In Romania, the only way to drive on public roads before you hold a licence is in a lesson. The Road Code (OUG 195/2002, article 23) allows a person on a practical training course to drive only in the presence and under the direct supervision of a certified driving instructor, and the instructor shares responsibility for anything that happens during the lesson. There is no learner permit for practising with family or friends.
So your driving school lessons are your whole preparation. This guide explains how the practical exam works, who decides where you drive, what the numbers say, and how to plan your lessons so that you are ready for whatever the exam brings.
How the practical exam works
For category B there is no separate manoeuvring-ground stage: under Interior Ministry Order 268/2010, the practical exam takes place entirely on public roads, with at least 25 minutes of driving. You take it in your driving school's car, which must have dual controls and show "EXAMEN" on its roof sign, and the exam is recorded on video and audio.
Your driving school issues your training record (fișă de școlarizare), which goes into the exam file you hand in at the SPCRPCIV office of the county where you live. That office sets your exam date and start point, and the practical exam is taken in your county of residence.
Who sets the route
Order 268/2010 says exam routes are set by the traffic police and are, as a rule, different from the routes used in training. Start points are organised locally, under the prefect's order, and the roads used must make it possible to assess junctions, roundabouts, level crossings, bus and tram stops, pedestrian crossings, slopes, busy traffic and traffic lights.
In practice this means you will drive the roads around your county's start point, but not a route you can learn by heart. The aim of your lessons is to be comfortable with every kind of situation in that area.
What the numbers say
According to the driving licence directorate (DGPCI), 580,662 practical exams were held in 2025 across all categories, and 285,881 candidates were admitted, about 49%. In 2024 there were 581,403 practical exams, with about 50% admitted.
A failed attempt costs both time and lessons. If you do not pass, you need at least six more hours of practical training at an authorised school and must wait at least 15 days before you can take the practical exam again.
A lesson plan that works
- Know your start point. Ask your school where exams for your county start. Some counties, including Bucharest, have several start points.
- Cover the whole area, not one loop. Because the police set the routes, spread your later lessons across the roads near the start point: large roundabouts, tram lines, level crossings, hills and busy main roads.
- Practise the manoeuvres. Ask your instructor to cover reversing, turning the car round and parking, which can come up during the exam drive.
- Preview, then drive. Look at the route at home before each lesson, so lesson time goes on driving rather than on finding your way.
- Finish with mock exams. In the last lessons, ask your instructor to give directions only, the way an examiner would, and talk the drive through afterwards.
- Mind the one-year limit. Your training record is valid for one year after you finish the course, so plan your exam well within that time.
Common mistakes on the exam drive
- Roundabouts. Choose your lane early, keep to it, and signal clearly before your exit.
- Priority at junctions. Check the signs and road markings at every junction, and look again for trams, cyclists and pedestrians before you go.
- Speed changes. Watch for the signs at the start and end of built-up areas and be at the new speed as you pass them.
- Hesitation. Waiting too long when it is safe to go holds up traffic. Knowing the area helps you judge gaps with confidence.
SteerClear practice routes in Romania
SteerClear has more than 600 practice routes around 81 exam locations in all 41 counties and Bucharest, from the county SPCRPCIV offices to local start points such as București – Parcul Pantelimon (Antilopa), SPCRPCIV Cluj, Timișoara – Shopping City, SPCRPCIV Iași and Constanța – Pavilionul Expozițional. A typical route is about 15 km and takes just over half an hour, and almost every one takes in at least one roundabout. These are practice routes on the same local road network, not a copy of any exam route.
Bring SteerClear to your lessons
Pick your exam location in the SteerClear app and preview its routes at home, so you know where the tricky junctions and speed changes are before you get in the car. At the start of a lesson, show your instructor the route you would like to drive and drive it together, with turn-by-turn navigation and live scoring. The score after each drive shows you both what improved and what to work on in the next lesson, and Mac, your AI driving coach, helps you decide what to practise next.
Find your centre among the 81 on the Romania exam locations page, read the Romanian practical driving test guide, and download SteerClear to plan your next lesson.