Ive got my retest coming up and want to get some opinions on how to negotiate roundabouts … particularly small or very busy ones in rush hour .
I failed my previous test due to hesitation which was partly to do with test nerves, not observing and planning in advance and poor advice from my instructor.
Im not nervous at roundabouts … been driving for 25 years 
Ive spent hours practicing roundabouts and as good as anyone imo but i need to know now the best way not to fail in certain situations like this:
Say im approaching a small busy roundabout with 4 exits going 2nd exit straight ahead , its morning and all the hungover wino drinking single moms are rushing to get to school whilst coming to terms with the fact that the grass wasn’t greener on the other side, they do not see notice me waiting for a blocker to get onto the roundabout
I know as soon as a blocker is passing the only thing they have in mind is to race out and i will slow them down just after it passes … i also know im going to be there all day if i dont take the blocker as i see no large vehicles approaching that could delay them and give me more time.
How will the examiner see this if i take the blocker and some crazy biatch that doesn’t understand my situation has to almost grind to a halt and starts ranting ?
Also what if nobody is indicating and i miss the opportunity to pull out on any roundabout … is this hesitation that could cause a fail ?
My test vehicle is quite sluggish automatic which doesn’t help
I know you probably dont want to hear this but here goes.
Theres no way to guarentee a way to negotiate roundabouts. to be honest,its your donald duck how they go. What one examiner deems a good gap and will mark you for hesitation,another will deem it unsafe,and mark you down if you go for it. Roundabouts are the bane of many a learner,and im guessing a high percentage of fails come from them
When I did my C and C+E I asked for afternoon tests specifically because it avoided rush hour at roundabouts for the very reasons you mentioned.
All you can do is drive like you normally would and hope for the best. Maybe explain to the examiner as you are at said roundabout about how its busy and your looking for a suitable gap. If you then make a meal of it,he might not mark you because he knows you were at least waiting,if you know what I mean.
Thought so.
I practiced a few hours at roundabouts in my area and realised that in rush hour on smaller roundabouts its either wait forever or most likely make a driver slow down.
My instructor said it was a fail if a car slow down . so on my first test i chose to hesitate and wait for a safe gap instead which caused me to fail.
I had no confidence at roundabouts because of this instructor and knowing that potential blockers were idiots that dont indicate.
After the test when i explained this to the Examiner he said he would be ok if they had to slow down.
This really ■■■■■■ me off because i didn’t expect to put all this effort into learning to drive LGV for it to come down to pot luck or failing for wanting to make the safest decision.
Stopping at a roundabout gives you less options so try and keep it moving even if at 2 mph which in turn means a much earlier slower approach especially when you think it might be very busy
Thanks rog thats best approach but what would you do on test if everyone the only options are to wait ages for a large vehicle blocker or go using a car blocker knowing the cars rushing out will have to slow down for you to get a truck out ?
Most dont look left they just see their gap and blast out on smaller islands when its busy.
I might be ok test is at 1pm and most roundabouts are larger.
MuddaTruckka:
Thanks rog thats best approach but what would you do on test if everyone the only options are to wait ages for a large vehicle blocker or go using a car blocker knowing the cars rushing out will have to slow down for you to get a truck out ?
Most dont look left they just see their gap and blast out on smaller islands when its busy.
I might be ok test is at 1pm and most roundabouts are larger.
If you have to wait then wait no matter how long that wait is for
Quite often if the wait is going to be for a VERY long time then the examiner can ok you to pull out and inconvenience other road users by making them slow down - not slam on the brakes
You can also make a comment stating the same but never do the above unless the examiner says do it
Ok thanks that helps .
One more question , if i pass can i drive class c with a pass certificate or do i have to wait for licence to come back ?
This is really more simple than it may seem. There is a basic rule for driving LGV’s. “If you make someone slow down, stop or change course - you’re wrong.”
No-one ever failed a test cos someone didn’t signal.
As ROG said, try and keep it rolling. The auto is a distinct advantage in that you don’t have to start changing gear and steering at the same time. So look on that as the positive it is.
The space will always come but you need to be patient and wait for it. Examiners work to the basic rule above. When you pull out they’ll be checking to see if anyone had to take any action. If they did, you’re wrong. If they didn’t, all is well.
The biggest problem is that folks are convinced they’ll fail for waiting for the correct space. It doesn’t happen. The fail will come more readily for pulling out on someone or, in extreme circumstances, letting perfectly good spaces come and go.
Hope this helps, Pete 
MuddaTruckka:
One more question , if i pass can i drive class c with a pass certificate or do i have to wait for licence to come back ?
You can legally drive on the pass cert but you will be lucky to find any employer who will let you do that as they want to see the actual licence
Thanks ROG. Just realised I missed that bit!
Pete
Some say that providing a bit of commentary on your thought processes might be wise. If you explain to the examiner what you’re looking at, what you’re thinking, and why you’re not going then if they accept your reasoning then they may be less likely to mark you down for hesitation - you aren’t hesitating, you are staying put for [what you believe to be] good reason.
The professional trainers will correct me if I’m wrong on this. I should note that I didn’t do this on my tests, but I passed nevertheless. That doesn’t necessarily make me a better driver than those who fail, merely a luckier one on the day…that’s what a lot of it boils down to unfortunately.
On my CE test I thought I had the blocker. Lifted the clutch to the bite, off with the handbrake, then the bollox zipped round in front of me with nary an orange flashy thing to be seen. I had just crossed the line and I thought that was it. Anyway, reset whilst muttering “Thanks a bloody lot mate!” at which I saw the examiner give a wee smile. So we sat and waited for what seemed a good while before the next opportunity presented itself, pulled of with no drama and carried on as if it hadn’t happened. I ended up passing with two minors and the roundabout wasn’t one of them. I think he saw that the other guy was at fault and as I hadn’t impeded anyone he let it slide. As for waiting, there was no hesitation as the gap was a long time coming. I guess there is a bit of luck with roundabouts as there are times when you’ve got a good view, judge the approach just right, arrive in five, and carry on smoothly through like you meant it. Sometimes, though, you have to stop and wait for the gap. If there’s no gap you’re not hesitating, you’re stopping and waiting, no matter how long it takes. Just be ready when your chance arrives.
It’s worth noting that if a vehicle hasn’t got a signal on then it’s not turning off the roundabout. He is going to come across you, so never go if there’s something from your right with no signal on.
If he then turns off, not your problem. If he keeps coming, that’s what you expected. There should never be a drama.
Pete
Fair play Pete, and it highlighted not to assume that someone directly opposite not indicating is going straight across the roundabout, but if he is turning right should he not be indicating as such?
Yes he should. But he should also signal left to leave the roundabout - and if he hasn’t done that it’s reasonable to assume he’s staying on the roundabout. Always works. No problem.
Pete
There is no doubt, roundabouts are the most tricky part of the course. Why? It’s because the same RB done 10 times is different each time. There are countless possibilities what might happen and it’s impossible to have a plan for each possibility. So what’s the answer.
A trainee needs a plan that works for any and all roundabouts. It’s actually fairly basic.
Approach them all the same way. Speed down early use the momentum that the weight gives you. The key point is probably 10-20 yards before the white line
There are only 2 options. STOP OR GO.
The skill is to be going slowly enough to STOP and in the correct gear to GO whatever the option.
If you follow what I’ve said you will have cracked it.
LGVTrainer:
There are only 2 options. STOP OR GO.
The skill is to be going slowly enough to STOP and in the correct gear to GO whatever the option.
Many get to that point John but its the judging of WHEN to go or not which is the key factor and that is where it can go wrong
I got the same examiner and failed on other issues 
Not sure if i will ever pass now because i disagreed with his decisions and gave him a round of flucks
he gave me a serious fault for something i could only have done differently if i had x-ray vision
Good news for the taxpayer.
Dont hijack another one of my posts please eager beaver