I’ve been practicing driving, and I’ve felt like a confident and good driver. I’ve never almost been in an accident, or bumped a curb in my 10 months of driving. I went in for my test today, and knew I was effed from the get go. This scary woman hopped in my car, proceeded to warn me I probably wouldn’t pass, then ordered me to drive off. I got two "serious" marks off… three minor. The first was for being stuck behind a car going 20 on a residential street. She asked me how fast the limit was in the neighborhood and when I replied 20 she informed me that "That’s how fast I should be going then." And told me it was an automatic fail when the instructor had to intervene… I did not find that fair.
The second mistake I made was not slamming on my brakes when the car in front of me was trying to turn right down a closed off street… I was trailing behind at 2 car lengths distance and she shouted "STOP!" at me like the world was about to end. There really was no chance of me hitting a car 20 feet in front of me.
I feel like a complete failure for doing stupid things 
Any tips or advice?
retake/cant be helped/some times these testers get testy/i took it once/took 12 minutes on stick shift on the column
If the speed limit was 20MPH and you were going 20MPH then what was the problem? And as far as the 2nd situation goes, you may have felt like you had plenty of time to stop before hitting the car, while driving once you get your license, and especially while driving during your test, play it safe and make sure you leave a ton of distance between you and the car in front of you… Whether you are 20 feet or 60 feet behind the car in front of you, your not really going to get where you are going any slower, but those extra 40 feet might mean the difference between a close call, and a fender bender if something happens.
And to answer your original question, yes many, many people fail on their first time taking the test. I personally didnt, but have many friends who have, and I know a few people that had to take it at least 3 times.
So my best advice is to keep practicing, stay calm, and during your test make sure you keep plenty of space between you and the car in front of you.
GOod Luck
i passed my test the first time, even though i was supposed to turn right at an intersection and i stayed in the straight lane, but they still passed me. my brother on the other hand took drivers education and when he took his written test he failed it twice, and failed his driving test the first time because he took a turn too wide or something stupid. but he passed the second time. all it takes is perseverance and youll pass
Most people do not pass their first time, although I did. What is the speed LIMIT? You answered it correct, but you failed to realize it was the limit, not the SAFE speed for you as a beginner to be traveling. 2 to3 mph below is your safe speed mention this to them. Always before putting it into gear tell the other person to put on their seat belt, as you should have yours on already. They are intimidating but remember they are there to observe, not kill you. Second you stated that there was no chance of you hitting the vehicle 20 foot in front of you. Take in consideration 3 factors. Oil, ice, water on the street. Reaction time for an easy stop. Brake failure, you need evasive maneuver time. These are things beyond your control, but you can help out the situations. This is what they are looking at. I just did my CDL license test. You will do alright.
I am not sure what the problem was regarding your first point, unless you were driving at 20 at just 2 car lengths away from the car in front. Or were you driving much less than 20 when the road ahead was clear and safe to drive at the 20 limit.
The second failure point was definitely a fail as 2 car lengths or 20 feet is much too close. You think you may be able to stop while the road conditions are normal. But in the event of the driver in front suddenly braking or turning you need ‘thinking’ time to decide if the driver is braking lightly, braking heavily or even coming to a complete stop. On top of this you then have to physically apply the appropriate pressure to your brakes…..and also be aware of the vehicle behind you too!
Therefore, you should apply the 2-second rule. When the vehicle in front of you passes a fixed object such as a lamp post or street sign, it should take you 2 seconds or more to pass the same object. If it takes you less than 2 seconds you are too close. In the rain or wet conditions, then it doubles to 4 seconds.
Hope this helps, and good luck on your next test.