Alberta Class 5 Road Test: What's Tested, Points and Automatic Fails

16 + 1 yearAge, and time with your Class 7
~45 minIncluding instructions and results
75 pointsMore than this and you fail
1 road testNo advanced test since 2023

What is the Class 5 road test?

Alberta's Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program has three stages: Class 7 learner, Class 5-GDL probationary and full Class 5. The Class 5 road test moves you from the first to the second. It checks that you've developed safe vehicle handling, judgement and knowledge of the rules of the road, and that you can drive safely without a supervisor while dealing with other road users.

It's the only road test for a passenger vehicle licence. Since April 1, 2023, there's no advanced road test to leave GDL: see getting your full Class 5.

Step by step

Hold your Class 7 learner's licence for at least one year, and be at least 16. A suspension extends the year. If you're under 18, you need a parent's or guardian's consent.
Practise with a supervisor over 18 who holds a full Class 5 licence (not a GDL). A driver education course is recommended but not required.
Pay any outstanding Government of Alberta fines: unpaid fines block booking.
Book through a registry agent, online or in person. You need your 9-digit MVID number, printed near the barcode on your licence. Fees and wait times vary by registry agent, so compare locations.
Make sure your vehicle passes the vehicle check. As a learner, you also need a supervisor to drive there with you.
Take the test (about 45 minutes). Pass, and the examiner gives you a road test permit. It isn't a licence: take it to a registry agent to update your licence to a Class 5-GDL.

The vehicle check

The vehicle must be in acceptable working condition, and examiners can refuse a vehicle that isn't safe or legal. It needs:

A valid licence plate and insurance
Working headlights, brake lights and signal lights
A working horn and speedometer
Working brakes and park brake
An unobstructed windshield and working wipers
Tires in good condition
Driver and passenger doors that work
Seats and seatbelts
An exhaust system and muffler
Mirrors
Enough fuel for the test

No passengers or pets are allowed on the test, so your supervisor waits for you.

What's tested

The test starts with identifying and operating your vehicle's controls. Then you drive a route while the examiner gives you directions. The Alberta Driver's Guide lists:

Handling the vehicle: steering, braking and speed control
Choosing the proper lane for turns
Observing and obeying speed zones, including school and playground zones
Deciding right-of-way at intersections and when changing lanes
Intersections with and without signs and signals
Interacting with other road users without obstructing them
Parking: perpendicular, uphill or downhill, and parallel. Drivers over 65 don't have to parallel park.

How it's marked

Each test has a maximum number of points. You get points for mistakes, and you fail with more than 75 points on a Class 5 test. Points come from:

Missing a required skill, such as not checking your mirrors
Breaking a road rule, such as ignoring a sign
A poor manoeuvre, such as signalling too early or too late

Endangering a pedestrian or another driver, driving unsafely or breaking traffic laws can get you an automatic fail, marked "F" on the score sheet.

Automatic fails

Whatever your points total, these fail the test, according to the Alberta Driver's Guide:

Speeding, or driving too fast for the conditions
Not stopping completely at a stop sign, or before turning right on a red light
Not yielding the right-of-way at an intersection or during a lane change
Obstructing traffic by driving too slowly or stopping unnecessarily
Climbing the curb while parking, or not parking legally within three attempts
Not slowing or looking properly at uncontrolled intersections: be ready to yield to drivers on your right

School and playground zones

Speed zones are on the test, so know Alberta's default times. The limit in both is 30 km/h unless posted otherwise, and you can't pass a vehicle going the same way while the zone is in effect. Towns and cities can set different times, which are then posted under the sign.

School zones (school days)	8:00–9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., 3:00–4:30 p.m.
Playground zones (every day)	8:30 a.m. to one hour after sunset

Parking, step by step

From Chapter 3 of the Alberta Driver's Guide.

Parallel parking

Check behind you and brake early so your brake lights show you're stopping. Make sure the space is big enough.
Stop with your rear bumper in line with the rear bumper of the vehicle ahead of the space, parallel to it and about one metre away.
In reverse, look over your right shoulder, back straight about half a metre at a crawl, then steer sharply right until you're at about 45 degrees to the curb.
Straighten your wheels and keep reversing until the right corner of your front bumper lines up with the other vehicle's rear bumper.
Turn sharply left and reverse until you're parallel with the curb, without touching the vehicle behind. Your wheels must be no more than 50 cm from the curb.

Hill parking

Uphill with a curb: turn your front wheels left (toward the road) and let the car roll back slowly until the right front tire touches the curb.
Uphill without a curb: turn your front wheels right (toward the edge of the road).
Downhill: always turn your front wheels right; with a curb, roll forward until the right front tire touches it.
Always set the park brake and put the transmission in park (or low gear in a manual). Parked on the left side of the road, turn the wheels the opposite way.

Perpendicular parking

Approach slowly, keeping about two metres from the rear of the vehicles parked on your right.
When your front bumper is even with the left side of the vehicle beside the empty space, look through the space and turn the wheel quickly all the way right.
Watch your left front corner and right side as you go in, and stop centred and completely in the stall.

Reversing

Reverse at a crawl or slow walking speed, only when the path is clear. To back straight, put your left hand at the top of the wheel, look over your right shoulder through the rear window, cover the brake and glance forward now and then.
Turn the wheel the way you want the rear of the car to go, and remember the front swings the opposite way. It's illegal to reverse into an intersection or a crosswalk.

Fees

There's no single provincial price for the Class 5 road test. It's delivered by driver examiners employed or contracted by registry agents, and each registry agent sets its own fee and must publish it online. The province sets maximum charges in its Registry Agent Product Catalogue. You also pay a registry agent to update your licence after you pass. Cancellation and no-show rules are on each registry agent's information sheet, so read it when you book.

If you don't pass

The examiner goes over your results, including what you did well and where your points came from.
You're still a learner, so your supervisor drives home with you.
Practise the skills you lost points on, then book and pay for another test through a registry agent.

Once you have your Class 5-GDL

You can drive alone, with no more passengers than seatbelts.
Zero alcohol and zero drugs while driving.
Eight or more demerit points lead to a suspension.
You can't be a supervisor for a learner, and you can't upgrade to a commercial licence (Class 1 to 4).

Getting your full Class 5 (no advanced test)

Since April 1, 2023, there's no advanced road test. You leave GDL and get a full Class 5 when you:

Are at least 18
Have been a probationary driver for at least two years. An approved driver training course (condition code U on your record) can cut this by up to six months.
Have had no suspensions or demerits in the last 12 months of the probationary stage

With a full Class 5, the zero alcohol and drug condition is removed, you're allowed more demerits, and you can be a supervisor for a learner or upgrade to a commercial class.

Frequently asked questions

When can I take the Class 5 road test in Alberta?

When you're at least 16 and have held your Class 7 learner's licence for at least one year. The year is extended if your licence is suspended.

How long is the Alberta Class 5 road test?

About 45 minutes, including the examiner's instructions before the test and the summary of your results afterwards.

How many points can you get on the Alberta road test?

You fail with more than 75 points on a Class 5 test. Points are given for missing a required skill, breaking a road rule or a poor manoeuvre. Some actions, such as speeding or not stopping fully at a stop sign, fail you automatically whatever your points.

How much is the Class 5 road test in Alberta?

There's no single price. Class 5 road tests are delivered by examiners working for registry agents, and each registry agent sets its own fee and must publish it online, so compare locations before you book.

Is there still an advanced road test in Alberta?

No. Since April 1, 2023, you don't need an advanced road test to leave the GDL program. You get a full Class 5 after at least two years as a probationary driver, once you're 18 and have had no suspensions or demerits in the last 12 months.

Is parallel parking on the Alberta road test?

It can be. The test includes parking: perpendicular, uphill or downhill, and parallel. Drivers over 65 don't have to parallel park. Climbing the curb, or not parking legally within three attempts, is an automatic fail.

Official sources

Checked against these sources on November 4, 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm with your registry agent before you go.

More for Alberta: How to get your learner's licence · Alberta rules test · Alberta road signs test · All Alberta practice tests

The Alberta Class 5 road test