Photo: Adam Moss, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How many questions are on the learner’s test in Canada? It depends on the province. British Columbia asks 50 questions, Alberta 30, and Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories 20 rules plus 20 signs. For several provinces, check the question count with the licensing office. This table compares every province and territory on question count, pass mark, retest rules and languages, using official pages only.
Key facts
- Pass marks published by governments range from 80% (Ontario, Nova Scotia, NWT, Nunavut, Yukon, BC) to 85% (Newfoundland and Labrador).
- Several jurisdictions mark the signs and rules sections separately. In Nova Scotia and the NWT, a high score on one part cannot make up for a low score on the other. Nunavut also marks its parts separately.
- BC and Newfoundland and Labrador let you take the test online. New Brunswick offers an online option too.
- For Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Quebec, New Brunswick and PEI, check the question count and pass mark with the licensing office when you book.
Knowledge test format by province and territory
| Jurisdiction | Questions | Pass mark | Retest rule | Online? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario (G1) | Check with DriveTest; two or three sections (signs, rules) | 80% overall | Within a year you redo only failed sections | No, at a DriveTest centre |
| British Columbia | 50 | 40 correct | $15 per test; check retest timing with ICBC | Yes, with webcam, or at an office |
| Alberta (Class 7) | 30 | 25 correct | Once per day, fee each attempt | No, at a registry agent |
| Quebec (SAAQ) | Check with SAAQ; three sections | Check with SAAQ | Wait at least 28 days | No, at an SAAQ service centre |
| Manitoba | Check with MPI; 30-minute limit | Check with MPI | 7 days in GDL | No |
| Saskatchewan | Check with SGI; Basic part and Sign part | Check with SGI | Once per day; rewrite only the failed part; passes valid one year | No |
| Nova Scotia | 20 rules + 20 signs | 16 on each part | Fail one part and you retake only that part (online, straight away; in person, next day) | No |
| New Brunswick | Check with Service New Brunswick; rules and sign recognition | Check with Service New Brunswick | Wait 1 day, then 1 week; after a third fail, in person only | Yes, or in person |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Check with Motor Registration | 85% | Check with Motor Registration | Yes, in English, through MyGovNL |
| Prince Edward Island | Check with Access PEI; rules and sign recognition | Check with Access PEI | Wait at least 7 days, no extra fee | No |
| Yukon | Check with Yukon Driver Services | 80% | As early as the next day ($20 each) | No |
| Northwest Territories | 20 rules + 20 signs, 30 minutes | 16 on each part | Book and pay for a new test | No |
| Nunavut | At least 20, including sign identification | 80% | Rewrite only the part you failed | No |
As of November 2026. Formats change, so confirm when you book.
Which languages can you take the test in?
| Jurisdiction | Languages and support |
|---|---|
| Ontario | Many languages; paper at all DriveTest centres, computer at some |
| British Columbia | 12: English, French, Arabic, Cantonese, Croatian, Farsi, Mandarin, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese |
| Alberta | Class 7 in 25 languages, including Cree, Somali, Oromo, Amharic, Tagalog and Punjabi. Audio and oral tests are available. A translator is possible after three attempts, or straight away if your language is not offered |
| Quebec | French or English, with audio. New residents can ask for Modern Standard Arabic, Spanish or Mandarin |
| Manitoba | English, French and 28 other languages, with audio |
| Nova Scotia | Oral tests by special appointment |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Online in English. French and Ukrainian at Motor Registration offices. Interpreters only with Registrar approval |
| PEI | Oral test available if you cannot read the written test |
| Other jurisdictions | Ask the licensing office when you book |
What every knowledge test in Canada covers
- Signs and signals: shapes, colours, regulatory, warning, school, construction and guide signs, and traffic lights.
- Rules of the road: right of way, speed limits, passing, parking distances, school buses, emergency vehicles, railway crossings.
- Your licence: GDL conditions, demerit points or rating scales, and zero alcohol.
- Safe driving: following distance, winter conditions, impairment and distraction.
The questions come from your province’s own handbook, so study that book, not another province’s. Where you cannot confirm the count, know the whole handbook rather than aiming for a minimum score.
How to use separate-part marking to your advantage
- In Nova Scotia and the NWT, practise signs and rules as two separate tests. A weak signs score fails you even with perfect rules answers.
- In Saskatchewan, a fail on one part only means rewriting that part, so do not panic after a bad section.
- In Ontario, a pass needs 80% overall. If you fail, retry within a year and you only redo the sections you failed.
- Learn the numbers each handbook loves: default speed limits, school bus stopping distances, parking distances and your GDL limits.
Common questions
How many questions are on the G1 test?
Check the question count with DriveTest. It says the test has two or three sections and needs 80% overall. See the Ontario G1 knowledge test.
Which province has the hardest learner’s test?
Newfoundland and Labrador has the highest published pass mark at 85%. BC’s 50 questions make it the longest published test.
Can I take my learner’s test online at home?
In BC, yes, on a webcam-monitored computer. Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick also offer online tests. Everywhere else you test in person.
Can I take the test in my first language?
Often. Alberta offers 25 languages and Manitoba 30. Quebec’s choice is narrower. Check the table above.
Do I also need a vision test?
Yes. Every jurisdiction screens your vision when you apply for a learner’s licence.
If I move provinces, do I retake the knowledge test?
Usually not for a full licence, which exchanges. Learner’s licences are treated differently. See exchanging an out-of-province licence.
Related: learning to drive in Canada, ICBC knowledge test, Alberta Class 7 knowledge test, Nova Scotia learner’s test, cost of a licence in Canada.
Sources
- Government of Ontario, “Get a G driver’s licence: new drivers” (ontario.ca)
- DriveTest, “G1 knowledge test” (drivetest.ca)
- ICBC, “Preparing for your driver licensing tests”, form MV2022 (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Take the online knowledge test” (icbc.com)
- Government of Alberta, “Driver’s knowledge test” (alberta.ca)
- Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, “Preparing for the tests” (saaq.gouv.qc.ca)
- Manitoba Public Insurance, “What you need to know about driver testing” and “Class Licence System” (mpi.mb.ca)
- SGI, “Saskatchewan Driver’s Handbook 2026-27” (sgi.sk.ca)
- Service Nova Scotia, “Learner’s (Beginner’s) Licence” (novascotia.ca)
- Service New Brunswick, “Knowledge test” (snb.ca)
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Motor Registration Division, “Licence application process” (gov.nl.ca)
- Government of Prince Edward Island, “Driver’s Handbook”, February 2022 (princeedwardisland.ca)
- Government of Yukon, “Get a driver’s licence” (yukon.ca)
- Government of the Northwest Territories, “NWT Driver’s Manual” (inf.gov.nt.ca)
- Government of Nunavut, “Driver’s Licence Regulations” and “Nunavut Driver’s Manual” (gov.nu.ca)