Passing the "parallel parking" test to get a driver's license is not easy.

With the addition of the "parallel parking" test, the pass rate at driving schools has decreased compared to before.

However, both learners and representatives from driving schools believe that adding this new exam content is necessary.

"Parallel parking" causes a dramatic increase in the failure rate.

On April 22nd, the Driving Test Center of the People's Police Academy (Ministry of Public Security) held its first ever driving test.driving testaccording to the new program.

Parallel parking is a part of the test where many candidates lose points (In the photo: a female candidate appears quite tense while performing the parallel parking test).

As one of the 252 students participating in the course.B2 driving testMr. Le Hong Diep from Cau Giay (Hanoi) entered the driving test feeling quite nervous. In the initial tests, Mr. Diep appeared confident, successfully passing the starting, uphill, driving over tire tracks, and parallel parking sections… Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but then came the final part.the "parallel parking" testA mishap occurred. Due to improper parking, when reversing into the designated area, the wheels crossed the line. Diep tried moving forward and then backward again to adjust the car into the designated area, but he struggled for a long time without success.

Because the car stalled and the wheels remained on the line for too long, the system signaled "driving license revoked".

Leaving the driving test center in a somber mood, Mr. Diep confided: "The hardest part of this test was judging the angles and identifying the landmarks to reverse into the designated area. Knowing it was new content, I practiced quite thoroughly, but I was still nervous during the test, so my steering wasn't precise, the wheels crossed the lines twice, which led to me losing my composure, prolonging the time, and failing."

Similar to Mr. Diep, many students taking the B2 driving test at the People's Police Academy Driving Test Center on the morning of April 22nd also failed the "parallel parking" test. According to the test board's results, as of 10 am on April 22nd, out of a total of 82 people taking the B2 test, 14 lost points on this test, including 8 who failed directly in the "parallel parking" test. The difficulty of this test resulted in a pass rate of only nearly 66%, a very low rate, as previous test courses at this center usually achieved a pass rate of 75-80%.

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, Deputy Director of the Vehicle and Driver Management Department (Vietnam Road Administration), stated: “Most cases of losing points in the ‘parallel parking’ test are due to crossing the line and exceeding the time limit. According to regulations, crossing the line in this test will result in a 5-point deduction, and for every 5 seconds the vehicle remains outside the line, another 5 points will be deducted. If the wheels remain on the line without moving, points will be deducted continuously. In reality, many students have had up to 10 points deducted for crossing the line.”

Regarding the "parallel parking" test, Mr. Tuan stated that its difficulty level is equivalent to the "stopping and starting uphill" and "perpendicular parking" tests. He believes that the increased failure rate is understandable given the addition of this test to the examination program.

Similarly, in the first driving test with new content at the Dong Do Driving Test Center (Bac Ninh) on April 23rd, the percentage of candidates passing the "parallel parking" section was only 65%, resulting in a pass rate of just over 69% for the B2 driving test, whereas previously this rate was always at 75-84%.

Mr. Tong Ngoc Dong, Head of the Vehicle and Driver Management Department (Bac Ninh Department of Transport), confirmed: “The lower pass rate is due to the addition of the ‘parallel parking’ test. With an extra test, the number of points deducted increases, which in turn increases the failure rate. Besides that, it's also possible that the instructors lack experience in teaching this subject, so the current pass rate accurately reflects the reality.”

How do I pass the "parallel parking" test?

Having just passed the driving test without losing any points on the "parallel parking" section at the People's Police Academy's testing grounds, 47-year-old Hoang Van Dang from Lang Son shared his experience: "To pass this test, you need to thoroughly understand and remember the instructions given by the instructor. In addition, to ensure proficiency, you need to dedicate one to two practice sessions on this section at the testing grounds."

Ms. Dao Hai Yen from Hang Bong Street (Hanoi), who took the driving test at the Dong Do Driving Test Center, also said: “To pass the test, the most important thing is to park in the correct position, parallel to the curb. When reversing into the designated area, pay attention to both rearview mirrors and master the clutch pedal to adjust the car as desired.”

Parallel parking was the part of the driving test that resulted in many candidates losing points on April 22nd at the Driving Test Center of the People's Police Academy.

According to Mr. Than Van Hanh, Deputy Director in charge of training at the Dong Do Driving Test Center (Bac Ninh): "To perform the 'parallel parking' exercise well, you must first remain calm and park in the correct position. If the candidate parks in the wrong position, correcting the mistake in the 'parallel parking' exercise will be very difficult and often cause the candidate to lose composure, leading to incorrect execution."

According to Mr. Hanh, this test differs from the "parallel parking" test, where you can steer to the right or left to adjust the position, but with the "perpendicular parking" test, you can only steer to the right, return the steering wheel, and look in the picture. Before reversing into the designated area, candidates must park in the correct position. When reversing, they must observe both rearview mirrors to make appropriate steering movements.

Mr. Le Quang Dung, in charge of the driving test area at the Driving Test Center of the People's Police Academy, shared that to achieve proficiency in the parallel parking test, one must ensure a sufficient number of "practice hours".

When performing the test, you must observe both mirrors to check the overall width of the vehicle before reversing into the parking space, and you must be aware of the driver's seating position. Regarding the parking position before reversing into the space, ensure a reasonable distance from the curb. If you master these skills, this test is even easier than "parallel parking" because you only need to judge one side.

According to VOV