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30 questions, 10 error points, in English if you want
Written by
Janine El-Saghir
Janine El Saghir is an editor at How-to-Germany.com, where she specializes in the practical aspects of daily life and integration for expatriates. With years of...
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Erkan Boga
Erkan Boga is the founder and CEO of qmedia GmbH, the publishing house behind How-to-Germany.com. He established the platform with the clear vision of creating...
- Language: you can take it in English. The exam is in German by default and is offered in 14 other languages, English among them, at no separate fee named in the fee schedule.
- Format: 30 questions on a PC for a first car license. You pass with no more than 10 error points, unless two of the 5-point questions are wrong.
- Fee: €21 per attempt, charged by the test center. A failed exam is repeated in full after at least two weeks.
The theory exam is the first of the two exams on the way to a German driving license. It is also the only exam that some expats with a foreign license still have to pass: holders of a license from the US states of Connecticut, Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon or Tennessee, for example, exchange their license after a theory exam and nothing else. Which countries that applies to is on converting a foreign driving license.
What the exam looks like
You sit at a PC in a test center of the official examining organization of your state. The questions come from the official question catalog, and every exam mixes general questions with questions specific to the car class. A question may be worth two to five points. The catalog shows the value of each question, so you know while practicing which ones can cost you the exam.
| First license | Adding class B to a license you hold | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 30 | 20 |
| Total points | 110 | 72 |
| Error points allowed | 10 | 6 |
| Automatic fail | two questions worth 5 points answered wrong, whatever the total | |
| Source: Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, Annex 7 part 1, retrieved 4 November 2026. | ||
After the last question the center may show you a few extra trial questions. They are not marked, and taking part is voluntary and anonymous. The law does not set a time limit for the exam.
What the questions cover
The eight subject areas are set by law: recognizing hazards, behavior in traffic, right of way, traffic signs, environmental protection, the rules for operating a vehicle, vehicle technology, and the fitness and ability of drivers. The questions are the same questions you practice with in the driving school’s app or books, because both draw on the official catalog. The exam tests whether you know the rules and can drive economically, whether you recognize dangers and how to avoid them, and whether you understand basic mechanics.
Taking the exam in English
German is the default, with German audio through headphones if you want it. You can instead take the exam in one of these languages:
- English, French, Greek, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Croatian, Spanish, Turkish, Standard Arabic, Kurmanji or Ukrainian.
The questions are official translations, so the wording matches the German catalog. A dictionary or an interpreter is not provided for; the only interpreter the rules mention is a sign-language interpreter for deaf candidates, whom you pay separately. Tell your driving school which language you want when it books the exam.
Before you can sit the exam
Three things must be in place:
- Your license application is filed with the licensing office, with the eye test and first-aid certificate. The steps are on the driving test page.
- Your driving school has confirmed that you completed the mandatory theory lessons. For a first license that is at least twelve double lessons of 90 minutes in the general part, plus the class-specific part. The lessons are in person, and practice tests do not count as lessons. The confirmation must be no older than two years.
- You are old enough: the exam can be taken at the earliest three months before your 18th birthday.
Bring your passport or identity card. The examiner checks it before the exam starts.
Fee and what happens if you fail
The test center charges €11.10 for the exam plus €9.90 for the PC, so €21 per attempt. If you book the theory and the practical exam for the same day and fail the theory, both fees are charged. A no-show without a good excuse also costs the full fee.
If you fail, you repeat the whole exam, not just the questions you got wrong. The wait before a repeat is a reasonable period, normally at least two weeks. The law sets no maximum number of attempts. Cheating counts as a fail and can lead to a wait of up to nine months.
After you pass
Your result is valid for twelve months. The practical exam has to be passed in that window, otherwise the theory result expires and you sit it again. What the practical exam involves, and the official fees for the whole license, are on the German driving test.
Bottom line
Tell your driving school you want English when it books the exam, then practice with the official catalog, because the exam draws on the same questions. Plan the practical exam soon after you pass, since the theory result has an expiry date.
Part of driving in Germany. Related: the German driving test · converting a foreign license · US license in Germany.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. English is one of 14 languages besides German in which the exam is offered. The questions are official translations of the German catalog. Tell your driving school which language you want when it books the exam.
The questions, the points and the pass mark are the same in every language. Only the wording is translated. If you practice with English-language versions of the official catalog, you see the same questions you will get on the day.
The rules do not provide for either. The only interpreter they mention is a sign-language interpreter for deaf candidates, paid by the candidate. Choosing one of the 14 exam languages is the way to avoid a language problem.
Yes, unless you hold a license from a country not on Germany’s exchange list. Everyone else needs the school’s confirmation that the mandatory theory lessons are complete, at least twelve double lessons for a first license.
After a reasonable wait, normally at least two weeks. You repeat the whole exam and pay the full fee again. There is no legal limit on the number of attempts.
Licenses from countries or states that Germany lists for a partial exchange. Among the US states these are Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon and Tennessee. No US state requires the practical exam.
Sources and legal basis
Sources and legal basis (laws retrieved on 4 November 2026 from gesetze-im-internet.de)
- Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung (driving license regulation), Annex 11: countries and US states whose licenses are exchanged after a theory exam only.
- Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, section 16: content of the theory exam, earliest date three months before the minimum age, identity check, the driving school’s confirmation no older than two years.
- Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, Annex 7 part 1: the eight subject areas, the question catalog, 2 to 5 points per question, 30 questions / 110 points / 10 error points for a first license, 20 / 72 / 6 for an extension, the two 5-point rule, repeat in full, German by default with audio, the 14 foreign languages, sign-language interpreter, voluntary trial questions.
- Fahrschüler-Ausbildungsordnung (driving-school training regulation), section 4: twelve double lessons of 90 minutes in the general part, attendance in person, practice tests do not count.
- Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, section 18: cheating counts as a fail, waiting time normally at least two weeks, up to nine months after cheating, theory result valid twelve months.
- Gebührenordnung für Maßnahmen im Straßenverkehr (fee schedule for road-traffic matters), Annex: fee numbers 401.1 (€11.10 per theory exam) and 401.3 (€9.90 for the PC exam, sign-language interpreter paid separately), and the rules on same-day bookings and no-shows.
- Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, section 31: holders of a license from a country not on the exchange list are exempt from the training rules.
The length of the exam, the screen layout and the number of practice questions in the catalog are set in the examination guideline, not in the regulation, and are not stated here.