Do you need to Pass Your ICBC Road Test or DMV Road Test?
ICBC Road Test Tips for all drivers. Warning: This is Long. This may as well be called ‘tips for driving well’ since the road test is basically an assessment.
It supposedly determines your ability to drive alone in the big bad world. But epic road test tips sounds pretty accurate too. And I can not count the number of times I’ve gone to the road test with student drivers I had trained.
Maybe it’s your ICBC Road Test Class 7 You’re Preparing For
Or Your ICBC Road Test Class 5
You have come to the right place for some excellent tips to help you prepare. The road test is an exciting, necessary, and terrifying rite of passage (or something like that).
1. ICBC Road Test: Make Sure Your Vehicle Is Ready
Before the road test, the examiner will check some items on your vehicle. It’s worth it to take a few moments and check it out yourself well before the road test in case something needs attention.
Here are some common reasons why ICBC cancels a road test due to vehicle condition:
Gas or fuel gauge on empty
Illegal or unsafe vehicle modifications
Broken or cracked tail lights
Signal lights or headlights not working
Horn not working
Seat belts not working, or frayed
Faulty exhaust
Doors or windows not functioning properly
Unsafe tires
Cracked windshield
Illegally tinted windshield
Lack of insurance – expired or not valid
If there is a problem with your vehicle and it is not feasible to have it fixed before your road test date, consider:
Calling a local driving school to see about renting their vehicle for your test
Borrow a friend’s car if possible
You must show up with a car to your test and you may use any car that you have permission (and insurance) to drive.
Be aware some people have company vehicles/policies and insurance only for drivers who have been driving for 10 years or more.
2. ICBC Road Test: How to Automatically Fail
You will not pass your road test ICBC if you do anything illegal
Another driver has to do evasive action in order to avoid you
You hit the wrong pedal and accidentally drive onto the sidewalk
3. Worrying About Being Perfect on Your ICBC Road Test? Worrying about Parking on the test? Don’t!
You don’t need to be perfect to pass your road test. No one drives perfectly all the time, not even driving instructors. We are all human.
You can make some mistakes but it shouldn’t be the same mistake over and over; the examiner will then notice a pattern that needs to be corrected.
Most people seem to be very worried about their parking ability (or lack of). If you’re stressing more about the parking than about other things, stop right now!
You should know how to park, but you don’t have to be a pro at it.
You’re allowed to make corrections. You can fix it/readjust it if it doesn’t work the first time, or the second time.
Examiners on the road test ICBC are not timing you. They’re not going to get out at the end and measure it to make sure the vehicle is exactly between the lines and perfectly straight. Although, of course, it’s a nice bonus if your passengers can actually get out of the car after you’re done parking
Perfection on the Road Test And Safety Are Two Very Different Things
Being Safe is more important than being perfect on your iCBC road test, and in real life
It’s more important that you have good observation skills when parking and you’re looking in the correct direction when reversing.
When you drive forwards, you look forwards, right? So, when you drive backwards, you must look backwards.
And no, this does not mean looking in your mirror.
If your car is a bit crooked when you’re done parking, that’s not actually going to hurt anybody.
Becoming good at parking can take many years of experience.Examiners do not expect new drivers to be perfect: they expect you to be safe, and legal. True story!
4. Driving At Intersections Properly – to Pass Your ICBC Road Test
Here are some common mistakes I’ve seen people make on the ICBC Road Test & some tips
When You’re Stopping at Stop Signs
5. Not Completely stopping At The Stop sign
Also Known As The California Stop Or Rolling Stop
You don’t have to stop, take out your stopwatch and count to 10 seconds or anything like that. But, do make sure that you indeed fully & completely stopped moving! You know what I mean?
A lot of drivers don’t completely stop their vehicle. They just kind of, sort of, slow down type of thing; try to avoid this bad habit.
Many student drivers hear “you can turn right on a red light.”
But some don’t realize that you must stop first. If you just slow down and turn without actually stopping, it’s illegal, like this:
This is because if your light is red, it means someone else has a green light. It’s your job to figure out who that is and to yield to them first before you turn.
If you do turn without stopping, it will be an automatic fail because red means stop; so if you don’t, technically you broke the law, and they just can’t pass people in that case.
Keep reading to learn more about how to pass your road test in British Columbia Canada
read more about turning right on a red & green light
Especially on the highway/freeway where drivers have a tendency to speed.
I don’t really like how strict examiners can be sometimes.I would rather you not have to feel so paranoid. However, knowing the speed limit of course is a must.
If you have sufficient experience, you should be able to tell what 50 km/hr feels like without looking.
You must show the examiner that you know what the speed limit is. Show that you are willing to accept and obey it regardless of the behavior of other traffic.
Even if you know there’s nothing there, you must still shoulder check anyway. This gets you into an automatic habit of checking. It may one day save you from a collision.
These checks are to ensure there are no humans in the blind spot. Vehicles, pedestrians, motorcycles, or cyclists, or any other road user, could be ‘hiding’ in this area before you turn.
Even if you are 99% sure there is nothing there, you must still check. Show the examiner that you are actively looking for road users who may be in the blind spot.
Do not stop for no reason! Good reasons to stop would be stop signs, pedestrians, red lights, etc. If you’re stopping, you better let me know WHY!!
Just like anything else in life. Do you know WHY you’re doing it? *Oh man shit just got real*
9. You Must Use Your Parking Brake on the ICBC Road Test
Believe it or not, some people do not pass their road test British Columbia Canada because of this reason!
Use the parking brakeevery time you park.
Try not to be so nervous that you drive down the road for a while with the parking brake on! This seems to happen sometimes.
Many people don’t use the parking brake. You should use it because sometimes mechanical failure can occur. The transmission can slip into neutral, and the car may start rolling away by itself.
If you’ve used the parking brake, it will act as a backup plan.
Keep in mind, transmissions are meant for changing gears, not holding thousands of pounds in place on hills.
Parking brakes are connected to brake cables usually on the rear tires. Their whole purpose in life is to hold your vehicle in place.
When hill parking, you do not have to ensure the tire actually touches the curb. You should turn the wheels the appropriate direction; and do not just turn the wheel a bit; it should be turned all the way.
I know this is a tough one, but you have to try & avoid being too cautious. Some people do not pass their ICBC road test, British Columbia Canada because of this.
Examiners want to see a confident and competent driver. They don’t want to see a bag of nerves. Driving 20 km/hr under the speed limit and slowing down for no reason at every intersection isn’t good. (Don’t worry. We’ve all been there).
Of course, people are nervous on road tests and examiners know this.
Just try not to be so nervous that you stop where you’re not supposed to. Or, drive way too slowly, or do strange things that you wouldn’t otherwise do.
Remember to breathe; this helps a lot. Also remember, it’s just a road test. I know that sounds weird, but it really is just a road test.
10. Adjust Your Driving For The Conditions on Your ICBC Road Test, Road Test BC, Alberta road test, Just As You Would in Real Life
Drive for conditions: Slow down in the snow, for example. Or any other time conditions are not ideal. (yes you could be failed for driving too fast for conditions).
Sometimes pedestrians are unpredictable and cross where they aren’t supposed to.
If you aren’t sure what to do, try to think of what the safest option is. Keep in mind you should be keeping track of what’s behind you. We don’t want any slamming on the brake if there’s a semi-truck following too closely behind.
Issues With Poorly-Behaved Pedestrians on Your ICBC Road Test
Say you’re turning left at a traffic light and you’re waiting in the intersection because there’s a lot of traffic. Then the light goes yellow. You start to turn, but you see there’s a pedestrian starting to walk across the road where he shouldn’t.
In this case, you should start to exit the intersection and honk at the pedestrian. ‘ASK‘ him to hurry up and get out of the way.
However, if the light is yellow/red by that point, that pedestrian has no right to be there. And while you can’t run him over, you should be starting to leave the intersection and alerting him.
12. Steering Wheel, Hands On The Wheel During Your ICBC Road Test
Steering Issues
One hand on the wheel is not okay (not considered safe).
‘Hooking’ or ‘palming‘ the wheel are not okay (not considered safe nor good control).
Improper use of the steering wheel when turning can fail you, even if everything else is perfect.
*Note: ICBC driver examiners do not care if you dry steer on the road test. However, if you do this habitually, your power steering components may wear prematurely. You might end up with costly repair bills.
Use hand over hand, or shuffle steering. Either one – or a combination of both – is fine; the most important thing is that you are controlling the vehicle.
You must use two hands on the wheel at all times. The only exception being when you are reversing in a straight line.
If you’re driving standard, put your hand back on the wheel once you’re done shifting gears. Every. Single. Time.
I have received a lot of questions regarding if you can take your hand off for a moment to scratch something. Or, perhaps to move your hair out of your eyes. 👀Good news –> YES, you are allowed to be human!
The funny thing is, the examiner will sometimes/usually allow you to complete your illegal turn against this sign. That is an automatic fail.
If you have these issues, you may need more practice/experience.
Observation issues are very common among learners. Learning to drive can be totally overwhelming. It just takes some experience.
14. Turning Problems : Turning Wide, Cutting The Corner, Sloppy, etc. Nice Turns to Pass Your Driving Test in Canada
Improper turning simply comes from a lack of training, or insufficient practice. Cutting corners on left turns or turning wide on right turns, or both.
Right-of-way confusion is a thing that most new drivers struggle with at some point or another. It’s about understanding – with confidence – which cars you have to wait for in different situations.
Some people do not pass their road test British Columbia Canada because of this foundational, but very important understanding.
Did you know that you’re supposed to stop completely before exiting a parking lot, lane, & back alley; even if you can see nothing there? Simply stop and treat as you would any other stop sign.
This may cover the part where you leave the parking lot at the beginning of the road test.
17. Scanning With Your Eyes, Especially At Intersections on Your Road Test
Don’t just go through intersections without looking.
Don’t make the foolish assumption that stop signs can stop cars. Or that red lights can stop cars. That is exactly how people get into trouble.
Scanning : Make It Obvious for the Road Test Examiner
Make it obvious on the road test that you are doing a good scan.
Turn your head and take a good look in each direction.
Is it actually safe to go?
Don’t just use the corner of your eyes. From the examiner’s point of view, it might seem like you aren’t looking at all.
18. Driving Over Train Tracks
If you’re going past some train tracks, even if they don’t have any stop sign or lights, scan before proceeding.
There probably isn’t one coming, but if you fight with one, you will lose.
Is Your Lane Change in Canada Legal? Are You Sure?
Illegal lane changing is surprisingly easy to do. It’s illegal to lane change over a solid white line and while it’s not technically illegal tochange lanes in an intersection…It is definitely frowned upon and likely dangerous.
19. Merging Onto The Freeway
You’re allowed to speed up to the freeway speed limit when you are driving on the acceleration ramp. This is the ramp that leads onto the freeway.
When your car passes the sign that basically says ‘If your vehicle can not do 60 km/hr, stay off the freeway,’ then that is considered the freeway ramp. This ramp does not actually have a speed limit. (Don’t get any ideas though! 👀)
Just make sure you aren’t speeding up too early while you’re still in the 50 km/hr zone.
Match the flow of the traffic, but do not go faster than the speed limit.
In other words, don’t merge at 60 km/hr in a 90 zone unless you have a good reason. (This would be covered above where it basically says Do not drive like a Granny )
Also, when you leave the freeway, generally you should not slow down while you’re still on it.
Wait until your vehicle is completely and positively off the freeway, and on the exit ramp, before you slow down. This way, vehicles behind aren’t forced to slow down if they aren’t leaving. We are Canadians… after all. 🍁
Technically, these exit ramps do not have a speed limit either. The yellow exit speed sign you see – since it’s a yellow road sign – is a suggestion/recommendation. It’s a good idea to follow these. But, you don’t have to slam on the brakes. Slow down gradually.
20. ICBC Road Test: Dealing With Emergency Vehicles
Read Up On How To Deal With Emergency Vehicles – It’s A Bit Hard For New Drivers To Practice This🚒
I have seen people fail road tests that would have otherwise been perfect because they panicked. They didn’t act accordingly when an emergency vehicle was approaching.
New drivers don’t have much experience with this and it is a strange skill to expect anyone to practice. Just be sure to read up on it as much as you can and be aware of your surroundings. Just do your best.
This might sound funny but an important part of it is simply noticing the emergency vehicle. If it’s obvious you’re oblivious, this is a problem.
21. Proper Left Turns at Traffic lights – Leaving the Intersection
Exiting the intersection (making your turn) when you’re turning left is somewhat of a fine art. You do not want to leave the intersection until it’s safe, but once it is, you don’t want to hang around for any longer than that.
22. Shoulder Check Before Opening Your Door
Make sure to shoulder check (left) before you open your door.
You are looking for pedestrians and cyclists – and anything else – of course!
There is a lot of info on this website. Use the Search Function if you’re looking for something specific.
26. Practice Driving
Practice driving (duh?) If you’re having issues, get some lessons – or some kind of fresh perspective – if you can.
Quality and Quantity of Practice
Many drivers memorize a route and then going on autopilot. This doesn’t help anyone learn, because it is all about learning the necessary skills so that you can drive anywhere, especially unfamiliar areas, with confidence and with ease.
One of the worst things you can do (aside from not practicing at all) is to drive the same roads all the time.
Go the long way home, challenge yourself, and get lost – it may be one of the best things you can do to improve your driving.
The Chances of Passing ICBC Road Test
*** About 50% of people who go for the Class 7 road test (‘L’ drivers hoping to pass the road test to get their ‘N’) actually pass the test.
Getting an assessment driving lesson from an experienced instructor at a reputable driving school before going is highly recommended.***
Examiners Don’t Trick You
Will the examiner try to trick you? No, they don’t.
What I mean is they are not going to ask you to drive the wrong way down a one-way street or to do something illegal or unsafe.
Remember: It’s a test after all, so they are not going to help you either, and they shouldn’t have to.
Their job is not to trick OR to help you, but to ASSESS your skills.
Question: Can you fail your road test for not turning right on a red light?
No, you won’t fail for not turning right on a red light. It’s a red light, after all. It might be good to look around the intersection or to your left.
At least the examiner will know that you’re aware of the possibility, and not a completely clueless, knowledge-less driver.
Here’s some road test tips from ICBC for your driving test in British Columbia, Canada
Question: My Car Has Check Engine Light. Can I Still Take The Road Test?
Well, I don’t know, so I asked ICBC online. I would prefer a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer, but I didn’t get it.
ICBC says: The check engine light may simply indicate that the vehicle is due for routine service rather than indicate an imminent breakdown.
For this reason, we do not automatically disqualify drivers from using a vehicle that is displaying the check engine light. However, you must be certain that your vehicle will not breakdown during the road test, and you will most likely be questioned about it by an examiner.
Did you know you can ‘Tweet’ ICBC and they’ll write back? Here’s what I got:
Q: How Can I Do The ICBC Road Test ASAP?
Question : What is the best way to take your road test as soon as possible? Is it more effective to call in to book your road test?
I have also heard that people go to a testing center early in the morning and if someone does not show up for their test, the person waiting can take the test in their appointment slot. Is this true?
There are many reasons why a slot may become available (the vehicle might have a crack in the windshield or is unsafe, and then the test will not happen for that person… read this) or the person with the scheduled appointment may not be able to do the test for another reason.
I have heard a lot of people say they’ve had good luck with this if they check it often, a slot can potentially become available for the near future as it is always changing and being updated.
People change their mind or their plans a lot, leaving you a chance to swoop in.
Back-Up Camera During Road Test
Question: Can I use the back-up camera in my car during my road test?
If You Fail Your Novice Driver’s Test in BC, What Will Happen?
Failing the ‘N’ Road Test
It’s not the end of the world. You just get your license back so that you can keep practicing and learning. No biggie. Even I failed my first road test.
You won’t have your license taken away just for failing a road test. I believe you have to wait 2 weeks before being able to do the road test again.
*There may be different rules for seniors doing re-exams and for people with licenses from other countries.
If you made it to the bottom of this, let me know what you’re most worried about for the road test in the comments below.
Question: Can I take my B.C. road test using a vehicle with an Alberta license plate?
Yes you can. Or another vehicle with a license plate from another province or state, as long as it is properly licensed and insured.
As per ICBC:
10 most common reasons a vehicle might not be accepted for a road test:
1. Cracked or illegally tinted windshield or windows
2. Dash warning lights (e.g. air bag) that affect the safe operation of the vehicle
3. Seatbelts not working or frayed
4. Brake lights, signal lights or headlights not working or with badly cracked or missing lenses
5. Vehicle not properly licensed or insured
6. Unsafe or illegal vehicle modifications
7. Horn not working
8. Unsafe tires
9. Doors or windows not operating (e.g. doors don’t open from inside)
Carmen became a driving instructor at the age of 22 in North Vancouver, Canada. She enjoys writing as much as driving, and hopes you have found this website helpful.
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