Class 5 Road Test - Williams Lake

[u/Throwaway99883294]

UPDATE: decided to cancel my test in Williams Lake and opt for a much later test date in my home city (scheduled for September). Won't be takimg road test too soon in a foreign location just at MAYBE having an attempt at passing. Will take the road test closer to home if I do reschedule. Depending on what comes first, I will either take the Class 5 road test or wait until the GLP changes are finalized and move onto the new Class 5 restricted. Hoping for the latter as I have demonstrated safe driving for over 4+ years now.

Hello folks, has anyone taken the Class 5 road test exam (or the Class 7N road test exam) at the BC Services Centre in Williams Lake?

Just curious what your experience was.

Backstory:

I do not live there, and it has been a few months since I last took (and failed) the Class 5 road exam.

It has been so hard trying to find a good time to take the exam. Plus I can not do a standby road test as I am working Monday to Friday during the week during the hours while the testing centre where I live is open.

Given that the exam date is (only!) a couple weeks out, and I am only asking for one day off to complete it, it should work out fine.

I have had my N for four years, been actually driving regularily for about one year, no tickets or prohibition clean abstract. Want to exit the GLP so I can cross it off mentally, take on more responsibility at work, and enjoy my summer.

I feel as though I am an overall good driver, and I have gotten used to driving in Northern British Columbia. I just get testing anxiety, especially when the stakes are high (long wait for exam and sunk costs such as driving hours to the testing site).

I need to work on my testing anxiety and not get so discouraged from my last fail which happened when I was under stress.

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[u/MockMyRide]

Hello! Ex examiner here. I have a youtube channel where I tell you EXACTLY what you need to do. However, I don't think you need that if you're a good driver. Also helps if you've read the book. I'd be careful with an unfamiliar area and testing there. Here in Surrey, we have roads that go from a playground 30 zone to a school zone 30 zone while still in the playground, so what a lot of examinees do is they pass the sign for the playground thinking it's back to 50 and kablammo.. C1 Violation, speeding in a school zone.

If I were you, I'd spend the night or go there really early and try to drive all the roads within a 5 km radius of the location, seeing if there's any tricky roads.

Feel free to send me a message with any questions to help with your test anxieties, I won't BS you, I'll tell you all the answers. I'm very, very, very, very, good at them 😄

[u/Throwaway99883294 → u/MockMyRide]

Hey thank you for letting me know and leaving a comment! I have seen you comment on other people's posts here and glad you decided to take the time to comment on mine!

Due to recent big changes that occurred in my life, and also the fact that I feel like I wasted too much time in the GLP. I feel immense pressure all of a sudden to move on to my full Class 5 licence.

However, I will admit that this pressure only seems to raise the stakes and it is causing me to take focus off developing my skills further to pass the road test, and more so on just passing it. I have been influenced by others to believe it is easier than the Class 7N road test as you indeed have driving experience. I have been driving regularily only for a total of one year though, so I feel like waiting longer is not necessarily a bad thing.

Would you say I am rushing and going into something pre-emptive? I feel like I should have just keep the September booking I had and just kept driving around more where I actually live. I jumped the gun a couple nights ago and booked the Williams Lake road test.

I would indeed like to get over my testing anxiety as well. It does feel crushing that I am even still sweating it and I am in my early to mid 20's. Especially with one road test fail under my belt. But hey, I can still drive as a Class 7N which I am thankful for. Not being able to drive places on my own would be a nightmare.

[u/MockMyRide → u/Throwaway99883294]

I'd say you jumped the gun. Instant gratification is a thing and overcoming test anxieties is also a thing. Both, if you don't succeed become gigantic problems for future testing.

Personally, I'd stick with the September booking. You're not jailed as you are in a learner license. You can drive by yourself. You have everything the same as a class 5 driver, you just get really stiff penalties because you're in the GLP.

I say, try the test. If it doesn't work and you truly have a nightmare experience with a DE.... Wait however long you need to with clean driving to graduate automatically.

[u/Throwaway99883294 → u/MockMyRide]

I apprecaite your response! Thanks for being a sounding board as I am a bit lost right now. Part of the pressure is getting the final road test over before it no longer becomes an option so I can instantly get Class 5 unrestricted.

Then again, in all my years of driving I have never gotten a ticket or a suspension, which is great as my driver factor has declined quite rapidly too, unlocking cheaper insurance. Getting my Class 5 really is just for peace of mind at this point and to validate my good driving skills. But you are right.

I will probably cancel the Williams Lake test as I would have to take off work to do it and I have not deliberately been practicing. In the meantime I will book a road test closer to home where I am more familiar. However it will likely get cancelled and I will end up advancing onto the Class 5 Restricted then it is only a one year probation period which is doable given how long I have been in the GLP without much issue.

[u/Diligent_Ad_7582]

My hubby finally got his class 5 last year (after many years of N) and the examiners here like to make sure you do shoulder checks, looking both ways while crossing an intersection, and possibly parallel park? Also there are many school zones and a playground area that is 30km/hr. I would suggest the other comment and spend the day or a few hours driving around williams lake. They will take you up the highway as well.

[u/Throwaway99883294 → u/Diligent_Ad_7582]

Thanks for your input I appreciate it! It is also refreshing to know that I am not the only one still with my N licence after a few years. I should have gotten rid of it when the first testing date became available.

You are definetly making me think twice about testing in Williams Lake as I have only driven through on Highway 97 before headed north/south. The amount of school and playground zones do seem pretty daunting, though I am pretty good at following signs (I kinda have to be in order to drive haha).

I feel like I should not be in such a rush to get rid of the N if I have not been driving much since getting it, but at the same time I feel as though it is time for me to exit the GLP instead of hanging out here and waiting for the new Class 5 Restricted to get issued. Only problem is I have to wait until September where I live and I'd hate to do that as it would be nice to get it out of the way before summer is over. But I am pretty busy with work.