Road signs is the section most candidates fail, and it is almost always because they tried to memorise signs individually. There are hundreds. Learn the families instead and you can work out a sign you have never met.
| Shape and colour | Family | Means |
|---|---|---|
| Red circle, white face, red diagonal | Prohibition | You may NOT do the thing shown |
| Red circle, white face, no diagonal | Limit | Not more than the figure shown |
| Blue disc, white symbol | Command | You MUST do the thing shown |
| Red triangle pointing up | Warning | Something lies ahead — prepare |
| Red triangle pointing down | Yield | Give way |
| Red octagon | Stop | Come to a complete halt |
| Blue rectangle with R or P | Reservation | Reserved lane or parking |
| Green or blue board | Guidance | Route and destination information |
| Brown board | Tourism | Attractions and facilities |
Rule 1 — shape tells you the job
Before you read a single word, the outline has told you what kind of sign it is. A triangle warns. An octagon stops. A circle regulates. A rectangle informs. Get this reflex and half the work is done at a glance.
The one shape worth memorising outright: the downward-pointing triangle is always yield, and nothing else uses that shape.
Rule 2 — colour tells you the force
Red means restriction or danger. Blue means instruction. Green and blue boards mean guidance. Brown means tourism. Yellow means the same instruction applied temporarily — and a temporary sign overrides the permanent one it contradicts.
A number on a BLUE disc is a MINIMUM speed. A number on a WHITE disc with a red ring is a MAXIMUM. Same digits, opposite meaning — this catches people every year.
Rule 3 — the diagonal is the difference
Two signs can share a red ring and a white face and mean completely different things. The diagonal stroke is what turns a limit into a ban.
- "12 t" in a red ring, no diagonal — the mass limit is 12 tons.
- A truck symbol in a red ring WITH a diagonal — goods vehicles are prohibited entirely.
- A red cross drawn over any sign — that restriction has now ended.
Rule 4 — read the plate beneath
A small plate under a regulatory sign narrows who or when it applies to: a time range, a day range, a vehicle symbol, a distance, or "local access". Without reading it you cannot know whether the sign above applies to you at all.
How to actually practise
- 1Learn the nine families in the table above until you can name them cold.
- 2Work through the signs library and cover the caption — name the sign before you read it.
- 3Drill in short daily sessions. Recognition improves with frequency, not session length.
- 4Finish on timed practice, because recognising a sign slowly is not the same as recognising it.
Frequently asked questions
How many signs questions are in the test?
30, and you need 23 correct — 77%, the highest proportion of the three sections.
Do I have to learn every tourism sign?
No. Know that brown means tourism and recognise the common ones. The test concentrates on regulatory, warning and information signs.
What does a yellow sign mean?
The same instruction, applied temporarily — usually for road works. It carries full legal force and overrides the permanent sign.
What does a red cross over a sign mean?
The restriction, command or set of rules on that sign no longer applies from that point.