This page explains the Italian theory test for the patente B (the car licence) for people whose first language is not Italian: what the exam looks like, which languages it is given in, how to practise, and a glossary of the road terms the questions turn on, each with the Codice della Strada's own definition. Every rule below carries a number in brackets that points to its source: the Ministry's exam rules, the Ministry's circular on exam languages or the Codice della Strada. Sources checked on 1 October 2026.
In short
- Format: 30 true/false questions in 20 minutes; you pass with at most 3 errors, that is at least 27 correct answers.[1]
- Language: the exam is in Italian. On request it is also given in French or German, anywhere in Italy. There is no English version.[3]
- Questions: they come from the Ministry's bank of 7,139 statements on 25 topics, in Italian. PreparaPatente.it has all of them, each with an explanation in Italian that cites the law.
- Try it now: take a free exam simulation — no account, real questions, a real timer.
- Attempts: the test must be passed within 6 months of applying, with no more than 2 attempts.[2]
How the theory test works
The theory test is the first step to the patente B; the driving test comes after it. You sit it on a computer at the Motorizzazione (the licensing office). Since 20 December 2021 it has 30 true/false questions — no longer 40 — to answer in 20 minutes, under the Ministry's decree of 27 October 2021.[1] You pass with no more than 3 errors.[1] That is about 40 seconds per question.
The Codice della Strada sets the deadline: the theory test must be passed within 6 months of the licence application, and no more than 2 attempts are allowed in that time.[2] Booking and documents go through the Portale dell'Automobilista, the Ministry's portal.
Can you take the test in English?
No. Until January 2011 the questions were also translated into the seven official UN languages. The Ministry then limited translation to the languages protected by Italian law, French and German, which candidates can ask for anywhere in Italy.[3] So the test is in Italian, French or German, and the question bank you practise on is in Italian.
If Italian is not your first language, prepare for the words more than for the rules. The statements are short and test precise distinctions: fermata and sosta are not the same thing, and a corsia is not a carreggiata. The glossary below gives you the terms that decide most of the answers.
How to practise if Italian is not your first language
- Start with a cold simulation. Take the free simulation before you study. Your score shows how far you are, and your mistakes show which words you don't know yet.
- Learn the glossary terms first. They are defined once in the Codice and come back in hundreds of statements.
- Work topic by topic. The bank is split into the 25 ministerial topics; each has its own page with sample questions, linked from the topic index (in Italian). Signs are the largest part and the easiest to learn from the pictures.
- Read the explanation of every mistake. On PreparaPatente.it every statement has an explanation that says why it is true or false and which article of the law decides it. If a sentence is hard, paste it into a translator.
- Finish with timed simulations. You are ready when you make zero or one error in five simulations in a row, with time to spare.
Create a free account to practise by topic, repeat your mistakes and keep your progress. The first period is unlimited and free; after it a free daily allowance remains, and unlimited access is a one-time purchase.
Glossary: the words the questions turn on
Each term with our English and the Codice della Strada's definition, quoted in Italian from the consolidated text on normattiva.it (retrieved 14 August 2026). The English explanations are ours; the quoted Italian is the law.[2]
carreggiata — carriageway
The part of the road for vehicles: one or more traffic lanes, usually paved and bounded by edge lines.
«parte della strada destinata allo scorrimento dei veicoli; essa è composta da una o più corsie di marcia ed, in genere, è pavimentata e delimitata da strisce di margine.» (Codice della Strada, art. 3, comma 1, n. 7)[2]
corsia — lane
A strip along the road wide enough for a single line of vehicles.
«parte longitudinale della strada di larghezza idonea a permettere il transito di una sola fila di veicoli.» (Codice della Strada, art. 3, comma 1, n. 12)[2]
corsia di emergenza — emergency lane (hard shoulder)
A lane next to the carriageway for emergency stops and rescue vehicles, and only exceptionally for pedestrians, where they are allowed.
«corsia, adiacente alla carreggiata, destinata alle soste di emergenza, al transito dei veicoli di soccorso ed, eccezionalmente, al movimento dei pedoni, nei casi in cui sia ammessa la circolazione degli stessi.» (Codice della Strada, art. 3, comma 1, n. 15)[2]
banchina — verge, shoulder
The strip between the edge of the carriageway and the nearest of: the pavement, the central reservation, a low bank, the inner edge of the ditch or the top of an embankment.
«parte della strada compresa tra il margine della carreggiata ed il più vicino tra i seguenti elementi longitudinali: marciapiede, spartitraffico, arginello, ciglio interno della cunetta, ciglio superiore della scarpata nei rilevati.» (Codice della Strada, art. 3, comma 1, n. 4)[2]
marciapiede — pavement (sidewalk)
The part of the road outside the carriageway, raised or otherwise marked off and protected, for pedestrians.
«parte della strada, esterna alla carreggiata, rialzata o altrimenti delimitata e protetta, destinata ai pedoni.» (Codice della Strada, art. 3, comma 1, n. 33)[2]
attraversamento pedonale — pedestrian crossing
A signed and marked part of the carriageway where pedestrians crossing the road have priority over vehicles.
«parte della carreggiata, opportunamente segnalata ed organizzata, sulla quale i pedoni in transito dall'uno all'altro lato della strada godono della precedenza rispetto ai veicoli.» (Codice della Strada, art. 3, comma 1, n. 3)[2]
intersezione a raso (o a livello) — junction on the same level
An area shared by several roads, laid out so that traffic can pass from one to another.
«area comune a più strade, organizzata in modo da consentire lo smistamento delle correnti di traffico dall'una all'altra di esse.» (Codice della Strada, art. 3, comma 1, n. 26)[2]
intersezione a livelli sfalsati — grade-separated junction
Flyovers, underpasses and ramps that move traffic between roads on different levels.
«insieme di infrastrutture (sovrappassi; sottopassi e rampe) che consente lo smistamento delle correnti veicolari fra rami di strade poste a diversi livelli.» (Codice della Strada, art. 3, comma 1, n. 25)[2]
passaggio a livello — level crossing
A crossing on the same level, equipped and signed for safety, between a road and a railway or tramway on its own track.
«intersezione a raso, opportunamente attrezzata e segnalata ai fini della sicurezza, tra una o più strade ed una linea ferroviaria o tramviaria in sede propria.» (Codice della Strada, art. 3, comma 1, n. 35)[2]
isola di canalizzazione (isola di traffico) — traffic island
A marked-off part of the road that vehicles may not drive on, used to channel traffic. The Codice uses «isola di traffico» for the same thing (n. 28).
«parte della strada, opportunamente delimitata e non transitabile, destinata a incanalare le correnti di traffico.» (Codice della Strada, art. 3, comma 1, n. 27)[2]
spartitraffico — central reservation (median)
A strip along the road that vehicles may not drive on, separating traffic flows.
«parte longitudinale non carrabile della strada destinata alla separazione di correnti veicolari.» (Codice della Strada, art. 3, comma 1, n. 49)[2]
pista ciclabile — cycle track
A marked-off strip of the road reserved for bicycles.
«parte longitudinale della strada, opportunamente delimitata, riservata alla circolazione dei velocipedi.» (Codice della Strada, art. 3, comma 1, n. 39)[2]
centro abitato — built-up area
A continuous group of at least 25 buildings with public areas opening onto the road, marked by start and end signs on the roads into it.
«insieme di edifici, delimitato lungo le vie di accesso dagli appositi segnali di inizio e fine. Per insieme di edifici si intende un raggruppamento continuo, ancorché intervallato da strade, piazze, giardini o simili, costituito da non meno di venticinque fabbricati e da aree di uso pubblico con accessi veicolari o pedonali sulla strada.» (Codice della Strada, art. 3, comma 1, n. 8)[2]
zona a traffico limitato (ZTL) — limited traffic zone
An area where vehicles may enter and drive only at set hours, or only certain users and vehicles may.
«area in cui l'accesso e la circolazione veicolare sono limitati ad ore prestabilite o a particolari categorie di utenti e di veicoli.» (Codice della Strada, art. 3, comma 1, n. 54)[2]
area pedonale — pedestrian area
A zone closed to vehicles, except emergency vehicles, bicycles and vehicles serving people with reduced mobility, plus any exemption for small zero-emission vehicles.
«zona interdetta alla circolazione dei veicoli, salvo quelli in servizio di emergenza, i velocipedi e i veicoli al servizio di persone con limitate o impedite capacità motorie, nonché eventuali deroghe per i veicoli ad emissioni zero aventi ingombro e velocità tali da poter essere assimilati ai velocipedi.» (Codice della Strada, art. 3, comma 1, n. 2)[2]
arresto — halt (for traffic)
Stopping because traffic requires it.
«per arresto si intende l'interruzione della marcia del veicolo dovuta ad esigenze della circolazione.» (Codice della Strada, art. 157, comma 1, lettera a))[2]
fermata — brief stop
A short stop, even where parking is not allowed, to let people get in or out or for other very brief needs; the driver stays with the vehicle, ready to move off.
«per fermata si intende la temporanea sospensione della marcia anche se in area ove non sia ammessa la sosta, per consentire la salita o la discesa delle persone, ovvero per altre esigenze di brevissima durata.» (Codice della Strada, art. 157, comma 1, lettera b))[2]
sosta — parking
Leaving the vehicle stopped for a longer time; the driver may walk away.
«per sosta si intende la sospensione della marcia del veicolo protratta nel tempo, con possibilità di allontanamento da parte del conducente.» (Codice della Strada, art. 157, comma 1, lettera c))[2]
sorpasso — overtaking
Passing a vehicle, an animal or a pedestrian, moving or stopped, in the lane or the part of the carriageway normally used for traffic.
«Il sorpasso è la manovra mediante la quale un veicolo supera un altro veicolo un animale o un pedone in movimento o fermi sulla corsia o sulla parte della carreggiata destinata normalmente alla circolazione.» (Codice della Strada, art. 148, comma 1)[2]
Frequently asked questions
Can I take the Italian theory test in English?
No. The test is given in Italian, and on request in French or German anywhere in Italy; the Ministry stopped translating it into other languages in January 2011.[3]
How many questions and errors are allowed?
30 true/false questions in 20 minutes; you pass with at most 3 errors.[1]
Are PreparaPatente.it's questions in English?
No. They are the Ministry's 7,139 statements in Italian, as in the exam, each with an explanation in Italian that cites the article of law it rests on. Use the glossary on this page for the terms.
Can I practise for free without an account?
Yes: one full exam simulation is open to everyone, with no account. Topic practice, the mistakes mode, the explanations and saved progress need a free account.
How many times can I take the theory test?
No more than 2 attempts within 6 months of the application.[2] After two failures you apply again.
Sources
The numbers in brackets point to this list. All three documents are in Italian.
- Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport — il Portale dell'Automobilista, "Foglio rosa e prove d'esame" (Decree of 27 October 2021: 30 questions, 20 minutes, at most 3 errors; in Italian): D.M. 27 ottobre 2021
- Codice della Strada (Highway Code) — Legislative Decree 285 of 30 April 1992 (normattiva.it, consolidated text; in Italian): art. 121, 122
- Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport — circular prot. 101771 of 21 December 2010 on the category A and B theory exams (in Italian; copy published by ACI): circolare prot. 101771