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New Jersey driving lesson · Getting Tested

Road test skills and vehicle rejection

A 3-minute lesson from the New Jersey course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Getting Tested
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
37, 38, 39

The examiner rides with you in an off-road test area or on a public road course to see that you know the rules and drive safely. Your car is judged too: an unsafe or unsuitable vehicle can be turned away before you even start.

Know the rule

If your vehicle has a standard transmission, the examiner will ask you to show you can shift gears correctly.

Handbook p. 37 ↗

Skills the examiner scores

  • Starting the vehicle and sitting properly (seat belt use)
  • Steering properly and stopping smoothly
  • Driving in reverse
  • Turning and turning around
  • Parallel parking
  • Following other vehicles
  • Nearing corners and intersections
  • Stopping at signs
  • Yielding the right-of-way
  • Using the horn
Handbook p. 38 ↗

Know the rule

If you pass, the examiner issues an authorization for licensing. Take the permit, the authorization and your 6 Points of ID to an MVC Licensing Center to get the license.

Handbook p. 38 ↗

Know the rule

A successful applicant who has never been licensed anywhere gets a Class D basic or probationary license, and the MVC monitors his or her driving for one year.

Handbook p. 38 ↗

Know the rule

The vehicle itself can be the reason for denial or failure; an examiner may refuse a vehicle that is unsuitable or unsafe.

Handbook p. 38 ↗

Common reasons a test vehicle is rejected

  • Improper, expired or no inspection sticker
  • Examiner can't reach the foot brake or parking brake
  • Poor brakes (pedal fades or hits the floor) or dashboard brake light on
  • Parking brake, brake lights or signal lights not working
  • Unsafe tires (smooth, cut, badly worn)
  • Interior not reasonably clean
  • Failed inspection and no Vehicle Inspection Report brought
  • Fast engine idle (speed control can't be judged)
  • Missing seat belts (required on vehicles made after July 1, 1966)
  • Tinting on the driver or front door windows
Handbook p. 39 ↗

Also rejected

  • Missing rear-view mirrors (interior and/or driver door)
  • Broken or cracked window glass
  • A door or window that doesn't operate from the inside
Handbook p. 39 ↗

Know the rule

Motorcycle and moped tests can also be refused for missing required equipment, no helmet, unapproved goggles or face shield, or no bell or horn that can be heard 100 feet away.

Handbook p. 39 ↗

Put it into practice

You arrive for your test with aftermarket tint on the front side windows and a cracked mirror. The examiner can reject the car before you start, so fix both, and make sure the brake warning light is off, before test day.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

A vehicle used for the road test has tinted front door windows. What happens?
  1. It is allowed if the windshield is clear
  2. It is allowed for a daytime test
  3. The applicant gets a warning but may test
  4. It may be rejected as unsuitable

Answer: It may be rejected as unsuitable

Tinting on the driver and/or front door windows is a listed reason the MVC may reject a road test vehicle.

Handbook p. 39 ↗
Which of these is a common reason the MVC rejects a road test vehicle?
  1. A lit dashboard brake warning light
  2. The vehicle is a manual transmission
  3. The vehicle is more than 5 years old
  4. The vehicle has fewer than four doors

Answer: A lit dashboard brake warning light

A dashboard brake warning light being on is listed as a reason for vehicle rejection during the road test.

Handbook p. 39 ↗
During the road test, if an applicant's vehicle has a standard transmission, what will the examiner ask the applicant to do?
  1. Skip the transmission portion entirely
  2. Show they can shift gears correctly
  3. Use only first gear for the entire test
  4. Explain how a clutch works verbally

Answer: Show they can shift gears correctly

If the vehicle has a standard transmission, the examiner will ask the applicant to demonstrate the ability to correctly shift gears.

Handbook p. 37 ↗
Which vehicle defect is listed as a reason the MVC may reject a road test vehicle?
  1. No spare tire in the trunk
  2. An odometer reading over 100,000 miles
  3. A missing driver-door mirror
  4. A sunroof that does not open

Answer: A missing driver-door mirror

Missing rear-view mirrors (interior and/or driver door) is a listed reason for road test vehicle rejection.

Handbook p. 39 ↗
For how long does the MVC monitor the driving habits of a newly licensed first-time driver?
  1. One year
  2. Six months
  3. Two years
  4. It is not monitored

Answer: One year

The MVC will monitor a newly licensed first-time driver's habits for one year.

Handbook p. 38 ↗
The New Jersey road test evaluates a driver's ability to properly use the vehicle's horn.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

Using the horn is one of the specific skills evaluated during the basic road test.

Handbook p. 38 ↗
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