Below are some tips to help you pass your ICBC road test

ICBC recommends 60-hours of driving before you go for your road test. You must have a safe, clean, reliable vehicle for your road test. If your vehicle isn’t safe or doesn’t meet the legal requirement, ICBC may cancel your road test. You can find ICBC’s vehicle safety checklist online. Read on to get expert tips and important details for your driving exams.

Road Test Day

You must be at the ICBC office 15 mins before your appointment on-road test day:

Back-in to parking stall at the ICBC office

• Have all the required IDs for your road test.
• Have all the required fees with you for the road test. ICBC accepts Cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, debit cards,  and personal cheques.
• License Plate number or picture of the license plate on your phone.
• Keyword (Password you set up when you got your learner’s license), usually mother’s maiden name.
• Cell phone off (silent).

ICBC examiners will be testing you on 5 global skills: Observations, Space Margins, Speed Control, Steering and Communication.

Observations

• Pre-trip: Do a walk around your vehicle to make sure it is safe to drive before you get in the driver seat
• Shoulder checks: Prior to turning, pulling over to the side of the road, making a lane change or changing lane position
• LCR scans: Scanning left, centre and right before entering the intersection or passing side streets
• Mirror checks: Prior to turning or changing road position and should be checked every 5-8 seconds
• 360-degree check: Prior to changing directions, leaving and re-entering traffic, or changing gears
• Hazard perception: During your road test, the examiner will have you pull over to the curb and have you identify potential hazards within your visibility and surroundings.

Space Margins

• Lane position: Choose a legal vehicle position that provides excellent visibility and safe space margin between your vehicle and other road users.
• Side margins: Allow side margins when you’re passing a cyclist. Make sure there’s at least 1 metre of space when passing a cyclist or pedestrian.
• Following distance: Maintaining at least a 2 second following distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you in good weather and road conditions. Increase your following distance to 3-4 seconds on high-speed roads, adverse weather conditions, behind a large vehicle or following a motorcycle

• Stopping distance: Make sure when you're stopped behind a vehicle, you can see the tires of the vehicle in front and a good chunk of pavement. This gives you space to maneuver around the vehicle if need be for any reason. As well, this reduces the chance of being pushed into the vehicle in front if you were rear-ended.
• Gap: Choosing a safe gap in traffic when you’re merging or making a lane change, so that other road users do not have to adjust their speed and/or road position.
• Maneuvers: Use your judgement to pick a safe location for yourself and other road users when completing any driving maneuvers.

Speed Control

• Speed Maintenance: A speed that is consistent, legal, safe and appropriate for the road conditions in which you are driving. Always drive at a safe speed. This will give you time to stop if you need to.
• Stops: Bring the vehicle to a full stop where you are legally required. Do not roll through a red light when turning right. Always bring the car to a complete stop before the stop line, inch forward and turn when safe.
• Amber Light: Do not add more gas to beat the light when approaching an intersection and the light has changed to amber. An amber light at an intersection means stop, always stop for the amber light when safe to do so.

• Cover Brake: When approaching potential hazards that could require a stop.
• School and Playground Zones: Absolutely zero tolerance for being above the posted speed limit in school and playground zones. Be sure you have reduced your speed to the posted speed limit before entering the school & playground zone and have completely exited the zone before you resume your speed. School zones are in effect from 8 am-5 pm on school days, and playground zones are in effect every day from dawn to dusk.

Steering

• Turns and curves: Keep wheels straight while waiting to turn left. Be smooth and uniform to the vehicles path, make clean turns and stay in your lane without making frequent corrections or turning to wide and cutting the corner.

• Wheel and hand position: Turn wheels in the appropriate direction when parked uphill or downhill. Maintain a proper hand position by keeping both hands on the outside of the steering wheel. Where should you put your hands? Imagine the steering wheel is a clock. You can place your hands at the 9 o’ clock and 3 o’clock, or the 10 & 2 or even 8 & 4 position. Always keep both hands on the steering to maintain good steering control and do not rest your arms anywhere!

Communication

• Signal use and timing: Ensure the use of correct turn signals well in advance but not so far in advance as to confuse other road users. For example: If you’re turning right at the next intersection and there are numerous lanes or driveways before you get there, wait until you’re close enough that people can see where you are planning to turn.
• Cancel signal: Ensure you have cancelled your signal after completion of a maneuver. For example: Once you have completed your lane change, you must turn off your signal. Signals are important, they let other traffic know what you’re intending to do, however leaving your signal on will confuse other traffic of your intentions.

• Hand signals: There could be times when your vehicle turn signals or brake lights may not work or be hard to see. For your road test, you must know your hand signals. The examiner will ask you to show your hand signals before you get on the road for your test.
• Vehicle positioning: The position of our vehicle must be relevant to what we are doing. For example: If we are making a right turn, we would need to position our vehicle, so we are closer to the right side of our lane.
• Lights: Headlights- We aren’t required by law to have our headlights on during the day, however it’s good practice to drive with them on. This gives you better visibility to see and be seen by other road users. Brake lights- These are visible when the brake is applied. Let others know you intend to slow down or stop by tapping lightly on your brake. This will activate your brake lights.
• Horn: Useful communication tool to alert other drivers of possible hazards or danger. Use the horn when you can give a useful signal to other drivers and help prevent a crash
• Eye contact: You can often communicate with other road users by just using your eyes. When you see a pedestrian, make eye contact so they know you have seen them, and it’s safe for them to cross.