What to bring to your driving test and when it will not take place

Bring a valid identity document (ID card, passport, residence card or mObywatel), glasses if your medical certificate requires them and, if under 18, parental consent. The test will not go ahead without proof of identity, after alcohol or without glasses; after a car breakdown or in bad weather the new date is free.

What documents to bring to the practical test

The most important item is a valid identity document. Without it the examiner cannot establish who you are, and the test will not take place. The regulation on driving tests (rozporządzenie w sprawie egzaminowania), § 12(1), lists what WORD (Wojewódzki Ośrodek Ruchu Drogowego, the regional driving test centre) accepts on the day of the test:

1. a Polish ID card (dowód osobisty);
2. another document confirming the identity and citizenship of a citizen of the EU, EFTA or Switzerland;
3. a residence card (karta pobytu);
4. a passport or another travel document;
5. a temporary foreigner's identity certificate (tymczasowe zaświadczenie tożsamości cudzoziemca);
6. a Polish identity document for a foreigner (polski dokument tożsamości cudzoziemca);
7. a tolerated stay permit (zgoda na pobyt tolerowany);
8. a document in the mObywatel app (the government app) shown to the examiner on your phone screen (a Ukrainian citizen may use the electronic document under the Act of 12 March 2022).

The document on your phone must be updated as of the day of the test. If the examiner has doubts, they may ask you to display the QR code.

§ 12 says nothing about a printout with your PKK number (Profil Kandydata na Kierowcę, the driver candidate profile) or about proof of payment: you give the PKK number when you book, and you pay the fee when you reserve a date. How test fees and booking work in 2026 is covered in a separate article.

Glasses, parental consent and other conditions the examiner will check

If your medical certificate contains a restriction code (for example glasses or contact lenses), you must meet that condition on the day of the test. A candidate without the glasses required by the certificate will not be admitted to the test (§ 15(1)). Restriction codes are entered in the certificate after the examination described in our article on the medical examination for a driving licence.

Anyone under 18 needs written consent from a parent or guardian to take the test (Act on Vehicle Drivers (ustawa o kierujących pojazdami), art. 50(2) point 8). From 3 March 2026 you can obtain category B from the age of 17, and you can take the test at the earliest one month before reaching the required age. Details of this route are in our text on getting a driving licence before 18.

A candidate who does not speak Polish may, at their own expense, arrange a sworn interpreter (§ 18 of the regulation). If the interpreter, or an instructor who was due to take part in the test, does not turn up, the test will not take place; the regulation does not waive the fee in this situation (§ 15(2) covers only causes beyond the candidate's control and a failure of the recording equipment). More about this option in our article on taking the driving test in a foreign language.

A motorcycle candidate brings their own protective clothing (boots, trousers, jacket, gloves), while WORD provides a vest, a helmet and protectors. Without the clothing the examiner will not run the test (§ 13(1) point 3 and § 15(1)).

Can you take the test in your driving school's car

The test takes place in a WORD vehicle. For categories AM, A1, A2, A, B and B+E it may, however, take place in a vehicle of the OSK (ośrodek szkolenia kierowców, the driving school) that trained you, if you submit an application and cover the cost (Act on Vehicle Drivers, art. 53(4a)). If that vehicle is not on site, the examiner will not run the test (§ 15(1)). The same applies to the vehicle for category B1.

Whichever car you drive, one item under the bonnet and one light are drawn at random on the manoeuvring area. What this looks like and how much time you have is described in our text on the vehicle checks in the driving test.

How to cancel a date without losing the fee

You can withdraw from a date in writing no later than 2 working days before the test (§ 11(6)-(8)). You can also withdraw electronically: through the WORD system or with a document signed with a trusted, qualified or personal signature. WORD then sets a new date without a new fee. WORD Warsaw confirms that a refund or transfer of the fee requires written notice no later than 2 days before the test.

In unforeseen cases described in the application, the WORD director may shorten this deadline. Anyone who does not turn up and does not cancel gets the next date only after paying a new fee (§ 11(5)).

In the Mazovia region (as of September 2026) the category B practical part costs 229.99 zł (PLN) and the theory part 56.98 zł, so cancelling in time has real value.

When the examiner will not run the test: table

The regulation (§ 15(1)) lists the situations in which the examiner does not run the test or does not continue it. The candidate does not pay another fee only where the cause is beyond their control (weather, a failure of the WORD system or of the test vehicle, § 15(1) point 4) and where the recording equipment fails (point 5), in line with § 15(2).

For the first group the regulation provides no fee waiver, so bear in mind that a forgotten ID card or glasses costs as much as a no-show.

Alcohol before the test: what happens if the examiner suspects it

If the examiner suspects that you are under the influence of alcohol or a similar substance, they call the authorised services to carry out a test (§ 14 point 2). Refusing the test works the same way as a positive result: the driving test will not take place (§ 15(1)), and one already under way will be stopped (§ 16(1)).

The evening before the test is a bad time for alcohol. The catalogue of exam questions has its own question on this: after a large amount of alcohol you do not drive the next morning (question 11510 on driving in the morning after drinking).

Manoeuvring area: when you will not go out on the road

The part in traffic is not carried out if, on the manoeuvring area, you drove a wheel over the line marking the outer edge of the bay, ran over or knocked down a cone or pole, or performed the same task on the area incorrectly twice (§ 12(2)). Where the table of tasks allows it, you are entitled to one correction of your path. Such a result on the area means a negative result for the practical part (§ 28); your passed theory test remains valid.

For category B there are three tasks on the area: preparing to drive with the technical check, moving off and driving a lane forwards and in reverse, and moving off on a hill. The full description of the tasks and criteria is in our article on the category B practical test tasks.

What stops the test in traffic

From 3 March 2026 the test may be ended before all tasks are completed when the candidate's behaviour may endanger the life or health of the examiner or another road user, or directly affects road safety (Act on Vehicle Drivers, art. 52(2)). The regulation (§ 16(1)) adds to this the behaviours from table 9 of annex 1, when they directly endangered life and health, stopping the test at the candidate's request, and refusing an alcohol test.

Selected behaviours from table 9:

Smaller mistakes do not stop the test, but they count towards the result: the same task performed incorrectly twice gives a negative result (§ 28). The examiner tells you about a mistake straight away, naming the task. Driving in traffic lasts at least 40 minutes, and with a positive result and all tasks completed the examiner may end it after 25 minutes. What to do after a negative result is described in our article on a failed driving test.

When the test ends through no fault of yours and without a new fee

The test may also be ended early for reasons beyond your control: a failure of the recording equipment, a vehicle breakdown with no replacement vehicle, or because it was conducted in breach of the rules (§ 16(2)). In such cases you get the next date without a new fee (§ 16(5)).

The category B practical part is recorded (video and audio), and the recording is kept for 21 days (Act on Vehicle Drivers, art. 54). If you believe the test was conducted in breach of the rules, you have 14 days from the day of the test to file a complaint with reasons to the marshal of the voivodeship (the head of the regional government), submitted through the WORD director (art. 68(1)).

Tips for the test day: what helps, even if it is not a rule

The tips below do not come from the regulation.

1. The day before, put your identity document and glasses in one place, update mObywatel and check that it opens.
2. Charge your phone fully if your document is in the app.
3. Plan your journey with time to spare, so you do not start the test out of breath.
4. Do not drink alcohol the day before, not even a little.
5. Get a good night's sleep and eat something before you leave.

If stress is paralysing you, simple diaphragmatic breathing helps: breathe in through your nose counting to 5 and out counting to 5, for a few minutes before you go onto the area. We have collected more techniques in our article on driving test nerves. On the area, start by adjusting the seat, mirrors and head restraint, fasten your seat belt and check the doors: this is the first task of the test and the easiest points to score.