The new driving theory test for the car licence is part of the reform of driving-school training that the Bundestag is currently debating. The plans include a smaller question catalogue and a simpler scoring system. How the points per question are to look exactly has not been fixed in binding form. This guide separates what is decided, what is in the legislative process and what is only under discussion.
In short: The federal government wants to cut the question catalogue for the theory test by about 30 percent and simplify the scoring system (Drucksache 21/4853, bill 21/7404). Whether each question will count exactly one point is not stated in the bill documents. Everything is a draft, and no date of entry into force is given. Last updated: November 2026.
Key points
- Nothing has been adopted yet. The bill (Bundestag Drucksache 21/7404) had its first reading on 24 September 2026.
- The question catalogue for class B is to become about 30 percent smaller. The scoring system is to become simpler.
- Driving schools would no longer have to keep classrooms and teaching materials for theory lessons.
- One point per question is mentioned in press coverage as the form of scoring, but it is not in the bill.
- The documents give no date of entry into force. The existing test rules apply until then.
What is supposed to change in the theory test?
Two points are central. First, the question catalogue is to shrink. In its reply to a parliamentary inquiry the federal government mentions a cut of 30 percent (Drucksache 21/4853, reply to question 14). A key-points paper of the ad hoc working group on the reform of driving-school training (draft version, no date or publisher stated in the copy available) speaks of a reduction from 1,169 to about 840 questions for class B, a cut of 28.14 percent. Second, the “complex scoring system” is to be simplified, as the Bundestag’s news item on the bill puts it (hib 618/2026). Questions on road safety are to remain a particular focus.
Why should every question count one point in future?
Until now questions in the theory test are weighted differently: under Annex 7 part 1 of the Driving Licence Ordinance (FeV) they count two to five points depending on content. For a first class B licence you answer 30 questions worth 110 points in total, and up to 10 error points are allowed. Two wrongly answered questions with a value of 5 mean failing. Coverage of the reform often describes that every question is to count one point in future. The bill does not give this figure. It only provides that the scoring system becomes simpler. The key points say the simplification takes place in the course of the roll-out of the reduced question catalogue. The one-point rule should therefore be read as a draft and a variant under discussion, not as current or adopted law.
| Aspect | Currently | Planned (draft) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Question catalogue, class B | 1,169 questions according to the key-points paper | about 840 questions, roughly 28 percent fewer (government reply: 30 percent) | draft, Drucksache 21/4853 |
| Scoring | different error points per question | simpler scoring, one point per question under discussion | draft, exact points open |
| Focus | road safety | road safety remains the focus | draft, hib 618/2026 |
| Entry into force | not applicable | not stated in the draft text | open |
How will you study for the theory test if the reform comes?
The draft provides that driving schools no longer have to keep classrooms and teaching materials for theory lessons (amendment of the driving instructor act, Bundesrat Drucksache 330/26). The key points say theory may be taught in person or digitally, and the driving school decides. Coverage also describes learning by app alone. The details depend on the final version. If you are already in training, ask your driving school about transitional rules, because the available documents do not state any.
Where does the procedure stand?
The federal government submitted the bill to the Bundesrat on 29 May 2026 (Bundesrat Drucksache 330/26, deadline for comments 10 July 2026). Bundestag Drucksache 21/7404 is dated 29 July 2026. The Bundestag debated the bill in first reading on 24 September 2026, and the transport committee heard experts on 5 October 2026 (Bundestag, hearing). The Bundesrat has suggested changes, some of which the government wants to examine and others to reject. The sources do not mention a committee vote or final adoption.
| Date | Step | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 29 May 2026 | Bill in the Bundesrat, Drucksache 330/26 | Bundesrat |
| 10 July 2026 | Deadline for the Bundesrat comments | Bundesrat |
| 29 July 2026 | Bundestag Drucksache 21/7404 | Bundestag |
| 24 Sept 2026 | First reading in the Bundestag | Bundestag |
| 5 Oct 2026 | Hearing in the transport committee | Bundestag |
| open | Final vote and entry into force | not stated |
What does this mean for students and early-career readers?
Timing matters most for planning. Until the reform is adopted and promulgated, you prepare using the current question catalogue and scoring system. Waiting for the simplified test makes little sense without a secure start date, because the draft names none. Driving-school costs depend above all on the number of lessons and the school’s prices. See What does a driving licence cost in 2026? for an overview. The overall reform including the practical test is described in Driving licence reform 2027.
How do key points, bill and current law differ?
The key points are the result of an ad hoc working group and describe target figures such as the number of questions. The bill turns part of them into statutory text, for example the removal of the classroom requirement. Details such as point values, the number of questions per test or the pass mark are not spelled out in it. A rule only becomes binding once it has been adopted and promulgated. Until then all figures on the new theory test are planning status that may still change in the procedure, including through the changes suggested by the Bundesrat.
Besides theory, the draft contains transparency rules. Driving schools are to report their fees to a transparency register (§ 32 of the driving instructor act in the draft version), and notices on display are dropped. This does not affect the test directly but helps with price comparison when you choose a driving school.
Frequently asked questions
Will every question count one point in the theory test in future?
Coverage mentions this as a planned form of scoring. The bill only says the scoring system is to be simplified. The concrete number of points is open.
How many questions will the new theory test have?
The key points name about 840 instead of 1,169 questions in the catalogue for class B. The documents do not say how many questions a single test contains.
Can I study theory by app only in future?
Under the key points, driving schools decide whether to teach theory in person or digitally. Pure app solutions are mentioned in coverage. Only the final rules make this binding.
Does the new theory test apply already?
No. The bill is being debated in the Bundestag, and it names no date of entry into force.
Who decides on the final version?
The Bundestag adopts the law, and the Bundesrat takes part in the further procedure and has already suggested changes. The available extracts do not state expressly whether the law requires the Bundesrat’s consent.
Where can I read the draft myself?
The bill is publicly available as Bundestag Drucksache 21/7404 and as Bundesrat Drucksache 330/26, and the Bundestag’s page on the bill shows the procedural status. The sources at the end of this guide link directly to them.
What to do now
- Plan your test under the current system as long as no law has been promulgated.
- Ask your driving school whether and how it will handle transitional cases if the reform arrives.
- Follow the status in the Bundestag through Drucksache 21/7404.
- Read the overview of the overall reform and the guide on the practical test.
Related guides
- Getting around on a student budget: tickets, scooters, licence
- Driving licence reform 2027: theory and practice
- Practical test in 40 minutes
- Supervised driving by lay persons
- What does a driving licence cost in 2026?
Sources: Driving Licence Ordinance (FeV), Annex 7 (theory test), gesetze-im-internet.de (in German, undated version); Bundestag, Drucksache 21/7404 of 29 July 2026, bill amending the Fahrlehrergesetz; Bundesrat, Drucksache 330/26 of 29 May 2026; Bundestag, Drucksache 21/4853 of 18 March 2026, reply of the federal government; Bundestag, hib 618/2026 of 30 July 2026; Federal Ministry of Transport, reform of car driver training (in German).
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
