New Jersey MVC road test: what to expect

What the examiner checks

• Driving in reverse (about 100 feet in a straight line)
• Following other vehicles
• Nearing corners and intersections
• Parallel parking
• Sitting properly (seat belt use)
• Starting the vehicle
• Steering properly
• Stopping at signs
• Stopping smoothly
• Turning and turning around (3-point/K-turn)
• Using the horn
• Yielding the right-of-way

Your car

• Improper, expired or missing inspection sticker = rejected
• No examiner access to foot brake or parking brake = rejected
• Defects: poor brakes, brake warning light on, parking brake/brake lights/signals not working, unsafe tires, unclean interior, fast idle, missing seat belts, tinted driver/front windows, missing mirrors, broken glass, doors/windows not working from inside
• Self-parking vehicles and autocycles cannot be used

After you pass

Drivers under 18 (basic license after 1 year of unsupervised driving on the probationary license) get a provisional or junior license first. Its restrictions:

• No driving between 11:01 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. (under 21)
• No hand-held or hands-free cell phones or other electronic devices
• Passengers limited to dependents plus one additional person unless accompanied by a parent/guardian
• Driver and all passengers wear seat belts
• Red GDL decals on both plates (under 21)
• Restrictions on hours, passengers and decals do not apply if the probationary holder is 21 or older
• Must upgrade to a basic license after the 12-month probationary period, or stay subject to the restrictions

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.