Indiana Driving Test: BMV Skills Exam Explained

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The Indiana road skills test (the BMV driving skills exam) is the last step to your probationary license. You can take it at a BMV branch by appointment or, in many cases, with a participating BMV-licensed driver education school. This guide covers booking, what to bring, the car rules that catch people out, what the examiner checks and the retest wait.

Key facts (as of November 2026)

Book through your myBMV account or by calling 888-692-6841, at least 48 hours and no more than 3 weeks ahead.
Arrive at least 15 minutes before your appointment.
Bring your permit, your completed supervised driving log and driver education proof if you took it.
You supply the car. Driver assistance technology must be switched off.
Backing out of a parking space is always tested. Parallel parking is no longer part of the exam.
Fail, and you wait 7 days to retest. After a third fail on the same permit, you wait two months.
No charge for a skills exam given by the BMV.

Are you eligible for the Indiana skills test?

Before booking, check you have:

held your Indiana learner’s permit for at least 180 days
reached the minimum age: 16 with completed driver education, or 16 years and 270 days without it
finished 50 hours of supervised driving, including 10 at night, on the log

These steps are explained in learning to drive in Indiana and Indiana driver education and the 50-hour log.

BMV branch or driving school: where to take the test

	BMV branch	Licensed driver education school
Who can use it	Anyone eligible	Applicants 16 and over with a valid learner’s permit, at schools that take part in the program
Driver ed needed?	Only if your age route requires it	The 36 hours of driver education only if your age route requires it
How to book	myBMV or 888-692-6841	Contact the school

If your school does not take part, or you failed part of a driver education course, you test at a BMV branch.

What to bring

Your valid Indiana learner’s permit
Your completed Supervised Driving Log
Proof of driver education completion, if you took it
Under 18: a parent or guardian who can sign for financial responsibility
18 or over: a licensed driver to come with you
Your car’s current registration (the car must also be insured)

Only you and the BMV examiner may be in the car during the exam. The examiner asks a few set questions first and scores you on a standard form.

Before you go: check the car for things that get it turned away, such as missing registration, unsafe tires, a missing bumper, broken glass or mirrors, or a door that will not open.

Car requirements: check these the day before

The car must be legally equipped, insured, safe and clean. The BMV can turn it away for problems such as:

brake lights or turn signals that do not work
doors that do not open properly
a cracked windshield

Any driver assistance technology must be turned off for the exam, and the manual adds that interior cameras must be off too. Backup cameras are exempt. If you are not sure how to disable lane-keeping or parking assist, practice switching them off at home.

What the examiner checks

Always tested: backing out of a parking space

This usually happens at the start, when you back out of your parking spot. The examiner watches your mirror use and blind-spot checks while backing, and how you check traffic, signal and enter or leave a space smoothly.

On the road

The manual lists what you are scored on: lane use and signaling before lane changes, following distance, holding your speed while being passed, speed control, defensive habits, following instructions, approaching intersections at the right speed with full stops, and backing correctly out of a parking space. Expect normal driving on the test route: turns, intersections, lane use, signaling, speed control and observation. Practice the habits listed in the Driver’s Manual: full stops, scanning, safe following distances and clear signals.

Mistakes that fail you outright

BMV guidance lists these as automatic failures:

Disobeying a stop, yield, school zone or no-turn-on-red sign, or a traffic signal
Backing over a curb or driving into a parked vehicle
Not following instructions, or not wearing a seat belt
Speeding, or driving too fast for conditions
Not reacting to a hazard
Turning into or using the wrong lane, straddling lanes, or driving left of center
Passing in a no-passing zone or crossing a solid yellow line
Driving too close to pedestrians or bicycles
Not pulling over for emergency vehicles, or not stopping for school buses
Failing to yield, breaking railroad crossing rules, or causing a crash

Smaller errors lower your score and can add up to a fail: not using wipers or the defroster when needed, one hand on the wheel, the wrong gear, missed signals, driving too slowly or stopping for no reason, rolling past a stop line or crosswalk, skipping a blind-spot check, slowing down while changing lanes, reversing too fast, leaving a signal on, and driving too close to the car ahead or to a parked vehicle.

No parallel parking

The BMV says parallel parking is no longer part of the skills exam, although driving schools must still teach it. Learn it anyway: you will need it in town.

Practice plan for the last two weeks

Back out of parking spaces in busy lots, with full mirror and over-the-shoulder checks every time.
Drive routes near the branch at the same time of day as your test.
Have your supervisor call out every rolling stop, missed signal and late mirror check.
Practice with the driver assistance features switched off.
Do the car check: lights, signals, doors, windshield, registration and insurance.

If you fail

You must wait 7 days before taking another skills exam. If you fail a third time while on the same learner’s permit, the wait is two months from that last attempt. Ask the examiner what went wrong and practice that specifically before you rebook.

After you pass

You get a probationary license, which stays probationary until you are 21. Read the limits first: Indiana probationary license rules and curfew.

Common questions

Can I take my Indiana driving test at my driving school?

Yes, if the school is a BMV-licensed provider that takes part in the testing program and you are 16 or over with a valid permit.

Is parallel parking on the Indiana driving test?

No. It is no longer included, though schools still teach it.

How far ahead can I book the Indiana skills test?

Between 48 hours and 3 weeks ahead, through myBMV or by phone.

Can I use my car’s lane-assist or parking sensors during the test?

No. Driver assistance technology must be switched off. Backup cameras are exempt.

Who needs to come with me?

Under 18, a parent or guardian who can sign for financial responsibility. At 18 or over, a licensed driver.

How long until I can retest?

7 days, or two months after a third fail on the same permit.

Sources

Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, “Driving (Skills) Test” (in.gov/bmv)
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, “Skills Test Route” (in.gov/bmv)
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, “Indiana Driver’s Manual” (in.gov/bmv)
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, “Resources for Driver Education Providers” (in.gov/bmv)
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, “Probationary Driver’s License” (in.gov/bmv)
State of Indiana FAQs, “Can I schedule a driving skills exam online? By phone?” (faqs.in.gov)

Indiana Driving Test: BMV Road Skills Test Explained