This page explains how the driving theory exam works in Bulgaria — the computer test learners call the listovki (листовки) — for categories B, A and AM: how many questions and points a test has, the pass mark, how the video questions work, how many attempts you get and what a retake costs. Each rule is followed by a number in square brackets that leads to its source: Ordinance No. 38 on the driving exams, the exam methodology of the Executive Agency “Road Transport Administration” (ИААА), the Road Traffic Act and ИААА’s official pages, all of them in Bulgarian. The sources were checked on 13 November 2026. To see where you stand right now, take a free exam simulation with no sign-up. This page also exists in Bulgarian and Russian.
In short
- Category B: 45 questions in 40 minutes; the maximum is 97 points and you pass with at least 87.[1]
- Categories A and AM: for A1, A2 and A the test has 40 questions, 90 points, pass at 81; for AM 37 questions, 84 points, pass at 75. The time is the same 40 minutes.[1]
- Points: each question is worth 1, 2 or 3 points and has 2–4 answers, of which 1–3 are correct. A question counts only when you mark every correct answer and no wrong one.[2]
- Video: every test has 2 questions with interactive video clips.[2]
- Attempts: at most 4 sittings within 6 months of finishing your theory training; after that, new training.[1]
- Try it now: a free category B exam simulation — no sign-up, questions from the ИААА array and a 40-minute timer.
How the theory exam works
The licence exam has a theory part and a practical part. The theory exam comes first, and the two are held on different days.[1] For a first licence you train at a driving school (a training centre), which presents you for the exam; the exam takes place in the region for which the school’s training permit is valid.[1] The theory exam is taken in an exam room of ИААА, under constant video surveillance. Many people still say “the exam at ДАИ” (DAI): that is part of the former name of ИААА’s regional departments, today its regional units.[1]
The test is electronic: you take it on a computer and the result is counted automatically. Every candidate’s test is individual, carries a unique number and is generated automatically at random; it holds text questions, questions with still pictures and questions with interactive video clips.[1] The questions are shown one per page, and each page also shows small thumbnails of all the questions in the test. Each question states how many of its answers are correct and how many points it is worth.[2]
| Category | Questions | Maximum points | Pass mark | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | 45 | 97 | 87 points | 40 min |
| A1, A2 and A | 40 | 90 | 81 points | 40 min |
| AM | 37 | 84 | 75 points | 40 min |
The numbers come from art. 39 of Ordinance No. 38 and are repeated in ИААА’s methodology.[1, 2] These rules have applied since 12 December 2024; candidates who began their training before then are examined under the previous rules.[2, 3]
How points are counted, and how many mistakes you can make
Each question is worth 1, 2 or 3 points and has two, three or four answers, of which one, two or three are correct. A question is answered correctly only when you have marked all its correct answers and none of the wrong ones — only then do you get its points.[2]
So there is no fixed number of mistakes allowed: what counts is the points you lose. For category B you can lose at most 10 points (97 − 87) — for example 10 one-point questions, 5 two-point questions, or 3 three-point questions and 1 one-point question. For A (90 − 81) and AM (84 − 75) the margin is 9 points — for example 3 three-point questions.[1]
Questions with more than one correct answer are common: in the category B array 342 questions have two correct answers and 182 have three, 524 of 1,440 in all.[4] Read every answer before you move on.
The video questions
Every test includes 2 questions with interactive video clips.[2] They have been part of the exam since 2023; according to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, each clip can be watched up to 3 times, after which you answer a question about the situation it shows.[5] The arrays of 1 October 2026 hold 58 video questions for category B and 17 each for A and AM.[4] On drv.bg the video questions are part of the practice.
The six sections of the test
The questions in ИААА’s arrays are arranged in six sections, and the methodology sets how many questions from each section go into the test for each category. A test covers only the topics of its category.[1, 2, 4] In the table, the first number is how many questions from the section a test holds, the second how many questions the section has in the array. The section titles are our translation.
| Section | B | A | AM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. General information about the car (motorcycle, moped) | 1 / 48 | 1 / 23 | 1 / 15 |
| 2. Roads, vehicles and road users | 5 / 247 | 5 / 243 | 5 / 231 |
| 3. Means of organising and regulating traffic | 8 / 202 | 5 / 202 | 5 / 202 |
| 4. Rules of the road | 25 / 705 | 23 / 609 | 20 / 548 |
| 5. Factors that affect drivers’ behaviour | 3 / 110 | 3 / 104 | 3 / 104 |
| 6. Duties and responsibilities of drivers | 3 / 128 | 3 / 103 | 3 / 103 |
| Total | 45 / 1,440 | 40 / 1,284 | 37 / 1,203 |
Section 4, “Rules of the road”, supplies 25 of the 45 category B questions, and 471 of its 705 questions in the B array are worth 3 points.[2, 4] That is where most points are won and lost.
Where the questions come from
ИААА publishes the exam question arrays on its portal, separately for each category and each case: no licence yet, a licence for another category, or a lost licence.[4] Before they are approved, the exam questions are agreed with the chair of the State Agency for Road Safety.[1] The current arrays are dated 1 October 2026: 1,440 questions for category B (no licence, or an AM licence), 1,284 for A (no licence, or AM) and 1,203 for AM (no licence). The arrays are published in Bulgarian.[4]
drv.bg practises the questions of these three arrays, video questions included, in Bulgarian, as ИААА publishes them; the site’s menus are also in English and Russian. The question counts above are our own count of the published files.
Who can sit the exam, and when
- Age: the minimum age for a licence is 16 for AM and A1, 18 for A2 and B, and 24 for A — or 20 if you have held an A2 licence for at least 2 years.[6] You may sit the theory exam up to 1 month before you reach that age.[1]
- Driving school: only candidates who have completed the training are admitted, and for a first licence the training centre presents you for the exam.[1]
- Language: the ordinance lets a candidate who does not speak Bulgarian take the electronic test in a language of their choice from a list that ИААА publishes on its website.[1] As of 13 November 2026 we found no such list on ИААА’s website, so ask your driving school or ИААА before you count on taking the exam in another language.
If you fail
You may sit the theory exam at most 4 times within 6 months of the completed theory training being recorded in the information system. If you do not sit or do not pass within that time, you can take a new exam after new theory training.[1]
For the second and every later sitting you file the application yourself — in person or through an authorised representative — at the ИААА regional unit, or online through ИААА’s e-services portal (with a qualified electronic signature). You then pay a fee of €10.23 for the theory exam and €7.67 for a voucher, €17.90 in all; the voucher is paid by bank transfer and cannot be paid by card at a POS terminal.[7]
After a passed theory exam comes the practical exam, on another day. For it you have up to 4 sittings within 6 months of the passed theory exam or of the completed practical training being recorded; after that you can sit it again after new practical training.[1] Whether you then have to pass the theory again, check with your driving school.
If you already hold a licence for another category
- B, if you hold A1, A2 or A: a test of 25 questions, 55 points, pass at 50, in 35 minutes.[1]
- A1, A2 or A, if you hold B or B1: a test of 15 questions, 31 points, pass at 27, in 20 minutes.[1]
- A, if you hold A1 or A2: the practical exam only.[1]
ИААА publishes separate arrays for these cases.[4] drv.bg practises the arrays in the tables above — for candidates with no licence, and for B and A also for candidates with an AM licence.
How to practise on drv.bg
Start a free exam simulation — no sign-up, no e-mail, no card: 45 category B questions and a 40-minute timer.
- Exam simulation. The number of questions and the time of the real test for your category: 45 for B, 40 for A, 37 for AM, 40 minutes each.
- Question by question. The questions of the array one after another, without a timer — for the days you want volume.
- By section and topic. The six official sections, split into smaller topics. Work through one topic until you stop making mistakes in it.
- Mistakes. The questions you got wrong come back until you answer them correctly.
- Starred questions. Star the questions you are unsure of and come back to them.
- Statistics. How many questions you have answered, and how many of them correctly.
- Video questions. Included, as in the exam.
Sign up with your e-mail — you sign in with a link sent to your e-mail, no password. The first 24 hours give you full access for free, then 15 free questions a day; full access is a one-time payment, with no subscription. drv.bg is an independent practice site: it is not ИААА, ДАИ or МВР (the Ministry of Interior) and is not affiliated with them. The questions come from the arrays ИААА publishes.
A sample study plan
- Day 1 — a simulation without preparing. The score tells you where you stand, and the mistakes tell you which sections to start with.
- The next days — section by section. Start with section 4, “Rules of the road”: it supplies 25 of the 45 category B questions. Then section 3, “Means of organising and regulating traffic”, and section 2.
- Every day — ten minutes on your mistakes. Your own mistakes are the most valuable questions in the array.
- The last week — simulations. One or two a day, with the timer. Watch the points you lose: in the real category B test you can lose at most 10.
The plan assumes full access. With the free 15 questions a day, spread it over more days.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in the category B theory test, and how much time do I have?
45 questions in 40 minutes; the maximum is 97 points and you pass with at least 87. For A1, A2 and A the test has 40 questions (90 points, pass at 81), for AM 37 questions (84 points, pass at 75), also in 40 minutes.[1]
How many mistakes can I make?
There is no fixed number, because questions are worth 1, 2 or 3 points.[2] What counts is the points you lose: at most 10 for B and at most 9 for A and AM.[1]
Are there questions with more than one correct answer?
Yes. Each question has 1, 2 or 3 correct answers, and the screen says how many. You get the points only when you mark all the correct answers and no wrong one.[2] In the category B array 524 of 1,440 questions have more than one correct answer.[4]
Are there video questions in the exam?
Yes, 2 in every test.[2] According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, each clip can be watched up to 3 times.[5] On drv.bg the video questions are included.
ДАИ or ИААА — who runs the exam?
The theory exam is held in ИААА’s exam rooms. “ДАИ” is part of the former name of ИААА’s regional departments, which are now its regional units.[1]
How many times can I sit the theory exam?
Up to 4 times within 6 months of the completed theory training being recorded; after that, new theory training and a new exam.[1]
How much does a retake cost?
When you file the application yourself, as for a second or later sitting, you pay a €10.23 fee and €7.67 for a voucher — €17.90 in all.[7]
Can I take the theory exam in English or Russian?
The ordinance lets candidates who do not speak Bulgarian take the test in a language of their choice from a list ИААА publishes on its website.[1] As of 13 November 2026 we did not find that list, so ask your driving school or ИААА which languages are offered. ИААА publishes its question arrays in Bulgarian.[4]
Is practising on drv.bg free?
One full exam simulation is free and needs no sign-up. With a free account the first 24 hours give you full access, then 15 questions a day; full access is a one-time payment, with no subscription.
Sources
The numbers in brackets throughout the text refer to this list. The ordinances and the act are cited from the texts on the ИААА website and in the State Gazette; the question counts are our own count of the files ИААА publishes. The sources are in Bulgarian, except the Ministry’s press release, which is cited in English.
- Ordinance No. 38 of 16 April 2004 on the driving-licence exams (consolidated text on the ИААА website, last amended in State Gazette No. 77 of 10 September 2024, in force from 12 December 2024; in Bulgarian): Art. 2, 4, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18a, 38, 39 and Annex 8
- ИААА — Order No. РД-08-39 of 10 December 2024 approving the exam methodology (in force from 12 December 2024; a scanned document in Bulgarian): items 1.4, 1.5, 2.1–2.3 and 3, tables 1, 3 and 7
- Ordinance amending Ordinance No. 38 (State Gazette No. 77 of 10 September 2024; in Bulgarian): § 21 and 22
- ИААА — exam questions for the driving licence (question arrays by category, in Bulgarian; the question counts are ours): files 7, 1 and 5 of 1 October 2026
- Ministry of Transport and Communications — press release on the video questions in theory tests, 3 July 2023
- Road Traffic Act (current text on the ИААА website; in Bulgarian): Art. 151(1)
- Administrative Register — ИААА service 1916, exams for the driving licence (applying and fees; in Bulgarian)