Getting from your N to a full Class 5 licence used to mean one thing: booking and passing a second road test. That is changing. If you are counting down your novice months right now, the route you take depends on when you become eligible, so it is worth understanding both versions.
Key takeaways
- You need to complete the novice stage first: 24 months, or 18 months with an ICBC-approved course taken during your learner stage.
- From 19 October 2026, most Class 7N drivers with a clean record move up without a second road test, and can book the upgrade online.
- Second road tests already booked for 19 October or later are cancelled.
- Until that date, taking the road test is still how you move up if you are eligible now.
First, the part that has not changed
You still have to serve your time. The novice stage is 24 months as standard, or 18 months if you completed an ICBC-approved driver-training course during your L stage and kept your record clean. Nothing about the October change shortens that.
Your record still matters too. Prohibitions and certain violations during the novice stage can push your eligibility date back, so if something has happened, check where you actually stand rather than assuming.
What changes on 19 October 2026
From that date, most novice drivers with a clean driving record will not need to take a second road test to get a Class 5. The upgrade becomes an appointment you can book online rather than a driving assessment you have to pass.
If you already have a second road test booked for 19 October or later, it will be cancelled. That is not something going wrong, it is the new process replacing the old one. We wrote about the change in more detail in ICBC’s 2026 GLP changes explained.
Which path applies to you
It comes down to your eligibility date.
If you become eligible before 19 October 2026
You can book and take the Class 5 road test the traditional way. Some drivers prefer this because it gets them their full licence sooner rather than waiting for the new process.
If you become eligible on or after 19 October 2026
Assuming your record is clean, you are looking at the online upgrade rather than a test. Keep your record clean between now and then, because that is the condition the whole thing rests on.
Does this mean you can stop practising?
No, and this is the part worth saying plainly. Removing a test does not remove the skills the test existed to check. Plenty of novice drivers spend two years only doing familiar trips: the same route to work, the same shops, never a highway merge, never a parallel park in a tight space.
Getting a Class 5 without a second assessment means nobody will tell you about the habits that quietly went sideways. If your highway merging is timid or you have not reversed into a space in a year, that gap does not close by itself. A single session with an instructor is a cheap way to find out where you actually are.
What a full Class 5 gets you
The N sign comes off, the passenger limit goes, and the zero alcohol restriction is replaced by the ordinary limits that apply to every driver. Insurance treatment generally improves as well. It is the end of the graduated program and the point where you are simply a licensed driver.
Common questions
How do I go from Class 7 to Class 5 in BC?
Is the second road test really being removed?
Can I still take the road test if I want to?
Does the change shorten my novice period?
If you want to walk into your full licence actually sharp rather than just eligible, our Class 5 lessons and road test preparation will tell you where you stand in one session. For the wider picture, see our guide to the BC Graduated Licensing Program and the rules that apply while you are still on your Class 7N licence.