Ontario G1 Test Guide 2026: Fees, Rules and G1→G2→G Steps

Ontario uses a two-step graduated licensing system: G1, then G2, then a full G. The minimum time from your first test to a full licence is 20 months, and you have five years to finish the whole thing before you have to start over. The G1 knowledge test is the only written exam, and it is the one our question bank targets.

Getting your G1

To apply you must be at least 16 and an Ontario resident — visitors cannot apply. At a DriveTest centre you will pass a vision test and the knowledge test in the same visit, and walk out with a G1 the same day.

Appointments are not required at DriveTest centres. The exception is the ServiceOntario location at Bay and College in downtown Toronto, which is appointment-only. Arrive at least an hour before closing; centres stop registering new test-takers well before the doors close.

What to bring

• Two pieces of original identification proving your legal name, date of birth and signature. A passport plus one supporting document is the most reliable combination, and at least one piece must show your signature. Photocopies are not accepted.
• Payment — cash, debit or credit.
• Glasses or contact lenses if you need them to drive.

The G1 knowledge test format

This is where most guides are vague, and where the detail actually matters:

• 40 multiple-choice questions in two sections — 20 on road signs and 20 on rules of the road.
• You need 80% in each section separately, that is 16 out of 20 on both. Getting 20/20 on signs will not rescue a 14/20 on rules.
• Both sections must be passed in the same sitting.
• Not timed. You can take as long as you need until the office closes. Most people finish in 20 to 30 minutes.
• Marked on the spot — you get your result before you leave.
• The computerized version is offered in 32 languages, including Chinese.
• Results are valid for one year. If you retry within that year, you only redo the section you failed.

That last point is worth planning around: a failed attempt is not a full reset, so if you narrowly miss on signs, focus your studying there rather than starting over.

Fees

Item	Fee
Licensing package — knowledge test, first G2 road test and a five-year licence	$159.75
Knowledge test retry	$16.00
G2 road test (rebooking or the G road test)	$53.75
Official MTO Driver's Handbook	$14.95 plus tax

The $159.75 is a package, not just a test fee, which is why Ontario looks expensive next to other provinces at the counter. There is no separate licence card fee afterwards.

G1 restrictions

• Zero blood alcohol.
• An accompanying driver must sit in the front passenger seat. They need a full G licence, at least four years of driving experience, and a blood alcohol level under 0.05 — zero if they are 21 or younger.
• No driving between midnight and 5 a.m.
• No 400-series highways, and no highways with a speed limit above 80 km/h, unless your accompanying driver is a licensed driving instructor.
• Every passenger must have a working seatbelt.

Moving to G2 and then G

You hold G1 for 12 months before the first road test — reduced to 8 months if you complete a Ministry-approved driver education course. That course is the single fastest way to shorten the process, and it usually lowers insurance premiums too.

The G2 road test covers basic skills: control, observation, intersections, parking and lane changes. Passing gives you a G2, which drops the daytime and highway restrictions but keeps zero blood alcohol, and adds passenger limits for drivers 19 and under during night hours.

After 12 months at G2 you can take the G road test, which adds highway driving and merging. Passing gives you a full G.

Watch the five-year clock. If your G1 expires before you finish, you start over from the knowledge test and pay the fees again — and a failed road test on an expired G1 means exactly that.

Common questions

Can I book the G1 knowledge test online?

The knowledge test itself is walk-in at DriveTest centres, so there is nothing to book in most cases. Road tests do need to be booked and prepaid.

I have a licence from another country — do I still write the G1 test?

Yes, unless your jurisdiction has an exchange agreement with Ontario. You may present a valid foreign licence as proof of experience, which can credit you toward the G1 or G2 waiting period, but you still need acceptable ID, the vision test and the knowledge test. Our guide for drivers arriving with a foreign licence covers this in detail.

How much studying is enough?

Because each section is scored separately, practise signs and rules separately and make sure you are clearing 90% on both before you go in. Signs are pure recall and reward flashcard-style repetition; rules of the road need you to understand right-of-way and speed logic rather than memorise sentences.

Official sources

• Ontario.ca — Get a G driver's licence: new drivers
• Official MTO Driver's Handbook — Getting your licence
• DriveTest — Knowledge tests