How to study for the driving theory test

A plan that works: read one topic, practise questions on it, take mock tests, go over your mistakes. Road signs and rules need different methods.

Road signs: learn the system, not every sign

There are hundreds of road signs, but they follow a system. First learn what the shape and the colour mean:

Triangle pointing up, yellow and red: warning sign.
Round with a red border: prohibitory sign.
Round and blue: mandatory sign.
Square or rectangular and blue: information sign.
Arrow-shaped or rectangular, coloured by type of road: direction sign.

When you know the system, it is easy to guess right even on signs you have not seen. Go through our road sign pages one category at a time.

Rules: understand why

Traffic rules are easier to remember when you understand the idea behind them. The give way to the right rule (högerregeln), the exit rule (utfartsregeln) and the bus rule (bussregeln) are all about making traffic predictable. Always ask yourself: why does this rule exist?

A plan in four steps

Read one topic at a time, for example speed. Use a textbook or the website of the Swedish Transport Agency (Transportstyrelsen).
Practise the same topic in practice mode. Read the explanation after each answer.
Take a mock test when you have covered all the topics. See which topics are your weakest.
Go over your mistakes until you get them right. Then take a new mock test.

Common traps in the test

Mixing up no parking and no stopping or parking.
Forgetting that passing the theory test is not enough: you must also pass the driving test within one year.
Reading the question too fast. Words like not and always change everything.