DriveTest Canada
  • Checked against Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) on 2026-08-28
  • Every figure below names the record it came from

ICBC air brake knowledge test

Air brake knowledge test at a glance

Question count
25
Pass mark
20 of 25 correct
Time limit
45 minutes
Fee
$15 per attempt, and one fee only if you sit it with a commercial knowledge test
Retake fee
$15 per attempt, with 7 days between attempts
Minimum age
16
Where it is taken
At a licensing office or testing centre
ICBC, Before you take your knowledge test (form MV2654)verified 2026-08-28

The format above is the one Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) sets, and it is on the page before anything else, because the numbers are what you plan around. Every row carries the record it was read from and the date it was checked.

  • Twenty five questions, and 20 correct to pass.
  • It is offered in English only, and translators are not allowed.
  • You get three attempts at the single unit test. After a third failure you need 7 more hours of air brake theory training before you try again, even if experience got you out of the training in the first place.
  • You need at least a car licence, plus either an approved air brake course or experience ICBC accepts.
  • There is a pre trip test on a stationary air brake vehicle as well, and a course with the pre trip training in it can take the place of that test.
  • For a combination unit the air brake endorsement comes through the Class 1 route instead.
An unmarked tractor trailer in profile from a low angle on a prairie highway shoulder at first light, casting a long shadow across the road.
  • Every figure on this page is traced to Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC)
  • Free to sit, with no account and nothing held back until you pay
  • Every run free, with the whole bank open and no part held back
Choose a practice runSee what it covers

Practice for this test is still being written. The format above is the real one.

What the questions cover

Every British Columbia question sits under one subject, and the number beside it is how many we hold. The reading column goes to the lesson behind the subject.

SubjectQuestionsReading
Road signs20The lesson behind it
Speed and following distance8The lesson behind it
Emergencies and breakdowns7The lesson behind it
Documents, fines and demerit points6The lesson behind it
Intersections and turns4The lesson behind it
Parking and stopping4The lesson behind it
Impaired and distracted driving3The lesson behind it
Passing and lanes2The lesson behind it
Sharing the road2The lesson behind it
Weather and night driving2The lesson behind it
Right of way1The lesson behind it
Licensing and the graduated system1The lesson behind it

How the Air brake knowledge test passes

The real test is 25 questions with a 45 minute limit.

You pass with 20 correct answers out of 25.

You can sit it from age 16.

Fees and rules change, so check the record itself before you pay for anything. The date beside each figure is the day we last read it.

The whole testYou need 20 of 25 correct

Pass mark

ICBC, Before you take your knowledge test (form MV2654)verified 2026-08-28

Reading for the Air brake knowledge test

The lessons carry the rule, the guides carry the longer answer, and both end with the note that changes the answer in British Columbia.

An uncontrolled rural crossroads with sight lines open across low fields, two vehicles approaching from different arms at a distance.Read

The 11 study lessons

Written for British Columbia

Each lesson ends with the British Columbia note that changes the answer, so the reading matches the exam you are sitting.
The interior of a quiet public service office with empty chairs in rows and a plain counter, winter light falling in bands across a pale floor.Read

What is on the ICBC knowledge test

British Columbia

What the ICBC knowledge test asks, how it is scored against the clock, and what happens on the day and afterwards if it does not go well.
A four way intersection seen from above and to one side, lane markings and crosswalks clearly painted, three vehicles approaching from different arms in low winter sun.Read

The L and N stages, and what each one restricts

British Columbia

Which conditions attach to the L stage, which of them survive into the N stage, and what the visible sign on the car actually does to the traffic around you.
All British Columbia tests and stages

Questions people ask about this test

How many questions are on the ICBC knowledge test?

Fifty, and you get 45 minutes to work through them. The timer is generous for the number of questions, so most people run out of certainty long before they run out of time.

ICBC published graduated licensing and knowledge test informationverified 2026-08-27
How many mistakes are allowed on the BC knowledge test?

Ten. You need 40 correct out of 50 to pass, so the eleventh wrong answer ends the attempt as a fail.

ICBC published graduated licensing and knowledge test informationverified 2026-08-27
What does the ICBC knowledge test cost?

Fifteen dollars per attempt. On top of that you pay $17 for your first licence photo, and every retake costs the same $15 as the first sitting.

ICBC published graduated licensing and knowledge test informationverified 2026-08-27
How soon can I retake the knowledge test if I fail?

After 7 days. ICBC holds you to that gap between attempts, so the same afternoon or the next morning is not an option.

ICBC published graduated licensing and knowledge test informationverified 2026-08-27
Can I take the knowledge test in another language?

Yes. ICBC offers the test in 12 languages with audio, which means you can listen to the questions rather than read them.

ICBC published graduated licensing and knowledge test informationverified 2026-08-27

Sources for this page

Each record below is where a number on this page comes from, with the date it was last checked against it.