Italian driving theory test topics

Tap a card to open the questions on that topic. Full explanation of the programme is below the grid.

How many topics are in the Italian theory test?

The ministerial list has 25 chapters. Each holds dozens of different wordings on the same theme, often built by varying a single word: a speed limit, a road type, a vehicle class. Recognising the theme is not enough, because the answer depends on the detail of the sentence.

What are the theory test topics, one by one?

The table lists the 25 chapters, translated from their official Italian titles, with a summary of what each covers. The order follows the list: definitions, signs, traffic rules, documents and liability, then the vehicle.

If a candidate in Ancona treats the safety devices chapter as minor and then does not fasten her seat belt, she faces 83 to 332 euro (article 172, paragraph 10, of the Codice della Strada).

Which topics appear most often on the test sheet?

No distribution is published. The sheet draws 30 questions from the catalogue across the whole programme, so no topic can be skipped on probability grounds. In practice road signs and behaviour rules make up the largest part of the catalogue, but that concerns the number of available wordings, not a rule about how the sheet is composed.

If a new driver in Brescia skips the alcohol chapter, thinking the 0.5 g/l limit applies to everyone, the first roadside check may prove him wrong: in the first three years after the category B licence the limit is zero, and a level above zero and up to 0.5 g/l costs 168 to 672 euro (article 186-bis, paragraphs 1 and 2, of the Codice della Strada).

Are there picture questions on the test sheet?

Yes. Road signs are illustrated by definition, and right of way examples show a junction with several stopped vehicles, with the statement referring to the order of passage. These questions require reading the picture before the sentence, and they are where most time is lost.

If a driver in Modena, who got the junction pictures wrong in practice, fails to give way to a vehicle coming from the right, he faces 167 to 665 euro (article 145, paragraphs 2 and 10, of the Codice della Strada).

What happens if only part of the chapters is studied?

A candidate in Parma studies signs and right of way thoroughly and skips insurance and the vehicle. If her sheet has four questions on liability, tyres and road holding and she gets two wrong, two of her three allowed mistakes are gone. One more mistake on signs still leaves her passing, but two more fail her.

A candidate in Bari only does practice sheets, without reading the chapters. He recognises sentences he has seen, but goes wrong when a wording changes one word, such as a speed limit or a road type. Alternating chapter reading and full sheets reduces that risk.

How to practise the quiz one topic at a time

By alternating study and simulation. After each topic it helps to close the book and answer full sheets, because the true or false format trains recognition of wordings. The practice test reproduces 30 questions in 20 minutes with the 3 mistake limit. How the test works is described in the guide on the theory test. Every topic also has its own practice page, for example warning signs or right of way rules.

Where is the official question catalogue published?

The question list and its updates are published by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and can be downloaded from the Portale dell'Automobilista. Revisions can change wordings and groupings, so the current version should be checked at the official source before treating any list as definitive, including the one on this page. Pass rates by province are on the pass rates page.

What are the most common questions about exam topics?

Data as of 2026-09-07. Source: official question list of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.