The DGT Theory Test Topics Explained

The DGT theory test topics all come from one place: the official DGT syllabus. Your 30 exam questions are drawn from a large official bank of several thousand questions, grouped into a handful of core areas. If you know those areas, nothing on the test will surprise you. This guide walks through each topic, explains what it covers, and shows you how to study it in English so you pass with room to spare.

Overview: where the questions come from

Every question on the DGT theory exam maps to the official syllabus, so there are no trick topics hidden outside it. The exam has 30 questions, a 30-minute limit, and a pass mark of 27 correct, which means a maximum of 3 mistakes. Since 5 February 2026, the exam also includes short risk-perception video clips that test hazard anticipation, and it covers newer signs such as low-emission zones (ZBE) and personal mobility vehicles (VMP), so make room for both in your topic study. Because the questions repeat in fixed patterns, studying by topic is the fastest way to prepare.

The main areas are traffic signs and markings, priority and right of way, speed and safety distance, overtaking and manoeuvres, alcohol and drugs, vehicle documents and lighting, and accidents and first aid. Some topics carry more questions than others. Signs, priority and speed appear the most, so they deserve the most practice time.

For the full exam format and how the day itself works, start with our pillar guide, the DGT theory test in English. Then use the sections below to plan your study, topic by topic.

Traffic signs and road markings

This is the single biggest topic, and the one that trips up English speakers most. Spanish signs use letter codes: R for regulatory signs, P for warning (peligro) signs, S for information, and so on. You need to recognise the shape, the colour and the meaning at a glance, because the exam often shows a sign and asks what you must do.

Study signs in small batches rather than all at once. Learn the warning triangles first, then the round prohibition and obligation signs, then the blue information panels. Road markings, such as continuous and broken lines, count here too. Our Spanish road signs in English guide explains each family, and you can drill them by category on the practice topics page.

Priority and right of way

Priority questions test who goes first: at junctions, roundabouts, narrow roads and level crossings. The exam loves scenarios where a sign, a road marking and a general rule all interact, so you have to know the order they apply in. A "ceda el paso" (give way) sign, a stop sign, and an unmarked junction each behave differently.

Study this topic with diagrams, not just text. Picture the junction from above, mark each vehicle, and work out the order. Pay special attention to roundabouts, trams, and vehicles already inside a narrowing. Once you have done twenty or thirty of these, the logic clicks and the rest become quick.

Speed and safety distance

Speed questions ask for the correct limit in a given situation, and safety distance questions ask how much space to leave. The limits depend on the road type and the vehicle, so you learn them as a small table: urban roads, conventional roads outside towns, and motorways each have their own figure. Watch for questions that change the vehicle, because a car and a van are not always the same.

The safest way to study this is to memorise the default limits, then practise the exceptions. Our Spanish speed limits explained guide lays out the numbers clearly. For distance, remember the exam rewards the cautious answer: more space in rain, at speed, or behind a motorcycle.

Overtaking and manoeuvres

This topic covers when overtaking is allowed, when it is banned, and how to perform reversing, U-turns, lane changes and parking correctly. Many questions describe a situation and ask whether the manoeuvre is legal. The banned spots matter most: near the crest of a hill, on a bend with poor visibility, at a level crossing, or over a continuous line.

Study the rules as "allowed" versus "forbidden" lists, then test yourself with mixed scenarios. Overtaking a cyclist or a motorcycle has its own spacing rule, and reversing is only permitted for short distances in limited cases. These details are exactly what the exam checks, so practice beats reading here.

Alcohol, drugs and driver fitness

These questions cover the legal alcohol limits, the zero tolerance for drugs, and how tiredness, medication and illness affect driving. Learn that new drivers face a lower alcohol limit than experienced ones, and that the limit is measured in your blood and in exhaled air. The exam also asks about the effects: how alcohol slows reactions and narrows attention.

This is a topic where the "safe and responsible" answer is almost always correct. If a question offers a cautious option, such as not driving when tired or medicated, it is usually right. Study the exact limit figures, then rely on common sense for the rest. A short session of practice questions locks it in.

Vehicle documents, lighting and safety

This area covers the paperwork you must carry, the technical inspection (ITV), lights and when to use them, and safety equipment such as seatbelts, child seats, warning triangles and the reflective vest. The exam asks which documents are required, which lights to use in fog or at night, and where children must sit.

Break this into three mini-topics: documents, lighting, and safety gear. Lighting questions are the trickiest, because they depend on conditions: dipped headlights in tunnels, fog lights only in poor visibility, and hazard lights for a stopped vehicle. Learn each rule with the condition attached, and the questions become straightforward.

Accidents and first aid

The final core topic covers what to do at the scene of an accident and basic first aid. The guiding method is "PAS": protect, alert, and rescue (proteger, avisar, socorrer), always in that order. The exam asks about securing the scene, when to move an injured person (rarely), and simple first-aid steps such as the recovery position.

Study the PAS order first, because many questions test the sequence rather than medical detail. Learn that you protect the scene before helping, and that you do not remove a helmet or move a casualty except in clear danger. A handful of practice questions covers almost everything the exam asks here.

Frequently asked questions

How many topics are on the DGT theory test?

There are around seven core areas: signs, priority, speed, overtaking, alcohol and drugs, vehicle documents and lighting, and accidents. They all come from the official DGT syllabus, and 30 questions are drawn across them on each exam.

Which topic has the most questions?

Traffic signs, priority and speed tend to appear most often, so give them the most study time. There is no fixed quota published, but these three areas reliably carry a large share of any 30-question test.

What is the hardest DGT topic for English speakers?

Traffic signs, because Spanish signs use letter codes such as R and P that are new to most expats. Priority scenarios come a close second. Both improve fast with diagram-based practice rather than reading alone.

Can I study the topics in English?

Yes. For the car licence (Permiso B) the exam is available in English, and you can practise every topic in English. Studying in the exam language means the wording on test day is already familiar.

Sources

• Reglamento General de Conductores (Real Decreto 818/2009): theory exam format, 30 questions, maximum 3 errors, 30 minutes.
• DGT, risk prediction test (test de prediccion de riesgos): dgt.es.

Last updated: August 2026.