The short answer
The theory test takes place on screen at the testing organisation. You identify yourself, are given a seat, and answer the questions on a tablet or terminal in the language you chose. Going back and correcting is possible until you submit. The result appears immediately after you do.
The theory test has been taken digitally for years. That changes nothing about the content and a fair amount about the procedure — above all at the end.
Arriving and identifying yourself
Bring valid photo identification. Without it the test does not take place, even if everybody in the room knows you. You are then shown to a seat; bags, jackets and phones stay out of reach.
At the machine
- You choose the language — which ones are available is set out separately
- Questions come one at a time; images and videos are embedded
- Forward and back is possible until you submit
- Unanswered questions are flagged, so you miss nothing at the end
- There is no time pressure: at a normal pace the time allowed is comfortable
Multiple answers. On paper you could see three tick boxes; on screen you tap one answer, feel satisfied and move on — when two would have been correct. We now say the same sentence before every test: read how many answers are possible first, then tap. It is the most common avoidable loss of points we know of.
Submitting and the result
The result appears as soon as you submit. Pass or not — and if not, which areas the error points came from. How 30 questions and 10 error points fit together is set out separately.
Do not rest afterwards
A passed theory test is valid for twelve months. The practical test has to be taken within that period — plenty of time, but a reason not to push the test date into the indefinite.
What to prepare with, and what actually helps, is in a post of its own.
What to take away
The digital procedure takes the waiting out of the result and brings one new trap with it: the number of possible answers. Read it on every single question before you tap — it is the cheapest mistake there is to avoid.