What is the Basic Theory Test?
The Basic Theory Test (BTT) is the first test every learner driver and rider in Singapore must pass. It checks that you know the traffic rules, traffic regulations, traffic signs and signals, and general road safety. The content is broadly covered by the Traffic Police handbook Basic Theory of Driving. You need a BTT pass before you can apply for a Provisional Driving Licence and start lessons on the road, and before you can take the Final Theory Test (for cars) or the Riding Theory Test (for motorcycles). If you hold a valid foreign driving licence and want to convert it to a Singapore licence, passing the BTT is one of the requirements.
The test format
| Number of questions | 50 multiple-choice questions |
|---|---|
| Time allowed | 50 minutes |
| Pass mark | 45 out of 50 (90%), as widely reported by driving centres and guides. The Traffic Police pages we checked do not state it, so confirm with your test centre. |
| Languages | English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil |
The Singapore Police Force describes its own online mock test as 50 questions in 50 minutes, mirroring the real test. That is the format our timed mock exam uses. You need 90% to pass, so you can only afford about five wrong answers. Careless mistakes on the easy questions are what usually cost people the test.
What the test covers
Part B of the handbook is the part tested in the BTT. Our questions are grouped into the same four areas:
- Signs, signals and road markings: mandatory, prohibitory, warning, regulatory and information signs; yellow and white lines; zig-zag lines; bus lanes and bus priority boxes; traffic lights, including red, amber and flickering green arrows; police officer signals; tunnel lane signals.
- Traffic rules and regulations: keeping left, lane discipline, overtaking, speed limits, giving way at junctions and roundabouts, yellow box junctions, U-turns, parking distances, seat belts, lights, drink driving limits, mobile phones, and lorries carrying workers.
- Safe driving and road courtesy: the three-second rule, stopping distances, wet roads and aquaplaning, skids, glare, pedestrians and cyclists, emergency vehicles, work zones, School Zones, Silver Zones, Friendly Streets, tunnels and vehicle checks.
- Licences, demerit points and penalties: Provisional Driving Licences, L plates and probation plates, the Driver Improvement Points System, suspensions and revocation, and the demerit points for common offences.
Our site does not show pictures, so every sign is described in words: its shape, its colours and its symbol. For example: "a round sign with a red ring and the number 40 in the middle". In the real test you will see the sign itself, so look at the sign pages of the handbook as well.
Free official resources, and what we add
Be clear about this before you buy anything: the official handbook is a free download from the Singapore Police Force website, and the Traffic Police run a free Online Mock Theory Test for anyone with Singpass, with a practice mode and a 50-question timed mode. Use them. They are the best place to start.
TestReady SG is an independent practice platform. It is not affiliated with the Traffic Police or any driving centre. Here is what our pack adds:
- 233 original questions, so you get a lot of extra practice after you have seen the official sets.
- An explanation for every answer that names the handbook paragraph or the official penalty table it comes from, so you can check it yourself.
- Practice one topic at a time, which helps with weak areas like demerit points or parking distances.
- No Singpass needed. This is useful if you are new to Singapore or still waiting for your account.
- Demerit point figures checked against the Singapore Police Force penalties table updated on 23 July 2026, which is newer than some figures in the handbook.
How to prepare
- Read Part B of the handbook once from start to finish. Spend extra time on the sign pages and the parking rules.
- Take the free 10-question test here to see where you stand.
- Practise topic by topic and read every explanation, including the ones for questions you got right.
- Learn the numbers by heart: 50 km/h default speed limit, 6 metres from a junction, 9 metres from a bus stop, 3 metres from a fire hydrant, 20 metres for a warning triangle, 80 mg per 100 ml of blood.
- Sit full timed mock exams until you score 45 or more every time, then book your test.
The Traffic Police publish BTT passing rates. For first-time candidates from August 2025 to July 2026 these ranged from 67% to 94%, depending on where candidates trained. Proper preparation makes a real difference.
Three worked examples
One question from different sections of the full pack, with the answer and explanation.
A round blue sign shows a white arrow pointing straight up. What does it tell you?
- One-way street begins here
- Ahead only
- Expressway starts ahead
Your vehicle's own speed limit is 60 km/h and the road's limit is 70 km/h. What is your legal limit?
- 65 km/h, the average
- 70 km/h, the posted road limit
- 60 km/h, the lower of the two
How often should you check your mirrors while driving along?
- Every 5 to 10 seconds
- Every 30 seconds or so
- Only when turning