Is parallel parking part of the Irish driving test?

Is parallel parking on the Irish driving test?

No. The RSA lists what you must do on the car test, and parallel parking is not in that list. The list covers answering Rules of the Road questions including road signs, demonstrating hand signals, a reverse around a corner, safe and reasonable progress, a turnabout, a hill start and about 8 km (5 miles) of driving in varied road and traffic conditions.

This is as at 28 October 2026, read on rsa.ie. If you see a page, video or forum post that says otherwise, check the RSA page on what the test involves first. Many search results are written for the UK, where the rules differ.

What manoeuvres are tested?

There are three. The RSA lists them by name:

People often say “five manoeuvres” or “three-point turn, bay parking and parallel parking”. Those lists come from other countries or older advice. The Irish car test names three.

Why do people think parallel parking is tested?

Several reasons cause the confusion:

• UK and US websites. Many top search results are written for other tests, and their lists include parallel parking, bay parking or both.
• Instructors teach it. An approved driving instructor will cover parking because you need it every day as a driver. That does not make it a test item.
• The parking aspect on the marking sheet. Testers can mark how you park, which is not the same as a parallel parking manoeuvre.
• News stories. Press reports have talked about possible changes to the test. We found no RSA confirmation that parking has been added.

Will I be asked to park at all?

You may be asked to pull in and stop. The marking guidelines include a parking aspect: parking that is legal and safe, with the right checks, usually at the end of the test. There is also an aspect for getting out of the car: engine off and a proper look before you open the door.

Treat any stop as a test of the basics:

• Check your mirrors and signal in good time.
• Pull in where it is legal and safe. The Rules of the Road says never to park at a corner, a bend, the brow of a hill or on a hump-back bridge, and not where you block a school warden’s view.
• Park facing the direction of traffic flow where possible, apply the handbrake and switch off the engine.
• Look before you open the door.

None of this involves reversing into a gap.

What does the RSA say about the test as a whole?

The RSA says the test checks you on a drive of about 8 to 10 kilometres. For a car, the Rules of the Road says it lasts about 40 minutes, and the RSA says the whole appointment can take 50 to 100 minutes depending on the category. Nothing in those descriptions mentions parallel parking.

The drive itself is where most marks are won or lost. The RSA’s list of common reasons for being unsuccessful names observation, anticipation, road position, progress, mirrors and signals, traffic controls, vehicle controls, excessive speed, failure to yield and lack of competence in the reverse and U-turn. Parking is not on it. The weight of the test sits on ordinary driving and on the three listed manoeuvres.

What else is on the test?

Besides the three manoeuvres, the RSA says you are assessed on road position, overtaking and passing, anticipation and observation, mirrors and signals, speed, compliance with traffic lights, signs and markings, and use of vehicle controls. Read what is on the Irish driving test for the full list, and how faults are marked to see how the tester grades them.

What if I have read that it is on the test?

Check the source. A page may be about a UK test, an older rule set or a different country. Look at the date on the page, then compare it with the RSA’s own list. If the RSA list and the page disagree, trust the RSA. You can also ask your approved driving instructor, who prepares candidates for the test every week and sees any change in what testers ask.

How do you check for changes?

The RSA publishes the test requirements on its website and updates them when they change. Check the page before your test date, especially if you booked months ahead. Our guide on driving test changes in 2026 lists recent updates, such as the insurance certificate rule.

If you are unsure, ask your approved driving instructor.

How should you prepare?

Put your time into the three tested manoeuvres and the drive itself. Practise each on different roads, with an instructor or sponsor, until your observation and control are steady. Turas marks the likely spots for the reverse around a corner, the turnabout and the hill start on each practice route, so you can rehearse them around your centre. Find your centre on the test routes page. The tester chooses the route on the day.

Learn to parallel park too. It will not be on your test, but you will need it afterwards.