The car theory exam gives you a little room for error, but not much. Out of 50 questions you are allowed to get six wrong. Seven or more and you have failed. That sounds harsh, but with the right preparation the pass mark is well within reach, and understanding how the exam is put together already gets you a long way.
The car theory exam consists of 50 questions. You pass with at least 44 correct, which leaves you room for six mistakes. Alongside those 50 questions the exam also contains two trial questions that do not count towards your result, so you answer 52 in total while only 50 of them affect whether you pass.
The exam was reformed in April 2025. It used to run to 65 questions split across three separate sections, each with its own pass mark, whereas now it runs as one continuous test. Those separate sections no longer exist.
The questions come in several different formats. Most are multiple choice or yes/no, but you will also get drag questions, where you move answers onto an image to show who has priority, hotspot questions, where you tap the right spot in a picture, and fill-in questions, where you type a number yourself such as a speed limit or a number of seconds. Each format asks something slightly different of you, and the clock does not help, with 30 minutes for 50 questions working out at an average of 36 seconds each.
The exam also asks for more than a knowledge of the rules and the traffic signs. A large share of the questions tests how well you read the road, meaning you have to assess a situation and make the right call. That is not something you can memorise, it only comes from plenty of practice. The wording can be involved at times, too. Read too quickly and you may miss the one word that changes the answer. These are not trick questions, but they do demand your full attention.
The questions are backed up by images and video clips of real traffic situations. You are shown a scene and have to judge what is about to happen or what the right course of action would be. The more you have practised this type of question, the faster you will recognise what you are looking at on the day.
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Some subjects produce far more mistakes than others. These are the ones most candidates struggle with:
| Topic | Why it catches people out |
|---|---|
| Road position and getting into the right lane | Calls for judgement, not just knowledge of the rules |
| The condition and mechanics of your own car | Technical knowledge you do not pick up in everyday driving |
| Fog lights and lighting | Full of exceptions and specific situations |
| Priority rules in complex situations | Several rules apply at the same time |
| Judging distances and speeds | Hard to memorise, it comes down to understanding |
The common thread is that it is nearly always the judgement-based questions that cause problems. Questions about the driver’s own state, such as tiredness or alcohol, tend to go fine, because that is knowledge most people already carry with them from everyday life.
Your scores on practice exams are the best gauge, and not a single good score but a run of them. If you are consistently landing well above the pass mark with no more than two or three mistakes, you are in good shape. If you keep finishing right on the line, the nerves on the day will quite likely push you the wrong side of it.
That is the part people underestimate. An exam room feels nothing like sitting at your own screen at home. The time pressure is real, the questions are unfamiliar and you cannot flick back to your notes. A comfortable margin in practice gives you that buffer.
Pay attention to where your mistakes are clustering, too. If priority rules or lighting keep costing you marks, work on those topics specifically before you book the real thing. Our theory exam tips are worth a read as well, so nothing catches you by surprise.
Walk in well prepared and you will make fewer mistakes. This step-by-step plan will get you there.
✓ Learn the rules of the road and the traffic signs thoroughly, so your basic knowledge is solid before you move on to practice exams.
✓ Practise with full mock exams to get used to the time pressure and the way the CBR phrases its questions.
✓ Go through your mistakes after every practice exam and work specifically on the topics where you keep coming unstuck.
✓ Practise with images and video clips, so you learn to recognise and assess traffic situations quickly.
✓ Read every question calmly and in full, because one missed word can change your answer completely.
✓ Only book your exam once you are consistently down to two or three mistakes in practice.
✓ Get a decent night’s sleep before the day itself, as tiredness costs you marks you had no need to drop.
Ready to practice?
3250 practice questions, 60 mock exams, a video course and much more. All for one price.
Ready to practice?
3250 practice questions, 60 mock exams, a video course and much more. All for one price.
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