Where does the 90-second parallel parking start and end?
3 Answers
Parallel parking timing for 90 seconds starts when the vehicle enters the parallel parking area and ends when the vehicle exits the parallel parking area. The parallel parking area begins 4 meters in front of the parking space, with a total length of 17.7 meters. The parking space itself is 7 meters long and 2.5 meters wide. The test is considered complete once the vehicle finishes parallel parking and crosses the stop line. Below is additional information for Subject 2 (Driving Test): 1. Required materials for Subject 2: ID card, exam admission ticket, etc. Before the test, check if all items are prepared, as missing items may affect the exam. 2. Subject 2 retake policy: Candidates can retake Subject 2 up to five times. If the fifth attempt is still unsuccessful, previously passed subjects will be invalidated, and the candidate must restart from Subject 1. Each Subject 2 exam appointment includes two attempts. If the first attempt fails, a free retake is allowed. If the retake is not taken or still fails, the exam ends, and the candidate can reschedule after 10 days. 3. Exam content: Parallel parking, hill start and stop, reverse parking, curve driving, and right-angle turns.
I've been teaching driving at the driving school for nearly ten years. The 90-second countdown for parallel parking starts the moment the examiner gives the instruction to begin. At that point, you must immediately start the vehicle and drive forward to enter the designated starting position of the parking area. The timer only stops when the car is completely parked in the designated spot, with the vehicle properly aligned, not crossing any lines or boundaries, and after you engage the handbrake and report to the examiner that the test is over. This process is very tight, and any unnecessary pauses or incorrect adjustments will waste time—exceeding the 90-second limit results in an immediate failure. I often remind students to practice with a timer on their phones during training, breaking it down into steps: the first 15 seconds to position the car, the next 40 seconds to reverse into the spot, and the final 35 seconds to adjust and finalize the parking. Safety comes first, but maintaining the right pace is also crucial, otherwise beginners can easily panic. In short, frequent practice to familiarize with the process will help pass the test smoothly.
When I was taking my driver's license test, I was most afraid of exceeding the 90-second time limit for parallel parking. The timer started when the examiner said 'begin,' as I slowly drove into the parking position and prepared to reverse, all the way until the car was steadily parked in the center of the spot, wheels parallel, and the handbrake was pulled up to confirm the end. The entire process had to be smooth without pauses—any hesitation would cost precious time. During my first few practice attempts, I often got stuck hesitating during the reverse, causing me to lose over half a minute. But with more practice, I mastered the rhythm: quick start, precise reversing, and getting it right in one go without adjustments. On the test day, I was nervous, but my movements didn’t stop, and I completed it in 85 seconds. Though 90 seconds seems short, it becomes plenty with practice—the key is remembering the start and end points and not missing any details.
