Driving theory test with DSA: extra time and support

What does the law provide for candidates with DSA?

Ministerial decree no. 243 of 1 June 2021, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale in September 2021, gives candidates with a diagnosis of specific learning disorders (disturbi specifici dell'apprendimento, DSA), meaning dyslexia, dysgraphia, dysorthographia and dyscalculia as defined by law 170 of 2010, two compensatory tools in the theory test: more time than other candidates and the help of an audio file for the questions. Ministry circular no. 28649 of 15 September 2021 explains how they apply, and article 1 of the decree ties the tools to the DSA certificate shown at the medical check. The measures cover the theory test, not the practical test.

How much extra time does a candidate with DSA get?

Sources contradict each other here, and the reason is a date. When the decree was signed, the category B theory test lasted 30 minutes with 40 questions. The Ministry's 2021 announcement gave candidates with DSA forty minutes instead of thirty, ten minutes more. From 20 December 2021 the ordinary test became 30 questions in 20 minutes, and many pages still quote the minutes of the old format.

No official source giving the exact minutes for candidates with DSA under the current format was found on the Ministry website. The actual duration is set by the Motorizzazione in the exam system: ask the Motorizzazione Civile office in the province, or the driving school, before the test.

Who can issue the DSA certificate?

Three kinds of body, under article 1 of the decree and circular 28649. The national health service, as part of specialist care. Private facilities accredited by the regions, in which case the certificate must be signed at least by a psychologist or a doctor from the multidisciplinary team. Private bodies that are not accredited but are authorised or recognised by the region, in which case the certificate must carry the regional measure or a validation document from the public service.

What should be brought to the medical check?

The DSA diagnosis certificate. The decree says the candidate shows it at the medical fitness check required by article 119 of the Codice della Strada, before the single doctor or the Commissione medica locale. The doctor records that the candidate is entitled to the compensatory tools. The ordinary documents for the check are needed as well, starting with a valid identity document.

If the certificate comes from a non accredited private body, the regional authorisation or recognition, or the public service validation, must be brought too. Without it the certificate may not be accepted.

How is audio support requested?

The audio file is one of the tools the decree provides for the computer based test. In practice the request follows the same channel as extra time: the certificate shown at the medical check and recorded in the file. Local arrangements, such as headphones and a dedicated terminal, should be checked with the driving school or the Motorizzazione office before exam day.

What happens if the certificate is not presented in time?

The critical point is the medical check. Two concrete cases.

A candidate in Parma with a dyslexia diagnosis brings her health service certificate to the medical check. The doctor records it, the application goes ahead with the compensatory tools noted and on the day of the theory test she has extra time and audio. The rules on mistakes and attempts stay the same as for everyone: at most three mistakes, two attempts in six months.

A candidate in Siena has his medical check without mentioning his diagnosis and files the application. Only afterwards does he learn about the compensatory tools. He need not give them up, but he should go straight to the Motorizzazione Civile office with the certificate to ask how to update the file, before the test is booked. If the test takes place without the tools and he fails, it still counts as one of the two attempts on the application (article 122, paragraph 1, of the Codice della Strada), and the next cannot come sooner than one month later (article 121, paragraph 10).

Do the other rules of the test change?

No. The content of the sheet, the limit of three mistakes out of thirty, the two attempts within six months and the minimum month between attempts apply to everyone. In 2025, 60.27 per cent of the 919,868 category B theory tests ended in a pass, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, and the figure is not broken down for candidates with DSA. The test format is described on the page about how many mistakes are allowed, and practice is available with the category B quiz.

Legal source: Decreto ministeriale n. 243 del 1° giugno 2021 e circolare MIT n. 28649 del 15 settembre 2021. The consolidated text of the Codice della Strada is on Normattiva.