How many questions are on the SAAQ knowledge test? Length and format
It is the question everyone asks before booking. The honest answer: the SAAQ does not publish the exact number of questions. It does publish the format, the structure and the pass mark, and that is what really matters for your preparation.
Many websites give a precise figure. They contradict each other, and none of them cites the SAAQ. Rather than adding one more number, this article gathers what the SAAQ officially confirms, what can be inferred from its practice test, and how to organize your study around the real format.
What the SAAQ officially confirms
The test is divided into three parts: traffic rules, road signs and safe driving behaviours. Each part is scored separately.
You need at least 75% in each of the three parts. A great score in one part does not make up for a fail in another.
Questions are multiple choice. The test is taken on a computer workstation at an SAAQ service centre, never online.
The test fee is $13.50. You must have held your learner's licence for at least 10 months before you can sit it.
Why the exact number of questions is not published
The SAAQ draws questions from a bank and publishes neither the total nor the exact split per part. That is deliberate: the test measures understanding of the rules, not memorization of a list. Your result is given at the end, part by part, so if you fail you know exactly where you lost points.
A useful benchmark. The SAAQ's official practice test works in sets of 30 questions, including 10 illustrated scenarios. It is not the composition of the real test, the SAAQ says so itself, but it is the best indicator of the question style, level and pace to expect.
How long does the test take?
The SAAQ says the knowledge test takes between 30 and 60 minutes. Nobody rushes you: take the time to read every question twice. Plan to arrive early for the identity check, bring the required documents and an accepted payment method (credit cards are not accepted at service centres). Our guide what to bring to the knowledge test has the list.
What really makes the difference: the format, not the count
Whether the test has 40, 60 or 64 questions changes nothing about how you should prepare. What changes everything is understanding how the three parts are built and where candidates fail most often.
Right of way at intersections, speed limits, passing, following distances, parking, learner's and probationary licence rules. This is the widest part.
Regulatory, warning and information signs, road markings, lights and signals. Look-alike signs trip up many candidates. See our guide road signs on the knowledge test.
Illustrated scenarios: what do you do in this situation? Alcohol, fatigue, distractions, difficult conditions, sharing the road. See scenario questions.
How to prepare for the real format
An SAAQ-approved driving course covers exactly these three blocks in its 12 theory modules. That is the foundation. Then practise on the SAAQ's official test until you consistently score above 75% in every part, not just once. Finally, go back to the theory for the topics you missed instead of memorizing answers. Our article how to pass the SAAQ knowledge test lays out the method.
No private website holds the SAAQ's question bank. Question sets sold online can help you review, but some borrow rules from other provinces or outdated versions of the Highway Safety Code. Rely on the course theory and the SAAQ practice test.
Frequently asked questions
The SAAQ does not publish that figure. What is confirmed: three parts, multiple-choice questions, 75% required in each part.
Yes, and in that case the whole test is failed. You must wait at least 28 days before retaking it and pay the $13.50 fee again.
Yes. The SAAQ offers the knowledge test in French and English, and you can also ask to take it in Modern Standard Arabic, Spanish or Mandarin.
No. It is a free training tool. We explain it in can you take the SAAQ knowledge test online?
Prepare all 3 parts with an approved course
SAAQ-approved driving school, 5 branches from Laval to Saint-Jérôme. Complete Class 5 course for $999 + taxes, 12 theory modules included.
Register onlineInformation verified in September 2026 on saaq.gouv.qc.ca (structure, pass mark, fees and delays of the Class 5 knowledge test). Official practice test: testdeconnaissances.saaq.gouv.qc.ca. Duration (30 to 60 minutes), languages and payment methods: SAAQ test preparation page. The SAAQ does not publish the number of questions; figures found elsewhere are not official.
