Bus & Coach theory test
Buses and coaches, including minibuses.
100
questions2 hours
to answer them74 of 100 (74%)
to passRules of the Road
The rules the test asks about most, with the current numbers — checked against the law as it stands, not as it stood when a book was printed.
Default speed limits
| Road type | Default limit |
|---|---|
| Motorway | 120 km/h |
| National roads (N-numbers) | 100 km/h |
| Regional roads (R-numbers) | 80 km/h |
| Local roads (L-numbers) | 60 km/h |
| Built-up areas | 50 km/h |
These are defaults. A local authority can set a different limit for a stretch of road by bye-law, and where it has, the sign wins. Many councils are lowering urban limits to 30 km/h in housing estates, town centres and outside schools. The rural local road default fell from 80 to 60 km/h in February 2025, so older study material is wrong on this one.
Alcohol limits
Ireland has two limits, both measured in milligrams of alcohol per 100 ml of blood.
20
mg
Learner, novice and professional drivers
Novice means the first two years after passing. Effectively zero — one drink can breach it.
50
mg
Every other driver
Stricter already than the 80 mg limit in Britain and Northern Ireland.
Penalty points
12
points
Full licence holders
Disqualification at twelve points inside any three-year period.
7
points
Learner and novice drivers
Disqualified at seven — the threshold is little more than half.
Points last three years and come into effect 28 days after you are notified. Paying a fixed charge notice accepts the points without a court appearance; contesting it risks a higher number if you are convicted.
Learner permit conditions
L plates must be displayed front and rear.
Learner permit holders may never use a motorway.
Your theory test certificate is valid for two years; you must get your learner permit inside that window or sit the test again.
You must be accompanied by someone who has held a full licence in that category for at least two years — a newly qualified driver cannot legally supervise you.
You must complete 12 Essential Driver Training lessons before the driving test.
Before you book
Do I need a learner permit before I sit the theory test?
No — it is the other way round. You sit the theory test first, and the certificate it gives you is one of the things you need to apply for a learner permit.
How do I book it?
At theorytest.ie, which is the only official booking service. It costs €72. Other sites will book it for you and add a fee on top; none of them are connected to the test.
What do I need to bring on the day?
Photographic ID and your PPS number, matching the details you booked with. Arrive early: test centres are strict about late arrivals, and a missed slot forfeits the fee.
Everything on this page, in your pocket — and the bus bank with it.
The facts here are the same facts the app opens with. What it adds is the studying: guides, questions, mocks, and something that tells you when you are ready.
Your test date, and what it leaves you per day
Put the date in and the app works backwards: what is left to see, and how much of it that is a day.
The category D facts on the same screen — questions, time, pass mark, fee
What happens on the day, from what to bring to what a retest costs
The one official place to book, with a warning about the sites that charge to do it for you
Guides that explain the system, not the manual
The Rules of the Road is long. These are the parts the test actually asks about, written to be understood once.
Shape and colour as a system, so a sign you have never seen still makes sense
The rules people get wrong: alcohol limits, penalty points, motorway lanes
Tables and plain sentences rather than a wall of legislation
All of it free, all of it offline
The guides and the sign library are free in every category, and they travel with the app rather than needing a signal.
Twelve guides, each a ten-minute read
Nothing to sign into, nothing uploaded, no account to make
Works on the bus, in a waiting room, in a test centre car park