muddy
Member
Through my own stupidity, I missed the deadline for my M2 Exit test and had to start over. I thought I would write down a few details of my experience. Maybe it is already on the forum but I couldn't find it.
To Summarize, if your M2 expires: First, you can do the whole process without any waiting periods. Second, they will do all in their power not to let you.
_______________________________
If you miss your M2 Exit deadline, when you start the process over, you are allowed to skip all the wait periods and zoom through the exit tests. . . as long as you don’t wait too much time after your M2 expires (which I never asked them how long it was). Therefore, once you lose your M2, take the M1 Written exam immediately (note that part of the test is the G1 exam).
I went to Service Ontario to take my M1 written exam but the clerk told me that the computer said I could only sign up for my M2 Exit and advised me to go home and sign up online. I pointed out that I tried and the computer system would not let me sign up for my M2 exit since it had expired and I called and the operator said my M2 had expired and I had to start over. The Service Ontario clerk then told me that I had to wait for her to call their help desk (which wasn’t open yet) and go buy breakfast since I would be there for a while. Once she got through to the help desk, they allowed me to proceed to the written exam. (This help desk will resurface throughout the story.)
According to the law/regulations/whatever, once you pass the written, you are allowed to sign up for your M1 Exit exam immediately. You don’t have to wait the 60 days, but the computer will not allow you to do this so no point in going online or calling up. I tried both. Since the computer would not allow the operator on the phone to sign me up, she could not even look to see what availability there was. I had to physically go into the Drive Test office in Brampton and wait in line, get a number, go to the counter, go over the whole story again, wait to collect a supervisor, go sit and wait again for them to call their help line to correct the error in the system, and then and only then could they sign me up.
Quiet calm persistence paid off. So did the line “I know that the law says I am allowed to take this test immediately but the computer does not. What do you need to do to correct the computer system?” Anger management, medication, and budgeting 5 hours really helps.
Ok, they signed me up. Get this: you have to pay before they will look at availability.
So I passed the M1 Exit (see below), went inside, got my M2 license and had to start the process over!
I’m not kidding: According to the law, you are allowed to skip the two year waiting period and do the M2 Exit exam immediately but the computer will not allow you to do this so I had to go over the whole story again: talk to the clerk, wait to collect a supervisor, wait for them to call their own help line to correct the error in the system. Get this, the help desk asked the clerk to ask me for my other name. ?? (The clerk tapped the monitor and asked if that was my real name so I turned the monitor to see what it said and was told that I was not allowed to look at the information on the monitor. I guess they have super secret information on my file). Well, I got my first license in California so then the person on the phone asked if I had any immigration documentation on me. (So some help desk clerk from Drive Test is going to now question my immigration status? Really??) Thankfully Alanna behind the counter (who is a nice and attentive person) said, “What does that have to do with anything? He has a full G license and he only wants to sign up for a test.” They were really working hard to say NO but truth and justice won the day. Then and only then, would they fix my file in the system allowing Alanna to sign me up for my M2 Exit.
Basically an exercise in running around but what can you do but smile and ask politely. I hope all this helps.
_________________________________________________________
The MTO Drive Test M1 Exit exam:
One of my more intelligent things I did was to go the the Drive test center on a Sunday, find the markings on the ground for the M1 Exit course, measure them. With some sidewalk chalk from Dollarama, I then went to my local school parking lot and made my own practice course. This really helped.
Note: there are two sets of markings. If you bike is over a certain wheel base like a big Harley, you get to test on the larger course. There is a foot long mark near the start line they use to measure your wheel base. I think it is from axel to axel but don’t quote me.
So everybody showed up early and we were all hanging out, so we started practicing. This other examiner from the big rig testing area came over and screamed at us like some psychotic high school teacher. “NO PRACTICING! GET OUT OF THERE!” It was really childish and unnecessary. He made us park our bikes outside the roped off testing area. “GET OUT OF THE TESTING AREA! MOVE YOUR BIKES!” Ooooohhh, the testing area.
M1 Exit test notes: plan to be there for a while. The tester was 30 min late and then treated the information like it was some big secret. If you asked a question, he would say, “You aren’t listening. I already said that”. (I think he failed the police entry exam.) Don’t bother complaining about the exam, the tester is paid not to care. Drive Test wants you to fail so no surprise there($$$) When the first guy didn’t know the slow/stop hand signal, we all started talking and the tester yelled at us, “THIS IS A TEST. NO TALKING.” Rather childish, but his reflective vest carries real authority.
The course consists of six pairs of cones (five feet apart outside to outside) and sixteen feet between the pairs (outside to outside). I measured outside to outside since that is what I would have to drive around. I didn’t measure the course for bigger bikes but maybe 17 feet apart??
The M1 Exit test:
Hope this helps. Keep the shiny part up.
To Summarize, if your M2 expires: First, you can do the whole process without any waiting periods. Second, they will do all in their power not to let you.
_______________________________
If you miss your M2 Exit deadline, when you start the process over, you are allowed to skip all the wait periods and zoom through the exit tests. . . as long as you don’t wait too much time after your M2 expires (which I never asked them how long it was). Therefore, once you lose your M2, take the M1 Written exam immediately (note that part of the test is the G1 exam).
I went to Service Ontario to take my M1 written exam but the clerk told me that the computer said I could only sign up for my M2 Exit and advised me to go home and sign up online. I pointed out that I tried and the computer system would not let me sign up for my M2 exit since it had expired and I called and the operator said my M2 had expired and I had to start over. The Service Ontario clerk then told me that I had to wait for her to call their help desk (which wasn’t open yet) and go buy breakfast since I would be there for a while. Once she got through to the help desk, they allowed me to proceed to the written exam. (This help desk will resurface throughout the story.)
According to the law/regulations/whatever, once you pass the written, you are allowed to sign up for your M1 Exit exam immediately. You don’t have to wait the 60 days, but the computer will not allow you to do this so no point in going online or calling up. I tried both. Since the computer would not allow the operator on the phone to sign me up, she could not even look to see what availability there was. I had to physically go into the Drive Test office in Brampton and wait in line, get a number, go to the counter, go over the whole story again, wait to collect a supervisor, go sit and wait again for them to call their help line to correct the error in the system, and then and only then could they sign me up.
Quiet calm persistence paid off. So did the line “I know that the law says I am allowed to take this test immediately but the computer does not. What do you need to do to correct the computer system?” Anger management, medication, and budgeting 5 hours really helps.
Ok, they signed me up. Get this: you have to pay before they will look at availability.
So I passed the M1 Exit (see below), went inside, got my M2 license and had to start the process over!
I’m not kidding: According to the law, you are allowed to skip the two year waiting period and do the M2 Exit exam immediately but the computer will not allow you to do this so I had to go over the whole story again: talk to the clerk, wait to collect a supervisor, wait for them to call their own help line to correct the error in the system. Get this, the help desk asked the clerk to ask me for my other name. ?? (The clerk tapped the monitor and asked if that was my real name so I turned the monitor to see what it said and was told that I was not allowed to look at the information on the monitor. I guess they have super secret information on my file). Well, I got my first license in California so then the person on the phone asked if I had any immigration documentation on me. (So some help desk clerk from Drive Test is going to now question my immigration status? Really??) Thankfully Alanna behind the counter (who is a nice and attentive person) said, “What does that have to do with anything? He has a full G license and he only wants to sign up for a test.” They were really working hard to say NO but truth and justice won the day. Then and only then, would they fix my file in the system allowing Alanna to sign me up for my M2 Exit.
Basically an exercise in running around but what can you do but smile and ask politely. I hope all this helps.
_________________________________________________________
The MTO Drive Test M1 Exit exam:
One of my more intelligent things I did was to go the the Drive test center on a Sunday, find the markings on the ground for the M1 Exit course, measure them. With some sidewalk chalk from Dollarama, I then went to my local school parking lot and made my own practice course. This really helped.
Note: there are two sets of markings. If you bike is over a certain wheel base like a big Harley, you get to test on the larger course. There is a foot long mark near the start line they use to measure your wheel base. I think it is from axel to axel but don’t quote me.
So everybody showed up early and we were all hanging out, so we started practicing. This other examiner from the big rig testing area came over and screamed at us like some psychotic high school teacher. “NO PRACTICING! GET OUT OF THERE!” It was really childish and unnecessary. He made us park our bikes outside the roped off testing area. “GET OUT OF THE TESTING AREA! MOVE YOUR BIKES!” Ooooohhh, the testing area.
M1 Exit test notes: plan to be there for a while. The tester was 30 min late and then treated the information like it was some big secret. If you asked a question, he would say, “You aren’t listening. I already said that”. (I think he failed the police entry exam.) Don’t bother complaining about the exam, the tester is paid not to care. Drive Test wants you to fail so no surprise there($$$) When the first guy didn’t know the slow/stop hand signal, we all started talking and the tester yelled at us, “THIS IS A TEST. NO TALKING.” Rather childish, but his reflective vest carries real authority.
The course consists of six pairs of cones (five feet apart outside to outside) and sixteen feet between the pairs (outside to outside). I measured outside to outside since that is what I would have to drive around. I didn’t measure the course for bigger bikes but maybe 17 feet apart??
The M1 Exit test:
- He lines you up from smallest to largest cc’s
- You are called up one at a time
- He checks all lights, turn indicators, brake lights, horn, high and low beams, anything and everything.
- He asks you to point out the clutch, shifter, front and rear brake, clutch, etc. He expects you to understand his exact terminology and will not vary, even if you are from somewhere else. And nobody in my group was Canadian.
- Hand signals: Left, Right, slow/stop.
- You then have to walk you bike in a figure eight around a two pairs of cones starting in a clockwise direction (so you don’t get to lean the bike on your hip). Go wide so you don’t hit the cones coming back around.
- Then you have to serpentine the course. (I rode the rear brake, held the throttle steady, use the clutch to vary speed, didn’t go too slow, and looked where I wanted to go and not at the cones) Practice helps. Go wide when you turn around for return trip as it helps you get the line better. Everyone failed this in my group except me and another guy on a Harley (and he handled that Hog like a Man. Perhaps his other bike is an 89 Gixxer).
- You then have to ride between the pairs slowly to the end and turn around, drive back and using both front and rear brakes stop before the line in a controlled manner. Comically easy but this one guy turned too early at the end and tagged a cone. The turn around is not graded so use the space.
- If you fail those parts you don't get to do the road test. It’s kinda embarrassing because he fails you in front of everyone but the successful people got to leave. I didn’t think that was necessary but perhaps embarrassment is part of the process. If you pass, you have to go park in another area and wait. I had no idea if I was in the right area since you are just supposed to know where it was but I was lucky for once. “I already explained where it is. You are not listening.”
- You then have a road test. The instructors crosses the street and at his signal, you have leave the parking lot, turn right, go to the next street and turn left, follow that around (the road loops around) to the light, turn left, then right back into the parking lot and park. The tester runs down the road while you are driving around and I didn’t see him watch us turn at the light. Ok, turn your head, use your blinkers, use blocking position, etc. I got dinged when I originally left the parking lot since I didn’t start the turn from the left part of the lane to turn to the right. Lots of construction so it is a bit tricky.
- Then he tells you the results. The other guy failed because the tester said he didn’t use his turn indicators when turning at the light. Ok, I was behind him and he used his turn indicator but they were tiny little decorative Harley turn indicators so the tester didn’t see them. Fail. (Maybe use hand signals as a backup?)
Hope this helps. Keep the shiny part up.
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