By Brad Smith

The French driving test itself is designed for 18-year-olds who have nothing better to do than to study the ridiculous number of rules. The percentage of people who pass it the first time is reportedly something like 30%, so it's obviously not easy for new drivers. For experienced drivers from outside the E.U., the whole procedure is more annoying because (a) they already know how to drive and just need to learn the rules in France, and (b) people from the E.U. don't have to take the French driving test, because all E.U. countries honor each other's licenses. This means that people from the U.K., who have absolutely no clue what the rules are in France and are used to driving on the wrong side of the road do not have to take the French test. And don't get me started on the whole license-for-life thing, regardless of failing skill level or eyesight. What it comes down to is the test is designed to screen out 18-year-olds, not to verify that you, experienced driver from another country, are a safe driver.

Before taking the test myself, many people told me that the practice tests you take continuously while studying are much more difficult than the real test. Well, the test I took was exactly like the practice tests. It required detailed knowledge in many areas and was very difficult. I still cannot fathom why a question asking what color the indicator lights in the dashboard are has the same importance as one asking whether or not you have right-of-way, but they do. My advice is to get information from as many different sources as you can. There are multiple books available, and you can buy / borrow pratice tests on DVD and CD-ROM. Study from them all.

You are allowed 5 incorrect answers to pass. However, as with every driving test in the States, there is a certain number of just plain stupid questions that you just can't get right. If there are 2 really stupid questions per test, you can only make 3 reasonable errors. Discouraging, but Americans do take and pAass the test, so it is doable.

My favorite example of an exceptionally stupid question is this: The question presents a picture of a herd of sheep blocking the road and asks what you should do: slow down, honk, or stop. Now, you are almost never allowed to honk, especially at animals (that's specifically mentioned in the book), so you're left with slow down or stop. Common sense would say that if the road is blocked, you stop. However, the correct answer is to slow down. It sounds like the government is telling you to run into the sheep. But no, says the driving instructor, you mustn't crash into them. So that means stop, then doesn't it? And what is the point of asking this question in the first place? Of what rule are they testing my knowledge anyway? I already know I can't honk at the sheep, but I still get the question wrong because the correct answer is just plain retarded. But as entertaining as it is to discuss these questions, you will not get the officially correct answer changed (no matter how right you are in your argument) and the point is that you will see this type of question in the test. Be prepared for it and don't loose your confidence when you hit one.

Response from a reader: Silly city boy! Anyone who's lived on a farm will tell you that if you stop, the sheep will surround your car. Of course you keep moving.
-- Guilty. I stand corrected.

That said, I still believe it is possible for Americans to pass this test. The key while studying is to learn the road rules PLUS to learn how the test works and what sort of questions they ask. You must learn how to pass the test, not just learn the rules in France. The two are often not related.

I took the test as part of a large group of Americans and the pass rate has consistently been 50%, even after multiple re-tests. Plan for that and do not get discouraged if you don't pass the first time.

GOOD LUCK!