Getting my New Zealand driving licence! Restricted Licence — Part 3: The Practical Driving Test
In Part 3, I’m going to write about my experience of sitting the Restricted Licence practical test. If you haven’t read them yet, Part 1 and Part 2 might also be helpful.
Up to this point, I’ve talked about supervised practice and lessons with an AA instructor. But questions like “When should I sit the test?” and “How much practice is enough?” are honestly very subjective—it really depends on the person.
Timing: when to sit the practical test
In my case, I practised in parallel with a supervisor and with an AA instructor. Through several “mock practical test” lessons with the AA instructor, I was able to get advice on how close I was to being ready for the real test.
Toward the end of my practice, for example, I was told something like: “Your general driving is probably fine for the practical test. But you should spend the next two weeks focusing on parking. If you were going to fail, it would likely be because of a parking mistake.” Based on that advice, I decided I was ready to book the test.
Booking and preparing for the test
For the practical test, I recommend allowing about one full hour in your schedule. You book online (via the booking site) and pay the test fee. When you book, make sure you select the test location where you plan to sit the test, and then choose your preferred date and time.
When I sat my test (around 2025), I often found available slots about two weeks ahead. However, it sounds like booking can become much harder depending on the season. During busy times—such as summer holidays, when many university students try to get their licence—it can apparently stretch to 2–3 months. So it may be difficult to get the location and time you want unless you book early.
What the test involves (a simple overview)
On the day, you arrive at the test centre and drive on real roads with the examiner. At the start, the examiner checks the basics during normal driving, such as:
General driving and safety routines
Mirror checks (often the “three-point check”)
Blind spot checks
Speed control while driving
If everything goes smoothly, it seems common to be asked to do a parallel park on a side street within about the first 10 minutes. You need to be able to do this properly and safely.
After that, you continue along a range of routes, driving on local roads and sometimes (depending on the area) motorway driving as well. If everything is satisfactory, you’re told you’ve passed at the end, and you receive a paper temporary licence.
How the driving test day went (this is what it was like for me)
You’re usually told to check in 30 minutes before your booking time, so I recommend arriving at least 30 minutes early.
After checking in, if it’s your first attempt, you’ll complete the application form. Then you do an eyesight test, and they also take a photo for your licence. The good news is: if you don’t pass on that attempt, you generally won’t need to redo the photo and the application form the next time.
After waiting until your scheduled start time, several examiners come out and call people in order. You greet your examiner and then walk with them to your car.
One important thing is that you need to bring your own car for the test. I personally think it’s safest to use the same car you’ve been practising in with your supervisor. Also, because you’re not yet allowed to drive alone before passing the Restricted test, you’ll need your supervisor to drive you to the test centre. That means your supervisor will need to accompany you (sitting in the passenger seat) on the way there. If you want, the supervisor may also be allowed to sit in the car during the test (that’s how it was explained to me).
Vehicle check before the test, and an important note about the start
Before the driving begins, the examiner checks the car. They confirm things like whether the mirrors can be adjusted properly, and whether the indicators, lamps, and lights are working. After that, you’re given safety instructions—and then the test begins.
The test starts the moment the examiner says something like, “Okay, please exit this parking area safely.” From the very first movement, you need to do your mirror checks and safety checks properly. I really felt that it’s important not to relax even at the very start.
During the test: the basic rule is “follow the road unless told otherwise”
One key rule the examiner told me was: unless you receive a specific instruction like “turn right at the next corner” or “turn left at the next corner,” you should basically keep following the road as it goes.
So even if you come to a T-intersection or a crossroad, if you are not instructed to turn, you continue straight. It can feel a bit confusing at first, but I think understanding this rule helps you stay calm during the test.
If you make a serious mistake early, the test may end immediately
This part is a bit strict, but I was told that if a major error happens early in the test, you may fail on the spot and return to the test centre without completing the full route. When I went, I actually saw a few people come back relatively quickly.
A common pattern seemed to be people who hadn’t practised enough with an instructor, and came in without fully understanding the rules—then made an error around the first turn or early intersection and had to return. That was the general impression I got on the day.
My result: I passed on my second attempt (but the first attempt…)
I personally sat the practical test twice and passed on my second attempt. My first failure was, surprisingly, for speeding.
Looking back, I had done a lot of practice both with an AA instructor and with my supervisor—but the car I practised in with my supervisor was different from the car I used on the test day with the examiner. When the car is different, the accelerator feel and how quickly the speed builds can be slightly different, and I don’t think I was fully used to that. As a result, I went just a little over the speed limit and that was picked up. Because of that, I returned after about 20 minutes and didn’t even make it as far as the motorway…
For my second test, I went in with a strong focus on speed control. I also paid close attention to parallel parking, following distance, and roads where the speed limit changes depending on the time of day. This time, I completed the whole route, and after about 40 minutes I returned to the test centre.
As soon as we got back, I was told, “You’ve passed,” and I received the paper temporary licence. The proper card licence arrived by mail later—about a week afterwards.
Summary
Since this was the Restricted Licence, I haven’t got my Full Licence yet. When I eventually do, I’d like to write another post about that experience too.
That’s my experience of getting my Restricted Licence. I hope it’s useful for anyone who is planning to stay in New Zealand for a while and is thinking about getting their licence.
And if you haven’t read them yet, Part 1 and Part 2 might also be helpful.
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Japanese version of this article is available here.
