Driving licence theory test: procedure, regulations and costs

For many young people, a driver's license is more than just a license to drive a car – it's a feeling of freedom and independence. Unfortunately, the failure rate for the theoretical driving test in 2023 was over 40 percent. The reason: The exam is not taken seriously enough and learner drivers are poorly prepared. So that you know what to expect, we tell you everything you need to know about the theory exam.

Before the theory exam

Before you take the theoretical driving test, you must have registered with a driving school that teaches you the theoretical basics. During this training, you will learn everything about rules in road traffic, the meaning of traffic signs and how to act in the event of an accident or breakdown. This requires a certain number of theory lessons at your driving school.

 

How many/which theory lessons do you need?

How many theory lessons are needed depends on which driver's license you want to get. For categories A1 and A (motorcycle) you need at least 16 hours, for B (motor vehicles), M (mopeds) and L (tractors and work machines) it is 14 hours and for class T (tractors for forestry and agriculture) it takes 18 theory hours.

The hours are divided into 12 hours of basic knowledge and up to six hours of additive for the respective vehicle class. A theory lesson lasts 90 minutes.

The same theory lessons are also necessary for accompanied driving from the age of 17, if you want to drive a scooter or a microcar from the age of 15 or 16, you only need 14 theory lessons.

How many driving lessons do you need?

The practical part consists of regular and mandatory driving lessons. The regular lessons are designed to teach you the basic skills of driving. Here you will learn, for example, how to behave in the event of a bending right of way or what to do in areas with a resident free sign.

Your driving instructor decides how many of these hours you need - because you are only allowed to complete the compulsory lessons with sufficient preparation in the basic things. There is no minimum number.

These compulsory hours are overland journeys, motorway journeys and night journeys. A total of at least twelve compulsory hours are prescribed, usually you do four hours of each of them. This refers to the car driver's license, if you want to ride a motorcycle, you sometimes have to complete more of these hours.

How long the driver's license takes in total depends on how quickly you learn and how much time you have. Roughly speaking, everything usually takes between four and six months.

During the theoretical exam

The day of the theoretical driving test has arrived. Now it's time to stay calm and go through all the tips for the theory exam again - then nothing can go wrong.

Where do the theory exams take place?

You can find out the dates for the theory test from your driving school. After you have registered in consultation with your driving instructor, the exam will take place at the specified exam location. This is usually an inspection center of the TÜV or Dekra. That is why the test is often called the TÜV theory test.

 

In which languages can I write the exam?

If you get your driver's license in Germany, you can still take the theoretical driving test in another language. At the moment, the exam can be written in English, French, Greek, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Croatian, Russian, Portuguese, Turkish, Spanish and Standard Arabic. However, when the practical driving test is due, it must be taken in German.

What do I need to bring to the theory test?

The following documents must be submitted before the theory test:

• Proof of payment of examination fees
• ID (passport or ID card)
• Certificate of theory lessons – issued by the driving school and valid for two years. The theory test must be taken within this period.

 

Exam procedure

Each examinee is individually seated at a table and given either a tablet or a PC. A multiple-choice test will be displayed there, where you have to show that you are familiar with traffic regulations, road hazards, environmentally friendly driving and difficult traffic situations and know how to act.

The number of points with which you pass the exam or not is regulated in the examination guidelines of the Federal Ministry of Transport. Basically, the exam is in German, if you prefer one of the languages mentioned above, you must inform us when you register. There is no time limit for answering the questions. However, most examinees need between 30 and 45 minutes.

How many questions need to be answered correctly?

Depending on the driving licence class for which you want to write the TÜV theory test, you will have to answer between 20 and 40 questions. Between 6 and 10 fault points are allowed. However, the individual questions have different values and are assigned different error points. Here in detail:

• Driving licence category B (motor vehicles up to 3.5 t GVW): 30 questions are asked, a maximum of 10 fault points are allowed in total. However, only one question, which is rated with five error points, may be answered incorrectly.
• Driving licence categories AM, A, A1 and A2 (motorcycle in various variants) and extension to C1 (trucks up to 7.5 t GVW) : For motorcycles and the extension of category B to a truck driving licence with up to 7.5 t GVW, the same regulation applies as for the classic car driving licence.
• Extension to driving licence category C (truck): Here, 37 questions have to be answered, whereby 10 fault points are also possible – but only if at most one question with five fault points was answered incorrectly.
• Erweiterung auf Führerscheinklasse D (es dürfen mehr als 8 Personen befördert werden): 40 Fragen sind hier zu beantworten. Die Anzahl der Fehlerpunkte bleibt gleich. Wenn du einen Busführerschein der Klasse D machen willst, dann ist der Personenbeförderungsschein hier bereits integriert.

 

Wann bekommt man das Ergebnis?

Sofort! Sobald du mit deiner Theorieprüfung fertig bist, bekommst du das Ergebnis auf dem Bildschirm angezeigt. Damit du das Ergebnis in deiner Fahrschule vorzeigen kannst – was nötig ist, um für die praktische Prüfung zugelassen zu werden – erhältst du noch ein schriftliches Protokoll.

Was kostet die theoretische Führerscheinprüfung?

Die kosten für die Anmeldung zur Theorieprüfung sind je nach Bundesland etwas unterschiedlich. Du kannst aber mit einem Betrag zwischen 60 und 140 Euro rechnen. Die Kosten für die Prüforganisation (Tüv oder Dekra) belaufen sich nur auf 25 Euro, der Rest ist der Betrag, den deine Fahrschule zusätzlich für die Anmeldung noch in Rechnung stellt. Das ist aber nur die Prüfungsgebühr, die Kosten für die Theoriestunden sind hier noch nicht mit dabei.

Nach der Theorieprüfung

Jetzt ist erstmal durchatmen angesagt. Du hast die Prüfung hinter dir – egal wie sie ausgegangen ist, der erste Schritt ist gemacht. Wenn du bestanden hast, dann herzlichen Glückwunsch! Wenn nicht, wartet ein weiterer Versuch auf dich.

Durchgefallen – was nun?

Erstmal: Die Welt geht nicht unter!

However, you still have to inform your driving school of the result and then you can try again after a waiting period of at least two weeks. As soon as the registration for the repeat exam is through, you have to pay the exam fee again and bring your ID back with you on the day of the exam.

How often can you fail?

In principle, you can repeat the theory exam as often as you like. However, every exam is associated with costs and more hours are usually necessary as follow-up training. The number of those who fail the exam has been rising for several years. Since the switch to the digital examination form was made about 15 years ago, simple memorization is no longer enough – the topics must really be understood in order to be able to correctly evaluate the sometimes complex, traffic situations shown.

Theory test according to driving licence classes

The following driving licence categories are available:

• Class B: All vehicles with max. 3.5 t GVW, maximum eight seats; Trailers with a total mass of up to 750 kg may be towed.
• Class BF17: Accompanied driving from the age of 17 with a registered companion.
• Class BE: Trailers with a maximum total weight of 3.5 t may be towed.
• Class A: All motorcycles and three-wheeled motor vehicles.
• Class A1: Motorcycles with a maximum capacity of 125 cubic centimeters and a power-to-weight ratio of max. 0.1 kilowatts per kilogram.
• Category A2: Motorcycles with up to 35 kilowatts of power.
• Class AM: Mopeds, three-wheeled cars, light four-wheeled road quads. All at max. 45 km/h.
• Class C: Trucks with a maximum weight of 40,000 kg, a maximum of eight seats.
• Class C1: Trucks weighing 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes.
• Class C1E: Vehicle of category C1 may drive trailers over 750 kg (total mass must not exceed 12,000 kg); Car is allowed to drive trailers of over 3.5 t.
• Class CE: Class C towing vehicle with trailer weighing more than 750 kg.
• Class D: Passenger transport by motor vehicle. Trailers with a total mass of up to 750 kg are allowed.
• Class D1: Bus may be eight meters long; a maximum of 16 people may be transported.
• Class DE: Vehicle from category D1 may tow trailers of over 750 kg.
• Class L: Agricultural and forestry tractors. Maximum 40 km/h.
• Class T: Towing vehicles may reach speeds of up to 60 km/h and be driven with trailers.

Depending on which driver's license you want to get, you will get more or less questions during the theory test.

 

How old do you have to be for the theoretical driving test?

The regulation states that you may not take the theory test earlier than three months before the legal age for your vehicle class. This means that you have to be 17 3/4 years old for a classic car driver's license, and 14 3/4 years old for a moped license.

Driver's license test online: Would you still pass today?

Once you have your driver's license, routine gradually creeps in. Some things, such as flashing past parked cars, are quickly no longer done in everyday life. But would you still know it theoretically?

To test this, you can take the theoretical driving test online - often it is even free of charge. As with the real exam, you get the evaluation right at the end and see whether you would still have passed the theory years after your exam.

By the way: If you still have an old driver's license, you should check when the deadlines for exchanging your driver's license are.