Fresh Meadows DMV Road Test Site — Attraction in New York

Took my road test here and passed! If you search on YouTube about this road site, you'll see a video about this road test area, one and only video about this site. This video really helped me understand where to start. But every time I watched it, I lost track of the route after a few turns. So, I used Google Earth street view for extra help. Based on my experience, I’m sharing some tips. If you're taking your test here, you might want to consider them:

Unique Left Turn at the Start: One unique thing about this area is that right after starting—after crossing Underhill Ave—you have to make a left turn while traffic is running in both directions. There’s no dedicated left-turn lane or median divider, so you can’t come to a full stop. You need to make a quick decision, check both sides carefully, and turn from the center of the road—without touching the yellow line! I made my first mistake right there.

Narrow Roads and Poor Conditions: After turning left or right, the roads get narrower and the conditions are bad. If you drive too slowly, the examiner might ask why you're slowing down. If you go faster, you’ll hit potholes, and the examiner may think you’re not being cautious about the road.

Unusual Stop Signs: The entire test route has only one All-Way Stop—right at the beginning. The rest are regular STOP signs. Unlike in most cities, the pedestrian crossings here aren't clearly marked in parallel lines; you’ll only see a stop line. You have to judge where to stop for pedestrians and where to stop for other vehicles.

Multiple Routes: There are three different possible routes for the test. My examiner took me through all of them. Normally, the test takes about 6–7 minutes, but mine lasted around 15. My examiner was a Guyanese woman—very quiet and professional.

My suggestion: If possible, try to avoid this test site. But if you do go with it, watch the video at least 10 times—with the audio muted. Also, use Google Maps Street View to explore the route. If you can, visit the site in person before your test day. Walk through all possible routes to get a good idea of the roads and the...

This road test was an absolute nightmare of unfairness and unprofessionalism. Despite a year of driving experience with thousands of dollars spent on lessons and a dedicated 1.5-hour warm-up with a driving school right before, the two DMV examiners immediately created a high-pressure environment. Adding to the stress, one examiner was training the other, and this trainee, examiner #459 sitting in the front passenger seat, repeatedly interfered with the actual test.

The trainee examiner made me sit idle in traffic for over five minutes before we even began, incessantly tapping the co-pilot brake and letting what felt like hundreds of cars pass by, delaying the start of the course.

Once underway, this same examiner slammed on the brake multiple times and then falsely accused me of speeding when I was clearly driving only 15 mph in a posted 20 mph zone.

Even though I nailed the parallel parking and three-point turn, the trainee examiner continued their disruptive behavior by repeatedly hitting the co-pilot brake during these maneuvers. This not only made these tasks unnecessarily challenging but also created a genuinely unsafe situation. To top it off, the other examiner falsely stated that I hadn't checked my right mirror, even though I had and was completely aware of my surroundings.

They then directed me to a ridiculously narrow street choked with moving traffic, double-parked vehicles, and UPS trucks during rush hour, only to criticize my proximity to other cars – as if there was any other option in NYC rush hour!

The constant and unjustified interference with the brake by the trainee examiner made it virtually impossible to have a fair and proper driving assessment. This entire experience felt far removed from an objective exam and more like an incredibly unpleasant interrogation. Both examiners even argued with me like children while I was driving during the exam. This was by far the most unprofessional and unpleasant road test I have ever experienced. If I could give negative stars, I absolutely would. I strongly urge anyone considering taking their test here to...

09/10/23 Update: Took my second road test on Friday. I saw the same examiner 422 again and he seemed like he was in a bad mood today because he was yelling at the cars waiting for the road test to pull up closer to the sign. Could've asked everyone nicely to pull up instead of screaming and yelling at everyone. When he got into the car in front of me, he failed a student in 2 minutes right when she made a right. Thank god I got someone else instead of him for my road test and I passed! There's a brown colored examiner asking for female students' phone numbers after the road test by the way, DMV should look into this. This is unprofessional and inappropriate.

08/22 Review: I agree with A L. I also got the White male examiner with a mask and a braided hairstyle (examiner ID 422). I got excessive points taken off for mistakes that I never made. Seemed like he was in a bad mood even though I greeted him before the exam and my coach did after the exam but he just choose to ignore us at both instances and walk away - guess he's just plain out rude. He also took me to a dead end towards the end of the exam and I realized that it was a trap so I told him that it's a dead end and asked if should I make a left or a right and then he only responded afterwards. Even my coach and my family thought that it was insane cuz they know how I drive normally.The one star was that I was able to see my results at 2PM when my road test is 11AM which is very atypical. Better off getting tested at...