Photo: GoToVan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The ICBC knowledge test is the first step to a BC learner (L) licence: 50 multiple-choice questions, and you need 40 correct to pass. You can take it at home on a webcam-monitored computer or at a driver licensing office, in 12 languages. This guide covers the format, the online rules, the $15 fee, what happens after you pass and how to prepare.
Key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 50 multiple choice |
| Pass mark | 40 correct (80%) |
| Minimum age | 16 |
| Time limit (online) | 45 minutes, one session |
| Fee (online) | $15, as of November 2026. The licence fee is separate. |
| If you fail | Wait one day before another attempt |
| Open book? | No. Phones and electronic devices are not allowed. |
| Result valid | One year (online pass) |
What the ICBC knowledge test covers
Questions measure how well you know ICBC’s Learn to Drive Smart guide. Expect road signs, signals and markings, right-of-way and lane rules, safe driving strategy and the GLP restrictions. Study these first:
Which languages is the test offered in?
ICBC offers the test in 12 languages: English, French, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Punjabi, Farsi, Vietnamese, Modern Standard Arabic, Croatian, Russian, Spanish and Ukrainian. ICBC says the online test is available in the same 12. The free practice test comes in seven: English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Punjabi, Farsi, Vietnamese and Modern Standard Arabic.
Taking the knowledge test online at home
What you need
- A desktop or laptop with a keyboard and mouse or trackpad. Phones and tablets will not work.
- A working webcam connected to the same screen as the test, kept on for the whole test.
- A stable internet connection.
- One piece of accepted primary ID.
How it works
- Register and pay the $15 fee on ICBC’s knowledge test site.
- Start within 72 hours of registering.
- Finish within 45 minutes in one sitting. ICBC uses image verification, continuous webcam monitoring and real-time behaviour tracking to detect cheating.
- Get an email confirming your pass.
Passing online does not license you to drive. You still need the office visit below.
After you pass: the driver licensing office visit
Bring:
- two pieces of accepted ID, including the same primary ID you registered with
- if you are under 18, a parent or guardian consent form with an original signature, or the parent or guardian in person
- payment for the licence fee
- glasses or contact lenses, if you wear them
- a printed or digital copy of your pass email
- payment for any debt owed to ICBC or the province
Some offices need a 10-minute appointment. You leave with a Class 7L licence, an L sign and a copy of Tuning Up for Drivers.
Vision and medical screening
The office checks colour vision, depth perception, field of vision, double vision (diplopia) and sharpness. If you need glasses to pass, a corrective lens restriction goes on your licence. You may be referred to an optometrist or ophthalmologist. You will also answer medical questions; if needed, a doctor’s report goes to RoadSafetyBC, which decides whether you can be licensed.
Taking it at an office instead
- Arrive at least an hour before closing.
- In some parts of BC it is only offered as a written test.
- If a disability will make the test difficult, phone the office ahead.
How to prepare
- Read Learn to Drive Smart chapters 3 to 6 and 9.
- Take ICBC’s practice test (practicetest.icbc.com or the ICBC app) as many times as you like. ICBC says its questions are based on the real test.
- Use the separate road signs practice test.
- Learn the numbers: speed limits, parking distances, following distances, GLP rules.
Common questions
How many questions can I get wrong on the ICBC knowledge test?
Ten. You need 40 out of 50.
Can I take the ICBC knowledge test on my phone?
No. The online test needs a desktop or laptop with a webcam. You can do the practice test on a phone.
How soon can I retake it if I fail?
ICBC says you wait one day before another attempt.
Is the online test harder than the office test?
ICBC describes it as the same knowledge test, in the same 12 languages. Only the setting and monitoring differ.
Does my L expire?
Yes, after two years. Renewing it means taking the knowledge test again.
Do I need a parent if I am 18?
No. Since 19 October 2026 only applicants under 18 need a parent or guardian’s consent; the province lowered the age from 19 to 18 with the other Graduated Licensing Program changes. If you still see 19 on an older page, it is out of date.
Back to the full guide: Learning to drive in BC. Moving from another province or country? See Moving to BC.
Sources
- Government of British Columbia, news release 2026PSSG0061-000847 on Graduated Licensing Program changes (news.gov.bc.ca)
- ICBC, “Get your L” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Take the online knowledge test” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Take the practice knowledge test” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “ICBC online knowledge test: at home” (knowledgetest.icbc.com)
- ICBC Newsroom, “Online knowledge tests” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Learn to Drive Smart, chapter 9: Your licence” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Tuning Up for Drivers” (icbc.com)