Driving Tests

West Virginia Road Skills Test: What the DMV Examiner Checks

informational·how to guide·Published September 26, 2026

What does the West Virginia DMV examiner check on the road skills test?

The West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles examiner first checks your car. Then you drive a route that may include a moderate grade, right and left turns and a traffic light or stop sign. You may do basic control exercises, such as parallel parking within 18 inches of the curb. The Handbook score form passes 4 points or less on the exercises and 10 or less on the road test.

Where these rules come from

This guide uses the West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook and its score form, the WV DMV sample driver's test tips and W. Va. Code 17B-2-6. It also uses the WV DMV pages on driver's license procedures, graduated driver licensing and the regular instruction permit, W. Va. Code 17B-2-3a and 17B-2-7, and a WV DMV news release of August 17, 2026. The rules are as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (dmv.wv.gov) before you drive.

What the examiner wants to see

Examiners are trained professionals. They ride with you only to see that you control the car and obey the rules of the road. If you make a mistake, put it behind you and focus on the next turn or stop.
You take the road test only after you pass every other part of the knowledge examination, so pass the knowledge test first. On test day, you must also arrive at the testing center in a lawful way.

How the road skills test goes, step by step

1
Bring a car that passes the vehicle check
The examiner first checks that the car complies with registration, vehicle inspection and equipment laws. The car list below shows what to bring.
2
Show the safety equipment
Know where each safety control is and how it works, including the parking/emergency brake. Then adjust the seat and the rear-view mirror before you drive.
3
Drive the route
The examiner gives directions and watches your signals, your judgment in traffic and how you treat pedestrians, signs and signals. Keep both hands on the wheel and do not rest your elbow in the window.
4
Do the basic control exercises
You may be tested on some of five exercises: left or right side parallel parking, the forward and reverse two-point turnabouts, and the three-point turnabout. The examiner explains each one, and you may ask questions.
5
Get your result
Back at the test center, the examiner reviews your driving as recorded on the score sheet. If you do not pass, the examiner tells you what to practice and when to return for another examination.

What the car needs on test day

A valid license plate and registration card.
Proof of valid insurance.
A valid state inspection sticker.
Working lights (headlights, brake lights, tail lights, back-up lights, turn signals and hazard lights), foot brake, parking brake, horn, wipers, tires and exhaust.
Safety glass and windows in good order, with a driver-side window that works.
A car in safe condition and legally equipped. The examiner cannot give the test in any other car, so the DMV tells you to check your car before you come in.

If the car has a problem on test day

The car has a defect

Vehicle defects may be a failure. The examiner may let you fix a minor defect and continue. You may not continue the examination in another vehicle on the same test date.

The car is under a safety recall

Regional Office staff will not give the skills examination in that car. You may get another vehicle that is not under a safety recall, if it is still the same day as your requested test.

Your inspection sticker is out of date

You cannot use that car for the test until it has a valid sticker. Our free practice question on an expired inspection sticker shows what to do.

Pass marks on the Handbook score form

Pass marks on the Handbook score form
Part of the test	What the score form says
Basic control skills	PASS = 4 points or less, all attempts combined
Road test score	10 or less = passing
Parallel parking	Up to 3 attempts, scored against an 18-inch curb line

Automatic failures printed on the score form

You did not use your safety belt.
You committed a moving violation or disobeyed signs or signals.
You did not yield to pedestrians or other road users.
You had an avoidable accident or incident, or you did a dangerous act.
You put the vehicle over sidewalks or curbs.
The examiner had to take control of the vehicle.

How to practice for the road skills test

Practice with every control on the Handbook checklist: high and low beams, wipers, hazard lights, defroster or heater, parking/emergency brake, horn, turn signals, tilt steering and seat belt. Finding and using this equipment is part of the driving test.
When you practice parking, use an area of 25 feet, and stop within 18 inches of the curb. Our free question on parallel parking curb distance tests the same 18-inch rule.
Practice the basic control exercises with a parent, guardian or friend who is licensed and over 21, in a safe place such as a parking lot or a residential area, until you can complete them correctly. Try different cars and places.

When you can take the road skills test

You are under 18

The Graduated Driver License (GDL) path applies. You take the road skills test for the Level 2 intermediate driver's license, at 16 or older, after you hold your Level 1 instruction permit conviction-free for 180 days. The fee is $7.50 (U.S. dollars) for one attempt, as of 2026. For the other Level 2 rules, read our guide to the Level 2 intermediate license.

You hold a Level 2 license and want Level 3

You get the Level 3 full Class E license without a new road skills test when you meet the Level 3 conditions.

You are 18 or older and were never licensed

You get a regular instruction permit first and hold it for at least 30 days before the road skills test.

If you fail: the one-week rule

If you fail the road skills test or the written test, you cannot test again within one week (W. Va. Code 17B-2-6). Use that week to practice what the examiner told you to practice.
The same law section also limits the number of road skills attempts for each fee. For those limits and the cost of a retest, see permit test fees and retest rules.

Booking the test and what comes after you pass

Make a skills test appointment through the DMV booking link, telegov.egov.com/wvdmv.
After you pass, a first-time applicant completes a short DUI awareness course and gets a card or a stamp on the application to show it. W. Va. Code 17B-2-7 requires every applicant for a driver's license, graduated driver's license or motorcycle-only license to attend a class on the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol. The class comes after the examination and before the license is issued.

Key Takeaways

The examiner checks that you can control the car and obey the rules of the road in traffic. You take the road test only after you pass the knowledge test.
The car needs a valid plate and registration card, proof of insurance, a valid inspection sticker, working lights and a working driver-side window. A safety recall means no test in that car.
Pass marks on the Handbook score form are 4 points or less for basic control skills and 10 or less for the road test. A missing safety belt, a moving violation or a failure to yield is an automatic failure.
After a fail, you cannot test again within one week.
Next step: practice on the free West Virginia Class E practice test.

West Virginia road skills test: common questions

Can I drive myself to the road skills test in West Virginia?

Not alone. The Handbook says that you must arrive at the testing center in a lawful manner. If you drive there on a permit, the permit rules apply. On a Level 1 permit, a licensed driver 21 or over must be in the front seat. On a regular instruction permit at 18 or older, a licensed driver 21 or older must sit in the front passenger seat beside you.

Can I use my backup camera or self-parking on the WV road test?

Not self-parking. The Handbook score form says that a hands-free parking device must be turned off for the basic control skills test. The form also scores a driver who relies only on the camera in parallel parking, so use your mirrors and head checks too.

If the examiner writes on the score sheet, did I fail?

Not always. The Handbook says that a mark on your score sheet does not necessarily mean an error. The score form tells the examiner to discuss the results only when you are safely back at the test center. Until then, keep your attention on your driving, not on the marks.

Where do I take the road skills test in West Virginia?

At the DMV. Regional Office staff give the skills examination, and the DMV issues permits and licenses at its Regional Offices and at Exam Centers on a rotating schedule. Book a skills test appointment first. If you need an aid such as a sign language interpreter, tell the DMV as soon as possible and no later than 48 hours before the test.