Does Subject 4 Count Towards the 3-Year Time Limit?
2 Answers
Subject 4 does not count towards the 3-year time limit. Exam details for Subject 4: In Subject 4, you can only get 5 questions wrong, and the exam duration is 45 minutes. During the exam, it is important to carefully read each question to avoid missing options or selecting too many. Subject 4, also known as the Driver Theory Test, is part of the motor vehicle driver's license assessment. After the implementation of the 'Order of the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China,' Subject 3 was divided into two parts: the road test and an additional safety and common sense knowledge test. Driver's license examination content: Traffic regulations and related knowledge (Subject 1) — written test. Field driving (Subject 2) — on-site, actual vehicle. Only pass or fail. All nine mandatory test items must be passed to clear Subject 2. Road driving (Subject 3) — highway or simulated field, actual vehicle. The test is fully monitored by electronic surveillance and traffic police, ensuring fairness in the road test. After the road test, a theoretical test on safe and civilized driving (commonly known as Subject 4) is added, which differs from Subject 1 by including image analysis and judgment.
I remember when I was getting my driver's license, the three-year validity period for the entire process started from passing Subject 1, which included Subject 2, Subject 3, and Subject 4. This wasn't a separate deadline set for Subject 4 alone, but a unified timeline for the entire examination system. Simply put, if you passed Subject 1, you had to complete the remaining tests within three years, otherwise your previous scores would expire, and you'd have to start all over again. Back then, when I was learning to drive at the driving school, the instructor always reminded us to manage our time wisely and not to procrastinate, as life and work could bring unexpected delays. Although Subject 4 tests safety knowledge, it doesn't have an independent deadline—it follows the overall timeline. If you exceed the deadline, you'd have to re-register and pay the fees again, which is both a waste of money and a hassle. So, I advise friends who start learning to drive to try to complete all tests within one or two years, rather than waiting until the three-year deadline is approaching to rush.
