January 28, 2013-- The written driving test

January 28, 2013

The driving test saga began around January 9th.  Our written test was scheduled for Monday, January 14th, so I figured that I better start studying.  I downloaded the program that we got from the driving school and started doing questions.  I worked on questions for a couple if hours on Wednesday and then again on Thursday.  I quickly discovered that this was not going to be an easy process.  The questions are translated from German to English; however, the translations are not that good.  The questions usually have three responses.  The correct answer can be one, two or all three of the responses.  If the answer requires you to check two of the responses and you only check one, it is wrong.  Let's just say, I was getting my share of questions wrong or falsch as we like to say in German.  After returning from Brussels on Sunday, I began studying again.  I read the manual (o.k., parts of it -- it was 70 pages long) and started doing questions again.  At night, I took 10 simulated tests and you guessed it I failed all but one.

The next day was the test.  I was not feeling warm and fuzzy.  Needless to say, I failed the test.  I got 5 wrong out of 30.  Ironically, C failed as well.  He only got 3 wrong; unfortunately for him he got the questions with the higher point values wrong so even though you can pass if you get three wrong, he did not. I scheduled my new test for January 28th (you have to wait 2 weeks to take it again).

So now, I was under the gun.  If I failed to pass on the 28th, I would no longer be able to drive in Germany until I passed the written test.  The way it works here is that you may drive for 6 months with your foreign license.  After 6 months, you must have a German license to drive.  My six months was up on February 2nd.

The Tuesday after my failure I began studying.  I read the driving manual cover to cover -- and annotated it as well.  (Michelle and Stacy I am sure that you are impressed).  Then, I started doing questions.  The program has over 900 questions (these are the exact questions that are used in the driving test).  Just like in Connecticut, the computer chooses the 30 that you will receive on the day of the test.  I spent several hours a day for the two weeks and most of Saturday and Sunday before the test doing questions and reviewing the manual.  I think I reached the point where I had memorized every potential question.  Believe it or not the driving rules in Germany are significantly different then in the U.S.  First of all, there are more than 300 signs in Germany.  In addition, the rules regarding which car has priority on the roads are different.  Last but not least, some roads do not have speed limit signs; depending on where you are (built up area or non-built up area and whether the road has a divider or two lanes etc.) the speed limit varies and you are supposed to know what it is.

After studying for my test (I swear almost the same number of hours I studied for the Bar Examination), I woke up on Monday ready to go.  S wished me luck and told me that she would worry about me if I failed again given the number of hours that I studied.  Off I went to the driving school.  They delivered us to the place for the examination.  This time I got a 100 (one person who took the test with me failed for the second time).  C took his later in the week.  He passed as well getting only one wrong.  It may be the only time in my life that I got a better score on a test than C.  My kids were quick to point out that he was working constantly, studied over the course of two days in between conference calls and changed time zones three times the week before he took his test.

Just to give you a taste, I thought that I would post a few of questions:


What is the maximum distance a load may project backward beyond the rear reflectors without a projection marker being necessary?

For this one there is a number pad.  You have to click on the correct numbers to fill in the answer -- in case you care the answer is 2,5m

You are driving along a tree-lined road.  What must you reckon with?

When a vehicle crosses the centre of a cambered roadway, the vehicle's angle of inclination, also changes.

High vehicles often avoid branches going over the roadway.

The narrow roadway means that it is also impossible to overtake even cyclists when there is oncoming traffic.

If you checked all three, then you got it right.

What is the maximum speed a truck with a permissible total mass of 3.5t and trailer may be driven on the autobahn?

Once again, for this one there is a number pad.  You have to click on the correct numbers to fill in the answer -- in case you were wondering, the answer is 80km/hr

You are traveling at 50 km/h, have reaction time of 1 second and brake normally.  What is the stopping distance according to the rule of thumb?

Again, you have the number pad and must fill in the numbers.  So, how do you figure out the answer?  The formula for reaction time is V/10 times 3 and the formula for braking distance is V/10 times V/10.  If you add the answers to the two formulas together, you have you stopping distance.

50/10 time 3 = 15
50/10 times 50/10 = 25
Add them together 15 + 25 = 40 meters
Your answer is 40 meters