Photo: Julio Lopez / Pexels. Illustrative photograph.
The Irish Driver Theory Test for cars (category BW) draws 40 questions at random from the official RSA question bank, and you need 35 correct to pass. The RSA says the test covers the Rules of the Road, risk perception, eco-driving, hazard awareness and safe driving behaviour. This guide explains how the question bank is organised, which Rules of the Road topics to revise, and where each one is covered on this site.
Key facts
- Car and bike tests (BW and AM): 40 questions, 35 to pass, 45 minutes. Fee €45 as of November 2026.
- The BW test covers cars, work vehicles and land tractors (licence categories B, BE and W).
- Questions are chosen at random from the question bank for the relevant test sections.
- The official question bank is published as “The Official Driver Theory Test Questions and Answers”, May 2024 edition, and in the official learning app.
- After the test your score report shows which category areas you got right or wrong.
For booking, ID, the minimum age of 15 and results, see the Irish driver theory test.
What does the Irish theory test cover?
The RSA lists five areas:
| Area | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Rules of the Road | Signs, markings, right of way, speed limits, motorways, parking, licensing law, penalties |
| Risk perception | Spotting what could go wrong before it happens: children near parked cars, cyclists, bends, junctions |
| Eco-driving | Driving smoothly and efficiently to cut fuel use and emissions |
| Hazard awareness | Weather, night driving, tiredness, alcohol and drugs, vehicle defects |
| Safe driving behaviour | Attitude, sharing the road with vulnerable users, distraction, following distance |
The official question book and app group questions into sections, and the app lets you practise by section or category. The exact section names are in the official materials, which are sold by Prometric on behalf of the RSA. Theorytest.ie warns that unofficial apps and sites do not contain the official questions.
Rules of the Road topics to revise
The Rules of the Road is the RSA’s handbook for all road users. Use it alongside the official questions. Each topic below links to a guide.
Licensing and the law
- Licence categories and minimum ages: Irish driving licence categories explained
- Learner permit conditions, L plates, the six month rule: getting a learner permit, the six month rule and L plates, accompanying drivers
- Tax, insurance and the NCT: driving legally in Ireland
- Novice drivers: N plates in Ireland
- Penalty points and fixed charges: penalty points in Ireland
- Medical and eyesight rules: medical and eyesight requirements
The vehicle
- Tyres, lights, mirrors, windscreens: vehicle safety checks in Ireland
- Seat belts and child restraints: seat belts and child car seats
- Towing and reversing: reversing, U turns and towing
Signs, signals and markings
- Irish road signs explained
- Irish road markings
- traffic lights, driver signals and hand signals
- roadworks signs and traffic calming
- bus lanes, Luas trams and light rail
- level crossings, low bridges and road tunnels
- Garda signals and emergency vehicles
Driving on the road
- good driving practice: moving off, position, lane changes
- overtaking rules
- speed limits in Ireland
- the two second rule and stopping distances
- junctions and roundabouts
- parking rules
- motorways and tunnels and breaking down on a motorway
- driving at night and using your horn
Hazards, risk and behaviour
- hazard perception for Irish learners
- drink driving limits and tiredness, drugs and road rage
- what to do at the scene of a crash
Other road users
- sharing the road with cyclists
- pedestrians and crossings
- motorcyclists, e-scooters and other road users
- tractors, animals and rural roads
Numbers worth memorising
Questions often turn on a figure. These come from the Rules of the Road and current law:
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Motorway / national / regional / rural local road default limit | 120 / 100 / 80 / 60 km/h |
| Speed limit when towing | 80 km/h |
| Minimum gap in traffic | 2 seconds (double it in the wet) |
| Total stopping distance at 100 km/h, dry (RSA minimum) | 70 metres |
| Gap in a tunnel for a car | 50 metres |
| Alcohol limit, learner and novice | 20 mg per 100 ml blood |
| Penalty points ban, learner and novice | 7 points in 3 years |
| Penalty points ban, full licence | 12 points in 3 years |
| Accompanying driver | Full licence in the same category for 2 years |
How to revise with the question bank
- Get the official materials (book, app or online portal) from theorytest.ie. Questions were updated in May 2024, so older copies are out of date.
- Work through one section at a time and read the explanation for every wrong answer.
- For any topic you keep getting wrong, read that part of the Rules of the Road or the guide linked above.
- Take full sample tests under time: 40 questions in 45 minutes.
- If you fail, use the score report to see which areas to work on before rebooking.
Common questions
Are the real theory test questions published in Ireland?
The official question bank is published in the RSA’s official book and app, sold through theorytest.ie. The test picks 40 at random.
Is the Rules of the Road enough to pass?
Theorytest.ie recommends using the official revision material to prepare, with the Rules of the Road as an additional resource.
Is there a hazard perception clip test in Ireland?
No separate clip test. Risk perception and hazard awareness are tested through the multiple-choice questions. See hazard perception for Irish learners.
Do the questions change?
Yes. The bank was last updated with the May 2024 edition. Theorytest.ie says the number of questions in the test did not change.
Can I see which questions I got wrong?
No. You get a score report by category area, not by question, because those exact questions are unlikely to appear again.
Related: the Irish driver theory test, Essential Driver Training (EDT), the Irish driving test explained. Back to learning to drive in Ireland.
Sources
- Prometric Ireland for the RSA, “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)” (theorytest.ie)
- Prometric Ireland for the RSA, “Official Driver Theory Test Revision Material” (theorytest.ie)
- Prometric Ireland for the RSA, “Book your Theory Test: Car or Bike” and “Learning App” (theorytest.ie)
- Road Safety Authority, “About the driver theory test” (rsa.ie, search-result text only)
- Road Safety Authority, “Rules of the Road”, Sections 8, 11 and 15 (Revision 5, hosted on garda.ie)
- Law Reform Commission, “Road Traffic Act 2010”, section 4, revised (revisedacts.lawreform.ie)
- Department of Transport, “Speed limits on rural and local roads change from 80km/h to 60km/h” (gov.ie)