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  • Checked against Registry of Motor Vehicles, Service Nova Scotia on 2026-09-15
  • 79 questions written here, every one with its citation

Nova Scotia learner's licence knowledge test

Nova Scotia learners test at a glance

Question count
40
Pass mark
16 of 20 in rules of the road and 16 of 20 in road signs
Fee
$15.03, tax included
Retake fee
$15.03
Minimum age
16
Government of Nova Scotia, Take a driver knowledge test for a learner's licenceverified 2026-09-15

To pass the Nova Scotia learners test, you need 16 correct out of 20 in rules of the road and 16 correct out of 20 in road signs. The Nova Scotia learners test has 40 questions. The fee is $15.03, tax included.

  • The test has 2 separately scored parts. Each part has 20 multiple-choice questions, needs 16 correct and has a 30-minute limit.
  • Take it online or in person. The online test needs a desktop or laptop with a webcam and does not work on a phone or tablet.
  • The online test is offered in English and French. Other languages can be arranged with an interpreter, and verbal testing is available by arrangement.
  • Bring identification showing your legal name and date of birth. Applicants who are 16 or 17 need written consent from a parent or guardian.
  • For an in-person test, complete the vision test first. After an online pass, complete the vision test at Registry of Motor Vehicles or Access Nova Scotia.
  • There is no wait for an online retake. An in-person retake must wait until the next day. The current service page says you retake only the failed part.
  • Study the Nova Scotia Driver's Handbook. An online test sent for review usually takes about 1 week for results.
  • The learner licence costs $25.10 with no tax. The road test costs $52.54, tax included.
  • A learner licence issued after April 1, 2015 is valid for 2 years. Learners may carry only a supervising driver who is outside GDL and must have zero blood alcohol.
  • Leaving the newly licensed stage requires a 6-hour Defensive Driving course or recognized training with 25 theory hours and 10 driving hours.
A plain compact hatchback carrying no badges, stopped at a painted stop line on a wet suburban road, seen low and from behind with the crossing road empty.
  • 79 questions written for the Nova Scotia learners test, each with the authority it rests on
  • Sections scored on their own here, the way the real test scores them
  • Every run free, with the whole bank open and no part held back
Take the free practice testSee what it covers

The real test is 40 questions. Nothing here is timed unless the real exam is timed, and nothing is held back except the answers the real exam holds back too.

What the questions cover

Every Nova Scotia 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
Licensing and the graduated system9No lesson available
Right of way5No lesson available
Intersections and turns5No lesson available
Speed and following distance5No lesson available
Passing and lanes5No lesson available
Parking and stopping5No lesson available
Sharing the road5No lesson available
Impaired and distracted driving5No lesson available
Emergencies and breakdowns5No lesson available
Weather and night driving5No lesson available
Documents, fines and demerit points5No lesson available

One question from the bank, in full

The question, the answer marked, the reason it is the answer, and the authority it rests on. Nothing is held back on this page and nothing is held back in a run.

Nova ScotiaRules of the road

At an unsigned junction in Antigonish, you and a car to your right enter at about the same time. Who should go first?

  1. You, because your road is straighter
  2. The car on your right
  3. The faster car
  4. Whichever driver signals first

The answer is B

The driver on the left yields when vehicles enter an intersection at about the same time. Here you are on the left, so let the other car through before proceeding.

Motor Vehicle Act (Nova Scotia)section 122(1)

How the Nova Scotia learners test passes

The real test is 40 questions.

It splits into 20 questions on rules of the road and 20 questions on road signs.

You need 16 of 20 in rules of the road and 16 of 20 in road signs, and each section is scored on its own, so a strong score in one cannot rescue a weak score in the other.

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.

Rules of the Road TestYou need 16 of 20 correct

Pass mark

Road Sign Recognition TestYou need 16 of 20 correct

Pass mark

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

Reading for the Nova Scotia learners test

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

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 roadside gantry carrying two blank plates against a wide pale sky, both plates deliberately empty with nothing printed on them.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.
All Nova Scotia tests and stages

Questions people ask about this test

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
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

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