A Driver in the House!
Randy feels sixteen again! He passed his Chinese Driver's License examination on the first try.
We wish we would have pursued driver's license when we were still living in Shenzhen. Apparently, you can pay someone to take all the tests for you. That would have been much easier (though much, much more expensive) than what Randy went through. The pay-for-proxy method would have cost us less as Shenzhen residents in the past few years than as Beijing residents.
The physical examination part was easier than expected. They only administered a color-blindness test, but, fortunately for Randy, it was only a red-green color-blindness. He passed. All he then had to worry about was the written test.
Earlier this week he received the English-language study booklet. The test itself is 100 questions, chosen from several hundred listed in the book. The questions on the book are exactly how they could appear on the test. Passing is 90 out of 100. Success comes easiest to those who just memorize the answers, rather than try to understand the laws.
Some of the questions are multiple choice and some are true/false. Most are the kind of which one would expect for a written driver's test anywhere, like minimum speed, stopping distance, and the like. Many, though, are particularly unique to driving in China.
This question is pretty well-known, and one I tweeted while Randy was studying the other night.
As you can see, the answer is B. The bulk of the questions are about regular rules of the road, but there are many under an "etiquette" category that one can't help but enjoy. But then again, maybe our American driver's training could benefit from some of these. Like, somehow, I think 10.20 and 10.24 are related.
One thing that is interesting/frustrating is that the sole purpose of the English-language manual provided to Randy is to give him the answers to pass the test. It has nothing to do with assuring he understands the rules to the road. Absolutely he can learn something about which lane can turn when in China from the multiple choice questions. However, the true/false questions are much less instructive.
The booklet tells you that the correct answer on the test is false. However, there is nothing in the English language material that tells him what this sign actually means. He can ask around, but for the purpose of getting his license, it doesn't matter.
Randy was afraid he wouldn't pass, and, in fact, he did achieve the minimum score. He suspected several questions about signs were among those he probably got wrong. I told him that if ever I have to take the test, I will just memorize the answers, as in both of the signs above are "false." That is all I would need to know to pass.
We wish we would have pursued driver's license when we were still living in Shenzhen. Apparently, you can pay someone to take all the tests for you. That would have been much easier (though much, much more expensive) than what Randy went through. The pay-for-proxy method would have cost us less as Shenzhen residents in the past few years than as Beijing residents.
The physical examination part was easier than expected. They only administered a color-blindness test, but, fortunately for Randy, it was only a red-green color-blindness. He passed. All he then had to worry about was the written test.
Earlier this week he received the English-language study booklet. The test itself is 100 questions, chosen from several hundred listed in the book. The questions on the book are exactly how they could appear on the test. Passing is 90 out of 100. Success comes easiest to those who just memorize the answers, rather than try to understand the laws.
Some of the questions are multiple choice and some are true/false. Most are the kind of which one would expect for a written driver's test anywhere, like minimum speed, stopping distance, and the like. Many, though, are particularly unique to driving in China.
This question is pretty well-known, and one I tweeted while Randy was studying the other night.
As you can see, the answer is B. The bulk of the questions are about regular rules of the road, but there are many under an "etiquette" category that one can't help but enjoy. But then again, maybe our American driver's training could benefit from some of these. Like, somehow, I think 10.20 and 10.24 are related.
One thing that is interesting/frustrating is that the sole purpose of the English-language manual provided to Randy is to give him the answers to pass the test. It has nothing to do with assuring he understands the rules to the road. Absolutely he can learn something about which lane can turn when in China from the multiple choice questions. However, the true/false questions are much less instructive.
The booklet tells you that the correct answer on the test is false. However, there is nothing in the English language material that tells him what this sign actually means. He can ask around, but for the purpose of getting his license, it doesn't matter.
Randy was afraid he wouldn't pass, and, in fact, he did achieve the minimum score. He suspected several questions about signs were among those he probably got wrong. I told him that if ever I have to take the test, I will just memorize the answers, as in both of the signs above are "false." That is all I would need to know to pass.
Comments
The explanation is right under the picture.
"Stop to give way"
A less Chinglish version of that is its the Yield sign.
What with 让 meaning yield and all!.
Grumble, moan etc.
PS, all the Shanghai Q&A's are over here http://liurl.cn/2i3
Lawrence / http://www.iwantone.cn
Image of it here -
http://www.computersolutions.cn/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/e8838ce99da2.jpg
让 = rànɡ
1.to yield; to give way to
Pretty much all the answers are common sense, except for a couple which are dumb - like driving through a flashing yellow (instead of slowing down and stopping).
Anyway, other than that complaint, nice blog!
Got here via Adam / Twitter