Likhit Exam in Nepal (2026): Format, Pass Mark and Official Questions
Short answer: The likhit exam is the written test you sit at the transport office before your driving trial. Under the Department of Transport Management's 2082/83 rules it has 25 multiple-choice questions worth 4 marks each, you get 30 minutes, and you need at least 60 marks out of 100 to pass. Every question comes from DoTM's official 500-question collection: the AK set for bikes and scooters, the B set for cars. If you fail, Kantipur reports a three-month wait before you can apply again.
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What the likhit exam is, and who sits it
The likhit pariksha (लिखित परीक्षा) is the written part of the driving licence test. You sit it at the transport office after your application, medical check and fees are done, and before the trial, which is the practical driving test. On the new provincial portals it is the stage straight after office approval. Our driving licence online form guide walks through every stage of the application, so this post sticks to the exam itself.
You sit it when you apply for a new licence. If you already hold a motorcycle or scooter licence and want to add a car, Kantipur reported in December 2025 that you don't need to sit the written test again and can go straight to the trial. Confirm this with your transport office when you apply for the added category.
The new licence system runs on the National ID, so you need your NID number before you can apply at all. Our National ID card guide explains how to get one if you haven't enrolled yet.
Likhit exam format: questions, pass mark and time
The rules are printed in the Department of Transport Management's own question collections for fiscal year 2082/83 (DoTM AK set, DoTM B set). Both sets give the same format:
- 25 questions, all multiple choice, each with four options, (A) to (D).
- 4 marks for each question, 100 marks in total.
- 60 marks to pass, which is 15 questions' worth.
- 30 minutes, so a little over a minute per question.
- Every question is drawn from DoTM's collection of 500 questions. The sets tell offices to use only questions from that collection.
That last rule is the one to remember. Offices may only use questions from the official 500, so if you work through the right set, no question on the day should be new to you.
You may still see other figures online. A 2021 Onlinekhabar report gave the pass mark as 70 out of 100. DoTM's current sets say 60, so go by those, and look at the notices on dotm.gov.np before your exam in case the rules change again.
What the likhit exam questions cover
Both sets split their 500 questions into six sections, and each exam takes a fixed number from each one. That tells you where the marks are.
Here is what each section asks about, going by the questions in the official sets:
- Vehicle operation: safe riding and driving habits, who has priority at a zebra crossing, overtaking, when to use headlights and high beams, and what to do when an ambulance is behind you.
- Vehicle laws and rules: renewing a licence after it expires, and the penalties for serious offences.
- Technical and mechanical: vehicle parts and what they do, such as the silencer, and whose job it is to check the vehicle before you drive.
- Environmental pollution: what vehicle pollution means, which vehicles need a pollution check, and who regulates it.
- Accident awareness: what to do when you see an accident, first aid for an injured person, helmets and third-party insurance.
- Traffic signs: questions that ask what a traffic sign means, and what to do at signals and crossings.
Vehicle operation and traffic signs give 6 questions each, so between them they carry 48 of the 100 marks. Spend most of your time there. Pollution gives only 2 questions, but that section has just 30 questions to learn, so it is the quickest to cover.
Bike or car: which question set to study
DoTM publishes a separate collection for each kind of licence. Study the one for the licence you are applying for.
- AK set: for category A (motorcycle, scooter, moped) and category K (scooter, moped). The notice is dated 1 Asoj 2083 (DoTM notice).
- B set: for category B (car, jeep, delivery van). The notice is dated 19 Asoj 2083 (DoTM notice).
The two sets follow the same rules and the same six sections, but the questions are different. The bike set asks about things like the right gear for a steep climb and what a helmet is for. The car set asks about seatbelts, the oil pressure gauge and what your left hand does in a four-wheeler.
On the DoTM pages we opened, we found sets only for AK and B. If you are applying for any other category, ask your transport office which set it uses. Each notice page has a "click here for english" link to the English PDF. We couldn't confirm which languages the exam itself is offered in, so ask your office if that matters to you.
Sample likhit exam questions for bike and car
These questions are copied word for word from DoTM's English versions of the 2082/83 sets: the AK set PDF and the B set PDF. We have left the answers out on purpose. The official PDF marks each correct answer with a tick (√) in its Correct Answer column, and that is the version to trust. Try each question, then check it there.
From the AK set (motorcycle and scooter)
- Which gear should be used while riding a motorcycle on a steep uphill? (A) First gear (B) Second gear (C) Third gear (D) Fourth gear. AK question 4.
- When is the use of headlights mandatory? (A) Daytime only (B) Night and low visibility (C) Only on empty roads (D) In a traffic jam. AK question 9.
- From where does smoke exit a vehicle? (A) Silencer (B) Engine (C) Gear (D) Axle. AK question 221.
- Among the following, which type of vehicle does not require a pollution check? (A) Diesel-powered vehicle (B) Petrol-powered vehicle (C) Electric vehicle (D) All of the above. AK question 301.
- What should be done first for an injured person in an accident? (A) Record a video (B) Give first aid (C) Run away (D) Do nothing. AK question 343.
From the B set (car, jeep and delivery van)
- On which side is driving done in Nepal? (a) Right side (b) Left side (c) Any side (d) None of the above. B question 6.
- What does the oil pressure gauge indicate in a vehicle? (a) Diesel level (b) Engine oil status (c) Water level (d) Petrol level. B question 19.
- Whose responsibility is it to ensure the vehicle is in proper condition before driving? (a) traffic police (b) mechanical engineer (c) driver (d) transport management office. B question 221.
Most questions are short and practical, about what a careful rider or driver does anyway. The traffic sign questions refer to "this traffic sign", so study those from the official PDF rather than from a list of text copied elsewhere.
How the test is held: paper or tablet
How you sit the test depends on your transport office. At the end of July 2026, MeroAuto reported that written and practical tests were still being held in person, and that the new National Transport Policy 2083 plans online written exams for licence applicants.
Some offices have already moved off paper. The Kawasoti Transport Management Office in Nawalpur, Gandaki Province, started what it called Nepal's first tablet-based written test in July 2026 (Kantipur, Ratopati). This is how it works there:
The app works only on the office's own devices. It matches your face to check that you are the real candidate, and it records audio and video that office staff can watch and listen to. If you find a tablet hard to use, Ratopati says you can take the same questions printed on paper. Kawasoti allows 30 minutes, the same as the DoTM rule, and Ratopati reported that people finished in 4 to 22 minutes. For now you still have to be at the office, though Ratopati reported that preparations are under way to let people sit it from home over time.
What to carry on the day
- Your application or reference number. At Kawasoti your test date is set from it, and you enter it on the tablet.
- A photo ID. Kawasoti asks for one along with the number, so ask your office which IDs it accepts. Keep your NID details to hand too: the Nagarik App can show your National ID once it is linked.
- Any admit card (प्रवेश-पत्र) or slip your office gives you. Before the new portals, Kantipur reported a Bhaktapur applicant who was told his exam date and time only when he collected his admit card.
Results, failing and retakes
On a tablet system like Kawasoti's, you see pass or fail as soon as you submit. At other offices, ask staff when and where the results are shown.
If you fail, you can't sit it again the next week. Kantipur reported in December 2025 that anyone who fails the written test for a new licence has to wait three months. An official told the paper the online system won't accept a new form until 90 days have passed, and Kantipur says the rule comes from Section 49 of the Motor Vehicle and Transport Management Act, 2049. We couldn't open the Act's official text to check, so treat this as reported, at the time of writing (November 2026).
The same report quoted the chief of the Bhaktapur transport office as saying about 70 per cent of candidates pass the written test on average. He wanted the wait cut to a week, but officials said that would need Parliament to amend the Act, and the software would have to change too.
Passing the written test doesn't finish the job. Kantipur also set out the trial rules: if you fail your first trial, you get two more chances within 18 months. Fail all three and you start again with a new form, the written test and then the trial. Your province's portal has a Retrial option, covered in our licence form guide.
How to practise for the likhit exam
- Get the right set. AK for a bike or scooter, B for a car, from the AK notice or the B notice on dotm.gov.np. Use the latest revision (2082/83 at the time of writing).
- Study by weight. Start with vehicle operation and traffic signs (12 of the 25 questions), then laws and rules (5), then the other three sections.
- Test yourself, then check. Hide the Correct Answer column (zoom in on the questions, or cover it on a printout), answer a page, then compare with the ticks.
- Practise against the clock. Do 25 questions in 30 minutes a few times so the pace feels normal on the day.
- Read every option. Many questions offer "All of the above" or "None of the above", so don't pick the first answer that looks right.
On practice apps: we didn't find a practice app from DoTM. App stores and websites carry plenty of unofficial likhit apps and mock tests. DoTM doesn't check them, and some may still use older questions, so treat them as extra practice and use the official PDF to confirm answers.
A bigger screen helps when you're working through a 500-question PDF. A tablet or laptop is easier on the eyes than a phone, and printing the sections you find hardest lets you mark them up.
Quick verdict
- 25 multiple-choice questions, 4 marks each, 30 minutes.
- Pass mark: 60 out of 100 under DoTM's 2082/83 question sets.
- Every question comes from DoTM's 500-question collection: AK for bikes and scooters, B for cars.
- Vehicle operation and traffic signs give 12 of the 25 questions, so start there.
- Fail it, and Kantipur reports a 90-day wait before you can apply again.
- Kawasoti now uses tablets with instant results; ask your own office how it runs the test.
Tablets and dash cams in our store
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Prices checked on 14 November 2026 on our website.
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Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in the driving license written exam?
The written exam (likhit) has 25 multiple-choice questions, each worth 4 marks, for 100 marks in total. DoTM's 2082/83 question sets give you 30 minutes and say you need at least 60 marks to pass.
What is the pass mark for the license likhit exam?
At least 60 marks out of 100, which is 15 questions' worth at 4 marks each. Some older reports mention 70, but DoTM's current 2082/83 question sets say 60.
Where can I find bike licence likhit exam questions and answers?
DoTM publishes the official AK set for motorcycle, scooter and moped licences on dotm.gov.np, with an English PDF. It has 500 questions with the correct answer ticked, and every exam question comes from it. Car licences have a separate B set.
What happens if I fail the likhit exam?
Kantipur reported in December 2025 that if you fail the written test for a new licence, you must wait three months (90 days) before you can fill a new form, because the system won't accept one earlier. Check with your transport office, as the rule may change.
Do I need the written exam to add a car to my bike licence?
Kantipur reported that if you already hold a motorcycle or scooter licence, you don't need to sit the written test for a four-wheeler and can go straight to the trial. Confirm this with your transport office when you apply for the added category.
Is the likhit exam taken on a computer or on paper?
It depends on the office. In July 2026 the Kawasoti Transport Management Office in Nawalpur started tablet-based written tests with instant results, with a paper option for anyone who finds the tablet hard. MeroAuto reported the same month that tests were still being held in person and that the National Transport Policy 2083 plans online written exams.
Sources
- "AK" category driving licence written exam questions 2082-83 (notice), Department of Transport Management, 1 Asoj 2083
- Objective questions and answers for category A and K written exams, revision FY 2082/83 (English), Department of Transport Management
- "B" category driving licence written exam questions 2082-83 (notice), Department of Transport Management, 19 Asoj 2083
- Written examination questions for category B driving licence, revision FY 2082/83 (English), Department of Transport Management
- Three-month wait after failing the written licence test causes problems (in Nepali), Kantipur, 15 December 2025
- Online driving licence test in Kawasoti (in Nepali), Kantipur, 10 July 2026
- Nawalpur Transport Office introduces tablet-based driving licence written exams, Ratopati, 15 July 2026
- Nepal to digitize driving licence examination system, MeroAuto, 31 July 2026
- Nepal's driving licence test rules are revised: here's what you need to know, Onlinekhabar, 21 July 2021
