Yukon Road Test: Booking, Manoeuvres and Tuning Up for Drivers

Photo: James Badger, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Yukon road test is the Class 5 driving test that moves you from the learner to the novice stage. You can book it once you are 16, have held a learner’s licence continuously for the past 6 months, have logged 50 hours of driving and have had your log book inspected. It costs $20, paid when you book. The Government of Yukon tells learners to prepare with its Tuning Up for Drivers workbook. This guide covers booking, the manoeuvres tested, and how to use the workbook well.

Key facts (Yukon, as of November 2026)

• Eligibility: age 16+, 6 months with a learner’s licence, 50 hours of driving.
• Fee: $20, paid at booking (cash, cheque, debit or credit in person; credit card by phone).
• Book: visit or phone your nearest Motor Vehicles office (Whitehorse 867-667-5315), or schedule, reschedule or cancel online.
• You supply the vehicle: safe, with valid insurance and registration.
• The test takes about 30 minutes. Only you and the examiner ride along: no passengers or pets.

How to book the Yukon road test

1. Check your GDL log shows at least 50 hours, signed by your parent, guardian or co-driver.
2. Drop off your log book at a Motor Vehicles office for inspection. The handbook says you can only book after that. Then book at or with your nearest office, or use the online scheduling service.
3. Pay the $20 fee when you book.
4. On the day, bring your licence, your glasses or contacts if you need them, your co-driver (you need one to drive there) and a clean, test-ready vehicle with its registration and insurance.

Vehicle check: don’t lose your test before it starts

The handbook lists defects that can get a road test cancelled. Check these before test day:

• all lights: headlights, brake lights, signals, hazards
• horn, wipers and washers
• windshield free of cracks that block your view, and all windows clear of frost or snow
• mirrors in place and adjustable
• tires in good condition and properly inflated
• seat belts working in every seat, and head restraints adjusted to suit you
• driver and passenger doors that open and close properly
• heater and defroster working, so you can keep the windows clear
• foot brake and parking brake working properly
• exhaust in good condition, no missing bumpers, licence plate properly displayed
• loose items secured
• current registration and insurance documents in the vehicle

Manoeuvres on the Yukon road test

The Government of Yukon lists these among the skills tested:

The handbook says the test may also include stopping safely, yielding the right-of-way, going straight and turning at intersections, backing up, entering and merging into traffic, a simulated highway pass, changing lanes, and two- and three-point turns. The examiner marks your see-think-do skills: observation, hazard perception, speed control, space margins, steering and communication. First they check that you know the controls, that your seatbelt, seat, mirrors and head restraint are set, and that the vehicle is safe, registered and insured.

Using Tuning Up for Drivers to prepare

Tuning Up for Drivers is a Government of Yukon workbook for learners and co-drivers. It is not the examiner’s score sheet, but it teaches the habits the test looks for. Work through it with your co-driver over your 50 hours.

Habits the workbook drills

• Daily pre-trip check. Walk around the vehicle checking windows, mirrors, lights and tires. Adjust your seat, seat belt, head restraint and mirrors before every drive.
• Shoulder checks. Glance at least 45 degrees over your shoulder toward where you are moving. Do it before turning, changing lanes and pulling away from the curb.
• Pulling away in order. Mirror, signal, shoulder check, then go.
• Scanning. Look left, centre and right at intersections, and check mirrors regularly.
• Backing up. Do a full 360-degree check before and while reversing.

A simple practice plan

1. Hours 1 to 10: pre-trip routine, starting, stopping and steering in an empty lot.
2. Hours 10 to 25: residential streets, intersections, shoulder checks on every turn.
3. Hours 25 to 40: busier roads, lane changes, highway merging, gravel.
4. Hours 40 to 50: every parking manoeuvre in the table above, then mock tests where your co-driver stays silent and only gives directions.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the shoulder check when pulling away from the curb or out of a parking spot
• Rolling stops at stop signs and red lights, or stopping in the wrong position
• Speeding through school and playground zones, which the handbook names as a common reason for failing
• Skipping the right shoulder check for cyclists and pedestrians before a right turn
• Not pulling over to the right and stopping for an emergency vehicle
• Rolling back on the hill start
• Relying on mirrors or a camera when backing
• Driving at the limit when snow, gravel or visibility call for less

Common questions

How much is the Yukon road test?

$20, paid when you book. Each retest is a new booking and fee.

Can I take the road test before I am 16?

No. You must be 16, have held your learner’s licence for 6 months, and have 50 hours logged.

Can I use a rental or a borrowed car?

The Government of Yukon requires a safe vehicle with valid insurance and registration. Check that any borrowed or rental vehicle meets that and that you are covered to drive it.

Can someone ride along on the test?

No. Only you and the examiner are allowed in the vehicle, with no pets or passengers.

Where can I take the road test outside Whitehorse?

Contact your nearest Motor Vehicles office to ask about test dates in your community.

What happens after I pass?

You move to the novice stage for at least 18 months. See Yukon novice drivers.

Back to the full guide: learning to drive in Yukon. Related: Yukon learner licence rules and Yukon winter roads.

Sources

• Government of Yukon, “Book a road test” (yukon.ca)
• Government of Yukon, “Get a driver’s licence” (yukon.ca)
• Government of Yukon, “Getting you ready for your road test: Tuning up for drivers” (yukon.ca)
• Government of Yukon, “Tuning Up for Drivers Handbook” (yukon.ca)
• Government of Yukon, “GDL Driver record and declaration” (yukon.ca)