Where is the best place to go for a road test? This is a question we often get asked by either our students or their parents. Selecting a registry to go for any road test is an important part of getting ready for your test. After being around for over 10 years, we at Archer’s are familiar with most registries in the Edmonton and St-Albert areas.  

Here are some of the main things we take in consideration when suggesting which registry to go: 

– How’s the traffic in the area (vehicle and foot traffic)?

Some registries are found near very busy intersections, while others are in less busy areas. For example, there’s a registry that is located in between Gateway Blvd and Calgary Trail. Not a good place to go! Also, avoid places near downtown or Whyte Ave. 

– Is the parking lot easy to navigate?

Some places have busy and/or small parking lots with not a lot of space to park. Remember that your test is not over until you are parked back at the registry. When you arrive for your test, try and find a spot where you are facing out and can clearly look out for incoming traffic. Avoid “Rockstar parking” near the registry. It is possible for someone to fail their test because they backed out too quickly without being able to see, only to have another driver slam on the brakes and honk at them.  

–  Is there anything weird or uncommon in the testing area?

While all Edmonton registries have playground zones and most have uncontrolled intersections in the testing areas, they may have other things that are not normally seen in everyday driving. Things like free flow lanes, roundabouts, shared and double left turning lanes, reserved or bike path lanes might be met. 

– How are the examiners?

If you know someone that used that registry, ask them how they felt about their examiner. You could also read reviews but be aware that some people will leave a bad review if they fail, even if it was justified. Fox example, if I were to read “the examiner failed me because I did a rolling stop…” this is someone who failed for a good reason. On the other hand, if I were to read “the examiner was screaming at me during the test” this would lead me to look for somewhere else. 

So here are some the best registries to book a road test in Edmonton and St-Albert: 

North Edmonton:  

Alberta One-Stop Registry, 12804 137 Ave NW: Easy parking lot to navigate, busiest intersection is 137 Ave and 127 St. The only difficult thing might be turning into the parking lot from 137 Ave after the free flow lane. 

Mac Insurance and Registry North Edmonton, 16977 127 St NW: Easy parking lot to navigate, busiest intersection is 127 St and 167 Ave. This registry is so close to the northern end of the city, that rush hour traffic is not much of a factor. This is also a good alternative for those that cannot book a test in St-Albert. Uncommon things in the area, lanes that ends and a shared left turning lane on 142 St.  

West Edmonton: 

Callingwood Registry, 6655 178 St NW: Easy parking lot to navigate, busiest intersection is 178 St and 87 Ave. Uncommon things in the area, lanes that ends and a bike path on 69 Ave. 

South Edmonton: 

All License Registry, 3018 106 St: Easy parking lot to navigate, busiest intersection is 111St and 23 Ave. Uncommon things in the area, lots of bike paths. 

Summerside Registry, 625 Parsons Rd. Smaller parking lot to navigate, busiest intersection is 91St and 23 Ellerslie Road. Uncommon things, not much except a very small roundabout in Summerside. 

 East Edmonton:

Capilano Registry, 5055 101 Ave NW. Easy parking lot to navigate, busiest intersection is 75 St and 98 Ave. Uncommon things, there’s a few roads that that the speed limits go from a 60 to a 50 kph and you might have to do a hill park on an actual hill! 

St-Albert: 

Drayden Insurance and Registries, 60 Green Grove Dr. Smaller parking lot to navigate, busiest intersection is St-Albert Trail and Bellerose. Uncommon things, downtown St-Albert has painted islands, a small roundabout and a “No Left Turn on Red” signal that is triggered by pedestrians.  

 Here’s a little bit of parting advice: 

– When booking your test, avoid booking the test right after school lets out. Since most road test routes will go through a playground or school zone, a nervous driver may want to avoid dealing with school kids running around and a bunch of angry parents fighting for parking! 

– If you’re not sure if your vehicle will meet the minimum requirements to go for a test, book your test at a registry that offers road test car rentals. 

– Go drive in the testing area and start getting familiar with the surroundings. If you know someone that offers you to go on the route they took for their test, sure why not?  But, do not assume you will be taking the same route. All registries have multiple routes and there’s no guarantee that you will be on the route you just memorized. 

And lastly, if you’re having problems passing your test or you wish to be better prepared, book one (or more!) of our brush up lessons! 

Thanks for reading! 

Dom