Helping A Friend Pass The Driver's Written Test In Cm

[vagabond48]

A Chinese friend who moved to CM and wants to get a motorcycle driver's license. He has never gotten a license before. He went down to the drivers license section on Hang Dong road and took the 2 hour training class which of course was in Thai. He chose to take the test in Chinese and failed twice. He said the Chinese translation was difficult to understand. He also speaks and reads English fairly well but his vocabulary may be lacking some of the words used in the test. They allowed him to came back to take the test in English. Before taking the official test again, he practiced on the e learning computer station. It asks 30 questions and he was able to pass this practice test twice. Unfortunately, when he took the English official written test, he failed it twice again. The people at the department were understanding and pretty helpful and said he could come back and take the test for the 3rd time.

I know when I took the test 6 months ago, some of the questions were confusing or misleading based on the English translation and I failed it the 1st time and passed it on the 2nd try.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to help my friend? Would they allow me to sit next to him to help explain the questions? The guy is pretty intelligent and has a university degree which he got abroad.

[elektrified]

I don't think they would let you help him. I know it is a completely different situation, but about a month ago a Ukrainian guy in Pattaya was arrested for taking the written test for another Ukrainian guy. I'm not in any way suggesting you would do that vagabond48... Just a FYI

Edited December 29, 2012 by elektrified

[hellodolly]

When he got his university degree was he allowed to have some one sit with him and help with it?

[ramrod711]

Tell him to include 1,000 baht with his test, he'll do very well.

[vagabond48]

I read on another thread that a similar situation occurred in Pattaya and the applicant was allowed to have help in translating. I was hoping that someone may have heard about a similar situation here in CM. Besides (hello dolly) TIT, n'est ce pas?

[FrisoPee]

Think that's a no go... Maybe the best thing to do is just to take the test as many times in one language as possible. Just keep on telling them you don't understand. The variation of questions is not too much so I guess that after 4 tests, there is no way you can fail again since you can see what you did wrong on the other 4, and even better: what you needed to answer to get it right. After doing a couple of tests you will know pretty much all the right answers because they simply gave them to you.

Think that will work, but correct me if i am wrong.

[mamborobert]

At the risk of incurring the eternal wrath of some posters......

Maybe, just maybe he should study more for the test.

Maybe, just maybe, if he can't pass the test he should not get a license.

There are more than enough bad (licensed and unlicensed) drivers on the road.

I would hate to be in a position where I "helped" someone pass a test and then they ended up scrambled eggs on the concrete, or worse scrambled someone else.

Perhaps study with a driving school and they may be able to assist/navigate through the test, many I would presume, have "business relations" with the licensing authority.

The roads can be dangerous enough as it is.....why add to it, for others and for your friend. Assist him and let him pass the test with a degree of confidence rather than slip/slide through.

[FrisoPee]

At the risk of incurring the eternal wrath of some posters......

Maybe, just maybe he should study more for the test.

Maybe, just maybe, if he can't pass the test he should not get a license.

There are more than enough bad (licensed and unlicensed) drivers on the road.

I would hate to be in a position where I "helped" someone pass a test and then they ended up scrambled eggs on the concrete, or worse scrambled someone else.

Perhaps study with a driving school and they may be able to assist/navigate through the test, many I would presume, have "business relations" with the licensing authority.

The roads can be dangerous enough as it is.....why add to it, for others and for your friend. Assist him and let him pass the test with a degree of confidence rather than slip/slide through.

I see your point. But understand that even for people that know a fair amount of English language do struggle with the crazy translations and weird questions stated in that exam.. I can imagine that being poor in reading will result in major difficulties. It's not that if you can't read in English, you can't drive.

[transam]

At the risk of incurring the eternal wrath of some posters......

Maybe, just maybe he should study more for the test.

Maybe, just maybe, if he can't pass the test he should not get a license.

There are more than enough bad (licensed and unlicensed) drivers on the road.

I would hate to be in a position where I "helped" someone pass a test and then they ended up scrambled eggs on the concrete, or worse scrambled someone else.

Perhaps study with a driving school and they may be able to assist/navigate through the test, many I would presume, have "business relations" with the licensing authority.

The roads can be dangerous enough as it is.....why add to it, for others and for your friend. Assist him and let him pass the test with a degree of confidence rather than slip/slide through.

Their translations are crap, end of story. I must add, l don't think l have EVER seen a Thai drive correctly after going through the test stuff and passing. It's all a sham.

[mamborobert]

True enough it is a sham....

Also agreed English translations are crap but people can stumble through on basic common sense if they have some skill in driving. Driving here without having the ability to stumble through this test after a few attempts is not (IMHO) just an English language/translation issue. Perhaps the guy genuinely needs constructive help rather than just how to pass the test.

I worry for the safety on who cannot pass the sham.

[FrisoPee]

True enough it is a sham....

Also agreed English translations are crap but people can stumble through on basic common sense if they have some skill in driving. Driving here without having the ability to stumble through this test after a few attempts is not (IMHO) just an English language/translation issue. Perhaps the guy genuinely needs constructive help rather than just how to pass the test.

I worry for the safety on who cannot pass the sham.

True story..

[Beetlejuice]

Will your Chinese friend be returning to China on a regular basis?

If so, he could take the test in China and apply for a Chinese International driving license, which is valid up to one year in Thailand.

Otherwise, he is caught up in a catch 22 situation and I cannot see anyway around the problem.

[Happyman108]

Go back and get his Chinese driving license and convert it to Thai license is easier......I just got my motosai license converted few days ago in hangdong, so fast and easy done within 15 mins.