Mock Theory Test

Practice Your RSA Theory Test

Our mock theory test allows you to practice your category 'B' (Car) theory test. We cover the five core areas that you will be tested on:

Control of the Vehicle
Legal Matters / Rules of the Road
Managing Risk
Safe and Socially Responsible Driving
Technical Matters

You have forty-five minutes to answer forty questions and must answer at least thirty-five correctly to pass.

Want to brush up on just your road signs before your test? Try our Irish Road Sign test.

Good luck!

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1 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

1. What traffic may use a cycle lane accompanied by a continuous white line?

Buses and cyclists

Cyclists and motorcyclists

Cyclists and motorised wheelchairs

Cyclists and taxis

2 / 40

Category: Safe and Socially Responsible Driving

2. What should a driver do if they see a school bus stopped on the nearside (left side) of the road ahead?

Sound the horn as a warning and continue on

Switch on hazard warning lights and stop behind the bus

Reduce speed and overtake with caution

Signal and maintain current speed

3 / 40

Category: Technical Matters

3. What is the primary purpose of the battery fitted to a petrol - or diesel - powered motor vehicle?

To start the engine

To reduce fuel consumption

To provide braking

To provide heat to the engine

4 / 40

Category: Safe and Socially Responsible Driving

4. With regard to vehicle speed, what should a driver do when driving at night?

Drive at a higher speed than during the day to reduce the chances of falling asleep.

Drive at a speed that enables the driver to stop within the distance ahead that they can see to be clear.

Maintain normal vehicle speed and drive with full headlights.

Increase vehicle speed as traffic is lighter at night.

5 / 40

Category: Safe and Socially Responsible Driving

5. Why does it take longer to stop the vehicle on a wet road?

The tyres have more grip than in dry weather

The tyres have less road grip than in dry weather

The suspension of the vehicle is lighter in wet weather

The brake fluid is less effective in wet weather

6 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

6. When may a trailer be towed on a public road without a rear number plate?

When carrying a load that overhangs the trailer

When being towed by an agricultural tractor

When the tailboard is removed

Never, a number plate must always be displayed

7 / 40

Category: Managing Risk

7. While driving, a driver notices a strong smell of fuel. What should they do?

Open the windows and continue on

Drive at a reduced speed

Stop where safe and investigate

Turn on the fan to clear the air

8 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

8. What do flashing amber arrows indicate at a junction?

Proceed smartly through junction to avoid delay

It is prohibited to proceed in the direction indicated

The direction indicated is a cul-de-sac

When safe, drivers should proceed in the direction indicated

9 / 40

Category: Safe and Socially Responsible Driving

9. What lights should a driver use when driving in dense fog?

Drive with sidelights and hazard warning lights

Drive with dipped headlights and fog lights

Drive with sidelights and fog lights

Drive with full headlights and fog lights

10 / 40

Category: Technical Matters

10. What effect can a worn shock absorber have on a vehicle?

It can increase fuel consumption

It can trigger the release of the airbags

It can cause the vehicle to 'bounce' in an unstable manner

It can cause an electrical short-circuit

11 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

11. Where is a driver allowed to park?

On a footpath

At road works

Where there is a continuous white line along the centre of the road

Where the driver is not blocking other road users their view of traffic signals or the road ahead

12 / 40

Category: Managing Risk

12. What should a driver do if the right-hand headlight bulb fails when driving at night?

Have the bulb replaced immediately

Replace it temporarily with the left-hand headlight bulb

Drive with the hazard lights on

Replace it temporarily with the brake light bulb

13 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

13. At a railway level crossing with unattended gates, what should a car driver do?

Drive half way across and close the first gate before opening the second

Telephone the nearest railway station before opening a gate

Open both gates and after passing the first, stop and close it

Open both gates before proceeding to cross

14 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

14. Unless otherwise indicated, what is the maximum permissible speed of a car towing a trailer on a motorway?

120 km/h

100 km/h

80 km/h

60 km/h

15 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

15. What do flashing amber lights at a pelican crossing mean?

Stop and give way to pedestrians - proceed if the way is clear

A driver is entering a special speed limit area

Danger ahead. A driver must stop and wait until the light stops flashing

Drivers have right of way

16 / 40

Category: Technical Matters

16. When a driver operates the indicator switch and hears a more rapid clicking noise than normal, what could this mean?

The hazard warning lights are on

The hazard warning light switch is faulty

The voltage regulator is not functioning properly

An indicator bulb may have blown

17 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

17. If a driver wishes to drive another privately-owned vehicle but they are uncertain if they are insured to drive that vehicle, what should they do?

Drive if there is an insurance disc on the vehicle

Transfer the insurance disc from their own vehicle on to the vehicle they wish to drive

Drive it provided that they tell their insurance company within 10 days and agree to pay any additional premium

A driver should contact their own insurer to confirm whether or not their insurance policy covers the driving of other vehicles

18 / 40

Category: Managing Risk

18. What can be affected by driving on under-inflated tyres?

Fuel consumption

The coolant system

The exhaust system

Oil pressure

19 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

19. What does this sign mean?

Road divides ahead.

Tramline ahead.

Overtake only on the left ahead.

Railway tunnel ahead.

20 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

20. What is a clearway?

An area where stopping and parking is reserved for buses and taxis only

An area that is reserved for pedestrians and motorised wheelchairs

An area where stopping and parking is not permitted during certain times

An area that is strictly reserved for the loading and unloading of HGVs

21 / 40

Category: Managing Risk

21. What danger could be associated with driving a tractor and trailer over a humpbacked bridge?

The tractor's suspension could smooth out the bump

The trailer could become detached

The trailer could jack-knife

The trailer's parking brake could automatically engage

22 / 40

Category: Control of Vehicle

22. The parking brake (hand brake) generally works on which wheels?

The rear wheels

All the wheels

The front wheels

The rear right-hand wheel

23 / 40

Category: Control of Vehicle

23. What can cause a vehicle to skid?

Excessive heavy braking

Coasting to a stop

Stopping in fourth gear

Controlled acceleration

24 / 40

Category: Safe and Socially Responsible Driving

24. What should a driver do if they wish to drive across a busy road and the traffic lights which normally control the junction are temporarily out of action?

Take good observation, wait for a clear break in the traffic and proceed to cross the road safely

Switch on headlights and use hand signals to show other drivers their intention to cross and then proceed

Sound the horn and proceed slowly to cross the road

Slowly force their way across using hazard warning lights if necessary

25 / 40

Category: Safe and Socially Responsible Driving

25. When meeting oncoming traffic on a national road, is it permitted to move into the hard shoulder to allow following traffic to overtake?

No, except on 2-plus-1 roads?

No, it is never permitted to drive on a hard shoulder except in the case of an emergency

Yes, temporarily when the hard shoulder is clear and it is safe to drive there

Yes, when a truck or bus is oncoming

26 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

26. Where can drivers locate the Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) of their vehicle?

On the insurance disc

On the tax disc

On a metal plate on the vehicle

On the NCT disc

27 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

27. What does this sign mean?

No left turn.

Steep decline to the left.

Keep left.

Pass on the left.

28 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

28. What does this sign mean?

Farm machinery crossing ahead

Level crossing ahead guarded by gates or barriers

Private grounds - no entry

Road fencing ahead

29 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

29. When traffic lights are green, when should a driver not proceed?

When it would be unsafe to do so

When oncoming traffic is waiting to turn left

When traffic is stopped waiting to turn from the road on the right

When traffic is stopped waiting to turn from the road on the left

30 / 40

Category: Safe and Socially Responsible Driving

30. Subject to the speed limit, what is the 'safest' speed to drive at?

The speed of the slowest vehicle on the road

A driver should always try to drive at the speed limit for the road that they are on

A driver should always try to drive at the speed of other road users, regardless of the speed limit

The speed that will enable the driver to stop the vehicle within the distance ahead that they can see to be clear

31 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

31. What does this sign mean?

Three lanes ahead

Parking for three vehicles only

Crossing traffic ahead

Three hundred meters to the next exit

32 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

32. Which roads are learner permit holders not allowed to drive on?

They may not drive on dual carriageways

They may not drive on motorways

They may not drive on national roads

They may not drive on rural roads

33 / 40

Category: Safe and Socially Responsible Driving

33. When driving at night and blinded by the lights of an oncoming vehicle, what should a driver do?

Repeatedly flash the headlights to warn the offending driver

Look towards the verge and slow down and stop if necessary

Reduce speed and switch on the full headlights

Drive well to the left and maintain normal speed

34 / 40

Category: Safe and Socially Responsible Driving

34. What should a driver do if they encounter loose chippings on a road?

Stop the vehicle until the loose chippings can be removed

A driver should press their hand against the windscreen

Increase speed so as to avoid causing damage to the vehicle

Slow down and allow extra clearance to other traffic

35 / 40

Category: Safe and Socially Responsible Driving

35. What should a driver who wishes to perform a U-turn do?

Only perform a U-turn outside the urban speed limit area

Check ahead for approaching traffic and signal them to stop

Check behind for approaching traffic and signal them to stop

Check that the road is not one way

36 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

36. What does this Garda signal mean?

Stop if approaching from the front

Proceed if approaching from behind

Stop if approaching from behind

Proceed if approaching from the front

37 / 40

Category: Safe and Socially Responsible Driving

37. What do flashing amber beacons on an oncoming vehicle alert a driver to?

That the oncoming vehicle may be slow moving or extra wide

That the oncoming vehicle is an emergency vehicle

That the oncoming vehicle is fast moving

That the oncoming vehicle is a military vehicle

38 / 40

Category: Legal Matters/Rules of the Road

38. What road users must comply with traffic lights (including pedestrian lights)?

Pedestrians only

Drivers only

All road users

School children only

39 / 40

Category: Managing Risk

39. What should a driver do before towing a caravan?

Have an extended mirror fitted to the driver's side of the vehicle only

Have extended mirrors fitted to the towing vehicle

Ensure all passengers are securely seated in the caravan

Ensure that only adult passengers are seated in the caravan

40 / 40

Category: Managing Risk

40. When should a driver use their vehicle's hazard warning lights?

When moving slowly in traffic.

When broken down and causing an obstruction.

When reversing onto a narrow road.

When parked at a bend or corner.

Your score is

Disclaimer

This is completely free to use as often as you like. We try to ensure all the questions' accuracy and validity and keep them updated with the official RSA theory test questions. The tests try to simulate the real experience as much as possible. Like the actual test, you are given 45 minutes to complete the test. At the end of each test, you are given your result and can review your incorrect answers to see where you went wrong. If you see any errors or omissions, please get in touch with us.

Version Control

Date	Changes	By Whom
25/10/2023	Theory test created.	MC
14/03/2024	Questions Updated / Added	MC
29/05/2024	Questions & Explanations Updated / Added	MC
04/06/2024	Questions & Explanations Updated / Added	MC
18/06/2024	Questions & Explanations Updated / Added	MC
23/09/2025	Questions & Explanations Updated / Added	MC