[sweetpea]

Finally got all my car stuff squared away with the man today. For good measure, I went to convert my California driver's license to a NZ one. So I plunked down my $85, posed for what I'm sure will be a gruesome picture, and filled in what I hoped were the correct answers to the theory test.

Well, the test didn't go stunningly well, got 30 instead of the required 32, so I went up and asked for another copy, only to find out they charge $40 or $50 per test attempt. Ouch.

In California and Illinois, you can try the written test as many times as you want for free. It never even occurred to me that they would charge.

Just thought this might help someone else out. :nice1


PS: I did pass on my second try - 34 out of 35. Woo hoo!

[wilson182]

:D

We are from England sweetpea, and my OH did exactly the same thing:laugh (I only laugh cause he brags alot about passing his driving test in England first time, it took me a couple of goes.)

[sarahw]

Another thing... watch out because the answers are multiple choice & you have to scratch silver stuff off the top of the correct answer - your test answer is void if you scratch a bit of another answer off as my very disgusted hubby found out.

He had 35/35 right - took it to the desk & the chap at the AA looked at the front of the test said 'that's fine', then turned it over & moved it across the desk - in doing so scratched part of the front of the test, turned it back & told my hubby that he'd scratched off a bit of a second answer on the front of the test. When Ian tried to argue & tell the guy that he'd just watched him do it the fella got very shirty - so he was officially given 34/35 and was not very pleased.

[willowshouse]

What sort of questions are we talking here? AND do you do a practical test if you have a UK licence? AND where do you do it in Auckland?

Thanks,
Dawn

[jess]

thanks for the info... I would not have known about the extra charge for additional tries! we need to go get new licenses soon.

[wilson182]

What sort of questions are we talking here? AND do you do a practical test if you have a UK licence? AND where do you do it in Auckland?

Thanks,
Dawn

Its similar to the English theory test, basically testing your knowledge of the highway code. Stopping distances, what do certain signs mean that type of thing. You don't have to sit a practical test if you take the theory test before your year is up. Can't answer the last part of your question though, sorry:)

[urban78]

What sort of questions are we talking here? AND do you do a practical test if you have a UK licence? AND where do you do it in Auckland?

Thanks,
Dawn

Hiya Dawn,

Here are the details for Drivers Licencing Agents in the Auckland region:

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/licensing/getting-licence/where-auckland.html

Good luck,

Jen :)

[lollypop]

I took my test last week at the AA centre in Albany, North Shore - it was pretty easy in my opinion - just common sense. You need to take with you: your passport, a recent utility bill to prove your address and your old licence.

[katandbob]

another thing for you lot with kids coming up to 15/16, as to register for your learners its $89, he then paid $89 to do the theory - failed and took it again a week later - another $$$ - he passed and then $24 if you want to apply for an exemption(As Jordon had held a learner licence in the uk for 2 yrs he can apply to have it converted)
This took 6wks and sending his original UK learner to the head office in Washington.
He finally got the letter to say he doesnt have to wait 6mths on a learners and can go sit the practical test to apply for his restricted.....Another $89!!! and another eyetest!..which he is not looking forward to as his eyesight isnt a hundred percent but he passed the first.

So be prepared to get your younguns to practice the road book - and you can buy the tests, they charge you, but they are the same as the real tests....

cheers

Kat

[katandbob]

another thing for you lot with kids coming up to 15/16, as to register for your learners its $89, he then paid $89 to do the theory - failed and took it again a week later - another $$$ - he passed and then $24 if you want to apply for an exemption(As Jordon had held a learner licence in the uk for 2 yrs he can apply to have it converted)
This took 6wks and sending his original UK learner to the head office in Washington.
He finally got the letter to say he doesnt have to wait 6mths on a learners and can go sit the practical test to apply for his restricted.....Another $89!!! and another eyetest!..which he is not looking forward to as his eyesight isnt a hundred percent but he passed the first.

So be prepared to get your younguns to practice the road book - and you can buy the tests, they charge you, but they are the same as the real tests....

cheers

Kat

oh and I forgot to say that once he passes the practical test he has to wait 18mths before he can take the full test - or if he pays to do a defensive driving course then he can knock off 6mths, so it will take him a year to get his full licence, If we want him to take a passenger - ie Jason to college - then I have to send $24 to apply for another exemption! :(

[jdbob]

Congratulations Sweatpea :nice1

Will be interesting to see Massey, I'm going up there this week for the Geosciences conference.

[sweetpea]

What sort of questions are we talking here?

A bunch of common sense questions, but then there was a second part of the test that had several questions on trailers, which did me in, because I hadn't thought there'd be so many on the test.

You can check a copy of the Road Code out of the library - it's got the actual test questions in there (about 200 of them! - 35 of which will be on the test you take).

[sweetpea]

Will be interesting to see Massey, I'm going up there this week for the Geosciences conference.

Massey's lovely this time of year - so much greenery. Of course, I'm trying to avoid it as much as possible - I see way too much of the campus during the school year!

[D&L+dog]

Just thought I'd add to the hints for the license. I'm NZer returned after 10 years and had swapped my NZ license in UK for a UK one. Been here a few months and thought I'd better swap it back and went in and was told that I could not drive in NZ on a UK license as I had previously had a NZ one and that had expired (apparently when they changed from paper to photo when I was out of the country they cancelled it). No problems as I was prepared with the passport, proof of address etc and filled out the forms for getting the replacement straight away but just a word of warning to returning NZers.
Lynne
Nelson, NZ

[sarahw]

If anyone's worried about the test - recommend the road code book, (since it has all the questions & answers to the test questions in it as Sweetpea says) but also you can buy 'sample' tests over the counter in your local AA shop - they aren't really samples - they're the real tests I think there's about 12 different versions, you just get given one of them at random on the day as your real test.

[jess]

Sample tests are also for sale online, and you can answer 5 sample questions free in their demo. http://www.roadcodetest.co.nz/

[Smiler]

If anyone's worried about the test - recommend the road code book, (since it has all the questions & answers to the test questions in it as Sweetpea says) but also you can buy 'sample' tests over the counter in your local AA shop - they aren't really samples - they're the real tests I think there's about 12 different versions, you just get given one of them at random on the day as your real test.

And you can borrow it from the library too, now we've taken it back, along with the motorbike road code. :D

I got some of those sample tests from the AA before doing mine (I hate tests) and at $2 each, I found them really helpful. :nice1 I also did the demo online too. :D It's a limited amount of questions that are recycled, but I thought I could never have too much preparation.