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Registry of Motor Vehicles, Service Nova Scotia

Getting a driver licence in Nova Scotia

Registry of Motor Vehicles, Service Nova Scotia runs the Nova Scotia learners test. It has 40 questions. The published pass mark is 16 of 20 in rules of the road and 16 of 20 in road signs. The listed fee is $15.03, tax included.
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What Registry of Motor Vehicles, Service Nova Scotia publishes

Questions on the real test
40
Government of Nova Scotia, Take a driver knowledge test for a learner's licenceverified 2026-09-15
Pass mark
16 of 20 in rules of the road and 16 of 20 in road signs
Government of Nova Scotia, Take a driver knowledge test for a learner's licenceverified 2026-09-15
Fee
$15.03, tax included

For the Nova Scotia learners test

Retake fee
$15.03
Minimum age
16

To sit the Nova Scotia learners test

Hold on the Class 7
12 months

Before the next stage opens

With approved driver education
9 months

The shortened hold on the same stage

Government of Nova Scotia, Take a driver knowledge test for a learner's licenceverified 2026-09-15

Start here

Short runs that show the answer and the reason as soon as you choose. Nothing is timed here and nothing is held back, so this is the place to find out what you do not know yet.

The full format

1 test on this page

Length, pass mark, fee and retake cost as Registry of Motor Vehicles, Service Nova Scotia publishes them. Where a number is not published, the card says so instead of carrying a guess.

Road signs and the subjects behind them

Every one of the 41 signs on this site is our own drawing, made to the standard shapes and colours rather than traced from official artwork. Shape and colour first, meaning second, which is the order you read them in on the road.

All 41 signs, grouped by category

General Canadian sign practice

General Canadian sign practice. It does not represent the Nova Scotia test.
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The licence journey in Nova Scotia

Each stage has to be held before the next one opens, so the order below is also the timetable. Registry of Motor Vehicles, Service Nova Scotia sets every hold period on it.

  1. Class 7, Learner's Licence

    The learner stage lasts at least 12 months, or 9 months with recognized driver education or training.

    Held for 12 months9 months with approved driver education

    Registry of Motor Vehicles, Graduated Driver Licensingverified 2026-09-15

  2. Class 5N, Newly Licensed Driver

    This stage lasts at least 2 years. Leaving it also requires an approved defensive driving or driver training course.

    Held for 24 months

    Registry of Motor Vehicles, Graduated Driver Licensingverified 2026-09-15

  3. Class 5R, Restricted Individual

    The third stage lasts 2 years and carries condition 47.

    Held for 24 months

    Registry of Motor Vehicles, Graduated Driver Licensing exitverified 2026-09-15
Government of Nova Scotia, Take a driver knowledge test for a learner's licenceverified 2026-09-15

Guides that hold across the country

Longer answers to the questions that come before and after a test, written the same way as the rest of the site.

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

Right of way, and the cases people get wrong

Rules of the road

Which right of way situations people actually get wrong, drawn out one at a time, rather than a restatement of the rule in the handbook.
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

Roundabouts, lane by lane

Rules of the road

Which lane to choose on the approach to a roundabout and what to do inside it, drawn out, including the exit conflict that catches drivers who did everything else right.
A learner in the driver seat of a parked car with both hands on the wheel, shot from outside through the windscreen at an angle so the face is not readable.Read

Road sign shapes and colours, and how to read a sign you have never seen

Signs

How to work out what an unfamiliar sign means from its shape and colour alone, instead of memorising every sign one at a time.

Road test vehicle check

The checks that decide whether a road test starts

Plate and insurance, lights, signals, horn, brake, windshield, belts and doors.
Open

All the guides

15 written so far

Every longer answer on the site, grouped by the province it applies to.
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Common questions

What people ask about testing in Nova Scotia, answered with the source underneath.

How many questions are on the Nova Scotia learners test?

There are 20 road-rules questions and 20 road-sign questions, for 40 questions in all.

Government of Nova Scotia, Take a driver knowledge test for a learner's licenceverified 2026-09-15
What is the pass mark for the Nova Scotia learners test?

You need at least 16 correct out of 20 on each part.

Government of Nova Scotia, Take a driver knowledge test for a learner's licenceverified 2026-09-15
Can I take the Nova Scotia learners test online?

Yes. Use a desktop or laptop with a webcam. Phones and tablets are not supported.

Government of Nova Scotia, Take a driver knowledge test for a learner's licenceverified 2026-09-15
How much is the Nova Scotia learners test?

The knowledge test costs $15.03, including tax.

Government of Nova Scotia, Take a driver knowledge test for a learner's licenceverified 2026-09-15
Do I retake both parts if I fail one?

No. The current service page says you pay for another test and retake only the part you failed.

Government of Nova Scotia, Take a driver knowledge test for a learner's licenceverified 2026-09-15
How long is the Nova Scotia learners test?

You have 30 minutes for each of the 2 parts.

Government of Nova Scotia, Take a driver knowledge test for a learner's licenceverified 2026-09-15

Sources for this page

Every number above comes from one of these records. The date is when we last checked the figure against it.