Overview
In Taiwan, the written test is the first exam for a car or motorcycle driver's licence. It is run by the motor vehicle offices under the Highway Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. The bureau's own English pages could not be read for this page, so the details come from Taipei City Government pages and a news report. Confirm them on the official Highway Bureau and motor vehicle office sites.
Who can apply
A foreign applicant must be at least 18 and pass a health examination at a government hospital, health centre or hospital approved by the motor vehicle authorities. The check is not needed for general light or heavy motorcycle licences.
Documents listed by the Taipei City Government include a resident certificate valid for more than a year, two recent photographs and the health certificate. As listed, someone with no overseas licence first gets a learner's licence for a car, and can apply for the driver's licence test after holding it for 3 months. A holder of an overseas licence can skip the learner's licence by applying at the North Taipei branch of the Taipei City Motor Vehicles Office, with the original overseas or international licence.
Exam pattern
The only source for question numbers is a Taipei Times news report from May 2025, so treat them as unconfirmed. It quoted the Highway Bureau as saying the car written test then had 40 questions and the motorcycle test 50, in both cases half true-or-false and half multiple choice, with question banks of about 1,400 for cars and 1,600 for motorcycles.
The same report said the ministry planned to redesign the written test for introduction in 2026, and the bureau was considering removing all true-or-false questions and using four answer choices. That was a plan when reported, and the sources read here do not show what the test looks like now. The format and question counts may have changed, so check with your motor vehicle office when you book.
The Taipei City Government's FAQ (last reviewed in 2024) says applicants who score under 85 on the written test must wait at least seven days before retesting. The road test has a separate pass mark of 70.
Preparation
Question banks are available in Chinese, Japanese, English, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai, Burmese and Khmer, and online mock tests are offered in the same languages through the Highway Bureau and motor vehicle office sites. A demo machine is available at the Shilin supervision station in Taipei so you can practise on the keyboard.
What score do I need to pass the written test?
The Taipei City Government's FAQ says scoring under 85 counts as a fail, so 85 or more passes. This predates the planned 2026 redesign, so confirm it when you book.
How soon can I retake it?
After at least seven days. A test failed on a Friday can be retaken the next Friday or later.
Is the test available in English?
Question banks and mocks exist in English. The sources read for this page did not say which offices give the exam in English.