The Arkansas road test

By the end of this topic you can

• You can book the road test and bring the right documents.
• You can prepare a vehicle that will pass the examiner's inspection.
• You can locate every control the examiner asks for.
• You can explain the warning, two-week and 30-day penalties.
• You can name the errors that cause an automatic fail.

What you need to know and understand

• You must hold an instruction permit before you can book the road test through the ASP scheduler.
• Bring your original permit (not a copy or laminated), a licensed driver aged 21 or older with their hard-copy license, current proof of insurance and current registration.
• The licensed driver rides in the front passenger seat if you drive to the test.
• You may miss up to three controls in the controls check; more than that is a fail.
• A second mistake in the same category is a fail with a two-week wait before retesting.
• Automatic failures carry a 30-day wait.
• No cameras or recording devices are allowed, and tests only run in safe weather.
• Your permit cannot be extended, so pass the test and buy your license before it expires.

Getting the car test-ready

The examiner inspects your vehicle first and will refuse to test if anything is unsafe. Check these items the week before:

• All lights work, including brake lights and turn signals, and no dashboard warning lights are on.
• The horn, speedometer, muffler and exhaust work properly.
• Tires have safe tread with no exposed wires, and no donut spare is fitted.
• No windshield damage in the driver's line of sight and no tint on the windshield; a tint brow measuring more than 5 inches is refused.
• Side and rear tint is not darker than ASP allows: 25 percent on the front windows and 10 percent on the back.
• The interior is clean and the registration and plate are current and displayed.

The controls check

Before driving, the examiner asks you to show the rear turn signals, brake lights, horn, mirror adjustment, emergency flashers, headlights on and off, front turn signals and windshield wipers. Practice in the exact car you will use.

How scoring works

• Warning on a first non-serious mistake: improper backing, improperly entering the road, an incomplete stop, inattentive driving, a wide or fast turn, following too closely, or an improper lane change.
• Fail with a two-week wait: repeating one of those, or errors such as running a stop sign or red light, failing to yield to oncoming traffic, improper signals, going the wrong way, poor control or speeding.
• Automatic fail with a 30-day wait: passing a stopped school bus, failing to yield to an emergency vehicle, improperly passing a stopped police vehicle, parking in a disabled space without a permit, driving to the test without a licensed driver, breaking the cell phone law, or an at-fault crash.

After you pass

Take your paperwork to a State Revenue Office run by DFA to buy your learner's, intermediate or Class D license, depending on your age. Our deeper guide on the Arkansas driving skills test walks through the day in more detail.

Common mistakes

• Rolling through a stop sign. The first earns a warning, the second fails you.
• Arriving in a car with a donut spare, a cracked windshield or dark tint. The test will not start.
• Not knowing where the hazard flashers or wiper controls are in a borrowed car.
• Bringing a supervising adult whose license is expired or who is under 21.

Test yourself: The Arkansas road test

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

Go deeper

• Arkansas Driver’s License Age Waiver Explained
• Arkansas Driving Test
• Arkansas Intermediate License