The Nova Scotia knowledge test

By the end of this topic you can

• You can describe the two parts of the knowledge test and the pass mark for each.
• You can choose between taking the test online or at a Registry office.
• You can plan your study using the right handbook chapters.
• You can explain what happens if you fail one part.

What you need to know and understand

• The test has two parts: traffic laws and safe driving, and Nova Scotia highway signs.
• Each part has 20 multiple-choice questions.
• You need at least 16 correct on each part, which is 80 per cent. A high score on one part does not make up for the other.
• If you fail one part, the current Government of Nova Scotia test page says you retake only that part, and you pay for another test.
• You can sit the test online in English or French on a desktop or laptop with a webcam (not a phone or tablet), or in person at a Registry of Motor Vehicles or Access Nova Scotia office.
• Each part has a 30-minute time limit. If you fail online you can retry as soon as you are ready; in person you wait until the next day. The fee was $15.03 as of November 2026.
• You must also pass a vision screening before a licence is issued.
• Oral testing is available by special appointment.

What each part covers

Motorcycle learners take a different rules part, so make sure you are studying for the car test.

• Rules part: licensing and GDL rules, right of way, turns, speed limits, passing, parking, school buses, emergency vehicles, safe driving in bad conditions, and alcohol, drugs and distraction.
• Signs part: regulatory, warning and guide signs, sign shapes and colours, pavement markings and work zone signs. The handbook's chapter on signs, pavement markings and work zones is the main study source.

Online or at an office

If you test online, you still visit a Registry or Access Nova Scotia office afterwards for the vision test, ID check, parental consent if you are under 18, licence fee and photo. If you test in person, the vision test, ID check and consent must be done before you sit the test, and the fee and photo come after you pass.

Online, a webcam takes photos of you during the test, and you must work alone with no notes or help. For an office test, you can walk in or book an appointment, and you can pay in advance or on the day.

A study plan that matches the test

1. Learn sign shapes and colours first, because the shape tells you the type of sign even before you read it.
2. Read the rules of the road chapter with a notebook and write down every number: speed limits, parking distances, following distance and demerit thresholds.
3. Read the learner and newly licensed rules for your own stage, such as zero alcohol and the no-passenger rule.
4. Check the 2026 Traffic Safety Act changes, for example the 30 centimetre curb parking distance and the school bus rule on divided highways.
5. Test yourself on both parts separately and aim well above 16 out of 20 on each.

Common mistakes

• Studying only the signs because they seem easier. You must pass both parts.
• Learning numbers from an old print of the handbook without checking the 2026 changes.
• Guessing at numbers instead of learning them. Many questions turn on exact distances and limits.
• Planning to take the online test on a phone or tablet. You need a desktop or laptop with a webcam.
• Assuming a pass means you can drive straight away. You still need the licence document.

Test yourself: The Nova Scotia knowledge test

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Nova Scotia Learner’s Test
• How to Get a Driver’s Licence in Nova Scotia
• Nova Scotia Demerit Points and Suspensions for New Drivers