Michigan Secretary of State road test: what to expect

What the examiner checks

• Vehicle inspection
• Basic control skills test (off-street closed-course maneuvers)
• On-road test: urban, expressway, rural highway and residential driving

Mistakes that end the test

• Failing any one of the three parts (vehicle inspection, basic control skills or on-road test) ends the test immediately; you must make a new appointment and start over
• A vehicle that is unsafe or has defective or missing parts (e.g. a broken signal light or side mirror) means the test is cancelled

Your car

• Safe, working order (no defective or missing parts)
• Proof of Michigan no-fault insurance
• Valid registration and a license plate with a valid tab
• Driver-activated features and systems not allowed during the test

After you pass

Drivers under 17 (Level 3 Full, if eligible); GDL ends at 18 get a provisional or junior license first. Its restrictions:

• Level 2 requires being at least 16, holding Level 1 for 6 months, passing the skills test, and no violations, at-fault crashes or suspensions in the prior 90 days
• No driving 10 p.m.-5 a.m. unless with a parent, guardian or designated licensed adult 21+, or for work or an authorized activity
• No more than one passenger under 21 unless a parent, guardian or designated adult 21+ is present, the passengers are immediate family, or for work or an authorized activity
• Kelsey's Law: no phone use while driving, except emergencies
• Level 3 Full at 17+ after 6 months on Level 2 and 12 consecutive months without a moving violation, at-fault crash, suspension or GDL violation; issued automatically at no fee, but parents can delay it
• All new drivers are on probation for at least 3 years

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.