The Kentucky road test

By the end of this topic you can

• You can book a road test with KSP and bring the right paperwork.
• You can prepare a test vehicle that will pass inspection.
• You can demonstrate the vehicle controls the examiner asks about.
• You can perform the maneuvers on the test, including parallel parking and the turnabout.
• You can avoid the actions that cause automatic failure.

What you need to know and understand

• Book through the KSP online scheduler; teen applicants must have held the permit for 180 days and be at least 16.
• Teens need the parent-signed Practice Driving Log and the Graduated Driver License Skills Test Eligibility Letter, printed within seven days.
• The vehicle must be registered and insured; a rental needs your name on the contract as an operator.
• You cannot drive yourself to the test; a licensed driver 21 or older must be in the front passenger seat.
• Parallel parking must be done without parking assist; a backup camera may be used but you must still check mirrors and look over your shoulder.
• If you fail, you must wait at least one week (KYTC says seven full days) before retesting.

The vehicle check

The examiner reviews the registration and insurance, then asks you to show how to use the headlights, dimmer switch, horn, windshield wipers, turn signals, emergency brake, emergency flashers and brake lights. The car must also have working brakes, two headlights and two taillights, a lit and visible plate, a clear windshield, a working horn and muffler, proper mirrors and seat belts. Excessive window tint, extra flashing lights or anything blocking the windshield can get the car rejected. The passenger area must be clean, and both of you must wear seat belts.

What you will be asked to do

• Stops and starts, including stopping and starting on a hill.
• Backing and turning the car around (the turnabout).
• Parallel parking.
• Approaching intersections, turning and choosing the correct lane.
• Keeping a safe and legal speed and yielding correctly.
• Clutch use if the car is a manual, and overall vehicle control.

How you are scored

You receive a score sheet at the end that says pass or fail, with no number. Any collision, traffic violation or dangerous act can mean automatic failure and the test stops there. Not following the examiner's instructions twice means you are disqualified. Interpreters may help before and after the test but cannot ride in the car.

If you pass, a teen's permit gets an Intermediate License sticker from the examiner. Older applicants go to a KYTC Regional Office for their license. Our KSP road skills test checklist goes into each maneuver in more detail.

Common mistakes

• Driving alone to the test center. It is unlawful for a permit holder and will get the test rescheduled.
• Bringing a car with a burned-out brake light or a cracked, cluttered windshield.
• Relying on the backup camera and forgetting to look over your shoulder.
• Rolling a stop sign or creeping over the speed limit, which counts as a traffic violation.

Test yourself: The Kentucky road test

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

Go deeper

• Kentucky Road Test Checklist
• Kentucky 60 Hour Practice Driving Log
• Kentucky Bioptic Driving Program