Driving Test Questions and Road Signs in Ireland

Driving test questions and road signs

Before the drive, the tester asks you questions on the Rules of the Road and road signs, and may ask you to show hand signals. One wrong answer is not marked. Three or more wrong or unanswered, hand signals included, is one grade 2 fault.

Test day. Updated 28 October 2026.

What does the tester ask?

The questions come first, at the test centre, after the tester checks your learner permit and documents. The RSA lists three things for this part:

Rules of the Road questions;
road signs: what a sign means;
hand signals, which you may be asked to demonstrate.

Then you go to the car for the technical checks and the drive. The questions are short, and most are about things you do on every drive: speed limits, who goes first, what a marking or sign means.

How are the questions marked?

They are marked together with the hand signals, as one section:

Wrong or unanswered	Mark
One or two	Not marked
Three or more	One grade 2 fault for the whole section

A grade 2 fault is not a fail on its own; it counts towards the total. The marking guide explains how grades add up. So a couple of slips here will not cost you the test, but it is an easy section to get fully right.

How do Irish road signs work?

Learn them by shape and colour first. That tells you what kind of sign it is before you read the symbol.

Group	Looks like	Means
Regulatory, prohibition	White circle with a red border	Something you must not do, such as no entry, no right turn, or a speed limit
Regulatory, mandatory	Blue circle with a white symbol	Something you must do, such as keep left or turn ahead
STOP	Red octagon	Stop fully at the line, then go only when it is safe
YIELD	Inverted triangle with a red border	Give way to traffic on the major road
Warning	Yellow diamond with a black symbol	A hazard ahead: a bend, a junction, a roundabout, a crossing, children
Roadworks	Orange	A temporary hazard at roadworks; temporary limits apply
Information, motorway	Blue rectangle	Motorway directions (learners may not use motorways)
Information, national roads	Green rectangle	Directions on national roads
Information, regional and local roads	White rectangle	Directions on other roads
Tourist	Brown	Attractions and services

Every sign, with its picture and official name, is on Irish road signs. Speed limit signs are regulatory: a number in a red-bordered circle. The defaults by road type are in speed limits in Ireland. Lines on the road are a separate set; see road markings and yellow box junctions.

Which Rules of the Road topics should you know?

The questions come from the Rules of the Road. These topics have their own guides here:

Speed limits for each type of road
Roundabouts: lanes, signals and who goes first
Road markings: continuous and broken lines, hatching, yellow lines
Yellow box junctions
Hand signals: the three you may be asked to show
Learner permit rules: who can sit beside you, L-plates, no motorways

How can you practise?

Read the Rules of the Road once, then go through the Rules of the Road questions, answered in the RSA’s own words.
Name signs out loud on practice drives. Ask your accompanying driver to point at signs and quiz you; it costs nothing and sticks better than a list.
Take the test-ready quiz to find gaps, and the pre-test checks quiz for the car checks that follow the questions.
Show the hand signals in the car, window down, until you can do each without thinking.

If you passed the theory test a while ago, give this an evening before your test. It is the same material, asked out loud.

Questions

What questions are asked on the Irish driving test?

Questions on the Rules of the Road and on road signs, asked at the test centre before you go to the car. You may also be asked to show hand signals.

How many questions can I get wrong on the driving test?

One wrong answer is not marked. Three or more questions not answered or answered wrongly, hand signals included, earn a single grade 2 fault for the whole section. A grade 2 is not a fail on its own.

Are road signs on the Irish driving test?

Yes. You can be asked what road signs mean. Learn them by group: the shape and colour tell you most of the meaning.

What do yellow diamond signs mean in Ireland?

They are warning signs: a hazard ahead, such as a bend, a junction, a roundabout or a pedestrian crossing. Slow down and look for it.

What do orange signs mean?

Roadworks. They are temporary warning signs, and any temporary speed limit at the works applies.

What does a blue circular sign mean?

It tells you what you must do, such as keep left or turn in the direction of the arrow. A red-bordered circle tells you what you must not do.