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Road Test

18+Under 18: driver’s ed first.
20–30 minDriving time, no freeway.
IncludedOur car and insurance.
5 languagesIncl. Spanish, Russian, French.
24 hoursCancel earlier for a refund.
PermitOnly if you want a warm-up.

1What should you do before you show up for your exam?

  • You must take your valid Instruction permit or driver license from another country with you if you want any types of warm-up before the test.
  • Better to show up 5 minutes early for the paperwork before the test.

2What is the refund policy?

  • You can get a refund if you cancel more than 24 hours before your appointment.
  • No-shows will not receive a refund.

3Who is eligible to take the driving exam?

  • You must have passed the WA State knowledge test within the past two years. We accept a passing knowledge test from anywhere.
  • Check the date on your knowledge test. If it is more than two years old, it has expired. We cannot test you that day and there is no refund, so retake it before your appointment.
  • You must be at least 18 years old.
  • If you are under the age of 18, you must have first completed a driver's ed program.
  • If you need a car with an ignition interlock device (IID), tell us ahead of time and bring your own car. Ours do not have one.

4What can I expect for the test?

  • 20-30 minutes of driving.
  • No freeway driving.
  • We provide the test car and the insurance. You do not need your own car, and you do not need your own insurance.
  • If you take the test in your own vehicle, be prepared to show proof of insurance, make sure your tabs are current, and make sure all of your lights work.
  • 80% or more is a PASS.
  • Instructions are available in English, Chinese, Spanish, Russian and French.

5What exactly does the examiner score?

The test measures whether you avoid mistakes, not whether you drive beautifully. Points come off for specific things, and 80% or more is a pass.

sidewalkstartSTOP heredoneBacking around a corner1. Stop before the sidewalk.2. Look for people first.3. Turn your body and look back.4. Walking pace is already too fast.5. Close to the curb, never on it.
1Line upAlongside, rear bumpers level2Wheel rightReverse to about 45°3Wheel leftSwing the back in4Straighten12"Finish within 12 inches
  • The set manoeuvres. Backing around a corner to the right, parallel parking (park assist must be off), parking on a hill as if you were leaving the car there, a brake-reaction stop, and arm signals.
  • Everything else, continuously. Starting the car and pulling away from the curb, lane choice and signalling, following distance, a head check before every lane change, signs and signals, scanning blind and busy intersections, right of way, smooth stopping, and judging distance from other cars and pedestrians.
  • Scoring runs from the moment you start the car until you park at the end — not only during the named manoeuvres.

6What can I practise on my own before the test?

These are the scored behaviours that are easiest to fix by yourself, and the ones people most often do differently in everyday driving than the test expects.

1Signal2Rear-view mirror3Side mirror4Look over your shoulderMirrors alone are not enough.
Facing downhillcurbdownhillWheels toward the curbFacing uphill · curbcurbuphillWheels away, then roll back to touchNo curbno curbuphillWheels toward the shoulder
STOPStop completely.Wheels not moving, behind the line.SPEEDLIMIT25Drive at the posted limit.No sign? City streets are 25 mph — RCW 46.61.400.YIELDRight of way is given, not taken.Is it your turn, or must you wait?Stay inside your lane.Touching the line counts against you.
  • Stop completely behind the line. A slow roll still counts as not stopping.
  • Do a head check over your shoulder before every lane change and before leaving the curb. Mirrors alone are not enough.
  • Hold the speed limit. Driving well under the limit is scored too.
  • Signal early enough to be useful, and make sure it cancels afterwards.
  • Scan left–right–left at every intersection, including on a green light.
  • Hill parking — the one most people get backwards. Facing downhill, turn the wheels toward the curb. Facing uphill with a curb, turn the wheels away from the curb and let the car roll back to touch it. On a hill with no curb, turn the wheels toward the shoulder either way. Then set the parking brake.

7I have been driving for years. Do I still need practice?

Often, yes — and not because of your driving. Parallel parking and hill parking are rarely done in daily life the way the test wants them, and a head check before every lane change is a habit most experienced drivers have quietly dropped.

8Can I take the test in my own car? What does it need?

You do not need to. Our car is included, insured, and already meets every requirement below. If you would rather use your own, it has to pass a safety check before the test starts.

  • Brake lights, including the centre one · turn signals · parking brake · wipers, headlights and defroster if the weather needs them
  • Seat belts that lock and unlock · a passenger door that opens from inside and outside · a driver window that rolls down, because arm signals are tested
  • Current licence plate and tabs · a windscreen with no cracks in your line of sight and nothing hanging that blocks the view
  • Mirrors: outside left plus inside rear-view, or outside left plus outside right
  • Proof of current liability insurance
  • If any required item does not work, the test cannot go ahead that day.

9I passed — when can I go to the DOL?

  • We send your result to the DOL electronically within 24 hours. We cannot make that faster.
  • Your score will not show up in your License Express account. That is normal — it does not mean you failed.
  • So book your DOL appointment for the day after your test, not the same day. If you get there before the result lands, the office has nothing to work with.
  • We cannot print or hand you a license. Your temporary driver license is issued by the DOL office — online or in person.
  • Same-day DOL appointments are released every morning at 8:20 a.m., so check then if nothing is showing — here are the steps.
  • Your road test result stays valid for one year, so there is no rush if every office is booked out this week.

10Is there a one-page sheet I can take with me?

Yes — everything on this page that you can actually practise, condensed onto one page you can print or keep on your phone. Free, no sign-up.

Kung Fu Driving School · 11328 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98125 · DOL-approved testing center