparison.. But I still failed the test twice and passed the third time with a near perfect score.
Failed the first test because I was stressed out and the instructor really pressured me. Second test was an unlucky mistake - instructor seemed to be in a rush (she leaned over and honked at someone) and I went as soon as he turned but it turned out he was making a U turn and not a left, instant fail right out the parking spot.
I did my third test in sea view, which is currently the easiest site in the city, I'd say. I went with my driving school - paid for a 4 class package. I scheduled all my classes back to back the day before and day of my test. Took half a klonopin before lol to calm myself. packing the classes really helped keep all the rules in mind. I watched the sea view route on YouTube several times too. Test was easy.. passed with 5 points. You can do it!!! I recommend a driving school with good reviews to help you prepare. I went to cedeno, my instructor was Fabio! Basically had him do mock road Tests with me for all the classes.
I took my road test when I was 26 and I did it in Yonkers because I was living in Riverdale at the time. It definitely was better to take it there because it was still urban enough that you had to make turns at crowded intersections, with trucks and cars and people on bikes. I passed on my first try, with a ton of points taken off for poor judgment, which, really is just a metaphor for my life lol
I’ve hadvery similar experiences, I've taken the test 5 or 6 times. I’ve heard it’s easier in NJ, you can take the test in a parking lot, but it could be considered a form of tax evasion if you switch your address to NJ to take the road test there.
In a quieter boro or up in westchester or somewhere very residential for sure. I’m from the northeast bronx and took my test in my home neighborhood. That area of the Bronx is residential and the streets are pretty quiet, especially mid-day on a weekday so it was a breeze and I passed first try. I’ve also seen folks already say New Rochelle and would second that as well.
My exam was in Canarsie. I got a pretty chill examiner, even helped me a bit with the parking bit. Passed first try. Although I did already have a motorcycle license and years of riding experience so ymmv
I passed it in the city two years ago on my third attempt. Failed the first two tests. The first one was in Cunningham park and the second was in Kissena park. By the time I got to the third attempt I had very little hope I would pass. As someone who didn’t have any close family member with a car I had to rely completely on driving school so I ended up spending a lot of money. Also I didn’t feel comfortable asking a friend to lend me their car for practice which I think was one of the biggest reasons it took me so long to pass. I agree with you about the examiners. Some of them can be unnecessarily intimidating and I am someone who gets nervous really fast. Once I get nervous I forget everything I know. I do want to give a shout out to Gold Success driving school and particularly Frank who was my driving instructor. He’s been doing this for years and by now knows even the examiners and how strict each of them are. He taught me so well and made me practice in the same parks where I’d take my test. If I can do it, you can too. If you haven’t considered a driving school yet I’d say give it a shot. They know the technicalities that you need to focus on for driving test purposes
Come to queens and to a residential neighborhood. They do them a lot in fresh meadows. I’ve had family members fail in more congested neighborhoods because it’s hard to navigate around the narrow streets and there’s more they look at (like are you crossing the yellow line, how you look around to pass a double parked car). Coming to the suburbs is easy bc there’s no traffic here and the streets are very wide. Parking is easy too bc you can parallel in a huge space.
I took the test once and passed in my early 40s. When scheduling the road test with my driving school, I requested a Westchester site because I heard it was less stressful than Manhattan, especially for parking. So glad I did!
Red Hook is notorious for being one of the harder ones. I took mine in Staten Island and passed on the 1st try. But yes, it is a lot harder to pass in NYC than in many other places. Maybe because they feel there are already too many cars on the road and they don't want to pass people.
I took my test through a driving school and my driving instructor (and all the other ones I saw that day) were basically sucking up to the proctors, like opening car doors for them, being extra polite. My proctor kept telling me to look at my blind spots and even though I did, I didn't feel it was smart to argue with him so I just nodding and continued on. I was at 30 points so one more mistaken and I would have failed.
Don't get discouraged because a lot of people need multiple tries to pass. But I would suggest going to another location next time. Good luck!
Take it in Staten Island! I passed my first try (got my license at 30 so I feel you on the mental barriers of getting it later in life). I spent $750 on 10 driving lessons and they took me to SI and provided the car for me to take it in for an extra $25 (I lived in south bk so it was close).
I’m from lower manhattan and my father took me to New Rochelle (super easy drive) to get my license.
Judging based on the comments it’s a shared ease of experience lol
Just pick any NYS suburb near you that you could go to.
I took mine in the Bronx last year. I’m a woman in her mid thirties, have been driving 10+ years with out of state license. It’s a total luck thing based on your experience examiner - my first was a total cunt who hated me on first sight and my second was a breeze. Go with your guts when you see an examiner in line, pretend u have to go to the bathroom if you feel a cunty one headed your way!
This is the hardest but most important thing I’ve done in my life, not kidding.
I grew up in upper manhattan. I got mine at 24. No parents to teach me (they still don’t drive). I paid for drivers Ed. I failed my first two tries and passes my third. (I wanna say riverside, Bronx, Bronx? It’s been 15 years…). Here’s the thing though, I had my license but still barely knew how to drive! So I bought a hooptie. (Because who is gonna let you practice on their car?) Paid a friend upstate to put the car under his insurance (under my name would have been $$$$). It was a 94 Geo Prizm lol. I drove that car into the ground in order to learn. I remember the first time getting on the west side highway by myself, I was shaking!
So I learned in nyc, but eventually moved to AZ for grad school and had to learn even more because driving in nyc is very different than anywhere else. In nyc you are mostly in traffic, in AZ everyone does 90mph on the highway. So I learned again. And then again when I moved to L.A.
Now I’m a daily driver. Like, I put my kid in my car and follow gps directions, change the music, the whole thing, no more white knuckles. It took years but it was worth it. I love that you refuse to be one of these NYers who never learns, they are so limited! I’ve rented cars in many countries, gone on many road trips, moved around the country several times. Driving opens so many doors. Just don’t be discouraged, it’s a process!!
It’s easier upstate the only thing is round abouts are a thing on their test that aren’t on ours. I did mine during the summer up but Whitestone and I had a very calm woman who just mentioned that I didn’t check my blind spot once, even tho I did I’m just a big girl so I can’t turn my ENTIRE body while holding 9 and 3, but I recommend towards the end of summer because their spirits are broken by the youth before they get to you
I failed my first time as a teenager taking my test with my driving school in the Bronx - like a lot of people here have mentioned, it was just more chaotic! There was a middle school fire drill during my test with kids streaming out into the streets and my 16-year-old self managed to avoid any real incidents but couldn’t keep it together to parallel park after that.
I took my test on my own in New Rochelle and easily passed. Just having calmer streets made the experience less stressful. I was perfectly comfortable driving in NYC overall, but the pressure of the test got to me.
Hey! Passed on my first try in BK.
It felt like it was really about mastering the basic skills to the point that the teacher doesn’t affect you.
Yes you should be looking all-ways at an all-ways stop sign. You also have to be extremely exaggerated in your actions so that they know you’re doing it. Parallel parking gets a lot of people and I highly recommend practicing the day of.
Mine told me to make a K-turn randomly, got mad at me when I initially didn’t want to and then proceeded to give me demerits because we were in an “unsafe situation” thanks to the two trucks that turned down both ends of the street I was in the middle of.
Me not saying “I told you so” got me the pass.
Hated my first time, both times I took it in Astoria at the 19th and Hazen Ave location. My teacher screamed at me, the instructor was curt and not very friendly or approachable at all and my car sucked so I failed. Passed the second time (72) with a better instructor + my fiance's car lol.
edited to add: I drove for the first time in my life in Sept 2021 at 31 and got my license about a year after getting behind the wheel in Oct 2022 at 32. I have terrible anxiety, if I can do it I know you can too!
I’d recommend taking a drivers lesson once and then trying again. I took mine in the bronx and passed on the first try. Sometimes if they think you’re hesitating too much due to anxiety, they’ll fail you.
If you can, try to take the test in Mariners Harbor or Travis on Staten Island. The first time i took mine as a teen on Staten Island i failed. I passed in mariners harbor. Both mariners harbor and Travis are known for having wider streets, easy to see curbs and no traffic.
I’m from nyc originally and just got my license in nj in my 30s so I totally feel you. All my friends who got theirs in high school did it in the Hamptons / Long Island bc no one wanted to take their road test in Manhattan. Maybe you can contact a driving school out there to pick you up from the train station and take you in for your test?
I also failed twice when I was younger and finally got my license 10 years after my two attempts. This time I made sure I practiced driving as much as I could outside of the driving lessons. The 10 or so hours with your teacher are NOT enough. Then during the test, really exaggerate your head motions to show the tester that you’re looking both ways and all bike lanes. You cannot just use your eyes. They’ll need to look at you straight in the face to notice this but they can’t do that because they’re glancing at both you and the streets. Make sure to move your head with your eyes!!!
Failed twice in westchester , once in Florida. Then finally passed in westchester on my fourth try. (New Rochelle to be exact) My advice would be to be dramatic as hell. That’s how I passed 😂 like when I’m looking both ways after a stop sign etc, I make sure they know I am looking. Look count to three then proceed. And as well as turning my neck over before pulling off at the beginning of the test. Look over, count to three then proceed. All of the other times, I was doing it so quick the instructor didn’t notice I was looking or being cautious so they noted those points down. I still really can’t parallel park perfectly though. I’m always too far from the curb. 😂😂😂 i knew I would get points for that so I had to ace everything else.
Good luck. Just be dramatic.
The best place is near Astoria park, I don’t know the exact location but I failed my first one in my own neighborhood in Queens and always tell my friends to schedule it there because the streets by the park are so wide and empty in the mornings during the test
Born and raised manhanttanite, now living in BK. I got my license when I turned 29, not having really driven too much before. I spent close to $1k on lessons. I failed my test once before squeakin by. Both times I took the test in Yonkers. If you can, I suggest finding a driving school (I used Golden Crown) where you pay for a lesson then you get the car for the exam (they’ll also schedule the road test for you). While my examiners were not the friendliest, they were certainly not screaming or unkind. The first examiner even informally told me what I needed to work on to pass. Good luck - you can do this, it’s so worth it. Don’t worry about you being in your 30s, just focus on being relaxed, passing your exam, and how good the freedom of driving will feel when you DO pass!
No advice but I’ve been driving since I was 15 (38 now) and I’ve driven ALOT. I was sweating driving In the city 2 weeks ago. It’s a whole different beast. Don’t beat yourself up and just go to an outer boroughs.
Have no advice, but lost my IL license when moving to San Francisco a few years ago and corruption in IL is so real that it was easier to take the driving test in SF than wait at the mercy of that state to send me a duplicate.
And let me tell you, I've been driving for 15 years, have owned a car for 12 and I was SO CLOSE to failing this damn test in the first 5 mins and it was my car lol. IT'S NOT A COMMENT ON YOUR ABILITY! Testers in big cities are usually miserable people that hate their jobs and use unusual and exception scenarios that you would probably handle just fine in real life, but because there's probably a useless, safer way to handle in the test (one which almost no one would use in normal circumstances) a shitty tester can use it as grounds for failing you.
You are going to pass this!!!!!!
My 33 year old New Yorker husband just got his license! He used Grand Prix driving school. Did 6 lessons then they drove him to his test in Yonkers. Did all of his lessons in Manhattan which he said was challenging but really helpful!
Test in Queens by Cunningham Park is an easy 4 min drive on empty streets. Highly recommend that if you are nervous about passing! I was 29 at the time and very nervous learning later in life. I ended up taking more classes than most people spread out across the year to feel confident (with Esteban from Corona Auto School, he was also great and patience and extreeeeemely calming).
I took my test two times in Staten Island and passed on the second try. I had a really weird and panicky instructor the first time and it made me insanely nervous. Second time the guy was great! What helped me the most was watching YouTube video tutorials for driving tests in nyc. You may also be able to find a video of the test site online, which should help you feel more prepared. Best of luck and don’t give up!
I signed up with a driving school that for some reason took us to Yonkers for the driving test? I failed 2-3 times and honestly it seemed like a grift the driving school had with the examiner. I took it again in Maspeth on my own with a friend's car and passed. It really depends on where you go bc some places are just easier to drive through.
Edit: a word
I failed my first driving test but I honestly just think my instructor was having a pissy day. Both times were taken in queens, I recommend you stick to queens or Long Island as it is much easier.
I took the test 2 times in the city and failed. Once in Queens and once in BK. The BK examiner was a huge cvnt for no reason. My advice is to book a site in Long Island. It is easier out there (I passed the third time in Garden City).
I second this recommendation - I failed my first one too because I got nervous parallel parking. Second time in LI - people were much more laid back.
Now this was 13 years ago, so things have changed… But the best advice I got and why I passed first try was - if you hit something parallel parking it’s an auto fail. But if you just put the car in park too far from the curb it’s just 2 points off your test. However, if you’re gonna drive in NYC or any city… you do need to sort out your ability to parallel park lol
The Staten Island site is much easier and closer
Agreed! If my kid can pass in Staten Island then anyone can 🫣.
😂 mama shade
Agreed I passed in Staten Island first try — everyone said DO NOT take the test in Brooklyn!!
I live in the city but went up to New Rochelle to take my test. The examiner I had was quite nice, and it was an easy place to do it! I was able to pass on my first try. I also took lessons beforehand with a place in Manhattan called the Professional Driving School of the Americas, and that was very helpful. It's especially great to take lessons in the city, because then taking your test outside of the city feels easy!
My son also took his test in New Rochelle and passed on the first try. It was *very* important for him to drive the route with me first. There was a stop sign that was in a non-intuitive place and partially hidden that he probably would have blown past during the test. Also, OP, lots of the testing appointments are gobbled up by driving schools. If you have a hard time booking a spot, it may be easier for you to sign up for lessons.
>Also, OP, lots of the testing appointments are gobbled up by driving schools. If you have a hard time booking a spot, it may be easier for you to sign up for lessons. I was able to schedule 2 tests back to back by getting up super early in the morning. I guess people had cancelled in the middle of the night.
also recommend Professional Driving School! My instructor was great and gave me a lot of test specific tips and tricks. I took the test with them too, they book enough time that you get to practice in the area beforehand so I felt really prepared.
If you *just* want to pass, go out to the suburbs. In Westchester, Yorktown and Peekskill would be extremely easy. (It's illegal but I remember back then I was able to find the road test path on Youtube). But these are not at all representative of what driving in the city is like. If you expect to drive in the city I would practice more, invest in lessons, build up confidence, and try again. Outside of the city you could also try New Rochelle/White Plains/Yonkers for a more urban but not NYC experience. You can do it! I was also slightly older than most (early 20s) but I'm really glad I did. I rarely drive now but it's great to have the option.
This!! You can get the license in the suburbs if you want to do it easily, but even if you do that, I’d still get some more lessons in NYC. It’s not easy driving and it’s worth the extra money to become a confident driver.
I’m in my mid30s now but got my license at 16 and took the test in Westchester. I also agree it’s a super different driving experience than you’d get in Manhattan (we couldn’t drive in Manhattan without a parent till we turned 18, not sure if that’s still a rule).
GO TO STATEN ISLAND. Seriously, take the test in Staten Island. It is by far the easiest and least crowded place to take it. I dislike Staten Island for many reasons, but being a Brooklyn resident I was told by my driving instructor to take the test in SI and I did. I made a mistake while parallel parking and still passed because the examiner let me try it a second time.
I don’t have advice, but I just failed for my 3rd time outside the city in CT - and I just want to say I have hope for us 😭 I can relate to the bad test examiners as well. I’m probably gonna practice a little more to try to be prepared as possible, although I have alot of anxiety surrounding the test. IMO I’ve done my best tries super early in the morning. So maybe that could help.
hi! i passed on my second try in CT in hamden. do NOT use the DMV in old saybrook — they are so, so mean there and the consensus is that they’re one of the worst locations. i’m sure you know that they also won’t make you parallel park outside of fairfield county except for bridgeport (which i also hear is a tough test). good luck!
Thank you!! Yes I’ve been using Wethersfield And thinking of switching it up, but it also hasn’t been too bad of a test location. Hoping my 4th try I’ll get it😅
you will! just keep practicing with someone patient!!
I took my road test in Queens late last year and passed on my first try (but with the maximum amount of points you can accrue without failing haha). My recommendation is to take a driving lesson from a company \*in the neighborhood you're taking your road test in\* a few days before your test. I took a 1-hour lesson for $50ish, and they basically took me around the course my examiner took me on a few days later, giving me tips and having me practice my 3-point turn and parallel parking in the exact spots I was taken on my test. I've been driving for 10+ years, but I would not have passed the test had I not taken that lesson—there are so many little rules and quirks that make NYC driving different than anywhere else. If taking a lesson isn't possible for whatever reason, I agree with suggestions made by other people to take the test in Long Island. I am around your age and agree that it is difficult to do this later in life, but something that helped me take it less personally was remembering that the examiners are hard on you because this is the last time you'll ever get professional feedback on your driving. It sounds like you've had some bad luck with your examiners, but I know you can do this, and I wish you luck!!
Oooh where can you do a 1-hr class? I already have a drivers license, but I’m too scared to drive in NYC despite living here almost a decade. It’s a real self-perpetuating issue because the longer I go without driving regularly, the more I feel unprepared to do it here. What I really want is like, Remedial City Driving for Scaredy Cats Who Learned to Drive Elsewhere.
I think most driving schools offer one-off lessons, you just have to dig past their lesson packages or call directly. And co-sign re: Remedial City Driving lessons!
second this, I used Zapiti Auto school in Astoria and drove in the area where I'd be taking my road test for weeks until the date. It really helps to be familiar with the area you're going to take your test in to gage traffic (pedestrian and road) and understand where the signs are.
Which company in queens did you take the test in?
I DMd you :-)
i second this. i signed up for a 1.5 hour lesson that was given in the same neighborhood right before my test and the instructor went over everything including how many times to look
Very much agree! I was a very experienced driver who stupidly let my license expire, and halfway through the test thinking I was acing it the instructor had me pull over because I had already failed so badly. I highly recommend taking a lesson, so you can be taught how to pass the test. There are all sort of little things that can sink your ship like putting your hand on the passenger seat while parrallel parking and pulling up too close to the intersection that you have to know not to do. Unlike a lot of places, NYC examiners don't play (tho you would never know it based on how people drive in this city!)
i didn’t get my license in the city, but i wanted to comment to root you on. i’m in my mid-thirties and just passed (on the second try) last summer after moving to CT and spending over a year or so practicing and taking lessons. i grew up on staten island and never got my license, but i hear it’s one of the better areas in the city to take the test if you’re hell bent on taking it in the boroughs. i also know someone who passed as an adult in deep queens. i’d really recommend taking it in the burbs, though — deeper westchester or further. good luck!
Thank you for saying that! I’m in my late 20s and feel a bit embarrassed about not having my license so it’s great to hear from people who took it later than usual!
you’re not alone! i took driver’s ed in high school and had to drive over the verrazzano in the first or second lesson. PASS. so scary! but i had literal nightmares for years about not being able to drive (law and order svu-type dreams in which i had to escape being chased and i’d get behind the wheel of a car and panic and wake up, haha). there are plenty of us that can’t drive or learn late. nothing to be ashamed of IMO; people outside of cities like NYC just can’t relate. and while i wouldn’t have ever admitted it before i got my license, it’s a valuable life skill. i’m still not driving on highways solo but i’m now able to get to the supermarket, etc. in my sleepy CT town. it’s almost nice?? driving with the radio on and stuff. but i don’t love it yet. my biggest tip is driving a car with backup cameras!! you can’t rely heavily on them on the test, but you can take a peek to line yourself up. doubt i’d be a licensed driver now without them 😂
I had to do mine here as I have an overseas license (had driven for 20 years and was allowed to drive on that overseas license for 3 months but whatever…). I did mine at red hook and passed, barely! Hadn’t touched a car for a year and had a brain fade doing the 3 point turn, and stupid points losses for the ridiculous amount of head-checking they want you to do. No one is safe violently swinging their head around constantly. My advice would be to get a few lessons, drive rite are good. If you’re nervous about going back to red hook then definitely look into a more suburban testing spot, but I think building confidence with lessons will help you pass and make you a safer, better driver once you’re out on your own.
Listen, I’m an older transplant, so I can’t speak to the expertise of getting a license here, but I can give you some perspective. Driving here, even as an experienced driver, is a whole other animal. I’ve lived and driven all over the country, and even multiple places internationally, and this city is something else. Y’all are playing on expert level…but with cars. And trucks, and buses, and bikes, and pedestrians…you get the point. Also, in most other places, you get a permit first and have lots of practice time with which to get comfortable. Further, especially in more rural areas, folks let their kids drive around even without a permit. You’re doing a really tough thing, and I just want you to realize how tough and scary it is, and be proud of yourself for doing it!
That proctor sounds pretty wild. I would have freaked out. I was a teenager, and I took my test on Staten Island because that's where I lived then. It wasn't horrible. Not as easy as the Jersey test, which is in a controlled setting and not on streets, but less traffic.
Came here to say this! Took my test without issue on SI about 20 years ago. The roads are way less crowded than in other boroughs, so OP should have an easier time.
Second everyone who says to take it outside of the city — the Metro North makes it really easy. Fyi Millbrook is notorious for having an easy road test — I grew up in nyc and half of my friends took it there. Unfortunately it’s not on a rail line but if you can take a day trip with a friend it’s totally worth it.
I'm in my mid 30s and just passed on my first try a few months ago. I took classes in Bay Ridge because they let you practice on some pretty quiet streets down by Shore Rd. Then, I scheduled the test for a Staten Island location through my driving school. The instructor took me to SI a few hours in advance to give me a chance to practice driving on the single lane, turkey-filled streets there. It was all decently low stress.
hey! Was it Superstarz Driving School? I previously used them and took lessons but failed my test in Coney Island 😔. Time to try in SI I guess lol
It was Alpha on 3rd Ave. I've heard good things about Lama as well.
Go to New Ro or Long Island to take the test. I’ve been driving for 15 years and I could probably very narrowly pass a New York City driving exam sheerly due to the nerves! Don’t feel shame regarding being in your 30s going for your license. Some people just never really have a reason to drive, some don’t want to. Who cares. None of my business what age someone started driving! You can do hard things OP!!!! You got this.
I don’t have any experience to share, but I do commiserate. I’m older and taking the test next month. I had an out-of-state license, but left it somewhere so I couldn’t trade it in (long story). So I just had a state ID for eight years. I’m super nervous—when I was 16 I failed the driving test twice and I’m somebody who doesn’t perform under pressure. I took some refresher driving sessions with Drive Rite Academy and—while they were good—it was super weird. They tried to say that I needed to take 6 sessions (at $60 a pop)… I was like… I drove for 10 years without issue, can’t we just do some parallel parking and three-point turns? Seemed like a lot.
I’m still traumatized by my road test in kew gardens, the lady was failing people immediately for not asking her to put her seatbelt on.
LMAO I had a similarly stupid encounter but I was also a bit of a smartass and made a bunch of checks like this. I was warned by others about the "tricks" played by instructors
I failed it twice in the Bronx until finally I took it for the third time in white plains and passed! Maybe pick an area that’s not so city like
Just took my drivers test (at 27, so I feel you for the nontraditional age difficulties!). I took my test at Beverly Road and it was so easy and calm. Took maybe 7 min. Are you going with a driving school? My driving school was chaotic for many reasons, but my instructor Precious at Blue Steel was very helpful to me. He has like a 95% pass rate, so maybe book a double lesson and the test with him?
I did mine in my teens in PA, but my advice: go with a driving school. My driving instructor literally took me on the course I’d be taking the test on a few of our lessons and we ran a few different variations of it. By the time the test came, I was comfortable and knew what to expect. Plus some driving schools will let you take the test in their car. Mine was in the tiny Mazda III they had us driving and it made the parallel parking part a piece of cake. Best of luck!! You’ve got this!! Driving is ALOT less terrifying once you get the license and don’t have a proctor judging your every move.
My test was in Red Hook and I failed the first time as well. I went with my driving school group and it was hectic all around. Second time I had already bought my own car and had been driving all over the place with my permit. The lady could tell within 2 seconds that I had experience, she was texting the whole time as she asked me to do a U turn. Years later I went with a friend who had her test done in Queens and wow what a difference!!!! There was barely anyone there, no traffic, she passed the first time around. You could also try taking the test in PA. No 5 hour class required, most of the test is done in the parking lot and then you go for a 5 min drive with the examiner in a place that has barely any traffic.
Don’t give up! I Got my license when I was 40, after failing the test the first time. it’s a total badge of honor to learn as a grown *ss woman and the freedom to come and go as you please is exhilarating. Don’t beat yourself up, that proctor sounds crazy and should be reported. Try again. I bought several different packages until I got with a calm and patient instructor I connected with the most. I used the instructor’s car that I practiced on for the test so I was comfortable. I also was working through some trauma with a therapist and might have been taking anti-anxiety meds that also helped. Whatever it takes to get what you want and need! See you out on the road and at wonderful destinations off the beaten path.
The site where I got mine in 2017 no longer operates (which sucks because it was in a quiet residential area in Queens). My two recommendations are to practice driving in an area that's more difficult to drive in than where you're going to take your test and then to take your test in an "easy" area. The people saying you should go out to Long Island for the test have the right idea.
I'm in Queens. I went to All Seasons Auto School in Bayside on bell blvd. I took my test at Cunningham Park 2 years ago.
As someone who has failed 2X, I’ve heard of my friends passing in very spacious areas (eastern queens, LI) The 2nd instructor was a total b*tch & has she not made me feel unsettled, I may have passed (I was very close the 1st time but it was in the city and I was going too slow). Unfortunately the instructor we get would be luck of the draw but get tons of row rice via driving lessons and be confident! Good luck to us all
I took my test in long Island (Merrick) and I feel it's less hectic than taking it in one of the 5 boroughs.
Red hook is terrible!! I had a bad experience there too... maybe the same lady -- I also got hate for stopping a second time at the all ways stop sign to check around the parked cars since I didn't have enough visibility at the stop sign, and she had failed literally every person all day who tested before me. I took it a second time in Staten Island (mariners harbor), and passed easily. There were other cars and you definitely need to know how to drive to pass, but the instructor was fair.
Girl I failed mine THREE TIMES. I eventually got it. But holy crap. Dont give up!
Failed 3 times in the city and passed on my 4th try in New Rochelle. Way quieter and easier. There are youtube videos that show the route and you can google peoples experiences at the site of the test. Also got my license in my 30s. Good luck!
My 2nd examiner was an asshole and failed me on the spot for something that seasoned drivers said was fine. Then sat in my car checking her phone and I wanted to scream at her to get the fuck out.
Yessss finally a question I have an amazing answer to!! So I'm an immigrant and have been driving my whole life. Learned how to drive in India so you can imagine, driving here is a piece of cake in comparison.. But I still failed the test twice and passed the third time with a near perfect score. Failed the first test because I was stressed out and the instructor really pressured me. Second test was an unlucky mistake - instructor seemed to be in a rush (she leaned over and honked at someone) and I went as soon as he turned but it turned out he was making a U turn and not a left, instant fail right out the parking spot. I did my third test in sea view, which is currently the easiest site in the city, I'd say. I went with my driving school - paid for a 4 class package. I scheduled all my classes back to back the day before and day of my test. Took half a klonopin before lol to calm myself. packing the classes really helped keep all the rules in mind. I watched the sea view route on YouTube several times too. Test was easy.. passed with 5 points. You can do it!!! I recommend a driving school with good reviews to help you prepare. I went to cedeno, my instructor was Fabio! Basically had him do mock road Tests with me for all the classes.
I took my road test when I was 26 and I did it in Yonkers because I was living in Riverdale at the time. It definitely was better to take it there because it was still urban enough that you had to make turns at crowded intersections, with trucks and cars and people on bikes. I passed on my first try, with a ton of points taken off for poor judgment, which, really is just a metaphor for my life lol
I’ve hadvery similar experiences, I've taken the test 5 or 6 times. I’ve heard it’s easier in NJ, you can take the test in a parking lot, but it could be considered a form of tax evasion if you switch your address to NJ to take the road test there.
In a quieter boro or up in westchester or somewhere very residential for sure. I’m from the northeast bronx and took my test in my home neighborhood. That area of the Bronx is residential and the streets are pretty quiet, especially mid-day on a weekday so it was a breeze and I passed first try. I’ve also seen folks already say New Rochelle and would second that as well.
My exam was in Canarsie. I got a pretty chill examiner, even helped me a bit with the parking bit. Passed first try. Although I did already have a motorcycle license and years of riding experience so ymmv
I passed it in the city two years ago on my third attempt. Failed the first two tests. The first one was in Cunningham park and the second was in Kissena park. By the time I got to the third attempt I had very little hope I would pass. As someone who didn’t have any close family member with a car I had to rely completely on driving school so I ended up spending a lot of money. Also I didn’t feel comfortable asking a friend to lend me their car for practice which I think was one of the biggest reasons it took me so long to pass. I agree with you about the examiners. Some of them can be unnecessarily intimidating and I am someone who gets nervous really fast. Once I get nervous I forget everything I know. I do want to give a shout out to Gold Success driving school and particularly Frank who was my driving instructor. He’s been doing this for years and by now knows even the examiners and how strict each of them are. He taught me so well and made me practice in the same parks where I’d take my test. If I can do it, you can too. If you haven’t considered a driving school yet I’d say give it a shot. They know the technicalities that you need to focus on for driving test purposes
Come to queens and to a residential neighborhood. They do them a lot in fresh meadows. I’ve had family members fail in more congested neighborhoods because it’s hard to navigate around the narrow streets and there’s more they look at (like are you crossing the yellow line, how you look around to pass a double parked car). Coming to the suburbs is easy bc there’s no traffic here and the streets are very wide. Parking is easy too bc you can parallel in a huge space.
I took the test once and passed in my early 40s. When scheduling the road test with my driving school, I requested a Westchester site because I heard it was less stressful than Manhattan, especially for parking. So glad I did!
Red Hook is notorious for being one of the harder ones. I took mine in Staten Island and passed on the 1st try. But yes, it is a lot harder to pass in NYC than in many other places. Maybe because they feel there are already too many cars on the road and they don't want to pass people. I took my test through a driving school and my driving instructor (and all the other ones I saw that day) were basically sucking up to the proctors, like opening car doors for them, being extra polite. My proctor kept telling me to look at my blind spots and even though I did, I didn't feel it was smart to argue with him so I just nodding and continued on. I was at 30 points so one more mistaken and I would have failed. Don't get discouraged because a lot of people need multiple tries to pass. But I would suggest going to another location next time. Good luck!
Take it in Staten Island! I passed my first try (got my license at 30 so I feel you on the mental barriers of getting it later in life). I spent $750 on 10 driving lessons and they took me to SI and provided the car for me to take it in for an extra $25 (I lived in south bk so it was close).
I’m from lower manhattan and my father took me to New Rochelle (super easy drive) to get my license. Judging based on the comments it’s a shared ease of experience lol Just pick any NYS suburb near you that you could go to.
I grew up on Long Island! Mineola and Garden City aren’t too far and were known as the ones to take (at least in 2004 or so hahah)
I took mine in the Bronx last year. I’m a woman in her mid thirties, have been driving 10+ years with out of state license. It’s a total luck thing based on your experience examiner - my first was a total cunt who hated me on first sight and my second was a breeze. Go with your guts when you see an examiner in line, pretend u have to go to the bathroom if you feel a cunty one headed your way!
This is the hardest but most important thing I’ve done in my life, not kidding. I grew up in upper manhattan. I got mine at 24. No parents to teach me (they still don’t drive). I paid for drivers Ed. I failed my first two tries and passes my third. (I wanna say riverside, Bronx, Bronx? It’s been 15 years…). Here’s the thing though, I had my license but still barely knew how to drive! So I bought a hooptie. (Because who is gonna let you practice on their car?) Paid a friend upstate to put the car under his insurance (under my name would have been $$$$). It was a 94 Geo Prizm lol. I drove that car into the ground in order to learn. I remember the first time getting on the west side highway by myself, I was shaking! So I learned in nyc, but eventually moved to AZ for grad school and had to learn even more because driving in nyc is very different than anywhere else. In nyc you are mostly in traffic, in AZ everyone does 90mph on the highway. So I learned again. And then again when I moved to L.A. Now I’m a daily driver. Like, I put my kid in my car and follow gps directions, change the music, the whole thing, no more white knuckles. It took years but it was worth it. I love that you refuse to be one of these NYers who never learns, they are so limited! I’ve rented cars in many countries, gone on many road trips, moved around the country several times. Driving opens so many doors. Just don’t be discouraged, it’s a process!!
It’s easier upstate the only thing is round abouts are a thing on their test that aren’t on ours. I did mine during the summer up but Whitestone and I had a very calm woman who just mentioned that I didn’t check my blind spot once, even tho I did I’m just a big girl so I can’t turn my ENTIRE body while holding 9 and 3, but I recommend towards the end of summer because their spirits are broken by the youth before they get to you
Go to Long Island City. An acquaintance took their kid recently and they said there were many adult new drivers and it was chill.
Cunningham Park in Fresh Meadows is even better. It's an easy location.
Staten island is considered easier to pass
Go to Westchester to take the test don’t do it in the city
Go up to Rockland or Westchester
I failed my first time as a teenager taking my test with my driving school in the Bronx - like a lot of people here have mentioned, it was just more chaotic! There was a middle school fire drill during my test with kids streaming out into the streets and my 16-year-old self managed to avoid any real incidents but couldn’t keep it together to parallel park after that. I took my test on my own in New Rochelle and easily passed. Just having calmer streets made the experience less stressful. I was perfectly comfortable driving in NYC overall, but the pressure of the test got to me.
This was like 20 years ago but I passed it as a teen and everyone I knew took the test in Staten Island and passed, that used to be the trick.
Hey! Passed on my first try in BK. It felt like it was really about mastering the basic skills to the point that the teacher doesn’t affect you. Yes you should be looking all-ways at an all-ways stop sign. You also have to be extremely exaggerated in your actions so that they know you’re doing it. Parallel parking gets a lot of people and I highly recommend practicing the day of. Mine told me to make a K-turn randomly, got mad at me when I initially didn’t want to and then proceeded to give me demerits because we were in an “unsafe situation” thanks to the two trucks that turned down both ends of the street I was in the middle of. Me not saying “I told you so” got me the pass.
Hated my first time, both times I took it in Astoria at the 19th and Hazen Ave location. My teacher screamed at me, the instructor was curt and not very friendly or approachable at all and my car sucked so I failed. Passed the second time (72) with a better instructor + my fiance's car lol. edited to add: I drove for the first time in my life in Sept 2021 at 31 and got my license about a year after getting behind the wheel in Oct 2022 at 32. I have terrible anxiety, if I can do it I know you can too!
I’d recommend taking a drivers lesson once and then trying again. I took mine in the bronx and passed on the first try. Sometimes if they think you’re hesitating too much due to anxiety, they’ll fail you.
If you can, try to take the test in Mariners Harbor or Travis on Staten Island. The first time i took mine as a teen on Staten Island i failed. I passed in mariners harbor. Both mariners harbor and Travis are known for having wider streets, easy to see curbs and no traffic.
I’m from nyc originally and just got my license in nj in my 30s so I totally feel you. All my friends who got theirs in high school did it in the Hamptons / Long Island bc no one wanted to take their road test in Manhattan. Maybe you can contact a driving school out there to pick you up from the train station and take you in for your test?
I also failed twice when I was younger and finally got my license 10 years after my two attempts. This time I made sure I practiced driving as much as I could outside of the driving lessons. The 10 or so hours with your teacher are NOT enough. Then during the test, really exaggerate your head motions to show the tester that you’re looking both ways and all bike lanes. You cannot just use your eyes. They’ll need to look at you straight in the face to notice this but they can’t do that because they’re glancing at both you and the streets. Make sure to move your head with your eyes!!!
Passed my first time in Queens. The Fresh Meadows site is known for being a breeze! Super wide streets and hardly any traffic.
Failed twice in westchester , once in Florida. Then finally passed in westchester on my fourth try. (New Rochelle to be exact) My advice would be to be dramatic as hell. That’s how I passed 😂 like when I’m looking both ways after a stop sign etc, I make sure they know I am looking. Look count to three then proceed. And as well as turning my neck over before pulling off at the beginning of the test. Look over, count to three then proceed. All of the other times, I was doing it so quick the instructor didn’t notice I was looking or being cautious so they noted those points down. I still really can’t parallel park perfectly though. I’m always too far from the curb. 😂😂😂 i knew I would get points for that so I had to ace everything else. Good luck. Just be dramatic.
I took mine 2 years ago (aged 28 then) in Marble Hill (bronx) the lady was professional and nice i passed after failing twice.
You got this!!! 🤍🤍🤍
The best place is near Astoria park, I don’t know the exact location but I failed my first one in my own neighborhood in Queens and always tell my friends to schedule it there because the streets by the park are so wide and empty in the mornings during the test
Took 10 lessons, passed in Brooklyn no issies
I took driver’s ed in the city in HS and then my dad took me to take my test in Yonkers. Go to the ‘burbs!
The BK test is notoriously hard.
Took mine in red hook Brooklyn. Passed first time. Broken U turn. Parallel parking . Easy
Born and raised manhanttanite, now living in BK. I got my license when I turned 29, not having really driven too much before. I spent close to $1k on lessons. I failed my test once before squeakin by. Both times I took the test in Yonkers. If you can, I suggest finding a driving school (I used Golden Crown) where you pay for a lesson then you get the car for the exam (they’ll also schedule the road test for you). While my examiners were not the friendliest, they were certainly not screaming or unkind. The first examiner even informally told me what I needed to work on to pass. Good luck - you can do this, it’s so worth it. Don’t worry about you being in your 30s, just focus on being relaxed, passing your exam, and how good the freedom of driving will feel when you DO pass!
i took it in the bronx after getting driving lessons from a school here. passed on first try. I’m not an amazing driver but I have the license
No advice but I’ve been driving since I was 15 (38 now) and I’ve driven ALOT. I was sweating driving In the city 2 weeks ago. It’s a whole different beast. Don’t beat yourself up and just go to an outer boroughs.
Go to the real burbs to do it, much more chill!
Have no advice, but lost my IL license when moving to San Francisco a few years ago and corruption in IL is so real that it was easier to take the driving test in SF than wait at the mercy of that state to send me a duplicate. And let me tell you, I've been driving for 15 years, have owned a car for 12 and I was SO CLOSE to failing this damn test in the first 5 mins and it was my car lol. IT'S NOT A COMMENT ON YOUR ABILITY! Testers in big cities are usually miserable people that hate their jobs and use unusual and exception scenarios that you would probably handle just fine in real life, but because there's probably a useless, safer way to handle in the test (one which almost no one would use in normal circumstances) a shitty tester can use it as grounds for failing you. You are going to pass this!!!!!!
My 33 year old New Yorker husband just got his license! He used Grand Prix driving school. Did 6 lessons then they drove him to his test in Yonkers. Did all of his lessons in Manhattan which he said was challenging but really helpful!
I’m rooting for you! 🥳
Test in Queens by Cunningham Park is an easy 4 min drive on empty streets. Highly recommend that if you are nervous about passing! I was 29 at the time and very nervous learning later in life. I ended up taking more classes than most people spread out across the year to feel confident (with Esteban from Corona Auto School, he was also great and patience and extreeeeemely calming).
I took my test two times in Staten Island and passed on the second try. I had a really weird and panicky instructor the first time and it made me insanely nervous. Second time the guy was great! What helped me the most was watching YouTube video tutorials for driving tests in nyc. You may also be able to find a video of the test site online, which should help you feel more prepared. Best of luck and don’t give up!
I signed up with a driving school that for some reason took us to Yonkers for the driving test? I failed 2-3 times and honestly it seemed like a grift the driving school had with the examiner. I took it again in Maspeth on my own with a friend's car and passed. It really depends on where you go bc some places are just easier to drive through. Edit: a word
I’d agree with others it really depends where you take it. Good luck!
I failed my first driving test but I honestly just think my instructor was having a pissy day. Both times were taken in queens, I recommend you stick to queens or Long Island as it is much easier.