Booking your tests

By the end of this topic you can

• You can identify who runs knowledge and road tests in your province.
• You can work out when you are eligible to book your road test.
• You can follow the cancellation rules to avoid losing your fee.
• You can gather the documents you need for test day.
• You can travel to a road test legally on a learner's licence.

What you need to know and understand

• Ontario road tests are booked through DriveTest, online, by phone or in person, and the fee is prepaid.
• In Ontario you must cancel at least 48 hours before the test or lose the prepaid road test fee, except in some extenuating circumstances.
• ICBC road tests can be booked online; cancelling with less than 48 hours' notice costs a $25 fee.
• Alberta road tests are booked through a registry agent or the Alberta Road Test Scheduler, using your MVID number.
• The minimum learner period before a road test is usually 9 to 12 months, and some provinces shorten it with approved driver education or for older learners.
• A learner still needs a supervising driver to drive to the test centre.
• Your booking confirmation lists what your test centre requires; read it again the day before.

Who books your test

• Ontario: DriveTest centres, with fees prepaid when you book. The ministry and DriveTest do not charge a fee just to book.
• British Columbia: ICBC, which takes road test bookings online.
• Alberta: private registry agents, each of which sets its own road test fee. Outstanding provincial fines must be paid before booking.
• Quebec: the SAAQ, booked through its SAAQclic online services, after the required driving course and time on your learner's licence. Give at least 48 hours' notice to cancel or a fee applies.
• Saskatchewan: SGI. Manitoba: Manitoba Public Insurance.
• Atlantic provinces and the territories: the provincial or territorial motor vehicle office.

When you can book

Your earliest road test date depends on the time you have held your learner's licence. In Ontario, the G2 road test is available after 12 months on a G1, or 8 months with an approved driver education course. In BC, the Class 7 road test is after 12 months on an L, or 9 months if you are 25 or older. In Alberta and Quebec, you need at least 12 months on your learner's licence, and in Saskatchewan and Manitoba graduated licensing learners need at least nine months. Waiting lists can be long in busy areas, so plan ahead and consider other test centres.

Practise until you are ready rather than booking the first date you can. A failed test costs money and time.

What to bring and how to arrive

1. Your valid learner's licence, plus any extra ID your province lists.
2. Your booking confirmation or receipt, and any certificates required, such as proof of driver education where it counts.
3. A road-legal vehicle with valid registration and insurance documents inside.
4. Glasses or contact lenses if your licence requires them.
5. A supervising driver to bring you there legally and take you home if you do not pass.
6. Arrive early; Ontario suggests 30 minutes and Manitoba asks you to check in 15 minutes early.

Common mistakes

• Cancelling the day before. In Ontario, BC and Quebec, give at least 48 hours' notice.
• Paying someone to book a test for you. Ontario warns there is no fee just to book.
• Driving to the test centre alone on a learner's licence. Bring your supervising driver.
• Bringing a car with expired insurance papers. Check dates the night before.
• Arriving late. Late arrival can count as a missed test.

Test yourself: Booking your tests

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.