How Long After the Driver's License Medical Exam Can You Take the Subject 1 Test?
3 Answers
After passing the driving school medical examination, in some places you can directly make an appointment for registration, while in others you need to complete about 10 days of study hours before you can schedule the Subject 1 test. Before making an appointment, you should review the Subject 1 exam materials and practice test questions. Enrolling in a driving school is only a preliminary registration. After enrolling, the driving school submits the documents to the DMV. Once approved, the DMV will issue a serial number, which indicates successful registration. After successful registration, you can schedule the Subject 1 test. According to the "Regulations on the Application and Use of Motor Vehicle Driver's Licenses," Subject 1 consists of 100 single-choice and true/false questions, each worth 1 point. If you answer 11 questions incorrectly during the exam, the system will automatically submit the test and end the exam. Subject 1 test content: Driver's license and motor vehicle management regulations; road traffic conditions and regulations; road traffic safety violations and penalties; road traffic accident handling regulations; basic knowledge of motor vehicles; local regulations; knowledge of braking systems and safety devices for large and medium-sized passenger and cargo vehicles; specialized knowledge for wheeled self-propelled machinery, trams, and trolleybuses. Subject 1 exam precautions: During the Subject 1 exam, students should pay attention to their attire—no sandals are allowed. Electronic devices and bags are not permitted in the exam room. Bring your ID card and queue up to enter the waiting hall. Observe the precautions and procedures on the large screen, and store personal belongings in a locker before entering the exam room. Upon entering, check your assigned seat at the identity verification area, then begin the exam. Ensure the camera is aimed at you and follow exam discipline. If you fail the first attempt, you can retake the exam the same day. If you fail again, you must pay to reschedule. After the exam, queue up to collect your score report and sign it. Failure to sign will render the exam invalid. There is no limit to the number of times you can schedule the Subject 1 exam. Each subject can be taken once, and if you fail, you can retake it once. If you do not retake the exam or fail the retake, the exam process ends, and you must reschedule. For Subject 2 and Subject 3, there are only five exam attempts. Subject 2 and Subject 3 exams can be scheduled 10 days later. If you fail the Subject 3 safe and civilized driving knowledge test, the previously passed road driving skills test scores remain valid. There are three subjects in the driver's license test: Subject 1, Subject 2, and Subject 3. Subject 1 refers to the road traffic safety laws, regulations, and related knowledge exam. Subject 2 refers to the field driving skills test. Subject 3 is divided into two parts: road driving skills and safe and civilized driving knowledge. The safe and civilized driving knowledge test is conducted after Subject 3, so it is commonly referred to as Subject 4. However, the official term (as per the Ministry of Public Security Order No. 123) does not include Subject 4.
I just finished my physical exam last month and started scheduling Subject 1. After the exam, you need to wait for the driving school to submit the documents to the DMV for review, which usually takes two or three days. The exact time depends on the region—some places with faster systems might allow you to schedule Subject 1 the day after your exam. Make sure the driving school uploads the documents promptly to avoid delays. The DMV mainly checks if your vision and color recognition meet the required standards. Once approved, you’re good to go. By the way, you can check the progress on the 12123 traffic management app—once approved, you can directly book the nearest Subject 1 test site. I recommend brushing up on the questions in advance to make the most of the waiting time.
Don't rush after the medical check-up. First, let the driving school organize and upload your medical report and registration materials to the traffic management system. This process is actually quite fast. In my case, I had the check-up on Wednesday morning and received the notification to schedule the exam by Friday noon. The key factor is the efficiency of the vehicle management office. In big cities, approval might come the next day, while in townships it could take three to five days. During this period, you can do three things: download the driving test app to practice questions, clarify the location of the test site, and prepare your original ID card. Remember, all documents must be complete—even missing one photo could delay the approval process.
