Photo: GoToVan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The ICBC Class 7 road test is the one road test in BC’s graduated licensing program: pass it and you get your novice (N) licence. It takes about 40 minutes, and a driver examiner scores your see-think-do skills, your manoeuvres and your hazard perception, which you show by naming hazards out loud. You can book it after 12 months on your L (9 if you are 25 or older). Here is what the examiner looks for and how to prepare.
Key facts
- Length: about 40 minutes
- Eligible: after at least 12 months as a learner (9 months if 25 or older)
- Recommended practice: at least 60 hours, logged in your driver experience log
- Booking: online at icbc.com/roadtest; booking itself is free
- Cancelling: give 48 hours’ notice or pay a $25 fee (as of November 2026)
- Retest waits: 14 days after a first attempt, 30 days after a second, 60 days after any later attempt
What does the Class 7 road test assess?
1. Pre-trip check
The examiner checks that you know where the controls are, wear your seatbelt, and adjust the seat, mirrors and head restraints.
Set the car up the way ICBC’s handbook (chapter 2) describes, before you start the engine and never while moving:
- Seat: upright, back pressed in, right foot reaching the floor behind the brake with a slight bend in the leg, arms slightly bent on the wheel. Sit at least 25 cm (10 in) from the steering wheel airbag.
- Head restraint: top at least level with the top of your head, and as close to the back of your head as you can get it.
- Seatbelt: snug across the chest and low over the hips, never under the arm or behind the back. It is the law in BC. As the driver, you must make sure passengers under 16 are belted or in the right child seat; passengers 16 and over are responsible for wearing their own belt (Motor Vehicle Act s. 220).
- Mirrors: rear-view to show as much behind as possible; side mirrors set so only a sliver of your own car shows, to shrink the blind spots.
- Controls and warning lights: know the lights, wipers, defroster, hazard lights and parking brake without searching. Airbag, brake or ABS warning lights that stay on need a mechanic, and can also get your road test cancelled.
Before any drive, walk round for a quick pre-trip check: glass clean, lights and signals working, tires with good tread and no cuts or bulges, no fluid patches underneath, and nothing in front of or behind the car. Every few weeks check oil, coolant, washer and brake fluid, belts, hoses and tire pressure (cold, using the figure on the driver’s door sticker, not the tire). A space-saver spare is for short trips at no more than 80 km/h, and cannot be used on the road test.
2. See-think-do skills, all the way through
Observation, hazard perception, speed control, space margins, steering and communication. See see-think-do explained.
3. Hazard perception, out loud
At set points the examiner asks you to name the hazards you see. If English is not your first language and you do not know a word, you may point and say “hazard.” Useful words from ICBC’s list: pedestrian, cyclist, too close, can’t see, blind spot, wet road, pulling out, construction, children.
4. Manoeuvres
Your test may include:
- intersections: straight through, right turn, left turn
- entering traffic, and pulling over and stopping at the side of the road
- backing up
- changing lanes
- parking on a hill and starting on a hill
- angle parking, parallel parking and stall parking (forward and reverse)
- two- and three-point turns
- merging on and off a highway
- general driving: straight roads, hills and curves
What the examiner looks for, manoeuvre by manoeuvre
| Manoeuvre | Show the examiner you can |
|---|---|
| Straight through an intersection | Slow on approach, scan left, centre, right and left again, stop fully and in the right position, leave space behind the car ahead |
| Right turn | Signal well ahead, shoulder check right for cyclists and pedestrians, turn without braking mid-turn, no wide swing or cut corner |
| Left turn | Position correctly, judge the gap, keep the correct lane through the turn |
| Lane change | Mirror, signal, shoulder check, take only a safe gap, centre in the new lane |
| Parallel parking | Choose a suitable space, check all round, stop the right distance from the curb and other cars |
| Hill parking | Turn the wheels correctly, secure the vehicle, pull away smoothly |
| Reverse stall parking | 360-degree vision check, back in smoothly, judge position |
| Highway entry and exit | Speed up in the acceleration lane (within the limit), slow in the exit lane |
| Backing up | Turn to look behind, glance forward when needed, steady control |
Common reasons drivers fail, according to ICBC examiners
- Speeding through school and playground zones, which ICBC names as a common reason for failing
- Rolling stops or stopping in the wrong position at stop signs
- Missing the right shoulder check before a right turn
- Skipping mirror, signal and shoulder check on lane or direction changes
- Following too closely
- Not scanning an intersection on a green light
- Keeping up with speeding traffic instead of the posted limit
Your vehicle: common reasons ICBC refuses it
You supply the car. ICBC may cancel the test if the vehicle has:
- brake, signal or headlights not working, or badly cracked lenses
- a cracked windshield or illegal tint (no aftermarket tint on the windshield or front side windows)
- a horn that does not work
- missing plates, insurance or registration (BC passenger cars need front and rear plates)
- faulty or frayed seatbelts
- unsafe tires, or a temporary spare
- airbag, brake or ABS warning lights on
- doors or windows that do not work from inside and outside
- a faulty or very loud exhaust
- unsafe modifications, such as a racing steering wheel or a heavily lowered or raised body
- a fuel gauge or charge near empty
The interior must be clean and scent-free. Check the vehicle for outstanding safety recalls. In a car-share vehicle where you are not the named member, bring an original signed letter on company letterhead for each attempt.
Rules on the day
- Bring one primary and one secondary ID, your current licence, vehicle registration and insurance, the plate number, and payment for the test and licence fees.
- Only you and the examiner in the car: no translators, children or pets (guide and service dogs excepted).
- No audio or video recording devices; using one can cancel your test.
- Turn off GPS and navigation. Turn off driver assistance features if possible; ask the examiner if unsure.
- The examiner stays quiet apart from directions, will not try to trick you and will not ask you to do anything illegal. Ask if a direction is unclear.
A four-week plan before the test
- Week 1: work through Tuning Up for Drivers with your supervisor and fill gaps in your 60 hours.
- Week 2: practise every manoeuvre on the list above, especially parallel parking and hill parking.
- Week 3: drive in rain, at night and in heavy traffic. Name hazards out loud on every drive.
- Week 4: drive routes near the test office, focusing on school zones, stop positions and shoulder checks.
Common questions
How long is the ICBC Class 7 road test?
About 40 minutes.
Can I use my backup camera on the road test?
ICBC asks you to turn off driver assistance features where possible and to ask the examiner what you can use. ICBC’s handbook says cameras and blind spot detectors do not replace shoulder checks, so look over your shoulder whatever the car has.
How soon can I retake the Class 7 road test?
14 days after a first attempt, 30 days after a second and 60 days for any later attempt.
Can my parent ride along?
No. Only the examiner and the driver may be in the vehicle.
Do I get feedback if I fail?
Yes. The examiner discusses your result and you get a road test form with feedback. Review it before you rebook.
Is there still a Class 5 road test after this?
No. Since 19 October 2026 the Driving Record Assessment replaced it. See BC drops the Class 5 road test.
Do third-party booking sites work?
ICBC says third-party sites that charge a fee or collect your information are not affiliated with it. Booking a road test is free.
Back to the full guide: Learning to drive in BC. Related: BC learner licence rules, BC N licence rules, ICBC-approved driving courses.
Sources
- ICBC, “Learn to Drive Smart, chapter 9: Your licence” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Learn to Drive Smart, chapter 2: You and your vehicle” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Tuning Up for Drivers” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Prepare for your road test appointment” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Graduated licensing” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Learn to Drive Smart, chapter 5: See-think-do” (icbc.com)
- Province of British Columbia, Motor Vehicle Act, section 220 (bclaws.gov.bc.ca)