CBR theory exam in English
You can take the Dutch CBR theory exam in English for €57. Everything you need to know for 2026: booking, cost, what the exam looks like and the terms that trip people up.
Test your level for freeTry it yourself. This is a rebuilt exam screen, based on the official CBR sample questions, with four real questions from our question bank. This is what the English exam looks like: the same Dutch road signs and situations, only the question text is translated.
The Dutch CBR theory exam can be taken in English for €57 per attempt in 2026, a €6.50 surcharge on the Dutch fee (€50.50). 50 questions in 30 minutes, available at every CBR theory exam location. The content is identical to the Dutch version, only translated. You pass with at least 44 of the 50 questions correct; since 7 April 2025 there is a single standard for the whole exam. Once you pass, your theory certificate is valid for 18 months. In 2025 the CBR administered 44,064 English-language car theory exams, with a pass rate of 35.9% against 42.0% for the Dutch exam (source: CBR open data).
€57 per attempt in 2026 (a €6.50 surcharge on the €50.50 Dutch fee). 50 questions, 30 minutes, at every CBR theory exam location. You pass with 44 of 50 correct, one standard for the whole exam. The theory certificate is valid for 18 months.
The content is identical to the Dutch version, only translated. Built for expats, international students and anyone who reads English more comfortably than Dutch. No interpreter or dictionary allowed during the exam.
🇬🇧 What is the English CBR theory exam?
The CBR offers the category B (car) theory exam in two languages: Dutch and English. The English version is intended for expats, international students and anyone living in the Netherlands who wants a driving licence but does not read Dutch comfortably.
The content is identical to the Dutch version: you need to know the same Dutch traffic rules, road signs and legislation. Only the questions and answers are translated. There is no "easier exam" and no "international rules" version. Your theory certificate stays valid for 18 months after you pass.
📊 How many people take the exam in English?
The CBR publishes exam numbers per language as open data. In 2025 it administered 44,064 car theory exams in English: 31,577 standard and 12,487 with extra time. That is 6.9% of all car theory exams.
| Exam variant (2025) | Taken | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch, standard | 482,993 | 42.0% |
| English, standard | 31,577 | 37.5% |
| English, extra time | 12,487 | 32.0% |
| With interpreter | 20,268 | 47.2% |
| All variants combined | 637,446 | 40.0% |
What this means for you: candidates taking the exam in English pass 35.9% of the time, against 42.0% for the Dutch exam. That gap of more than six percentage points is not because the English exam is harder, since the content is identical. It is because candidates often practise with material in which technical terms are translated badly. Practising with the official CBR terminology is what closes that gap.
The share of English-language exams keeps growing: from 5.0% in 2022 to 6.9% in 2025, while the total number of theory exams is falling. Source: CBR open data, exam file 1 January to 31 December 2025.
💶 Cost and fees in 2026
| Item | Dutch | English |
|---|---|---|
| Category B theory exam | €50.50 | €57.00 (+€6.50) |
| Evening or Saturday surcharge | +€6.25 | +€6.25 |
| Extra time (45 min) | +€13.50 | +€13.50 |
| Individually supervised | +€68.00 | +€68.00 |
| Retake | €50.50 | €57.00 |
📋 How the exam works in English
Test your level in English
The free test gives you a solid estimate of whether you are ready for the real exam. 4 minutes, 7 questions.
Start the free test📍 Where can I take the exam in English?
The English exam is available at every CBR theory exam location in the Netherlands. You select it when booking through Mijn CBR. Waiting times run from 1 to 4 weeks depending on the location.
- Randstad: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Haarlem, Rijswijk, Alkmaar, Barendrecht
- Southern Netherlands: Eindhoven, Breda, Maastricht, Venlo, Goes
- Eastern Netherlands: Arnhem, Zwolle, Enschede
- Northern Netherlands: Groningen, Leeuwarden, Hoogeveen
- Smaller locations (often quicker): Schelluinen, Leusden, Goes, Hoogeveen
🎯 Tips for non-native English speakers
The CBR writes its questions in relatively plain English (B1 level), by design. If you read at B2 or C1 you will have no trouble with the language itself. What does catch people out:
- Practise with English exam questions: get familiar with terms such as "priority road", "give way" and "carriageway", exactly as the CBR uses them
- Learn the Dutch terms that are never translated: sign codes (G1, A1, B1, C1) and the six legal terms listed further down this page
- Read the whole question: if you are unsure, mark it for review instead of skipping it, and come back at the end
- Watch the clock: 30 minutes for 50 questions is about 36 seconds each. Do not linger on one question
- Video questions: since April 2025 hazard perception is tested within the 50 questions, partly with short silent clips. The language makes no difference to those images
Ready for the English exam?
Take the free test and see within 4 minutes whether your level is good enough to pass.
Start the free test🤔 Dutch or English: which should you choose?
We get this question a lot, and the answer is less obvious than it looks. The Dutch exam has a higher pass rate (42.0% against 35.9%), but that does not mean Dutch is the better choice. It means the average English-language candidate arrives less well prepared.
| Choose Dutch if... | Choose English if... |
|---|---|
| You read Dutch at B1 or higher | You still translate Dutch in your head |
| You have been practising in Dutch | You read English more fluently than Dutch |
| You want to pay the €50.50 fee | The €6.50 surcharge is worth the peace of mind |
| You also plan to take motorcycle or trailer exams | You are only taking category B |
That last point is easy to miss: the English exam only exists for cars (category B). If you later want a motorcycle licence or the trailer exam, those are available in Dutch only, or with an interpreter. If you will need Dutch for those steps anyway, it can be worth starting now.
The deciding question is simple: in which language do you read a difficult sentence once and understand it immediately? Translating in your head costs five to ten seconds per question. With 36 seconds available, that is the difference between finishing calmly and guessing the last few.
👥 Who is the English exam for?
The English exam is intended for:
| Group | Why English |
|---|---|
| Expats in the Netherlands | Working professionals from the UK, US, India, South Africa and elsewhere |
| International students | EU and non-EU students at Dutch universities |
| Refugees who speak English | People who read English but not yet Dutch |
| Long-term residents | Living in the Netherlands but still more comfortable in English |
| New arrivals | Anyone who needs a Dutch licence soon after moving here |
Worth knowing: an EU driving licence is recognised in the Netherlands. Licences from most non-EU countries are not, so you usually have to obtain a Dutch licence from scratch, theory exam included. That is where the English exam helps.
🧠 Practising with English exam questions
At the top of this article you will find four real exam questions from our question bank, in English, each answer explained with the official CBR term. Not tried them yet? Scroll back up and give them a go.
Want to know whether you can keep up the real pace? The exam gives you 50 questions in 30 minutes and you need 44 correct. That is roughly 36 seconds per question, including the time to study the photo. Translating in your head eats five to ten seconds of that.
Test your pace with the free trial
Seven real CBR questions, no account needed. 4 minutes and you know where you stand.
Start the free test❌ Five common mistakes on the English exam
🇳🇱 Six Dutch words that stay Dutch in the English exam
This catches almost everyone out. The CBR deliberately does not translate a number of terms, because they are defined in Dutch legislation. They appear in Dutch on your English exam screen. You will find them in chapter 6 of the official CBR theory exam plan:
| Stays in Dutch | What it means |
|---|---|
| APK | The compulsory periodic roadworthiness test for your car |
| Autoweg | Road with sign G3, limit 100 km/h. Not a motorway: the difference with the autosnelweg is classic exam material |
| Brommobiel | Small enclosed 45 km/h vehicle, driven on an AM licence |
| Erf | Residential zone: walking pace, and pedestrians may use the entire road |
| Snorfiets | Blue plate, 25 km/h. Not the same as a bromfiets (45 km/h) |
| Speed pedelec | Electric bicycle up to 45 km/h, legally treated as a bromfiets |
Many English courses translate these words anyway, and that introduces errors. The most common: courses that render both autoweg and autosnelweg as "highway". You then learn that the limit on a "highway" is 100 and also that it is 130, while the exam tests precisely that distinction. The word "highway" does not appear in the official CBR glossary at all; it only uses "motorway", and only for the autosnelweg.
📖 Glossary: CBR exam terms in English
| English | Dutch | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Priority / Right of way | Voorrang | The right to go first at a junction |
| Give way | Voorrang verlenen | Stopping or slowing to let another road user go first. The CBR uses "give way", never the American "yield" |
| Novice driver | Beginnend bestuurder | A driver who has held a licence for less than 5 years |
| Built-up area | Bebouwde kom | Urban area marked by signs H1 and H2 |
| Motorway | Autosnelweg | Motorway, marked by sign G1 |
| Autoweg (not translated) | Autoweg | Fast road marked by sign G3. The CBR deliberately keeps this word in Dutch |
| Dipped headlights | Dimlicht | Standard headlights for night and poor visibility |
| Main beam | Grootlicht | Full-strength headlights for unlit roads |
| Hazard lights | Alarmlichten | All four indicators flashing to warn of danger |
| Fog lights | Mistlichten | Separate lights for fog and heavy rain |
| Blood alcohol level | Promille | Alcohol in the blood, expressed in promille (per mille) |
| Roundabout | Rotonde | Circular junction |
❓ Frequently asked questions
How much does the CBR theory exam in English cost in 2026?
Is the English exam different from the Dutch one?
At which locations can I take the exam in English?
Do I need an interpreter for the English exam?
Welke Engelse taalniveau heb ik nodig?
How many people take the theory exam in English?
Which Dutch words stay untranslated in the English exam?
Can I take the exam in French or German?
Can I discuss questions with someone during the exam?
What if I live in the Netherlands with a foreign licence?
Is a UK licence still valid in the Netherlands after Brexit?
What does "right of way" mean in the Dutch context?
What happens if I fail the English exam?
Are there English-language theory courses?
Is there support if I get exam anxiety?
Should I choose English or Dutch?
What if I do not pass first time?
Ready for your exam, in English?
Test your level for free, or start the Examenklaar Deluxe course with a pass guarantee. 96% of our students pass on the first attempt.
📚 Read next
- CBR: how the car theory exam works (50 questions, 30 minutes, 44 correct)
- CBR theory exam plan for cars, chapters 5 and 6: the official English glossary and the terms that stay in Dutch
- CBR: taking the theory exam in another language (English without interpreter, category B only)
- CBR fees 2026: €50.50 base, English surcharge €6.50, extra time €13.50, individually supervised €68.00
- CBR open data: 2025 exam file, volumes and pass rates per exam variant
- CBR: revised theory exam since 7 April 2025 (one standard instead of three separate parts)
- HaalTheorie data: 96% pass on the first attempt, 127,000+ students since 2019
