Quick answer: The G2 road test — officially the G1 exit test — is Ontario’s first road test. It is a city driving test with no highway component, it takes roughly 20 minutes, and the fee is $53.75 if you are paying for it separately. You can book it 12 months after getting your G1, or 8 months if you have finished an approved driver education course. Passing it gets you a G2 licence and, usually, your own insurance policy.

Most guides to this test repeat the same handful of tips. This one sticks to what the Ministry of Transportation and DriveTest actually publish, flags the things that get tests cancelled before anyone turns a key, and covers the part nobody warns you about — what a new G2 does to your premium.

What is the G2 road test?

It is the first of the two road tests in Ontario’s graduated licensing system, and it goes by three names: the G2 road test, the G1 exit test, and the Class G2 road test. They are the same thing. It checks basic driving skills — turning left and right, stopping, parallel parking, one-way streets, lane changes, three-point turns, residential driving, and handling traffic lights, stop signs and yield signs. Pass it, and you get your G2 licence.

A naming trap worth knowing about. The MTO Driver’s Handbook has a chapter called “The Level Two Road Test.” Despite the name, that chapter is not about this test. It describes the test you take as a Level Two driver — the G road test. The chapter itself confirms this: passing it grants full Class G privileges, and it includes expressway driving plus a signed Declaration of Highway Driving Experience. If a blog tells you your G2 road test includes merging onto the 401, it has read the wrong chapter. Your G2 test is a city test. The highway component belongs to the G test.

When can you book your G2 road test?

You practise on your G1 for 12 months before your first road test. Finish a government-approved driver education course and that drops to 8 months. DriveTest frames the same rule as a four-month reduction for an MTO-recognised driving school.

You have five years total to finish the whole G1 to G2 to G process. Miss that window and you start over. Novice drivers also cannot book a road test for a date after their licence expires.

The BDE course does double duty: it shortens your wait and it is one of the few discounts an insurer will reliably apply to a brand-new driver.

How to book, reschedule, or cancel

Book online, by phone at 647-776-0331 or 1-888-570-6110, or at any DriveTest Centre. Have your licence number and expiry date ready, plus a first, second and third choice of location and your preferred date and time.

The cancellation rule is the one that costs people money. Cancel at least 48 hours ahead or you will be charged a cancellation fee. Arrive late, no-show, or cancel inside 48 hours and you forfeit the pre-paid fee outright. There are documented exceptions — severe weather, illness, a death in the immediate family, jury duty, incarceration, or verified unscheduled work — and each needs proof.

One more rule that catches serial reschedulers: if you have cancelled more than three road tests in six months, the automated system locks you out and you have to phone the call centre or go in person.

What the G2 road test costs

Fees are set by the Government of Ontario and include all applicable taxes.

So the honest answer to “how much is the G2 road test” is: your first attempt is already paid for inside the $159.75 you handed over at the G1 stage. Every attempt after that is $53.75. Road test fees must be pre-paid at booking, and pre-paid fees stay valid for six years.

How long is the G2 road test?

About 20 minutes of driving. Budget far more than that for the appointment itself. DriveTest asks you to arrive at least 30 minutes early, check in inside (most centres have a self-serve kiosk), then return to your car and wait. If no examiner reaches your vehicle within 30 minutes of your appointment time, go back inside to Counter A.

Call it 90 minutes door to door and you will not be rushing.

What’s tested on the G2 road test

The scoresheet is organised into sections covering the core manoeuvres, and the G1 exit test is built around seven of them. In practice you will be asked to demonstrate:

• Left and right turns at controlled and uncontrolled intersections
• Stopping properly — behind the stop line, no rolling, no creeping
• Lane changes with a real shoulder check
• Parallel parking
• A three-point turn
• Roadside stops and pulling back into traffic
• Driving through residential and business areas at an appropriate speed

DriveTest recommends practising starting, stopping and turning; traffic signs and lights; passing vehicles including bicycles; controlled and uncontrolled intersections; parking, reversing and three-point turns; and spotting hazards before they develop — in different locations, times of day, and weather.

The handbook’s task-by-task breakdowns are still worth reading even though that chapter is written for the G test. The mechanics of a turn, a lane change and a parallel park are scored the same way at both levels — check traffic before slowing, signal before you slow down, keep a two-to-three second gap, both hands on the wheel through the turn, and end up in the lane corresponding to the one you left.

What to bring — and what gets your test cancelled before it starts

This is where a surprising number of tests die. Bring: a vehicle in good working order with enough fuel, your current driver’s licence, a printout of your confirmation email, your glasses or contacts if your licence requires them, and money in case a standby slot opens up.

If your vehicle or circumstances do not meet the minimum standard, the examiner declares the test “out-of-order,” you lose 50% of your fee, and the other 50% stays as a credit toward rebooking. Things that trigger it:

• A burnt-out brake light, turn signal, headlight or tail light
• A non-working horn, speedometer, defroster, or wipers with no washer fluid
• A cracked or damaged windshield
• A flat tire, a temporary spare on any wheel, or defective tires
• A missing mirror, missing rear bumper, or an unsecured plate
• Passengers or pets in the car
• A dashcam or phone camera that has not been disabled — if it cannot be switched off, you have to verbally confirm it is not recording the cabin or pointed at the examiner
• Not wearing corrective lenses when your licence requires them

The car can be owned, borrowed or rented — it does not have to be an instructor’s vehicle — and DriveTest does not supply one. Walk around it the night before with the engine running and a friend calling out your lights.

One more piece of practical advice from DriveTest itself: plan how you are getting home if you do not pass. Bring an accompanying driver or arrange a ride.

How to pass the G2 road test: what examiners are actually scoring

The examiner explains the test beforehand and is not permitted to coach you during it, so ask every question before you start. After that, it comes down to making your safety habits visible.

1. Make your observation obvious. A glance you make with your eyes alone does not get scored. Turn your head for shoulder checks and mirror checks.
2. Signal before you slow, not while you slow. Signal before reducing speed for a turn — unless there are driveways or side roads between you and the intersection, in which case wait until you have passed them so nobody thinks you are turning early.
3. Stop completely, then creep. Come to a full stop behind the stop line with no roll forward or back. Only then edge forward to see. If you overshoot the line, do not reverse.
4. Keep your wheels straight waiting to turn left. Angled wheels mean a rear-end hit pushes you into oncoming traffic.
5. Hold your following distance. Two to three seconds, consistently.
6. Do not drive unreasonably slowly. Well under the limit is scored against you, same as over.
7. Book a quiet slot. Mid-morning on a weekday at a centre with routes you have actually driven beats a rush-hour appointment somewhere unfamiliar.

If you don’t pass

You get a verbal summary immediately, and the scoresheet shows exactly where you lost marks. You can retake the test as many times as you need while your licence is valid, but you generally have to wait at least 10 days between attempts, and the fee applies each time.

If your test was done on a tablet, you can download your results online within 15 days; after that, any DriveTest Centre can print them. Get the scoresheet. It is a targeted practice list.

If your G1 has expired in the meantime, you start the whole process over and pay again.

After you pass: restrictions and your insurance

Go back inside to apply your results and you will get a temporary licence valid for 90 days until the card arrives. Apply those results within 12 months or they expire and you retake the test.

As a G2 driver you can drive alone, on any Ontario road, at any time. You must keep a zero blood alcohol level and carry no more passengers than working seatbelts. If you are 19 or under, between midnight and 5 a.m. you are limited to one passenger aged 19 or under for your first six months, then up to three — unless a fully licensed driver with four-plus years’ experience is with you, or the passengers are immediate family.

Here is the part the licensing pages do not cover. The moment you can drive alone, you become a rateable driver, and Ontario insurers price a G2 as one of the highest-risk profiles on the road. G2 drivers typically pay well above the Ontario average, with the actual premium swinging widely on age, postal code, vehicle, coverage and whether you are listed as a primary or occasional driver.

Three things genuinely move that number:

1. Report the licence change. Your household policy has to reflect it. Leaving it off is a misrepresentation that can cost you at claim time.
2. Occasional versus primary matters enormously. A G2 added as an occasional driver on a parent’s policy is a different rating exercise from a G2 with their own car and policy.
3. Hand over your BDE certificate. Completing an MTO-approved course commonly earns a discount in the 10–20% range. Insurers do not apply it automatically — you have to produce the certificate.

At Aaxel, this is the call we field most often from new-driver households, and the pattern is consistent: people shop the car before they shop the policy, then discover the premium is the bigger number. Getting a quote before you buy, and comparing across several markets rather than renewing blind, is where the savings actually are. Talk to a licensed Aaxel broker or call 1-866-358-2860.

Frequently asked questions

Mark this section up as FAQPage schema.

1. What is the G2 road test? It is Ontario’s first road test, also called the G1 exit test. It assesses basic driving skills such as turns, stopping, parallel parking, lane changes, three-point turns and residential driving, and passing it earns you a G2 licence.

2. How much is the G2 road test? $53.75 on its own. Your first attempt is already covered by the $159.75 G1 licence package, which bundles the knowledge test, the G2 road test and a five-year licence.

3. How long is the G2 road test? Roughly 20 minutes of driving. Arrive 30 minutes early, so plan on well over an hour at the centre.

4. What is tested on the G2 road test? Left and right turns, stopping, parallel parking, one-way streets, lane changes, three-point turns, residential driving, and traffic lights, stop and yield signs. No highway.

5. How do I book a G2 road test in Ontario? Online, by phone at 647-776-0331 or 1-888-570-6110, or in person at a DriveTest Centre. You will need your licence number and expiry date, three preferred locations, and a preferred date and time.

6. What do I need to bring to my G2 road test? A roadworthy vehicle with fuel, your driver’s licence, a printed confirmation, glasses or contacts if required, and money for fees. No passengers, no pets, and any dashcam must be disabled.

7. How do I pass the G2 road test? Make your observation visible, signal before slowing, stop fully behind the line, hold a two-to-three second gap, and do not crawl. The examiner cannot coach you once the test starts, so ask questions before you set off.

8. How many mistakes can you make on the G2 road test? The MTO does not publish a public pass-mark threshold, and any article quoting an exact number is guessing. The examiner scores you against set criteria on a scoresheet, and can stop the test outright if your driving would create a safety risk. Treat anything illegal or dangerous as an automatic fail.

9. How do I cancel or reschedule my G2 road test? Online, by phone, or at a centre — at least 48 hours ahead. Cancel later than that, show up late, or miss it, and you lose the pre-paid fee unless a documented exception applies.

10. What happens after you pass the G2 road test? You apply your results inside the centre and get a 90-day temporary licence. You can then drive alone on any road at any time, with a zero-alcohol rule and passenger limits if you are 19 or under — and you need to tell your insurer, because a G2 rates very differently from a G1.

Sources and disclaimer

Publish these as a visible source list at the foot of the post — it is a direct E-E-A-T signal, and every figure above traces to one of them.

• Ontario.ca — Get a G driver’s licence: new drivers (updated 11 September 2026): eligibility, skills tested, G2 restrictions, 48-hour cancellation, booking numbers
• DriveTest — Road Tests, Cars, Vans & Small Trucks: 20-minute duration, arrive-30-minutes-early, what to bring, 10-day retake gap, 90-day temporary licence
• DriveTest — Fees: every dollar figure in the cost table
• DriveTest — Road Test Vehicle Requirements: the out-of-order list
• DriveTest — Payments, Cancellations & Refunds: forfeiture rules, documented exceptions, three-cancellation lockout
• MTO Driver’s Handbook — The Level Two Road Test: manoeuvre mechanics, and the source of the naming correction

Disclaimer to publish with the post: Licensing rules and fees are set by the Ministry of Transportation and can change. Verify current details with DriveTest before booking. Insurance guidance here is general; speak to a licensed broker for advice on your own policy.

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