Photo: Gilbert Bochenek, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The SAAQ road test is the roughly 30-minute driving test you must pass in Quebec to move from a Class 5 learner’s licence to a probationary licence. You need a score of 75% or more, and some serious errors fail you on the spot whatever your score. This guide covers eligibility, how scoring works, what causes an automatic fail and what happens if you fail. It is part of the Quebec learner driver guide.
Key facts
- Eligibility: driving course completed, at least 12 months on your learner’s licence, SAAQ knowledge test passed.
- Length: about 30 minutes.
- Pass mark: 75%.
- Automatic fail: actions or behaviours that create a dangerous situation, or a Highway Safety Code offence.
- Retest wait after a fail: at least 28 days.
Can you book the SAAQ road test yet? Checklist
- You have completed the recognized driving course, including all 15 in-car sessions.
- You have held your Class 5 learner’s licence for at least 12 months.
- You have passed the SAAQ knowledge test.
- You have fewer than 4 demerit points on your record (at 4, your learner’s licence is revoked).
How the SAAQ road test is scored
The examiner assesses your driving throughout the test and gives a result as a percentage. A score of 75% or higher is a pass. Separately, certain serious mistakes mean an automatic fail, even if the rest of the drive was good.
The SAAQ describes eliminatory errors as actions or behaviours that lead to dangerous situations, or offences against the Highway Safety Code. In practice, think of anything that breaks a traffic rule or forces another road user to react, for example:
- not stopping fully at an “Arrêt” (stop) sign or a red light
- failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk
- speeding, including in a school zone or roadwork zone
- a lane change or turn that cuts off another vehicle or a cyclist
- the examiner having to intervene to avoid a collision
These are illustrations of the SAAQ’s categories, not an official list. Your instructor’s formative evaluations in in-car sessions 5, 10 and 15 are the best guide to your weak spots.
What to bring on test day
Check the list in your appointment confirmation. Expect to need your learner’s licence and a vehicle that is registered, insured and roadworthy. Between 1 December and 15 March, a Quebec-registered car must have winter tires. If you plan to use your driving school’s car, confirm the cost with the school.
If you do not speak French or English well
The SAAQ says the examiner will use hand signals to give you instructions if you lack French or English skills. Other language options are covered in taking the SAAQ tests in English or another language.
What happens if you fail the SAAQ road test?
- You keep your learner’s licence and keep practising with an accompanying rider.
- You must wait at least 28 days before retaking the test.
- Make another appointment. Check the fee for the new test when you book.
What happens when you pass?
You get a probationary licence, valid for 24 months. SAAQ material lists the probationary licence at $58.10 for the 24 months, and the SAAQ’s 2024 fee table lists the passenger vehicle road test at $32.00. Fees are indexed, so check current amounts before you go. Then read up on Quebec probationary licence rules, because losing 4 points sends you back off the road for at least 3 months.
Common questions
How long is the SAAQ road test?
About 30 minutes.
What score do I need to pass?
75% or higher, with no eliminatory error.
Can I take the road test after 10 months?
No. Ten months is the minimum for the knowledge test. The road test needs at least 12 months on your learner’s licence.
How soon can I retake the road test?
After at least 28 days.
Can I use my own car?
Ask the SAAQ when you book. The car must be legal to drive, which in winter includes winter tires on a Quebec-registered vehicle.
Can I drive alone the day I pass?
Once your probationary licence is issued, yes, under probationary rules such as zero alcohol and, for drivers 19 or younger, night-time passenger limits in the first 12 months.
Sources
- SAAQ, “Obtaining a Passenger Vehicle Driver’s Licence (Class 5)” (saaq.gouv.qc.ca)
- SAAQ, “Quick Reference Guide: Obtaining a passenger vehicle driver’s licence (Class 5)” (saaq.gouv.qc.ca)
- SAAQ, “I Drive My Own Life: Driver’s Licence, Automobile” (saaq.gouv.qc.ca)
- SAAQ, “Newcomers: Preparing for the tests” (saaq.gouv.qc.ca)
- SAAQ, “Fees Related to Knowledge and Road Tests” (saaq.gouv.qc.ca)
- SAAQ, “Driving Course: Automobile (Passenger Vehicle)” (saaq.gouv.qc.ca)
- Government of Quebec, “Requirements for winter tires” (quebec.ca)