Theory test

Theory tests take place in the service bureaus of the Transport Administration. Bring a valid identity document to the test. Remember that you must arrive 10–15 minutes before the start of the test and anyone who is late is not allowed to the test room.

Theory tests are taken on tablets using special examination software. The examiner explains the rules of the test. If you have any additional questions about taking the test, do not hesitate to ask.

• Mock test
• Test Rules
• You have passed the theory test. What’s next?
• What should you do if you fail the theory test?
• Appealing test results

Mock test

Estonian Transport Administration does not provide any mock state tests. However, in Liikluslab you can take mock tests which are very similar to the official state theory test. The questions are similar and created by the same authors, the rules of the test are the same as in Transport Administration. Such a mock test is available only in Liikluslab.
Free mock test

Test rules

A theory test is conducted in a multiple-choice test format. All questions offer two or three choices for answers and only one is correct. Questions are asked about specific situations and you must answer with the correct course of action. Many questions are about the vehicle (how to open the hood, what to do in case of condensation on the windows, etc.). Since March 2024 onwards, the tests will have questions with military perspective style drawings:

The best way to understand the nature of the test questions is to take the smart theory tests of Liikluslab. The AI-based program indicates the level of preparedness for the test, i.e. how likely you are to pass the test. The theory test contains 30–50 questions, depending on the category. The exact numbers are in the table below.

The test questions include all topics that a driver must know: traffic rules, road safety, technical requirements for the vehicle, use of the vehicle, traffic psychology, etc.

Please remember that you cannot make more than one mistake when answering questions about traffic safety (regardless of the number of mistakes in other topics). In other words – it is possible to fail the test with only two mistakes.

In Liikluslab, you can take topical tests and focus only on road safety questions, for example. In addition, you can take the mock tests of the Transport Administration, which help understand the test and its rules extremely well.

The most important thing during the test is to remain calm and take your time when answering the questions. You have more than enough time. For example, a category B test is usually completed in 10–15 minutes despite the allotted 30-minute time limit. Read the questions calmly and if they include an image, look at it carefully and pick the correct answer. If you are not 100% certain of your answer, you can flag questions and answer the more complicated questions at the very end. During the entire test, you can look at your answers and change them if necessary.

Once you have submitted your answers, you can see any mistakes that you have made and also the answers that you have flagged (other multiple-choice answers are not displayed). Regardless, you can see whether your answers were correct or false.

After completing the test, your result is immediately displayed on the tablet screen.

You have passed the theory test. What’s next?

You should keep in mind that the results of the state theory test remain valid for 12 months. If you cannot successfully pass a driving test of the Transport Administration within this period, you must retake the theory test. Therefore, it would make sense to register for a driving test at the earliest opportunity. You can do this at the same bureau of the Transport Administration where you took the theory test or in the e-service by selecting the time and place of the test that suit you.

We recommend you schedule a driving test as early as possible because the waiting lists could be long depending on the category and the city (just recently, it was several months). Regardless of whether you have taken a theory test, you must still continue revising theory – this is particularly true if you passed the theory test with four or five mistakes, because any shortcomings in theory are generally revealed during the driving test.

What should you do if you fail the theory test?

People fail the theory test mostly for two reasons: insufficient preparation or rushing with answers (lapses in attention). The main reasons for failing the test are wrong answers to questions about traffic rules and/or more than one mistake in the road safety category. Failing to pay attention is a serious problem, albeit human – the tests take place outside the comfort zone so people rush with answers and do not think about the content of the question thoroughly.

You can register for a new theory test after the failed test has been confirmed. It is important to know that you can take a repeat test of the Transport Administration no sooner than two days after the day of the failed test. For example, if you took a test on Monday, you can register for another test on Wednesday of the same week. Naturally, you should invest time into revising and take another test only once you have acquired the material on the necessary level. It makes sense when taking into account the fee for the repeat test (state fee is 26 euros).

If you studied diligently but still failed the theory test, you should consider the quality of the study material. In this respect, the "the smart traffic tests of Liikluslab would be the best choice.

Appealing test results

If you disagree with the results of the theory test, you can appeal to the Transport Administration regarding the results within 30 days of being notified of the results. You can submit an authenticated appeal through the e-service of the Transport Administration, at a service bureau that is convenient for you or through the homepage. The appeal must be signed (digitally). An appeal form is available in the GENERAL FORMS (ÜLDISED) section.

The questions of the theory test of the Transport Administration are consistent with the Road Traffic Act and have been checked repeatedly. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the contested question is faulty due to an error in the test program.

Before appealing the test results, determine whether your rights were violated at the theory test and to what extent. You must explain clearly and unambiguously the error in the appealed question. This means that you must explain why your answer was correct and the answer marked as correct in the system was wrong.