Basic Vehicle Control Skills Test
Domain 5: Basic Vehicle Control Skills Test
This domain tests low-speed control: straight-line backing, offset backing, alley docking, parallel parking, and forward stops. The examiner scores boundary lines, cones, pull-ups, and final position.
Core rules
- Use both mirrors; check the rear and sides before backing and keep checking.
- Back slowly; correct early. A small steering correction at the start is safer than a large one near the boundary.
- Know the rear swing of a long bus; the rear corners track inside the front tires.
- A pull-up is allowed but penalized. Use it to fix a bad approach, not as a habit.
- Stop completely at the final position; do not roll past the limit line.
Worked example
In straight-line backing, position the bus parallel to the boundary, shift to reverse, check both mirrors, and back at walking speed. If the rear drifts left, steer slightly right to bring it back, then straighten. If you are about to cross the line, stop, pull up, and realign. Reasoning: the rear of the bus moves opposite the top of the steering wheel; small corrections keep the vehicle inside the box.
Traps that cost marks
Turning too early in an alley dock; ignoring the right mirror; hitting a cone and continuing; failing to stop within the final boundary; and using a pull-up when a small correction would have worked.