The Complete Guide to the Ontario G1 Test: What to Expect and How to Pass

The G1 is where every Ontario driver starts. It is the first level of the province’s graduated licensing system, and it is the licence you earn by passing a written knowledge test on the rules of the road and traffic signs. Pass it and you can begin driving with a fully licensed driver beside you. Here is exactly what the test involves and how to walk in ready.

Who can take the G1 test

You need to be at least 16 years old, and you have to pass a vision test at the DriveTest centre before you sit the knowledge test. Bring acceptable identification that proves your legal name, date of birth, and signature. There is no requirement to have taken a driving course first, though an approved course later shortens your wait for the next road test.

What is actually on the test

The G1 knowledge test has 40 multiple-choice questions, split into two sections of 20. One section covers the rules of the road, the other covers traffic signs. You need 80 percent in each section to pass, which means 16 correct out of 20 on both. Miss too many in a single section and you do not pass, even if your overall score looks high. The test is not timed, so read every question carefully.

The questions come straight from the concepts in the official MTO Driver’s Handbook. If you understand why an answer is right rather than memorizing letters, the signs section in particular becomes much easier.

What a G1 lets you do, and the rules that come with it

A G1 is a real licence, but it comes with conditions that exist to keep new drivers safe while they build experience. You must drive with an accompanying driver in the front passenger seat who has a full Class G licence, at least four years of driving experience, and a blood alcohol level under 0.05. On top of that:

• Your own blood alcohol must be zero. No amount of alcohol is allowed in your system.
• Everyone in the vehicle needs a working seatbelt, and there can be no more passengers than there are belts.
• You cannot drive between midnight and 5 a.m.
• You cannot drive on 400-series highways with a posted limit over 80 km/h, or on certain high-speed roads.

How long you stay at G1

You hold the G1 for 12 months before you are eligible for the G2 road test. Finish an MTO-approved driver education course and that wait drops to 8 months. Use the time. The drivers who pass the G2 road test comfortably are the ones who logged real practice hours in varied conditions during their G1 year.

What it costs

Ontario charges a single package fee for the graduated licensing process, listed at about $90 on the province’s driver and vehicle fees page. That package covers the knowledge test, your first road test, and a five-year licence once you reach full G. Fees change from time to time, so check the official page before you go.

How to prepare

Two things move the needle. First, read the handbook section by section instead of cover to cover in one sitting. Second, practice with real-style questions until the signs are automatic. That is the whole reason we built FreeG1: free practice questions, every Ontario sign grouped by shape and colour, and full mock exams scored the same way the real test is.

On test day

Arrive early, bring your ID, and eat something first so nerves do not get the better of you. Read each question twice, rule out the answers you know are wrong, and do not overthink the signs. If a sign is a red octagon, it means stop, and no clever second-guessing changes that. When you pass, you walk out with your G1 the same day.

Keep reading: what the DriveTest visit itself looks like and a one-week study plan.

Sources: Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Official MTO Driver’s Handbook and Driver and Vehicle Fees. Last reviewed July 2026.