This chapter explains what to expect at a Georgia DDS Customer Service Center on test day: the knowledge exam (a road-signs portion and a road-rules portion), the behind-the-wheel road test, and the rules that apply while each is underway. It also lists the vehicle requirements for the road test — valid registration and insurance, a safety inspection, and what happens if the vehicle lacks illuminated turn signals.
Most-tested material includes the specific road-test maneuvers examiners score (parallel parking, straight-line backing, stopping for signs and signals, a turnabout, and proper yielding at intersections) and the rules for retesting after a failure — the wait is different after a first failure than after a second or later failure. The manual also notes conduct rules during the knowledge exam, such as not bringing phones or paper into the testing area.
A common mistake is assuming the knowledge exam and the road test share the same passing standard — the knowledge exam's road-signs and road-rules portions are each scored separately, while the road test uses its own scoring standard. Another is assuming you can retake a failed test right away — Georgia applies a required waiting period between attempts, so plan to keep studying before you return.
How are the two parts of the knowledge exam scored?⌄
The road-signs portion and the road-rules portion are each their own set of questions, and each must be passed on its own — getting enough correct answers on one part does not make up for missing too many on the other.
What happens if a driver fails part of the knowledge or road test?⌄
The waiting period before retesting depends on how many times that portion has been failed: a first failure requires waiting until the next day, while a second or later failure on the same portion requires waiting a longer period before trying again.
What must a driver bring — or NOT bring — on road-test day?⌄
The driver must supply a vehicle that is properly registered, insured, and safety-inspected, and must be ready to demonstrate every scored maneuver from parking to intersection yielding; items like phones and paper are not allowed in the knowledge-exam testing area at all.