Worst Times to Take Your Road Test
These are the times our instructors suggest avoiding when you have a choice:
1. School Dismissal Time
When schools let out in the afternoon, streets fill with buses, crossing guards, children and double-parked cars. Many test routes pass near schools, and school zones need extra care. It is a lot to handle on top of test nerves.
2. Rush Hour
Morning and evening rush hours bring heavy traffic, impatient drivers and more lane changes. If rush hour is the only slot open, practice at that exact time on streets near your test site.
3. Lunchtime
Around midday, delivery trucks and double-parked cars are common on busy shopping streets. It is usually calmer than rush hour, but expect to go around stopped vehicles.
4. Weekends
The DMV says road tests are almost always on weekdays and only rarely on a Saturday (NY DMV). So a weekend test is usually not an option, and you should not wait for one.
5. Bad Weather
The DMV can cancel, reschedule or relocate tests for bad weather or road construction. Before you leave, check the DMV cancellations, closings and delays page. Not all test sites have a shelter, so dress for the weather.
6. Around Holidays
The days just before major holidays often bring heavier traffic, and school breaks make open dates harder to find. If you can, avoid testing on a day when the roads near your site are likely to be packed.
7. Late Afternoon in Fall and Winter
Road tests are scheduled during the day, but in late fall and winter it gets dark in NYC around 5 PM and the low sun can cause glare. A late slot in December is harder than the same slot in June.