The Two-Section, 85% Format

The knowledge exam has 40 multiple-choice questions, split into two 20-question sections — rules of the road, and road signs — and you need at least 85% on each section (17 out of 20) to pass. That’s a real, independent pass mark for both halves, not one combined score, and it’s a higher bar than the 80% used in most other provinces. You’ll take the exam at a Motor Registration Division office, and there’s a one-day waiting period and a retest fee if you don’t pass. Expect questions covering:

• Traffic signs, shapes, and colours
• Right-of-way and intersection rules
• Speed limits and safe following distance
• Alcohol- and drug-impaired driving laws
• Newfoundland and Labrador’s own Graduated Driver Licensing rules
• Sharing the road with cyclists, pedestrians, and school buses

A Study Method That Actually Sticks

The Road User’s Guide is the final word here — if a practice question and the guide ever disagree, trust the guide. Given the higher bar, memorizing surface-level facts is riskier here than elsewhere; a cycle works better: learn a rule, test yourself on it, review anything you got wrong, understand why the correct answer is correct, and come back to it again a few days later.

A Study Plan

• Days 1–3: Read the Road User’s Guide by topic, keeping signs and rules of the road as separate mental buckets since they’re scored separately.
• Days 4–5: Practice both sections individually, tracking your score on each on its own — aim above 85% consistently, not just once.
• Day 6: Go back to the guide for whichever section is weaker.
• Day 7: A short, mixed review of both sections — not a new cram session.

What a Level I Licence Does & Doesn’t Allow

Passing gets you a Class 5, Level I (Learner’s) licence, which comes with important restrictions you should understand before driving:

How You’ll Know You’re Ready

• You’re consistently clearing 85% on both sections separately in practice, not just on your best attempt
• You can explain why an answer is correct, not just recognize it
• You’ve gone back and resolved the mistakes that kept repeating in either section
• You’re equally comfortable with signs and with rules of the road, not strong in one and weak in the other

Test-Day Advice

• Bring valid identification and, if under 18, parental or guardian consent
• Read every question fully before answering — at 85%, a handful of careless mistakes is enough to fail a section
• Watch for words like must, always, and unless
• Work carefully rather than quickly — check the current guidance for your specific test format before assuming there’s no time limit

The Bottom Line

Newfoundland and Labrador’s knowledge test asks for more than most of the country — 85% on each of two separate sections, not 80% on one combined score. Respect that difference in how you study, and the higher bar becomes a formality rather than a surprise.