What is the LTO non-professional exam?
The LTO non-professional exam is the written (theoretical) test you take at a Land Transportation Office district office before you can get a non-professional driver's license for a private vehicle. It checks that you know road signs, right-of-way rules, speed limits, penalties and safe driving, and it is followed by a practical driving test.
The exam format
| Who takes it | Student permit holders applying for a non-professional driver's license |
|---|---|
| Before the exam | 15-hour Theoretical Driving Course (needed for the student permit) and 8-hour Practical Driving Course |
| Number of items | 40 multiple-choice items (commonly reported; based on a 2008 LTO memorandum circular) |
| Pass mark | 30 correct out of 40 (commonly reported) |
| Format | Automated theoretical exam at the LTO, then a practical driving test (LTO Citizen's Charter) |
| Language | English and Filipino versions are commonly reported |
| Time limit | Not published by the LTO. Our timed mock gives you 45 minutes for 40 questions. |
The item count and pass mark come from an older LTO circular and are widely repeated, but check the current figures at your LTO district office before exam day.
What the exam covers
- Traffic signs and pavement markings: STOP and GIVE WAY signs, prohibitory red-bordered circles, blue mandatory signs, warning triangles, guide signs, centre lines, yellow boxes and traffic signals.
- Right-of-way and intersections: the vehicle on the right rule, vehicles already in the intersection, pedestrians on crosswalks, private driveways, emergency vehicles and turning lanes (RA 4136, Sec. 42 to 45 and 49).
- Road rules and speed limits: the RA 4136 speed table (80, 40, 30 and 20 km/h for cars), keeping right, overtaking, parking distances and headlights.
- Licensing, permits and penalties: five- and ten-year licence validity, penalties for cheating or falsified papers, confiscation receipts and suspension (RA 10930, RA 4136).
- Defensive and safe driving: following distance, rain and floods, blind spots, night driving and fatigue.
- Emergencies and road crashes: your legal duties after a crash, tyre blowouts, brake failure, breakdowns and railway crossings.
- Vehicle basics and maintenance: BLOWBAGETS checks, brakes, lights and horns required by RA 4136.
- Alcohol, drugs, phones, seat belts and child seats: RA 10586, RA 10913, RA 8750 and RA 11229.
Free official resources, and what we add
The LTO publishes the Filipino Drivers Manual, and LTO Administrative Order AVT-2015-029 requires that a reviewer of possible exam questions be given to applicants free of charge. Read both. The laws themselves (RA 4136 and the road safety acts) are free on lawphil.net.
What we add: 105 original questions sorted by topic, a timed 40-question mock exam, and a plain explanation for every answer that names the law section or manual chapter it comes from, so you learn the rule rather than memorise a letter.
How to prepare
- Finish your Theoretical Driving Course and keep your notes on signs and road rules.
- Learn the sign families by shape and colour: octagon, inverted triangle, red-bordered circle, blue circle, warning triangle, green and blue rectangles.
- Memorise the RA 4136 speed table and parking distances (6 m from an intersection, 4 m from a hydrant or fire station driveway).
- Know the key penalties: drunk driving (RA 10586), distracted driving (RA 10913), seat belts and child seats (RA 8750, RA 11229).
- Practise one topic at a time, then take full timed mocks until you score well above 30 out of 40.
- Read every explanation for the questions you miss and go back to the law section it cites.
Practice questions with answers
Tap a question to see the correct answer and explanation.
A sign is shaped like an upside-down triangle with a red border and a white centre. What does it mean?
- Stop only at night
- The road narrows ahead, so keep to the right-hand side
- Give way to traffic on the road you are entering
- Danger: falling rocks
Answer: C, Give way to traffic on the road you are entering. The inverted triangle with a red border is the GIVE WAY (yield) sign. Slow down, be ready to stop, and let traffic on the main road pass first. Source: LTO Filipino Drivers Manual, regulatory signs; RA 4136, Sec. 43(c).
You are about to enter an intersection. A car is already inside it, turning left across your path with its signal on. Who has the right of way?
- Whichever vehicle is larger
- The car already turning, since it signalled
- You, because you are going straight and the other car is turning
- You, if you flash your headlights
Answer: B, The car already turning, since it signalled. A driver approaching but not yet in an intersection must yield to a vehicle already within it or turning left across his path, provided that vehicle gave a plainly visible signal. Source: RA 4136, Sec. 42(b).
RA 4136 sets what maximum speed for cars on a designated 'through street' or boulevard that is clear of traffic with no blind corners?
- 30 km/h
- 60 km/h
- 40 km/h
- 50 km/h
Answer: C, 40 km/h. Sec. 35(b)(2) sets 40 km/h for cars and motorcycles (30 km/h for trucks and buses) on designated through streets or boulevards clear of traffic with no blind corners. Source: RA 4136, Sec. 35(b).