North Carolina’s road test is administered by the NCDMV. You need 60 supervised hours before taking it — 10 must be at night. NC has one of the higher hour requirements in the country. The permit must be held for at least 9 months.

What the test covers

NC road tests use public streets near the DMV office. The examiner scores you on a standard form.

Skills tested:

Turning at intersections
Stopping at signs and signals
Lane changes
Parallel parking
Backing
Speed and following distance
Mirror and observation habits

North Carolina tests parallel parking.

Scoring

North Carolina uses a point deduction system. You start with 100 points. Each error type has an assigned deduction. You need at least 70 points to pass. A score below 70 is a failure. Certain errors — causing an accident, running a red light, requiring examiner intervention — are automatic failures regardless of point total.

What gets people failed

Not stopping at stop signs. Rolling through any stop sign is a 10-point deduction. Do it twice and you’ve likely failed. This is the most common reason people fail in NC.

Parallel parking errors. Hitting the boundary markers, mounting the curb, or failing to get within 18 inches of the curb are all deductions. You get multiple attempts, but each additional attempt after the first costs points.

Improper lane changes. Not signaling, not checking mirrors, not doing the head turn for blind spot — each missing step is a separate deduction.

Following too closely. North Carolina examiners specifically watch following distance. Get in the habit of the 3-second rule before test day.

Turning into the wrong lane. Left turns end in the left lane. Right turns end in the right lane.

Before the test

NC requires 60 hours and a 9-month hold. That’s a longer commitment than most states. Use it — 60 hours is enough time to get comfortable on highways, in rain, at night, and in traffic if you’re deliberate about varying your practice conditions.

Bring:

Valid NC learner’s permit
Supervised driving log showing 60 hours (10 night)
Vehicle registration and current insurance
Parent or guardian if under 18

Tracking your hours

NC requires 10 night hours over a 9-month permit period. Night is sunset to sunrise.

Moda tracks NC hours automatically. The exported log shows the correct day/night split. Download on the App Store

Full North Carolina permit requirements: North Carolina permit hours

Stop manually tracking hours. Moda logs driving automatically.

Auto-detects night driving, exports DMV forms, and syncs across family phones.