Car & Bike Theory IrelandThe short answer
The car Driver Theory Test, category BW, is 40 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes, and you need 35 correct to pass. The motorcycle and moped test, category AM, is the same length with the same pass mark. The professional truck and bus tests are much longer.
| Test | Questions | Needed to pass | Time allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| BW — car, tractor and work vehicles | 40 | 35 (87.5%) | 45 minutes |
| AM — motorcycle and moped | 40 | 35 (87.5%) | 45 minutes |
| C or D — truck or bus | 100 | 74 (74%) | 120 minutes |
| CD — truck and bus combined | 140 | 104 (about 74%) | 180 minutes |
| Truck module test | 40 | 30 (75%) | 45 minutes |
| Bus module test | 40 | 30 (75%) | 45 minutes |
The truck and bus papers are covered in detail in the truck theory test guide. The rest of this page is about the car test, and almost all of it applies to the motorcycle test too; the rider-specific detail is in the motorcycle theory test guide.
See where you stand in five minutes. The free practice quiz asks ten car or motorcycle questions in your browser and explains every answer. No sign-up and nothing to install.
What the test is
The Driver Theory Test is a computer-based multiple-choice test of your knowledge of the Rules of the Road, risk perception, hazard awareness, eco-driving and safe driving behaviour. You must pass it before you can apply for a learner permit.
Category BW is the one most people sit: cars, tractors and work vehicles, which covers licence categories B, BE and W. Riders sit category AM instead, and professional drivers sit the longer category C or D tests. All of them are booked through the same service, theorytest.ie, which Prometric runs on behalf of the Road Safety Authority.
Minimum age. The test service has announced that from 1 November 2026 the minimum age to sit the Driver Theory Test will be 15. Check the current rule on theorytest.ie before booking for anyone close to that age.
How it is marked and timed
There is one overall pass mark and no separate threshold for each topic area. Thirty-five out of forty is 87.5%, which is a high bar — you can afford five wrong answers in total. That is the single most important thing to understand before you start revising, and it is covered in the pass mark guide.
Time is rarely the problem. Forty-five minutes for forty questions is 67.5 seconds a question, and most candidates finish well inside it. The truck and bus tests give a similar pace: 120 minutes for 100 questions is 72 seconds each.
How the questions are chosen
The test service says the questions “are selected randomly from the question bank for the relevant test sections”. Each paper is a random draw from the bank, section by section, so there is no fixed set of forty to memorise. That is why learning the rules works and memorising a list of answers does not.
For the car test the sections are:
- Safe and socially responsible driving — attitude, other road users, and driving in a way that accounts for people outside the car.
- Legal matters and the Rules of the Road — signs, markings, right of way, speed limits, documentation.
- Managing risk — hazard awareness, anticipation, conditions, fatigue, alcohol and drugs.
- Control of the vehicle — positioning, manoeuvring, steering and braking.
- Technical matters — tyres, lights, warning lights and basic roadworthiness.
The test service does not publish how many questions come from each section, so treat any exact split you see quoted elsewhere with caution. There is more on how to divide revision between them in what to study.
What it costs
The fee for the category BW test is €45.00, checked on theorytest.ie in September 2026. Fees change, so confirm the current figure during booking rather than relying on this page.
The fee is at risk on the day. If you arrive late, or without the right identification, you will not be allowed to test and you lose the fee. Neither of those is discretionary, and both are entirely avoidable.
Booking and where you sit it
Booking is done online, and the test is taken at an official test centre — there are over forty locations across the Republic of Ireland. Unlike the professional CPC case-study test, the car and bike test cannot be taken at home.
Rescheduling and cancellation both depend on notice. A change requested at least seven calendar days before the test is free; inside six calendar days a 50% fee applies, and you cannot reschedule on the day of the test itself. Cancelling follows a similar ladder: free at seven or more days, a 50% refund between three and six days, and no refund inside two days or on the day. Booking and ID sets out the whole process.
On the day
Bring one acceptable form of photographic identification, in hard copy — a digital copy on a phone is not accepted. The name on the ID must match the name on the booking exactly.
At the end of the test a pass or fail result is displayed on screen immediately, and you are given a report showing the category areas where you answered correctly and incorrectly. That breakdown is genuinely useful after a fail, because it tells you where the next block of revision belongs.
The certificate and what it is worth
A pass produces a Driver Theory Test certificate that is valid for two years from the date of your test. Within that window you can apply for a learner permit; after it expires, you pay for and sit the test again.
Two years sounds generous and routinely is not. Learner permits, Essential Driver Training and driving-test waiting times all take calendar time, so treat the pass date as the start of a clock. If you pass and then do nothing for eighteen months, you have spent most of the window.
If you do not pass
There is no limit on attempts. It is strongly advised to wait at least three complete business days before re-sitting, which is enough to act on the result report rather than repeat the same mistakes with more confidence.
Before you book again, the practice quiz is a quick way to check whether the weak areas on your report have moved.
Where these figures come from
The test structure, question selection, certificate validity and minimum age on this page come from the test service’s own pages:
- theorytest.ie — Frequently Asked Questions: the per-category table of time, questions and pass mark; how questions are selected; certificate validity; the minimum age from 1 November 2026.
- theorytest.ie — Driver Theory Test: Car or Bike: the BW and AM format and the fee.
The structure figures were recorded in July 2026 and re-checked on 2 October 2026; the fee was checked in September 2026. They are the same figures Car & Bike Theory Ireland uses for its full-length mocks. If anything on theorytest.ie differs from this page, theorytest.ie is right.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in the Irish driver theory test?
Forty for category BW (cars, tractors and work vehicles), with 35 correct answers needed to pass and 45 minutes allowed. The category AM motorcycle test is the same: 40 questions, 35 to pass, 45 minutes. The professional category C and D tests are 100 questions each, with 74 needed to pass.
How long is the driver theory test in Ireland?
45 minutes for the 40-question car (BW) and motorcycle (AM) tests. The truck (C) and bus (D) tests allow 120 minutes for 100 questions, and the combined CD test 180 minutes for 140 questions.
What is the pass mark for the driver theory test in Ireland?
35 out of 40, which is 87.5%. There is a single overall pass mark rather than a threshold in each topic area, so you can afford five wrong answers in total.
How much does the driver theory test cost in Ireland?
€45.00 for the category BW car test, checked on theorytest.ie in September 2026. Confirm the current fee during booking, as it is set by the test service and changes.
How long is the driver theory test certificate valid?
Two years from the date of your test. You should apply for a learner permit within that window; after it expires you have to pay for and sit the test again.
Can I take the driver theory test at home?
Not for the car or bike test. It must be taken at one of the official test centres, of which there are over forty across the Republic of Ireland. Only the professional Driver CPC case-study test can be taken at home.
How soon can I re-sit the driver theory test?
There is no limit on attempts, and it is strongly advised to wait at least three complete business days before re-sitting so you have time to revise the areas your result report flagged.
Practise the real test shape
Car & Bike Theory Ireland turns this material into separate category BW and AM practice: full 40-question mocks on the real timing, a road-signs trainer, rider guides, and an explanation on every answer.
Independent guide: TritonApps is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Road Safety Authority or the Driver Theory Test service. This page summarises published guidance for convenience and is not official advice. Always confirm current requirements and fees with the RSA before you book.