Nova Scotia Road Tests And Routes
Updated: 6 days ago
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 cancellations. The representatives pick up right away most times which is quite impressive compared to other call centres, and they're friendly too. You'll get a cancellation at some point. One time I needed to book a road test and the earliest I could find when I called was 2 months out. I called Access back ten minutes later and got a road test the next week.
How To Purchase A Road Test Online From Access Nova Scotia
https://beta.novascotia.ca/pay-road-test-driving-test
Review Bedford Driver On Google
"New Driver" Stickers
Many new and experienced drivers are putting these stickers on the back of their vehicles to help with road rage. When another motorist sees these stickers, it helps them to understand that the driver is new and they will be more patient when driving around you. Click the image to purchase one.
Best Driving Schools in Halifax
https://threebestrated.ca/driving-schools-in-halifax-ns
It's better to practice acing your road test, because then you'll be less concerned about passing it. Aim for the stars you'll land on the moon. Remember that the examiner's job is to make sure that you're a safe driver. They don’t want you to get your fulls and then possibly hurt yourself or someone else while driving.
Road Tests
If using your own car for the test, ensure that it's inspected, and that all of the lights are working. Also make sure you have proof of insurance, the vehicle permit, your beginners card, and your driver's ed certificate if you have one.
You must yield to funeral processions and hearses when their blue lights are flashing, the same way you would for an emergency vehicle. This situation actually happened to a student on their test and they failed for not yielding to a funeral procession. Always yield to any vehicle with red or blue flashing lights.
Hand Over Hand Steering
On the test you'll have to do hand over hand steering. It can be confusing at first but once you master it you'll never want to steer any other way. It adds a lot more flow to your driving and makes steering much easier.
Hand Over Hand Steering
For the best steering control, hold the wheel from the outside with your thumbs resting on the wheel. This is how you have to hold the steering wheel on the test.
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.
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.
The school zone law confuses so many drivers that a lawyer had to write a blog to clarify it. It's literally this simple.
"When children are present" is defined as OUTSIDE anywhere in the school zone area."
The Most Critical Parts Of Your Road Test
Anything that's critical on the test is going to start with the letter S.
Shoulder Checks – shoulder check anytime you signal, turn, or change lanes.
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.
Intersections And Left Hand Turns
Road Test Routes
Sackville
Access Nova Scotia's Lower Sackville Test Route
Access Nova Scotia's Lower Sackville Test Route (Another Version)
To reverse park at Access in Lower Sackville, line up your passenger side door lock with the 3rd line from the spot you want to park in if you're driving an average size car like a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. There's a parking section further down on this page that explains this in more detail.
When you're reversing and looking back through the rear windshield, line up the middle headrest of your car with the "reserved" sign. Stop every time when you need to look around or make an adjustment, then continue backing up gradually while looking back. You'll lose points if you're looking anywhere other than back while moving back because that's how people get run over.
When leaving the driveway of Access at the beginning of your test, pull up to the left side of the driveway as you exit so that you won't catch the curb when turning right.
If they take you down Glendale Drive/Ave then you'll likely be exiting onto the Highway 102 area. Make sure that you slow down gradually as you approach exit lane because you may have to yield to vehicles that are turning left from at the intersection. One of my students went into this exit lane too fast and didn't bother to yield to the vehicles that had the right of way. When I hit the second brake pedal to prevent a collision we got rear ended by the S.U.V. that was following too closely behind us. Take your time there's no rush.
After exiting Glendale Ave into the highway area make sure that you gradually accelerate to 100 km/hr. If you go into this area at a speed slower than 90 km/hr you will lose points. One of my students was going to ace their test but lost 5 points for going 80 km/hr here.
When you get to the Highway 102/101 interchange you should be at 60 km/hr as you enter. There is a recommended speed sign there that says 45 km/hr but that sign was installed in 1948. You would never go 45 km/hr in a highway area. Go through here around 55-60 km/hr.
If the examiner tells you to exit right from the interchange onto Sackville Drive, note that the speed limit changes from 70 km/hr to 50 km/hr around the corner. The right lane only exits as you approach Sackville Drive her and the traffic sign that is supposed to indicate this has been missing for years. Remember what I was saying previously about the importance of being familiar with any area that you test or drive in around Halifax? It's essential.
If the examiner has you merge onto Highway 101 from the interchange, remember that the speed limit is 70km/hr until you get to the 100 km/hr zone at the overpass.
When exiting Highway 101 at the BeaverBank Connector, don't brake on the highway. Wait until you are in the exit lane then gradually slow down to 50 km/hr for the ramp.
The BeaverBank Connector speed limit is 70 km/hr and you only have to yield if there is a vehicle in the left lane directly beside you trying to change to the lane that you're in.
Dartmouth Road Test
Many new drivers are failing their road tests in Dartmouth because the lane lines are not painted at the intersection of Mount Hope Av and Baker Drive. They can't see which lane they're in and it's a double left turning lane. That's what happened to this student. I literally get cut off in this intersection by licensed/experienced drivers here every time I make a video here. If this happens to you make sure you file a complaint with Access Nova Scotia by phoning this number so that they can take action to get this fixed.
A Compilation Of Me Getting Cut-Off At Mount Hope Av And Baker Drive
Access Nova Scotia’s Dartmouth Road Test Route
Access Dartmouth Parking Lot
If you're driving an average size car like a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla, move forward one and a half spaces ahead of the parking space that you intend to park in. Then cut the steering wheel as far as it will go to the right side and hold it there. Reverse slowly and take your time.
Normally on a road test you'll always use the right lane as your default lane but the right lane rule does not apply in an interchange area. For this interchange, you'll want to use the centre lane.
Bridgewater
I plan to make a proper road test video for the Bridgewater route once I get a chance but here are a couple that I put together using dash cam clips from a couple of lessons I did in the area. It's a pretty simple place to do a road test.
Access Nova Scotia Bridgewater Road Test Route – Part 1
Access Nova Scotia Bridgewater Road Test Route – Part 2
Bridgewater Access Parking Lot
Stellarton Route
I plan to take a road trip down to Stellarton at some point and make a video of this test route. This route is not complicated.
Turn left out of Access onto Lawrence Blvd
Continue on Lawrence Blvd down to the roundabout
Exit the roundabout (signal to exit but not when entering) to N Foord Street (trunk 374)
Continue on Foord Street. The examiner could tell you to turn right on any one of the side streets. The area isn't complicated no matter which turn you take.
Then you would continue all the way to East River Road.
At this point you would be driving toward Highway 104.
After turning right at the lights to Highway 104 you would stay in the right lane and instead of merging onto the highway continue back up to the roundabouts, then return to Access and get your Fulls.
A Second Possible Route
Turn left out of Access onto Lawrence Blvd and continue down to the roundabouts.
Proceed into the roundabout, then signal and exit right onto Foord St.
They could tell you to turn right onto Bridge Ave.
If they don't get you to turn right you on Bridge Ave, then continue straight to the stop sign at Jubilee Ave.
Then turn right onto Jubilee Ave. They'll probably get you to do a curb park you here.
Then they'll get you to continue back to Bridge Ave, and then Foord Street. After that you would return to Access.
Truro Route
Access Nova Scotia’s Truro Road Test Route
Bayer's Lake
I don't recommend testing in Bayer's Lake. It's very common for students to fail here because driving in this area is like driving in downtown Toronto. It's literally a jungle. Even when a student has advanced driving skills, they may not have the experience to deal with the chaos of the area.
Access Nova Scotia’s Bayer's Lake Road Test Route
When reverse parking at Access in Bayer's Lake line up your passenger side door lock slightly behind the third line for an average size car like a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla.
The parking lot was recently re-painted.
If you turn left out of Access and go straight through the lights note that the right lane only exits but the sign is missing that indicates this. If the examiner tells you to go straight at the next set of lights, go into the left lane and continue straight.
If they take you to Timberlea on the Saint Margaret's Bay Road note that the speed limit is 50 km/hr. When returning to Access from here be aware that as you approach the curve, just before the lights the speed limit changes to 70 km/hr and the traffic sign that indicates this is blocked by a bush.
The area of Washmill Lake Dr and Bentley Dr drops from 60 km/hr to 50 km/hr. The traffic sign that indicates this is hidden behind a tree. There is a chance that the examiner will tell you to turn right here on Bentley Dr. If you go straight instead of right wait until after the intersection to change lanes or do the lane change before the intersection if you're sure that they want you to continue straight down the hill. The right lane is blocked in this area 24/7 so you will have to change lanes no matter what. Don't rush this lane change because some motorists will be driving in the left lane well over the speed limit and they'll be hard to spot even when you shoulder check.
This is the hill that you will go down on DunBrack Street by the Washmill Lake Drive intersection. No matter how many times students practice this hill they all go over the speed limit of 60 km/hr on their tests, even though they didn't go over the limit while practicing.
Even the students with advanced driving skills have issues with the Bayer's Lake road test. The student in this clip drove perfectly in every other area of the city but when we went to Bayer's Lake they had multiple automatic fails.
Make sure that you have your speed up close to 90 km/hr when you merge onto Highway 102. This is a very short acceleration lane so don't be afraid to accelerate a little more excitedly than normal. Remember that when you accelerate hard the engine is going to make noisier, but that's what it's supposed to do because it's giving you more power. The noise of your vehicle's engine is not an indication of your speed. If you merge on this highway at under 70 km/hr you'll lose points because that is very dangerous. A little extra speed is always better than not enough when you're merging on the highway.
Access Nova Scotia's Windsor Road Test Route
The parking lot here has lines that are painted on an angle so it's important to practice parking here.
Also note that the parking lot is a one-way lane so ensure you enter at the correct driveway.
Tips
The examiners are friendly so don’t be intimidated.
Check your headlights, high beams, signal lights, and brake lights to ensure they are working.
After passing your test you can go into Access to get your Fulls and it’s optional whether you get a new photo taken or not.
When reverse parking you have to be looking back if the vehicle is moving backwards. You can look around if the vehicle is stopped. I recommend that you practice stopping a couple of times because it is so easy to look around while the car is moving back and every new driver does this naturally. This will cost you points so it's a good idea to get used to stopping and looking around.
Lane flow and following distance is just as much of a priority as speed control. The left lane should always be going a bit faster than you so that they can safely pass you if they need to.
A trick to remember your hand signals
Left if left – Straight out horizontal (literally left).
Slow down or stop is down – They'll say "stop or slow down" so just think of down.
Right is up – Straight up.
Parking
Reverse Parking
Reverse parking makes every new driver nervous, but like with everything else in driving there is a secret that will make it super easy. The secret is the same as every driving tip I give in any challenging situation related to driving. Take your time. Superstore in Bedford is a good place to practice reverse parking because it has a reference point in the centre of the space. Look through the rear windshield as you are reversing and line up the middle headrest of your vehicle with the sign.
Reverse Camera View
You won’t be allowed to use the reverse camera so it’s good to get used to looking back the whole time. Also note that when students look back the whole time they always nail the parking job on their first attempt. Every single time.
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Parking
More Tips
