The Quebec knowledge test
Quebec learners actually meet two theory tests. The first is given by your driving school at the end of Phase 1 and leads to your learner's licence. The second is the SAAQ knowledge test (examen theorique), taken at an SAAQ service centre later in your learner period.
This page is about the SAAQ test: when you can sit it, what it covers and how it is marked.
By the end of this topic you can
- You can tell the driving school test apart from the SAAQ knowledge test.
- You can say when you become eligible for the SAAQ test.
- You can name the three sections and the pass mark.
- You can plan your study using the SAAQ's own materials.
What you need to know and understand
- You must have held your learner's licence for at least 10 months on the test date.
- Appointments are made through the SAAQclic online services platform.
- The test has three sections and you need 75% in each one.
- All questions are multiple choice, and many use an illustration of a traffic scene.
- If you fail, you wait at least 28 days and retake only the sections you failed, paying the fee again.
- The test takes 30 to 60 minutes. The SAAQ listed the fee as $13.50 in 2026.
What the three sections cover
The SAAQ bases the test on its Road Safety Education Program. The three parts are:
- The Highway Safety Code: the traffic rules that apply in Quebec.
- Road signs, pavement markings and traffic signals.
- Behaviours and techniques for driving a passenger vehicle, such as sharing the road, speed and judgement.
Reading the picture questions
Many questions show a numbered scene with several vehicles. Read the question slowly, enlarge the picture if you need to and work out what each numbered vehicle is doing. Look for any offence: a vehicle that has not yielded, has crossed a solid line or is too close to a cyclist. Then choose A, B, C or D. Audio recordings of the questions in French and English are available to help with reading.
The test is offered in French and English. The SAAQ also lists Modern Standard Arabic, Spanish and Mandarin versions, which you ask for at the service centre on test day.
Test day rules
Bring your learner's licence or photo ID and pay the fee before the test. The only things allowed are a paper dictionary without pictures or notes and the SAAQ's own material. Phones, smart watches and smart glasses are banned. Cheating means an automatic fail and a 90-day wait before you can try again, or 180 days for a repeat.
How to prepare
The SAAQ points learners to its Driver's Handbook, the guide Driving a Passenger Vehicle, the Guide to Knowledge Test Illustrations, the course modules and exercises, and its Road Safety Quiz. Your driving school also provides the Road Access binder. Our separate guide to the SAAQ knowledge test covers booking and timing in more depth.
Common mistakes
- Booking too early. You must have held the learner's licence for 10 months on the test date.
- Studying only road signs. The rules and driving behaviour sections each need 75% too.
- Rushing the picture questions. Check every numbered vehicle before answering.
- Bringing a phone or smart watch into the room. Leave them outside to avoid an automatic fail.
Test yourself: The Quebec knowledge test
Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.
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Go deeper
Sources: SAAQ, Obtaining a Passenger Vehicle (Class 5) Driver's Licence (knowledge test section); SAAQ, Newcomers: Preparing for the Knowledge and Road Tests. Independent guide, not affiliated with any licensing agency. Always check the latest official rules with your province or territory.