Critical errors, while serious, don’t put another road user or property in immediate danger.
If you make more than one Critical Error in Stage 1 of your restricted licence test, or more than two Critical Errors across the whole test, the Testing Officer has to give you a fail mark.
The best way to avoid making Critical Errors in your test is to avoid them in your everyday driving.
See what the Critical Errors are, so you know what you need to look out for when you drive.
Slowing down at a stop sign, but not coming to a complete stop, is a Critical Error in the restricted test.
In the full licence test, this is an Immediate Fail Error.
This means stopping your car on a pedestrian crossing or area controlled by pedestrian traffic lights.
The only time this is OK is if you need to stop on a crossing to be able to see approaching traffic at an intersection. But make sure you give way to any pedestrians waiting to cross first.
You’ll be ok if your tyres just touch the kerb gently while you’re doing a parallel park or three-point turn during your test, but if one wheel drives up onto the kerb, or you bump it hard, it will be a Critical Error.
The Testing Officer will mark you as driving too slow if you:
If you go 5 km/h or more over the limit (but less than 10 km/h over) for less than five seconds, the Testing Officer will mark this as a Critical Error.
Not checking for other traffic when you should is a Critical Error. This includes checking side mirrors, windows and blind spots when you should as well as checking for traffic straight ahead.
Take extra care to look check carefully at intersections and to check both left and right before you drive over a railway crossing.
Make sure you always indicate for at least three seconds before you:
If you drive a manual during the test, and you stall, this will count as a Critical Error.
Stalling your car shows you don’t have good control of the car and could put yourself in a dangerous position.
The Testing Officer will also keep an eye out for anything else that's illegal but doesn't put anyone in immediate danger. So watch out that you don't do things like:
Immediate fail errors