Question prep for your

Driving License Test

Every driver nationwide is subject to the

same driving license test prior to being
issued their license. Your test will, as you
no doubt know, be divided into two
distinct portions – theory and practical.
Hitting the books before your Theory Test
should be taken as a given. But, It can be
all too easy to forget that the practical
portion of the test always opens with a
small selection of “driving test questions”.

The Road Safety Authority booklet

‘Standard procedures for conducting the
driving test’ states that:

“18 questions, including 10 sign questions

must be asked. Obligatory subjects for all
categories: Pedestrian Crossings, Traffic
Lights, Headlights (Dipping), Road
Markings, Right of Way and Road Signs.
Further questions on additional topics
from the Rules of the Road may also be
asked.”

Don’t get caught out! Familiarise yourself

with this checklist of driving test
questions and answers. If you work
through these questions and preparatory
measures for your car – you can sit back,
relax and focus on the driving portion of
your license test.

Car Maintenance Necessities

for Driving License Test

Before you tackle your driving license test

questions, you should ensure that your
vehicle itself is ready for the practical
test. Don’t scupper your chances of
success due to a minor oversight. Make
sure that all of the following are in order
before you arrive at your driving license
test centre:

Your Provisional License/ Learner’s

Permit: Ensure this document has the
correct category and is in date.

Your Tax Disc: Make sure your Tax Disc

is present and up to date.

Your Insurance Disc: Ensure your

Insurance Disc is present, up to date and
corresponds to the correct registration
number.

NCT: If required – make sure that your

NCT disc is present, in date and
corresponds to the correct registration
number.

Under Bonnet Check: It is is extremely

likely that you will be asked to open your
bonnet as part of your driving license
test. Once you open your bonnet, you
should be able to check that the levels of
Engine Oil, Coolant, Windscreen Washer
Water, Steering Fluid and Clutch Fluid are
all as they should be.

Top Tip:

You shouldn’t top up any of these levels

unless they have fallen below the
recommended maximum. You should only
ever check your car’s under-bonnet
levels when it is cool and on level ground.
Details of your car’s maximum fluid levels
should be included in your vehicle
manual.

Lights: You must ensure that before you

arrive for you driving license test that
your brake lights and indicators are in full
working order. This Tutorial Video
details how to check all your lights at
home.

Seatbelts: You must ensure that all your

seatbelts are in full working order.

Windows: All your windows must be

working correctly.

Tyres: If you car has bald or worn tires,

your car will not be taken out for the test.

Mirrors: Ensure your rear and side view

mirrors are correctly positioned. This
useful guide demonstrates the optimum
position for your mirrors:

Driving Test Questions

Now that you have ensured that your car

itself is ready for your driving license test
– it’s time to bone up on the questions
that make up the oral test. The good
news is that the pool of potential driving
license questions is relatively small! If you
memorise the driving test questions and
answers provided below, you should be
more than ready for your test.

Q1. When can you overtake on the left?

Ans. When the driver in front of you is
turning right, when you intend to turn left,
when the vehicles in the lane on your
right are moving slower than the vehicles
in your lane in queuing traffic?

Q2. At a junction with roads of equal

importance to whom should you give
way?
Ans. Give way to traffic on the right and
traffic already turning.

Q3. At a STOP sign which has no white

line where would you stop?
Ans. You should come to a halt at the
STOP sign itself.

Q4. Why is a STOP sign octagonal and

a YIELD sign triangular (inverted)?
Ans. To help drivers distinguish between
the two in snowy conditions.

Q5. What position would you take up

for a right turn at the end of a one way
street?
Ans. You would take up position in the
extreme right hand lane.

Q6. What do white zig-zag lines on the

road mean?
Ans. A Zebra Crossing is ahead, no
overtaking and no parking.

Q7. How would you know a Zebra

crossing at night?
Ans. By the yellow flashing beacons.

Q8. What does the island in the centre

of a pedestrian crossing mean?
Ans. Each side of the island is a separate
crossing.

Q9. Outline the restrictions in relation

to the use of your horn?
Ans. In a built up area, you cannot use
your horn between the hours of 11.30p.m.
and 7.00a.m, except in the case of an
emergency.

Q10. When driving at night when

should you dip your headlights?
Ans. You should dip your headlights
when: (a) You’re meeting on-coming
traffic. (b) You’re following close behind
another vehicle. (c) You’re on
continuously well lit roads. (d) At the
beginning and end of lighting up hours,
i.e. dawn and dusk. (e) When you’re
driving in fog or snow. (f) When you’re
approaching a Junction.

Q11. What should you do if you are

dazzled by the lights of an oncoming
vehicle?
Ans. You should slow down and stop if
necessary.

Q12. What is a Clearway?

Ans. An area in which stopping and
parking is prohibited, (except by buses or
taxis) for a period indicated on the
Clearway signpost.

Q13. What does a broken yellow line

mean?
Ans. A broken yellow line signifies the
edge of the roadway, also known as a
hard shoulder.

Q14. What does a single continuous

yellow line mean?
Ans. A single yellow line signifies parking
is prohibited at certain times, (generally
during working hours).

Q15. What does a double yellow line

mean?
Ans. No parking at anytime.

Q16. What is the legal parking distance

from the Kerb?
Ans. The legal parking distance is 45
centimeters, or 1.5 Ft.

Q17. How close to a junction can you

park?
Ans. You are permitted to park 5 Metres
from a junction.

Q18. Where should you not park?

Ans. You should never park near a bend,
the brow of a hill, a humpback bridge, at a
continuous white line, where your vehicle
would obstruct a sign or entrance.

Q19. Where should you not overtake?

Ans. You should never overtake at a
bend, a junction, the brow of a hill, a
humpback bridge, at a continuous white
line or anywhere your view of oncoming
traffic is restricted.

Q20. What is the safe distance to drive

from the car in front of you?
Ans. You should allow 1 metre for each
Kilometer Per hour you are travelling.
Double that for wet roads, four times that
for icy roads or observe the ” two second
rule”.

Q21. If you saw a red triangle on the

road what would it mean?
Ans. That there is an obstruction on the
road ahead.

Q22. At a junction when traffic lights

are not working to whom would you
give right of way?
Ans. You should give way to traffic on the
right and traffic already turning.

Q23. What does a green traffic light

mean?
Ans. Go, providing the junction is clear.

Q24. What does an amber traffic light

mean?
Ans. You should stop if you can do so
SAFELY at the Stop line.

Q25. Name three people in authority

for whom you must stop?
Ans. A Garda, a school warden or a
person in charge of animals.

Q26. Describe the road markings for

NO ENTRY?
Ans. A continuous white line with a
broken line behind it.

Q27. When can you cross a continuous

white line?
Ans. You can cross the line in order to
avoid an obstruction, for access, or if
there is a broken white line on your side
of the continuous white line.

Q28. (a) What is the national general

speed limit? (b) What is the Motorway
speed limit? (c) What is the acceptable
tyre thread depth?
Ans. (a) 100 K.P.H. for cars. (b) 120
K.P.H. (c) 1.6mm Min.

Q29. What rules apply to a Yellow Box

junction?
Ans. You must not enter a Yellow Box
unless your way ahead is clear. The only
exception being if turning right. Then you
can enter and wait in the box so long as
you are not obstructing other traffic.

Q30. If there are two parallel lines in

the centre of the road, one continuous
and one broken, which one would you
obey?
Ans. You should always obey the line
nearest you.

Q31. What do two broken parallel lines

in the centre of the road mean?
Ans. There will be one or two continuous
white lines ahead.

Q32. What does a broken white line in

the centre of the road mean?
Ans. You may overtake if it is safe to do
so.

Q33. What do white diagonal lines in

the centre of the road mean?
Ans. You should treat them like a traffic
island and not enter the space between
the lines.

Q34. What is Aquaplaning?

Ans. Aquaplaning is when a film of water
builds up between the tyres and the road
and one’s steering and braking is
affected.

Top Tip:

The best way for you to familiarise

yourself with driving license test
questions and answers is with a little
practice. These quizzes are a great way
to get to grips with the questions and
highlight which areas you might need to
focus on.

Road Signs:

Your driving license test will feature a

compulsory section of questions you are
asking you to identify various road signs.
You can Familiarise yourself with Irish
road signs here. If you put aside some
time to study, then the sign identification
portion of your driving license test should
be nothing to worry about.

In Conclusion:

The Driving License Test can undoubtedly

be daunting. We hope that, thanks to this
comprehensive checklist of driving
license questions and answers, you will
be feeling relaxed and ready in advance
of your driving license test.

Don’t forget to check back with the

Autoglass blog fortnightly to receive
more hints, tips and guides just like this
one. Best of luck with your driving license
test!

For a quick and easy way to make an

appointment book online now.