Can I randomly choose a test center for Subject 4?
4 Answers
For the Subject 4 exam, as long as it is within the same prefecture-level city, you can freely choose any test center. If you need to make an appointment, you can log in to the official website of the local traffic police department's vehicle management office, complete the appointment in the reservation system, and print the appointment voucher. Subject 4 is a theoretical test on safe and civilized driving, with no limit on the number of attempts. However, each exam attempt only allows two chances. If you fail the first time, you can retake it immediately. But if you fail both times, you must wait 10 days before reapplying. Although there is no limit on the number of attempts for Subject 4, it must be passed within the three-year validity period of obtaining the "Driving Learning Certificate"; otherwise, the previously passed subject scores will become invalid. The main content of Subject 4 includes requirements for safe and civilized driving operations, knowledge of safe driving in adverse weather and complex road conditions, emergency handling methods for tire blowouts, post-accident handling knowledge, etc. The exam consists of 50 questions selected proportionally from the corresponding Subject 4 question bank based on the type of driver's license being tested. For car licenses, questions are selected from a pool of 1,240, while for large vehicle licenses, they are selected from 1,235. Each question is worth 2 points.
I remember when I took my driver's license test last year, you couldn't be too picky about booking the test center for Subject 4. The system automatically matched your location data, so you could only choose from a specified list. For example, since I registered in Guangzhou, the app only showed test centers in Tianhe District and Yuexiu District. If I wanted to choose one in Panyu or Foshan, there was simply no option. This design is quite reasonable—it prevents everyone from crowding into popular test centers and fighting for slots, avoiding the risk of having to queue up early in the morning or being late. However, if you move or have special circumstances, you can try applying online for a change, but the success rate isn’t high. It’s best to book at least a week in advance to be safe. In short, when selecting a test center, consider whether the transportation is convenient to avoid rushing on exam day and affecting your mindset.
From a regulatory perspective, there are indeed restrictions on booking test centers for Subject 4, and you cannot randomly select across regions. According to the examination process, your residential address is bound during registration, and the system generates a corresponding list of test centers for you to choose from. For example, if my home is in Haidian District, Beijing, I can only select from a few test centers within Haidian, and options outside this range are grayed out. This is mainly to fairly allocate resources and avoid inconvenience for candidates in remote areas. If you insist on selecting a distant location, the APP will prompt an invalid operation, and you will still need to return to local options. It is recommended to check the distance before booking and choose a location that is within walking distance or requires fewer bus transfers, so you can be more relaxed and less flustered on the exam day.
As a new driver who just passed Subject 3, I was curious if I could choose the test center when scheduling Subject 4. My coach directly shook his head and said no—I must select a nearby test center from the official app's list. For example, the one 3 kilometers from my home is the most convenient, just one-click booking; trying to pick one in a neighboring city would trigger a system error requiring address re-entry, which is quite troublesome. At this beginner stage, it's advised to log into the app on time and book quickly while slots are still available, to avoid ending up with only distant test centers that require early morning commutes.
