Drive Test RoutesCanada

Class 5 road test practice

Nova Scotia Driving Test Routes

Practice road test routes around all 22 Access Nova Scotia test locations in Nova Scotia, with a map and turn-by-turn directions for every route.

Preparing for your Class 5 road test? Choose your test centre below to see its practice drive test route, the roads and hazards around it, and what to expect on the day. New to the process? Read how road tests work in Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia road test centres

Amherst Amherst · 144 Robert Angus Drive, Amherst, NS B4H 4R7 Class 5 Antigonish Antigonish · 68 Sears Ross Drive, Antigonish, NS B2G 0B4 Class 5 Baddeck Baddeck · 6 Jessica Wong Lane, Baddeck, NS B0E 1B0 Class 5 Bridgewater Bridgewater · 81 Logan Road, Bridgewater, NS B4V 3T6 Class 5 Dartmouth Dartmouth · 250 Baker Drive, Suite 134, Dartmouth, NS B2W 6L4 Class 5 Digby Digby · 338 Highway 303, Digby, NS B0V 1A0 Class 5 Glace Bay Glace Bay · Glace Bay Fire Hall, 87 Reserve Street, Glace Bay, NS B1A 3B9 Class 5 Guysborough Guysborough · 33 Pleasant Street, Guysborough, NS B0H 1N0 Class 5 Halifax Halifax · 300 Horseshoe Lake Drive, Halifax, NS B3S 0B7 Class 5 Kentville Kentville · 5 Shylah Drive, Unit 3, Kentville, NS B4N 0H2 Class 5 Liverpool Liverpool · 249 White Point Road, Liverpool, NS B0T 1K0 Class 5 Lower Sackville Lower Sackville · 486 Sackville Drive, Lower Sackville, NS B4C 2R8 Class 5 Sydney Membertou · Mi'kma'ki Place – Seventh Exchange, 280 Kenikala Crescent, Suite 1100, Membertou, NS B1S 3W8 Class 5 Middleton Middleton · 61 Main Street, Middleton, NS B0S 1P0 Class 5 North Sydney North Sydney · Firemen's Hall, 14 Pierce Street, North Sydney, NS B2A 3N8 Class 5 Port Hawkesbury Port Hawkesbury · 218 MacSween Street, Suite 22, Port Hawkesbury, NS B9A 2H5 Class 5 Sheet Harbour Sheet Harbour · 22756 #7 Highway, Suite 212, Sheet Harbour, NS B0J 3B0 Class 5 Shelburne Shelburne · 2–218 Water Street, Shelburne, NS B0T 1W0 Class 5 Stellarton Stellarton · 94 Lawrence Boulevard, Stellarton, NS B0K 1S0 Class 5 Truro Truro · 15 Alderbrook Drive, Truro, NS B2N 5L4 Class 5 Windsor Windsor · 80 Water Street, Windsor, NS B0N 2T0 Class 5 Yarmouth Yarmouth · 10 Starrs Road, Suite 127, Yarmouth, NS B5A 2T4 Class 5

What to expect on your Nova Scotia road test

Nova Scotia’s road tests are run by the Registry of Motor Vehicles at Access Nova Scotia locations that offer driver examination and testing. Smaller communities have part-time sites that test only on certain days. A Class 5 road test takes about 30 minutes and costs $52.54, including HST.

Graduated licensing stages

  1. Learner’s licence.
    • Passengers: only your supervising driver, who must not be in the graduated licence system themselves.
    • Zero blood alcohol.
    • You need at least 12 months of practice before the road test, or 9 months if you complete a recognized driver education or training program.
  2. Newly licensed driver: at least two years.
    • Zero blood alcohol.
    • One front-seat passenger, with back-seat passengers limited to the number of seat belts.
    • No driving between midnight and 5 a.m. unless a supervising driver is with you or you have a work exemption.
    • To move on, you must complete a 6-hour Defensive Driving course or a recognized driver training course, and give the certificate to the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
  3. Restricted individual: two years. Zero blood alcohol, and you can’t act as a supervising driver. After that, the graduated licence restrictions end.

Booking

  • How: book all classes of road tests online. Pay by credit card while booking, or pay in person (cash, debit or cheque) at Access Nova Scotia or the Registry of Motor Vehicles and enter your road test receipt number.
  • By phone: call 1-800-898-7668 (local 902-424-5851), Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Adjustments: if you need adjustments for medical, cultural or religious reasons, book by phone.
  • Before booking: pay any outstanding fines or reinstatement fees first.
  • Rescheduling: free up to 48 hours before; after that, you pay again when you rebook.

On test day

  • Your vehicle: vehicles aren’t provided, so bring your own.
  • Documents: your valid licence, proof of insurance, a valid vehicle permit, proof of a valid motor vehicle inspection, and your driver training certificate if you have one.
  • Safety check: the examiner checks your vehicle before the test, even if it has a valid inspection.

What’s tested

The test covers at least 3 km, in traffic where possible. Expect:

  • starting and stopping on level ground and on a hill
  • left and right turns
  • backing up
  • following another vehicle safely
  • signalling
  • parallel and/or angle parking
  • obeying signs, signals and road markings
  • lane changes

If you don’t pass, the examiner explains why, and you can book another test from the next day. If you pass, you take the examiner’s paperwork to an Access Nova Scotia or Registry of Motor Vehicles office to upgrade your licence.

Official resources

Getting ready? Read our road test day checklist.