Why does Subject Four appear as Subject Three?
4 Answers
The official name for scheduling Subject Four online is: Subject Three Safety and Civilization Knowledge Test. Strictly speaking, there are only three subjects. Subject Four is actually a term that emerged for convenient classification, so Subject Three Safety and Civilization Knowledge is essentially Subject Four. Here is additional information: 1. Introduction: Subject Four, also known as the Subject Four theoretical test or driver theory test, is part of the motor vehicle driver's license assessment. Currently, the Subject Three test is divided into two parts: besides the road test, there is an added Safety and Civilization Knowledge test, commonly referred to as "Subject Four," which assesses "driving ethics." 2. Others: Subject Four extracts the requirements related to safe and civilized driving from the original Subject One, including safe driving skills under complex conditions and emergency handling knowledge, and places them after the "Subject Three" actual road driving test to further evaluate the candidate's level of traffic awareness.
I also wondered about this when getting my driver's license. In fact, 'Subject 4' is just a colloquial term - in the DMV system it's uniformly called Subject 3. The Subject 3 exam consists of two major parts: road driving skills and safety & civilized driving knowledge. The former is what people call the road test, assessing practical operations on real roads; the latter is the theoretical exam known as Subject 4. Since both tests fall under the general term Subject 3, it's perfectly normal for the system to display Subject 3. This system design is very reasonable, closely integrating practical driving with civilized driving theory to ensure drivers meet both technical and quality standards. The staff explained during registration that the exam items are organized into three parts, so there's no need to worry about it showing as Subject 3.
I've been teaching driving for over a decade, and students always ask this question. Officially, there are only three designed test subjects: Subject 1 (theory), Subject 2 (field test), and Subject 3 (actual road operation). Later, traffic regulation reforms added a safety and civilization knowledge test. However, since the system architecture couldn't arbitrarily change codes, the new content was integrated into the Subject 3 module. So it's perfectly normal to see Subject 3 on your screen - Subject 4 is essentially the written test portion of Subject 3, covering practical knowledge like traffic sign meanings and adverse weather handling. Remember this is fundamentally a technical classification issue in the testing system and won't affect your license acquisition.
I was also confused during my exams back then, but later I found out that Subject 4 was originally a branch of Subject 3. The driver's license test consists of three major modules: theoretical Subject 1, on-site Subject 2, and comprehensive Subject 3. Subject 3 is further divided into a road test and a computer-based test, with the latter commonly known as Subject 4, covering topics like first aid knowledge and civilized driving. This design is actually quite clever, as it assesses both practical skills and theoretical knowledge in the same stage. The exam system usually displays either Subject 3 Safety Officer Test or Subject 3 Theory Test, both of which are standard procedures. All you need to do is focus on answering the questions.
