I have a US driver’s license but still failed Vietnam’s driving simulation test

I once held a U.S. driver’s license and had years of experience behind the wheel, yet I still failed Vietnam’s driving simulation test.

My American license had expired, so I could not convert it into a Vietnamese one. I decided to start from scratch, study, practice, and take the driving test again. I also saw it as an opportunity to refresh my understanding of Vietnam’s traffic regulations and get comfortable behind the wheel after years without driving.

Learning to drive in Vietnam was no simple task. The process cost me over VND22 million (US$835), involved 710 kilometers of practice, and required passing two exams: one at the training center and another official licensing test. I chose to take the test in Hau Giang Province, about 200 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, after being told it would allow an earlier schedule. Yet I still had to wait nearly five months for my turn.

The theory section included 600 questions that covered not only car-related knowledge but also general traffic laws applied to motorbikes, trucks, and passenger vehicles. With disciplined study, it was manageable. The driving course and road test were tougher than the ones I had taken in the U.S., but my experience helped me pass.

Then came the simulation test, my real nightmare. Despite years of safe driving without any accidents, I could not understand why I kept failing. The test featured about ten scenarios, each requiring precise timing to press the Space bar to indicate when a potential hazard might occur, sometimes even before the danger appeared. In some cases, I had to press early as a child approached the road; in others, I had to delay even when I saw construction workers ahead.

Each practice software seemed to score differently, and the real test was unlike any of them. At times, I could not spot the hazard at all, only to realize later that « I » was the problem: the simulated car ran red lights, veered into opposite lanes, or rolled downhill, mistakes I would never make in real life.

In the end, I scored near-perfectly on the theory, course, and road tests but failed the simulation.

It was humbling. I had trusted my experience and driving instincts, yet failed because of ten poorly timed Space-bar presses. Now I must take more time off work, travel again to the province, and pay extra for transportation, accommodation, and exam fees, hoping that next time, my timing will finally be right.

Last night, I could not sleep. I felt regret over the time, effort, and money I had spent, and some confusion as well. How could someone with years of safe driving still fail a simulation? Perhaps I simply lack the « virtual reflexes » the test demands.

By Tai Lanh – VnExpress.net – October 17, 2025