What Ontario road test examiners look for

Updated October 2026

Examiners aren't looking for perfect driving. They want to see that you drive safely and consistently without help. Throughout the test they watch the same handful of skills on every turn, lane change and manoeuvre.

1. Observation

This is the big one. Examiners watch your eyes and head:

• Mirror checks before you slow down, turn or change lanes
• Shoulder checks for blind spots
• Scanning left and right before and while crossing intersections
• Watching for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles pulling out

2. Speed control

Drive at a speed that suits the posted limit and the conditions. Slow smoothly for turns and hazards, and reach a sensible speed again afterwards. Both speeding and crawling well under the limit lose marks.

3. Space around your car

Keep a safe following distance, leave room when you stop behind another vehicle, and give parked cars, cyclists and trucks enough space when passing.

4. Signals

Signal early enough for others to react, signal for every turn, lane change and pull-over, and cancel the signal afterwards.

5. Lane position

Stay centred in your lane, choose the correct lane before a turn, and finish turns in the matching lane. Don't drift across lane lines on curves.

6. Right of way

Know who goes first at four-way stops, when turning left across traffic, and at crosswalks, and yield when you should without being overly hesitant.

7. Vehicle control during manoeuvres

For parking, roadside stops and three-point turns, examiners want slow, controlled movement, constant observation and a sensible final position. A small correction is fine; bumping the curb or ignoring traffic while manoeuvring is not.

How marking works, in general

As you drive, the examiner notes errors against each skill. Small errors add up, so a pattern of the same mistake (for example, missing shoulder checks every time) can be enough to fail. Serious or dangerous actions, such as running a red light or needing the examiner to intervene, usually end the test early.

Practise like it's the real test

The best preparation is driving with someone who gives you instructions one at a time, without warning of what's coming, while you focus on these seven skills. DriveTest Routes does exactly that for Windsor and Chatham, on the real test routes.