Alaska DMV road test: what to expect

What the examiner checks

• Use of vehicle equipment (mirrors, brakes, etc.)
• Starting and stopping
• Parallel parking
• 3-point turn
• Quick stop
• Backing
• Use of turn signals
• Left and right turns
• Changing lanes
• Entering and exiting a freeway
• Speed control
• Following a vehicle
• Traffic signals and stop signs
• Intersection observance
• General control of the vehicle

How it's scored

Examiner scores driving skill throughout; normally wait two business days to retake after failing.

Mistakes that end the test

• Violation of a traffic law
• Dangerous driving action
• Lack of cooperation or refusal to perform
• Contributing to a crash
• Inability to perform required driving task
• Driving ability does not meet required standards

Your car

• Currently registered with proof of insurance
• Required equipment working and adjusted (see manual equipment section)
• No studded tires when unlawful

After you pass

Drivers under 18 (or after 6 months of conviction-free provisional driving with new parental consent) get a provisional or junior license first. Its restrictions:

• No passengers unless one is a parent, legal guardian or person 21 or older (siblings allowed without a parent)
• No driving 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. unless with a parent, guardian or licensed person 21 or older, or driving to, from or for work by the most direct route
• Minimum 6 months; can last until 18. Removing restrictions early requires 6 months without convictions, no alcohol or drug convictions, new parental consent and $15
• A provisional driver with 6 or more points in 12 months, or 9 or more in 24 months, must complete a driver improvement course
• Passenger and hour restrictions don't apply to 'off system' licenses (areas not connected to the highway system or to highways with average daily traffic of 499 or more)
• Under-21 licenses expire 90 days after the 21st birthday; you must pass the alcohol awareness test before renewing
• Violating a provisional restriction is an infraction: $200 penalty and 2 points

How to prepare

• Practise in the car you'll take the test in, including parking and backing up.
• Drive the kinds of roads near the test site with your supervising driver: intersections, lane changes, school zones.
• Check the car the day before: lights, signals, horn, brakes, mirrors, tires, seat belts, and current registration and insurance documents.
• On the day, signal every turn and lane change, check mirrors and blind spots visibly, and come to full stops behind the line.