top of page

Nova Scotia Road Tests and Routes

On this page we'll take a look at Access Nova Scotia's road test areas and routes. The routes themselves will always change depending on the day and or examiner but these are the most common ones. On test day it's important to make sure that you have your vehicle permit, insurance card, driving school certificate, and beginner’s permit. Make sure that all of the lights on your vehicle are working and the M.V.I. is valid. It’s completely normal to be nervous for the test but remember that if you've put in the work and have practiced as much as possible, you'll be in a much better position to pass. Practicing will increase your confidence and help you be more chill for your test. All of the information in this post has been confirmed by the examiners at Access Nova Scotia.

 

​

How To Book A Road Test In Nova Scotia

 

 

If you don’t want to wait months for a road test, call Access NS at 1-902-424-5200 option 1-2-1 as often as possible to check for cancelations.

 

​

How To Purchase A Road Test Online From Access Nova Scotia

 

 

https://beta.novascotia.ca/pay-road-test-driving-test

Other Details

The Most Common Mistakes On Road Tests

 

 

  • Turning left on solid green lights and not yielding to oncoming traffic with the right of way.

  • Going over the speed limit and not making an adjustment to bring the speed back down. Remember it's not an automatic fail if you go 3 or 4 km/hr over the speed limit as long as you brake right away and bring the speed back down.

  • Looking forward while reversing. If you aren't looking through the back windshield while reversing you could run someone over.

  • Rolling stops at stop signs and on right turns at red lights.

  • Not going back to the right lane after turning into the left lane of a two lane road. The examiner doesn't tell you which lane to choose because they are waiting to see which lane you choose. Always go back to the right lane as it is your default position. The left lane of any road or highway is for faster moving traffic and those who want to pass or turn left.

  • Not shoulder checking or signalling out of a parking spot. Anytime that you turn out of a parking spot you have to signal and shoulder check.

  • Driving at the school zone speed limit when there are no children outside in the area. Always drive at a safe speed in school zone areas but if there aren't any children outside in the area then the school zone speed limit is not active.

  • Approaching yield signs too fast and or not yielding. Always take your time at any intersection or yield to ensure you'll be able to yield if required.

​​

​

​

​

SHOULDER CHECKS

 

 

Students often get confused about when to shoulder check at stops. Despite what many other schools are teaching, you don't have to shoulder check before you stop at a red light or stop sign. This is because you may end up sitting there for a long time waiting for cars to clear, and in that time a pedestrian could walk up into your blind spot without you noticing. A shoulder check is always the very last thing you do before turning or making a lane change. I find that it helps to break these stopped turns down into a step by step procedure. First you stop. Then you look for cars. Once it looks safe, you shoulder and then turn. You're basically setting everything up and then double checking yourself before accelerating for the turn, that way if a pedestrian was in your blind spot you'll catch it.

 

​

​

Here's a blog post on shoulder checks

 

https://www.bedforddriver.ca/post/shoulder-checks-are-everything

​

​

​

School Zones

 

The school zone speed limit is not active if there are no children OUTSIDE in the area. Make sure to check for children while driving through school zones. Some students will actually talk out loud while driving through the zone saying something like: "not seeing any children" so that the examiner knows for sure that they're checking for them. Many experienced drivers think that they have to slow down only during school hours or when the children are in school. That's completely false. If you're in a 50 km/hr zone and there are children OUTSIDE in the area, then you slow down to 30 km/hr and if you're in a 60 km/hr zone or faster, you slow down to 50 km/hr. If you drive as if the school zone speed limit is active when there are no children outside you will lose points, unless the situation calls for it.

​

 

"When children are present" is defined as OUTSIDE anywhere in the school zone area."

​

https://www.highlanderlaw.ca/halifax-lawyer-blog/2017/8/10/speeding-in-school-zones-what-does-when-children-are-present-even-mean

​

​

​

The Most Critical Parts Of Your Road Test

 

 

 

Anything that's critical on the test is going to start with the letter S.

 

 

 

  • Speed Control – Try to be at the speed limit or slightly under. When in a neighbourhood, do the safest speed for each area that you're in. If you go over the speed limit by 1 or 2 km/hr on a test it's not an automatic fail. Every driver goes over the limit here.

 

  • Signal Lights – Use them when required but don’t signal if there’s no reason to. If you're unsure of whether you should signal or not, just go ahead and signal.

 

  • Stops – Make sure to stop gradually and completely before a stop sign. If you're at an all-way stop and you stopped first, don’t stay and stare at the other cars approaching the intersection as they also have to stop. When it's your turn to go, you go.

 

  • Scanning Intersections – Before entering an intersection be sure to check for hazards by looking left and right. I see people run red lights all the time so this is a lot like shoulder checks in the sense that checking for what’s around you will save your life or someone else’s at some point.

Sackville Details

Dartmouth Details

Bayers Lake Details

bottom of page