AartoLegal

Are Learner drivers asked Learner’s Licence test questions outside the Rules of the Road?

Earlier today the Arrive Alive website received the following email:

Good morning.

I wrote my learners yesterday at Akasia on the new electronic learners system. I need some clarity on some of the questions asked.

1. These questions does not appear in any of the K53 learners manuals.

2. Is it leagal to ask questions that are not in any manuals.

The questions were.

1. If you drive a motorcycle of 900cc what is the maximum height that the handle bars may be above the seat.

2. If you drive a motorcycle of 125cc what is the maximum width that the handle bars may be.

3. Where must a silencer of a motor vehicle be?

I do understand that these questions is very important but would like to know where they are taken from in order to study the material for the re test.

We referred this to the specialist on the K53 Gavin Hoole who confirmed that this is unfortunately not a separate incident. We would like to quote from his website:

Complaints About Learner’s Licence Test Questions | K53

There are some complaints doing the rounds regarding Learner’s Licence test questions related to items that are not in the South African Rules of the Road but that seem to have crept into some test papers — according to people who have written the test.

In co-operation with other professional bodies and individuals involved with learner driver teaching and training, we would like to get to the bottom of these complaints. Any help from any party, including test candidates, would be much appreciated.

To kick this off, here is one such complaint. If you have had such a question, please comment as suggested lower down.

Motorcycle specifications questions

A test candidate says he was asked about the handlebars:

height above seat, and
width from grip to grip
and also about the limitations for a 900 cc and 125 cc motorcycle in three separate questions. (He did not specify exactly what the questions were.)

Department of Transport response

“…there is no such question in the learner’s licence test.” [about handlebars]

So, what are the real facts? Who is not speaking accurately? We’ve also heard that this complaint has been voiced to other professional people in the driving licence industry. Is this candidate getting his facts wrong? Has one of the testing stations deviated from the official test?

This candidate did the test at the Akasia testing centre. It was the electronic version of the exam (touch-screen computers).

Other complaints have been about trucks

The same candidate queried a question regarding a cargo extending beyond the rear axle:

Various study materials, he says, state 900 mm; the exam asked 850, 950, and 1050 mm.
Truck and trailer:
Where the reflector tape on the trailer is meant to be – i.e. the sides and rear of the trailer.
Were other reflectors must be.

Comments welcome!

Please leave a comment with as much information as possible about the motorcycle questions mentioned above, and/or any other unexpected questions, including the truck questions mentioned here. e.g.

when you took the test
which testing station
whether touch-screen computer testing, or pencil and paper
any other information you remember, such as the question number

Where to comment

Some options:

Submit a comment right here, on this blog.
Submit it also at the K53 Test Info Facebook Page (be sure to click on the ‘Like’ link at the top of the Facebook page too).

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