I do believe there is a certain element of luck regarding roundabouts, as for the rest of the test I think a lot of it is down to nerves on the day, I made a few silly mistakes on my test, and in the back of my mind I had convinced myself I had failed, but my instructor told me ‘never throw the towel in’, he was right, never give up buddy, I passed with 4 minors, that was my 4th attempt, keep going dude I’m sure you will do it, good luck for next time 
silvasurfa67:
I do believe there is a certain element of luck regarding roundabouts, as for the rest of the test I think a lot of it is down to nerves on the day, I made a few silly mistakes on my test, and in the back of my mind I had convinced myself I had failed, but my instructor told me ‘never throw the towel in’, he was right, never give up buddy, I passed with 4 minors, that was my 4th attempt, keep going dude I’m sure you will do it, good luck for next time
As a lot of others have said Roundabouts are in the lap of the gods as no car driver biker cyclist etc bothers indicating when using roundabouts. As I have experienced today no one I met today indicated whilst using the numerous roundabouts I used and then wondered why they had to slow down as I had pulled out on some of them, others my mind reading worked but again mind reading is a game of luck. As some have also said you will learn to read the signs or be a bit switched on to manerisms when people are using roundabouts you will never learn them a %100 but at least you may get a fighting chance. On the test front I was a bag of nerves fluffed gear change etc and the examiner said everyone needs a chance and if you don’t get a chance how can you improve so here I am doing international and national work so keep at it practice makes perfect. Try another driving school as you need more time in the truck me thinks so you learn the manerisms of the truck to as they all vary. good luck.
With experience you get to assess what other drivers are likely to do or can do at a roundabout in an instant
That one is deffo going to do that
That one aint gonna do that
This one might do this or that
Hiya… how the hell do you get out of a roundabout safely nowadays…i passed in 71 i went round two roundabouts
on my test one i could have gone the wrong way only the test lorries used it then…its perhaps got lights on it now.
its a bit sad you fai…no did nt pass. none of the roads are up to standard for the amount of traffic now a days…
better luck next time…he UK
iam in Spain at the moment you can go 10 miles and have the duel carridge way to your self… i hating the thought
of driving back in the UK.
John
ROG:
With experience you get to assess what other drivers are likely to do or can do at a roundabout in an instantThat one is deffo going to do that
That one aint gonna do that
This one might do this or that
In the case of the silly idea of priority to traffic approaching on a roundabout realistically you’re going to need to be able to make a guaranteed decision on the approach well before reaching the line that either allows you to maintain momentum and keep moving or stop.Bearing in mind the vagaries of average road users in most cases that decision won’t be as easy or clear cut as those three choices.
Therefore the result being more likely to be the latter.In which case,bearing in mind the combination of length and slow acceleration of an artic and the typical situation of an inbalance in traffic flows,between different entry points, often resulting in an almost non stop flow of traffic from the right on the roundabout,there is something seriously wrong with the testing regime if drivers are being failed for entering roundabouts from a standstill on the basis of it takes as long as it takes to wait for a suitable gap in the traffic.In just the same way as any other type of give way situation is dealt with.Which is how I dealt with the issue of roundabouts on my tests with no issues concerning ‘making progress’ at all.Although having said that I also threw the idea of brakes to slow gears to go out the window too with no problems either.Which can only mean that the problem is modern day examiners who’ve lost the plot in trying to impose police car driving theory on driving trucks. 
While if it was all about progress then we’d obviously change the system of priorities to either priority on entry.Or even better remove priorities on roundabouts altogether to zip merging applies which is actually what roundabouts were designed to do. 
There should be a courteous priority as well most car/van drivers don’t seam to know what this is (I shall just wait another 5 min’s at this fn T junction for you to sit in the box 
thank god im paid by the second 
PS OP Wear stiletto’s n you’ll pass duhhh
3stepsaheaduk:
Hello all i failed my c+e for the second time today in birmingham this time i made more mistakes then the first time 1st time two minors one serious, today two serious 7 minors i only had 35 mins drivin the truck before test today, last time was my 12 hours training 3 weeks ago, im now thinking of booking a retest somewhere quieter with less traffic with some more training but going to have to learn more routes and different truck etc what do you think? If anyone thinks its a good idea do you no anywhere quite near the midlands cheers
I would have some more lessons, sounds like your not ready because when your running with 44 tonne the truck is a lot more tricky, so you must approach roundabouts with good skills, example, break very early so you are in full control, you need to approach correctly depending on size of roundabout ie, block the inside lane on some to stop the idiots flying down your inner playing Russian roulette, make sure your in correct gear. from what you are saying it seams to be roundabouts are your problem, tell the trainer to keep you on roundabouts for a day, but anyhow they want you to fail for more lessons change your trainer.
eagerbeaver:
Try order picking.
Roundabouts are tricky, I failed a test on one as my test time was the only one available…3.30pm on a Friday in Shrewsbury, wonderful, just in time for the school run. Needless to say there was a small roundabout with an endless flow of traffic, after what felt like 10mins I figured I needed to go as i’d be done for hesitation. It was clear and I went, a car come round the corner on the exit to my right and then onto the roundabout as I was mid way going onto it and i failed for it, from my POV that car didn’t even exist when I started pulling onto the roundabout, it was on another road out of sight.
When you pass and you enter the real world you’ll soon realise that sometimes you have to hold people up because otherwise you’d never get anywhere, it’s not often but some roundabouts at times of the day are almost impossible in a fully loaded artic. A good example is one in Chesterfield off the A61 near the travelodge, at a busy time of day if you are coming out of the industrial area exit, it is a good hill coming onto the roundabout and the flow from the right is non stop and people from the A61 are doing about 40-50mph and nobody indicates, try getting a fully loaded artic onto that without the potential for someone having to brake is laughable, in the real world you wait for a biggish gap and then go, screw anyone who’s flying around it at 50mph with no indicators, they get what they deserve, a short wait. Unfortunately this doesn’t help your test, try a quieter area if you keep getting rush hour tests, I ended up re-testing at Swynnerton and it was a lot easier than Featherstone.
3stepsaheaduk:
Hello all i failed my c+e for the second time today in birmingham this time i made more mistakes then the first time 1st time two minors one serious, today two serious 7 minors i only had 35 mins drivin the truck before test today, last time was my 12 hours training 3 weeks ago, im now thinking of booking a retest somewhere quieter with less traffic with somemore training but going to have to learn more routes and different truck etc what do you think? If anyone thinks its a good idea do you no anywhere quite near the midlands cheers
That’s a daft idea. Then you’ll have to learn a new city (they are all busy btw) and a new vehicle. My advice is try and turn the busy traffic into a positive. The busier it is the less driving you do so the less chance of making a mistake. And take your time. You might get a minor for hesitation but that’s better than a serious for clipping a curb, failing to signal, or cutting someone up at a roundabout.
I changed test areas but under different circumstances. I actually knew the new test area better than the first. I only went to the first (Garretts Green) as it was the only slot they had available at the time and my trainer was based in that area. The new test area (Featherstone) has much quieter routes, most of which I’m already familiar with. Got to keep the same truck though.
Changing trucks and learning new routes probably isn’t such a good idea.