How to pass the theory test in Norway

The test format

For class B the test has 45 questions; you pass with at least 38 correct answers. You get 90 minutes — in practice most candidates finish with time to spare. Format and pass mark: the official «Taking the theory test» page at Statens vegvesen.

The test is offered in Norwegian (bokmål and nynorsk), Northern Sami, English, Arabic, Sorani and Turkish. If English works for you, you can sit the whole exam in it — just remember that the questions lean on Norwegian legal terms like vikeplikt and tettbygd strøk, so it pays to learn the Norwegian words alongside the rules.

The path to the test — step by step

1. Apply for a licence — Din side

   First comes the driving licence application on vegvesen.no (Din side). You also fill in a health self-declaration there; if the system needs a doctor's or optician's certificate, it will say so itself. Processing takes time (including the police check — usually 2–4 weeks), so apply early.

2. Trafikalt grunnkurs — if you are under 25

   The basic course (17 hours) is mandatory before any practice driving. From age 25 you are exempt from most of it — the darkness-driving and first-aid modules remain. Details: the official class B pathway.

3. Study the theory

   A driving school is not required for the theory — you can prepare on your own. The test covers 7 official themes; the questions are built on the rules in vegtrafikkloven, trafikkreglene and skiltforskriften. The Teorix trainer asks questions in bokmål — in the exam's official style — and explains every answer in English with a link to the statute paragraph: start with the first question, no sign-up.

4. Book the test

   Once the application is approved, book a time on vegvesen.no. The test is taken at a trafikkstasjon. You may sit the theory no earlier than 6 months before the minimum age (for class B that is 18 — so from 17½).

5. Test day

   Bring a valid ID. You may use a dictionary: your own (it will be checked for notes) or one provided on site. The questions can also be listened to in Norwegian (audio support). If none of the exam languages works, there is an interpreter-assisted test by application — the whole procedure is covered in the guide «Theory test with an interpreter».

6. The result

   If you fail — the next attempt is no earlier than 2 weeks later, and the fee is paid again (source; legally — trafikkopplæringsforskriften § 29-1). If you pass — the theory result is valid for 3 years: the practical test must be passed within that window, or the theory has to be retaken.

What it costs

The full cost breakdown — mandatory courses, what makes up a driving school's price and where you can honestly save — is in the guide «What a driving licence costs in Norway».

The 7 official exam themes

Statens vegvesen publishes the official theme list — Temaliste til teoriprøve klasse B. The exam questions are grouped under these seven themes:

• Fart og plassering — speed and road position
• Fører og andre trafikanter — the driver and other road users
• Fører og eiers ansvar — driver's and owner's responsibility
• Kjøretøyet — the vehicle and its condition
• Lover og regler — laws and rules
• Skilt og oppmerking — signs and road markings
• Vikeplikt — the duty to give way

Teorix covers all 7 themes, and your readiness is tracked per theme.