Yes, they are really that far apart. If you pass the rest of the test, you can drive straight through them and still get your endorsement. The key to getting through the cones is to look ahead. Don't look at the current cone you are going around, look at the one ahead of it and then look at the one ahead of that one as you approach the one you are about to go around. Once you figure out what the hell I'm talking about it will click and you will have no problems with the cones. Same goes for the u-turn (which is the same thing as the figure 8 by the way only it's two u-turns). Look to where you're going, not where you are at.