Theory test practice: Northern Ireland

10 free sample questions

1. Alertness

   Before you move off from the side of the road, what should you do last?

   1. Flash your headlights to show you are leaving
   2. Sound the horn to warn other road users
   3. Rev the engine to check that it has warmed up properly
   4. Look over your shoulder to check the blind spot
   Show answer

   D. Look over your shoulder to check the blind spot

   Mirrors don't show everything. A last look round covers the blind spot, where a cyclist or car can be hidden.

   Source: The Highway Code for Northern Ireland — Rule 159

2. Attitude

   A vehicle behind you is following much too closely. What should you do?

   1. Keep a steady speed and leave a bigger gap in front
   2. Wave your arm out of the window to tell it to overtake
   3. Speed up to pull away from the vehicle
   4. Brake sharply to warn the driver to back off
   Show answer

   A. Keep a steady speed and leave a bigger gap in front

   A bigger gap ahead lets you brake more gently if you need to, which protects you from the driver behind. Never speed up to escape a tailgater.

   Source: The Highway Code for Northern Ireland — Rules 126 and 235

3. Safety and Your Vehicle

   What is the legal minimum tyre tread depth for a car?

   1. 1.6 mm
   2. 2 mm
   3. 1 mm
   4. 2.5 mm
   Show answer

   A. 1.6 mm

   Car tyres must have at least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters and around the whole tyre.

   Source: The Highway Code for Northern Ireland — Annex: Vehicle maintenance, safety and security

4. Safety Margins

   In good, dry conditions, what is the minimum time gap you should leave on a fast road?

   1. Four seconds
   2. One second
   3. Ten seconds
   4. Two seconds
   Show answer

   D. Two seconds

   Leave at least a two-second gap to the vehicle in front on high-speed roads and in tunnels.

   Source: The Highway Code for Northern Ireland — Rule 126

5. Hazard Awareness

   A ball bounces into the road from between parked cars ahead. What should you do?

   1. Sound your horn and keep to the same speed
   2. Speed up to get past before anyone appears
   3. Slow down and be ready to stop for a child
   4. Steer round the ball without slowing down
   Show answer

   C. Slow down and be ready to stop for a child

   A child chasing a ball may follow it into the road without looking. Slow down early so you can stop in time.

   Source: The Highway Code for Northern Ireland — Rule 205

6. Vulnerable Road Users

   You are overtaking a cyclist. How much room should you give them?

   1. About half the room you would give a car
   2. At least as much room as you would give a car
   3. Only enough to clear their handlebars
   4. Less than for a car, as a bike is narrow
   Show answer

   B. At least as much room as you would give a car

   Give cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would give a car when you overtake. A rider may wobble or swerve round a hazard.

   Source: The Highway Code for Northern Ireland — Rules 163 and 212

7. Other Types of Vehicle

   Why should you keep well back when following a large lorry?

   1. So you can overtake it more quickly
   2. So you stay out of its exhaust fumes
   3. So you can see ahead and the driver can see you
   4. Because lorries brake much faster than cars
   Show answer

   C. So you can see ahead and the driver can see you

   Sitting close behind a large vehicle hides the road ahead and puts you out of the driver's view.

   Source: The Highway Code for Northern Ireland — Rule 164

8. Vehicle Handling

   What is coasting?

   1. Driving with your foot covering the brake
   2. Driving at a steady speed with no pressure on the accelerator
   3. Slowing down by changing to a lower gear
   4. Travelling in neutral or with the clutch pressed down
   Show answer

   D. Travelling in neutral or with the clutch pressed down

   Coasting means the engine isn't connected to the wheels, so you lose engine braking.

   Source: The Highway Code for Northern Ireland — Rule 122

9. Motorway Rules

   Which of these road users must not use a motorway?

   1. Drivers of vans weighing up to 3.5 tonnes
   2. Cyclists
   3. Drivers of cars towing a small trailer or caravan
   4. Newly qualified drivers under GDL who display R plates
   Show answer

   B. Cyclists

   Pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders, motorcycles under 50 cc, agricultural vehicles, powered wheelchairs and some slow vehicles must not use motorways. Learners may use them only with an approved instructor.

   Source: The Highway Code for Northern Ireland — Rule 253

10. Rules of the Road

    When may you cross a broken white line along the centre of the road?

    1. Never; broken white centre lines may only be crossed by emergency vehicles
    2. Only when a sign at the start of the section shows that overtaking is allowed
    3. When the road is clear and you want to overtake or turn off
    4. At any time, as long as you stay within the speed limit for that road
    Show answer

    C. When the road is clear and you want to overtake or turn off

    Don't cross a broken centre line unless you can see the road is clear and you want to overtake or turn off.

    Source: The Highway Code for Northern Ireland — Rule 127

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