After more than a month of studying, UF student Luis Hernandez failed the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles written test — twice.
“It’s very difficult because it’s long and there (are) so many questions, especially with the time limit,” said Hernandez, a 23-year-old student at UF’s English Language Institute who moved to Gainesville from Venezuela in October.
Florida unveiled a new written test for applicants in June 2014, and the DMV imposed a 60-minute time limit on the revamped 50-question test on Jan. 5. Since then, the DMV has seen more failures than normal, said Brittany McQuaig, a public information specialist for the Alachua County Tax Collector’s office.
“We have seen people coming in and out of the office, and from that we’ve seen an increase in the overall failure rate,” she said.
McQuaig said she believes the new test makes applicants think practically rather than memorize traffic signs.
“One of the biggest changes is that the questions are scenario-based,” she said, “whereas before the handbook could be memorized for facts.”
Hernandez, who has enrolled at Santa Fe College for the upcoming summer, believes the written test is complicated and could confuse drivers.
Combined with the time limit, he said it creates an obstacle for those taking the test.
“It’s a very short period of time, and I feel very rushed to finish the questions,” he said.
McQuaig attributes the new time period on the written exam to limited resources in Alachua County as well as the sheer number of applicants the DMV works with daily.
“We have about two testing stations per office, so that’s six for the entire county,” she said. “We think that the reason for the time limit is to regulate, to make sure that someone wouldn’t be sitting out there for four hours.”
Hernandez, who paid $16.25 in administrative and state fees for retaking the test, continues to drive without a locally issued license.
“I’m driving with my native country’s license because I failed the test two times,” he said. “I need to drive and to do certain things, and I can drive with that license.”
McQuaig said she hopes that applicants utilize the tax collector’s online website for resources in studying for the written exam.
“(The test) is definitely more difficult,” she said. “We encourage students to study as much as they can before coming into our office. We want new drivers out there, but it’s a great responsibility, which is why they need to study the rules of the road.”
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 2/3/2015 under the headline “Time limit causing applicants to speed through permit test"]
