G2 versus G in Ontario: what changes, when you can book, and how to prepare for each
Ontario's graduated licensing explained in plain words, from G1 to G2 to the full G, with what each road test actually covers.
Ontario licenses new drivers in three steps. Each step has its own rules and its own test, and the tests are quite different from each other. Here is what actually changes, and how to get ready.
G1: the learner's licence
You get a G1 by passing a written knowledge test and an eye test at a DriveTest centre. You must be at least 16.
With a G1 you can drive only when a fully licensed driver with at least four years of experience is in the front passenger seat. You cannot drive on 400-series highways or high-speed expressways unless a licensed driving instructor is with you, you must have a zero blood alcohol level, and you cannot drive between midnight and 5 a.m.
The G1 stage lasts at least 12 months. If you complete a Ministry-approved Beginner Driver Education course, you can take the G2 road test after 8 months instead. Check the current waiting periods on the Ministry of Transportation website, as they occasionally change.
The G2 road test: the one everyone worries about
The G2 test is a road test of roughly 20 minutes on city streets. The examiner sits in the passenger seat and gives directions. You are being assessed on the basics done consistently:
- Pulling away and stopping smoothly, including at stop signs and lights
- Turns, with correct signalling and lane position
- Lane changes, with mirror and shoulder checks
- Speed control and following distance
- Parking: usually parallel parking and a three-point turn, sometimes a reverse park
- Observation, which examiners watch closely. Every mirror check and shoulder check counts.
Most people who fail the G2 do so on observation or on rolling stops, not on dramatic mistakes. That is why instructors drill mirror checks until they are automatic.
How to prepare: take lessons on the actual roads around the DriveTest centre you have booked, because examiners use a small set of routes. Ask your instructor for a full mock test a week or two before: the same length, the same silence, no help. It is the single most useful thing you can do.
G2: what you can do now
With a G2 you can drive on your own, including on highways, and you must still keep a zero blood alcohol level. If you are 19 or under, there are limits on how many passengers under 20 you can carry late at night during the first months. The Ministry site lists the exact rules.
The G2 stage lasts at least 12 months before you can take the G test. A G2 licence expires after five years, so do not leave the G test forever.
The G road test: shorter list, higher standard
The G test is about 30 minutes and includes highway driving. Everything from the G2 test is still assessed, and now the examiner expects it at highway speed and with more traffic:
- Merging onto a highway at the right speed, and exiting cleanly
- Lane changes at speed, with full observation
- Keeping a safe following distance while keeping up with traffic
- Anticipation: reading what other drivers are about to do
Many G candidates have been driving alone for a year or more and have picked up habits: one-handed steering, late signals, no shoulder check on a lane change. The examiner notices all of it. A few lessons with an instructor before the G test are usually less about learning and more about un-learning.
How to prepare: book a couple of lessons on the highway near your test centre, then a mock G test. If you learned on quiet roads and have avoided the highway, say so. That is the part that needs the practice.
Booking either test
You book road tests through DriveTest, online or by phone. Waits vary by centre and season, and can run to several months in the Greater Toronto Area, so book as soon as you are eligible and prepare in the meantime. There is a test fee, which you can check on the DriveTest site. If you do not pass, you can rebook after a short waiting period.
The car on test day
You need to bring a car that is insured, registered and in good condition, with working lights, signals, horn and brakes. Most learners do not have a suitable car of their own, or their family car is not insured for them. That is why many instructors offer test-day support: she picks you up in her insured car, you drive to the centre, and you take the test in the same car you have been learning in. Not every instructor offers it, so check her profile.
If you want help with either test, find a female driving instructor near you. Each profile shows whether she offers G2 and G road-test support and which DriveTest centres she serves.