German here. Those questions don't look like the exam, they just ask you what that sign means. The exam puts you in various situations, circumstances, technical knowledge, laws and environment an and ask you answer correctly.

Important note: The test is not judged by how much you get right, but how much you get wrong. There are error points for every question, if you get too many negative points you fail.

1:49 "I don't think cyclists are prohibited anywhere in Germany." Autobahn 🛣 : *"You picked the wrong house, fool!"*

Regarding the Pedestrian Crossing Sign: Jaywalking is not illegal in Germany. The Sign indicates a Zebra Crossing, where Pedestrians can cross the road safely and cars have to stop for them. They are allowed to cross the road anywhere, however it then is on their own risk and insurance might not cover them in case of an accident. Contrary to the Zebra crossing where they hav the right of way and so,are in the right if a car doesnt stop for them and hits them.

6:45 You can tell from the shape what the sign is about. Round sign are mandatory (blue) or prohibitive (red rim). Triangular signs are warnings. Squares and rectangles are informative. The priority signs have unique shapes that don't exist anywhere else: Diamond for Priority, Triangle on the head for Yield. Octagon for STOP. A mandatory path for pedestrians would be a round blue sign with a white pedestrian, similar to the Bus Lane sign previously. But in this case, it's a blue square, making it an information, because it tells car drivers that this is a pedestrian crossing. But a pedestrian is not required to cross here. If he wants to continue along his side of the road, this is fine. Only if he wants to cross, he has to use the pedestrian crossing if he is within 50 m of it.

It's funny, because you intuitively understand the signs mostly correct. Most of the world uses this or similar signs based on symbols. Only the US, Australia and Canada use signs with mostly words on them. Which makes a lot less sense for dislexic people or people of a different language 😅

I love how close you get to the answers, showing, that the signs seem to be actually kind of intuitive :) red circle: prohibited; blue circular sign: mandatory; triangle tip up: warning; triangle tip down: give way; and since you said mandatory=blue before 13:00 it is sad, that you didn't connect the dots, that a crossed out blue 30 is the end of the "mandatory", therefore minimum speed. Though its as you suggested pretty rare here.

I think your last statement is the point. Self-explanatory is why these mostly standardized international road signs have been designed. If only the US of A and some other countries would understand this.

Actually so far this is not really how a test would look like. Just the part about all the signs but maybe there will be other things in the following parts - I am excited to see how this is going on, you're doing pretty well so far! :)

The questionnaire to prepare for the theoretical driving test usually contains around 1,600 questions (basic material and additional material). In the test itself you will be asked 30 questions out of these 1600 and depending on their relevance there will be demerit points. If you get 10 demerit points you fail. Around 37% of people applying for a driving license fail this test and have to repeat it until they have passed it.

The real test is a lot different. There are even questions which require you to type in a number, for example how many meters in front of railroad crossing parking is prohibited. (2 questions since there is a difference in the distance if you are in a city)

Built up area: Germany and a lot of European countries have strict zoning rules regarding where you are allowed to erect buildings and where not. This results in clear demarcations where a city, town or village (or part of a city) ends and farmland, forests or nature begins. A built up area (the German term is “geschlossene Ortschaft”) is an area where you have houses next to each other without large gaps. “Ortschaft” itself can be translated as ‘settlement’, “geschlossenen” literally means ‘closed’ as opposed to something more open with a lot of gaps. In basically all of you Europe, there is a default speed limit within built up areas and another outside of them (plus one for freeways). When you enter a built up area, this is indicated by a (in Germany yellow) sign with the name of the settlement, which tells you that from this point on, the default speed limit for built up areas applies. You’ll find the same sign with the name of the settlement with an added red diagonal line across it when you leave the built up area, telling you that the default speed limit for the ‘open road’ applies from that point on.

The written test for a car driver license is 30 questions worth 2 to 5 points and you allowed to fail a maximum of 10 points (not 10 questions!). So if those 4 failed questions you had, were 2 point questions, you could fail 1 other 2 point question without failing. But if any of those questions was 3 or more points, you either can not fail another question or you might have already failed the test.

I actually love your thoughts on the minimum speed sign. Blue = Mandatory 30 = Speed 30 Crossed-out = End of. End of Mandatory Speed 30. You were THIS close to greatness :P

To be honest. I would have watched you for 2 hours straight taking that entire test. It's so entertaining.

"A zone for pedestrians. What does this even mean?" made my day. :-) The US is indeed a car country. In many European countries pedestrian zones can be found in the city centers. You can find most shops (and I don't mean grocery stores) and also cafés/restaurants in those areas. ;-). The US has the shopping malls, Europe has pedestrian zones. And in Germany it is called a "Fußgängerzone". Well, we do have malls as well, but I'd say they are generally less common. According to the national speed limits sign: A built-up area is a municipality. So the sign says: D = Germany Inside a built-up area/municipality the obligatory speed limit is 50 km/h (unless otherwise is indicated) Outside a built-up area/municipality the obligatory speed limit is 100 km/h (unless otherwise is indicated) On the Autobahn the recommended speed limit ist 130 km/h (unless otherwise is indicated) You can find those signs at national border crossings.

There are zones in bigger cities in Germany for pedestrians only (Fußgängerzone). Even bicycles are forbidden there.

Everyone, please keep in mind that minimum speed sign is not only used in Germany, regardless that is a German driving test, the sign is all over Europe. You might not see it often in Germany, but see it on your next holiday in Croatia for example(hypothetically speaking). Overall for an American, good job Ryan. Funny thing when I had to pass driving test in US as my European DL was valid there for 9 months only , I drove 5 min around the corner, in EU was 30 minutes city driving, parking etc.

It's important to keep in mind that there's a time limit on the actual test. If Ryan took this long on the actual test, he wouldn't get through half of them in the allotted time.

12:07 it´s Vorfahrt gewähren in german, wich translates to give way. Minimum speed limits are very rare in germany too.

You explained the end of minimum speed absolutely correct, but then decided to chose the annswer that didn’t fit your explanation 😂😂

"Why are you talking about a zone for pedestrians? What does that even mean?" has to be the most American thing I've heard in my life.

14:30 blue round signs are something mandatory. Here it is speed. White on blue says you must at least drive at this speed. It is often at ascending roads for certain lanes. Crossing it out, there is no more a reason to mandate a minimum speed. A maximum speed is indicated with a round sign having a red frame and a white infield with a number, in this case it would be 30 , in it. When the maximum speed ends, the same sign is crossed out.

just so you know, at least so far this doesnt seem to be a proper theoretical exam, normally they also have pictures and videos of trafic situations on which you get questioned, also there are some questions without any image

Just shows how signs are simpler than words.

I have never in my german life seen an "End of minimum speed" sign...

the thing about the fog light is, it's only mandatory on the rear, so there's only a "rear light sign" in ervey vehicle

"Why would you talk about a zone for pedestrians? What does that even mean?" Oh bless his beautiful American heart.

This one was funny. Thank you! And congratulations for your real good results without training!

The pedestrian crossing sign: It actually IS allowed to jaywalk if the next crossing is more than 25m away. You did very good on this test! Congratulations. Also the answers are intentionally a bit "mean" and you have to really look how they are written sometimes, because you might overlook a "not" or similar and get it wrong. In Austria our tests are digital now and you have to give ALL the right answers to a question (multiple choice where more than one can be right) or it is counted as completely wrong. We also have main questions and most of them have "follow ups", but if you don't answer the main one correctly the test won't even show you the follow ups and they are all counted as wrong answers.

13:14 Minimum speeds are also very rare in Germany. It is usually used for the left-hand lanes if there are several lanes. But even there it is rarely used.

its good to see that the symbol based signs work as intended. i mean we can see someone who does not know most of the signs, but he is still able to understand what the sign is about

11:32 I always call this sign "Hirsch von rechts" (Deer from right) and the opposite one "Hirsch von links" (Deer from left). Sometimes you also have it on both sides of the road so be ready for deers colliding head on in front of you.

Was waiting for this after watching the practical video🔥

Really not that bad for somebody who never attended a German driving school! 👍

I'm german, I'm driving all over Germany for over 12 years now, and I have never seen some of those signs in my life.😂 But you did really good Ryan! Nice to see that you used some of your gained knowledge from the previous videos to conclude the right answer.👌🙂

13:45 the idea with blue meaning mandatory is right. If the speed sign is blue it means you have to go at least that fast, if it is white with a red circle it means something is prohibited so a white sign with red circle around it and a speed sign means you can't go faster

the minimum speed sign is really rare, and usually it is on a bigger white sign indicating something like you have to go minimum 90 on the left lane at a steep ascend (there is one on the A9 in Altmühltal for example, left lane min 90 middle lane min 50 and right lane no minimum speed)

Can’t wait for the rest of the series. You would easily pass with some training, but not on first try is my guess. To train you basically do these tests over and over until you have everything right. For training you would answer them ten times faster though, at least 😉

Fun video - looking forward to part 2. Some of my favorites (might edit in more as I finish watching): - were you joking when you were wondering what the "m" stood for? - "why would you be talking about a zone for pedestrians; what does that even mean?" I just about rolled on the kitchen floor I was in the process of cleaning. - "30 is a weird number. It's kind of a weird maximum speed" :D. Regarding that sign: minimum speeds mostly exist on the Autobahn. You have to be able to go at least 60, but signs like this are usually used for lanes on a steep ascent. That way, not every lane will be clogged up by slow cars and trucks. EDIT: for end of speed limit, see comment below. Edit: sorry if this came across as a personal attack. It's just a hilarious representation of cultural differences, which is, of course, perfect for this channel.

The minimum speed limit ist usually If you drive uphill. Then you have sometimes minimum speed limit on different lanes to avoid accidents.

Ryan is a genius. He is doing a an exam video, gets money and than he get the money for flying over to Europe and do a vacation and rent a car.😂

Loved it. Want to see more ! 😊

First question was hilarious. You literally explained the difference to a parking prohibited sign, and still fell for this option.

Minimum speed limits are often found on bridges and tunnels where the number of lanes are limited, but trafic needs to flow as smoothly as possible, its also not uncommon in these contexrs to find a maximum speed, so youll see one number on a blue background indicating the minimum speed you musts achieve and next to or above it another number in a red circle indicating the maximum speed ( eg you must travel at at least 30, but not greater than 40).

Minimum speed is also pretty rare in germany. Its for example when a road gets uphill fairly steep and the road is expanted to two lines so you can easely pass trucks or tractors. When you decide to pass the slower vehicles you must at least drive the shown speed.

Side note for the deer sign at 11:28 : This particular sign warns for deer crossing from the right side. There was a court case where the person argued that he wasn't warned from deer crossing in the other direction. Since then there is this sign on the right side of the road, with a mirrored one on the left side.

8:59 a zone for pedestrians,a Fußgängerzone, is an area where cars aren't allowed (exception being early in the morning so shops can actually get their deliveries.) and you may only push your bike.

Tipp in Germany a. Rund und Rot Heißt verbot ( round and red means forbidden) It's a rhyming proverb in germany

Don't wanna crush your hopes, but you would have failed the exam already.

Here's a few hints: Round signs mean mandatory (usually blue) or prohibited (red circle) Blue square signs are typically advisory. (Of a crossing or advised speed for an upcoming bend) Except for the one way streets, typically blue, square or rectangular, with an arrow. (These will have round no entry sign from the other direction, of course) Triangular signs imply danger. Unless it's upside down, which is the yield sign. Daimond shaped priority sign tells you that you are on the priority road and are repeated at every intersection to remind you other directions have to give way. (Still requires attention, don't want to T-bone an idiot thinking they got right of way.) If a sign is not repeated at an intersection, the priority is lifted. (I.e. you're going to have negotiate with other traffic at the intersection and apply common priority rules)

13:41 Round white sign with red border and a number: speed limit. Round blue sign with a number: minimum speed you have to drive. Square blue sign with a number: advisory speed limit (130kph on the Autobahn). Of all three signs there are variants with a diagonal line through it. That always means that the rule on the sign has been lifted. 10:00 This sign is standing at the boarder highways to Germany (hence the white “D” on top for “Deutschland”). It tells you the default national speed limits that are in place everywhere unless a sign sets a specific speed limit: In towns and cites: 50kph Outside of towns and cities: 100kph. On the Autobahn: Advisory speed limit is 130kph (most people drive that speed but you may drive faster or slower unless there is a speed limit sign).

LOL these are the rules of the road , for most of the world . and mandatory to know in europe . as every drivers license is an international license . PS most of these signs and rules are tought at primary school . ( children do walk and ride their bikes to school)

priority lane means that a road has priority over others. In Germany, and other european countries, crossroads are usually not marked by a 4 way stop sign, but by priority lanes and/or "right before left". thus said, if you are on a priority road, you do not have to worry about cars coming onto your road from either left or right.

Everything has a meaning. Square signs are basically suggestions, round ones are mandatory, trianglrs are warnings. There are three signs that are only they own shape. Like stop, yield, priority road, so basically if you see the other side of it, you still know what sign it is.

For the light signs and reading from left to right. If the light beams are left of the lamp, it means in front of it, or in front of the car. The first questions was rear, because the beams came after the light, so behind the car.

In Germany the Written Exam contains 30 Questions. Each Question has different points if u get them wrong. Priority Questions have 5 Points while others have 2, 3 or 4. You are allowed to get 10 Points by wrong answers. If have have 10 or less, you pass the test. One exception: You are not allowed to get two Questions wrong that are worth 5 points

14:34 30 can be a maximum speed limit here as well! The thing that indicates the 'minimum' are the colors. Blue is for minimum speed limit. A maximum speed limit is a white sign with a red circle.

The fact that you pretty much aced this, shows how well a good sign system can work and how intuitively, one can get these correctly! Even - or maybe because - no text is involved…

Thank you for making these videos Ryan, please dont stop :)

Fog lights is easy: Front fog lights, just like your headlights, aim primarily down on the road to illuminate your way. The rear fog light aims at the traffic behind you to, to warn about your position. And minimum Speed is a thing, especially on the Autobahn. In areas with steep hills/mountains, lanes can have a temporary specific minimum speed, to keep them free of very slow vehicles that have trouble getting up.

Norwegian here. Good job! I often have to slow down when driving in the US because of the huge (to a european) amount of writing on your road signs (perhaps I should just learn to read faster or get new glasses🙂) If I were you I would make four more videos with 25 questions in each. 🚙 🙂👍

Yes, be sure to continue!

Do them all in a row! It is fun and people can learn something, too!

Mandatory path for pedestrians ❤😂 we're not that controling 😂

"Minimum Speed" generally means, you don't have to go this fast constantly, but your vehicle must be technically capable of going this fast. It's basically a way to ensure that regular traffic is not held up by things like motor scooters or farming machines.

14:46 End of minimum speed refers to the maximum speed a vehicle can reach. So when there is a minimum speed sign of 30 a vehicle must be capable of driving at least 30km/h not that it has to go faster than 30km/h while driving on that road. So every vehicle that has a maximum speed of 29 km/h is prohibited from using that lane or road. For the Autobahn you also have that minimum speed limit without that sign so that nobody drives with their scooters or tractors on the autobahn.

The upside triangle ones are all warning signs, which can have many different warnings on it. There are three signs though, whose shape is unique and only has one meaning. 1. The rhombus sign, yellow/white. It means you have priority. 2. The downside triangle, got nothing on it. It means you have to GIVE priority. 3. The octagon, has "STOP" written on it. It means you must stop and hold, give priority and then drive. Driving trough a stopsign without actually stopping (not just driving slower) is expensive and you will fail the driving exam immediately. Now, the interesting part is, why these three signs are exclusive in their shapes. It's because these signs are the most important ones, and because they are unique, you are able to distinct which sign you are approching, even when it is dirty or it is not showing in your direction. When arriving at an intersection for example, with no traffic lights, you can directly tell by the form of the signs who has priority and who has to give priority. And with no signs it's always right before left.

Hi Ryan. The website you found here is very interesting. I immediately took the test for the USA. The traffic signs are different from the European ones. But only 6 errors in 60 questions are noticeable, right? I'm curious to see what your result is in the end. Greetings Magnus

European signs 101 for you Ryan, hope it helps! :) European signs have their own simple logic. They are pretty much standardized. If it's a triangle it's a "warning". If it's round it's a "prohibit" if red, a "mandatory" if blue, and "end of prohibit/mandatory" if it's crossed out. If it's a square it's "info" (crosswalk with a pedestrian in a square sign is just letting you know there is a crosswalk). If it's a Saint Andrew's cross (or a widened X) it's a railroad ahead, multiple railroads if it's a multiple-bottom cross. BUT the three shapes that are different from the rest are the yield or "give way" sign (upside down triangle), the stop sign (octagon), and the priority road (diamond), because if you see one from the back at an intersection, you can easily say "that guy has to stop for me because I don't see what sign he has but it's an octagon so it must be a stop sign", or "oh I gotta let this guy out, I can't see what it is from behind, but it's a diamond, it must be a priority road sign". Two more signs I saw you had a hard time with are the "no parking" and "no stopping" sign, the blue circle with red outline, crossed either by one or two red lines. If it's crossed once, then it's a NO don't park (get out, lock the car, and leave it there), if it's crossed twice, then it's a NO-NO don't even stop there (not even while sitting in the car, with hazard lights on, waiting for someone to hop in or out). Also zone signs last until you see the "end of the zone" sign ANYWHERE where you exit the zone. But every other sign lasts until the next intersection, because logically if you enter an intersection, how the hell would you know what sign, what prohibiton, what mandatory stuff, what priority this road had half a mile behind you where that sign half a mile behind said something. But if there is absolutely no sign anywhere at where you enter a lane, then you go back to "standard operation", 50 (31 mph) in built-in area, 90 (56 mph) outside (main roads and such), 110 (68 mph) on motorways, and 130 (80 mph) on highways, give way to the guy to your right (right hand rule is a serious thing here in Europe). Just like in your last video "no signs, so it's... 50". And in Europe signs are at rank 3 of the 5 ranks of public roads of Europe. Rank 1 "what the police signals" and rank 2 "what the traffic light says" overrule traffic signs, but rank 4 "what the paint on the road says", and rank 5 "there is nothing, so I have to go standard" are overruled by the signs. Hope this explanation helps a bit in European traffic rules, and waiting to see the next video :)

Love how passionate you are about this 😂

8:22 As a fellow dad from Germany, I appreciate that masterfully crafted dad joke ❤

I've already written to you. Red circles are prohibitions, blue signs are permissions, triangular signs are warnings. Before this test, you will take 12 hours of lessons here and will be given a stack of exercise sheets to learn from.

I want to see the rest even though I don't think you would pass. But it sure will help you understand german car driving better in futur reactions. ^^ Good luck and don't worry, not every german can pass first try either. 😃

You did quiet a good Job. When I first watched your videos.... But now I know, that you are a really smart and intelligent guy! Like your videos and interest.

The "Give way to all drivers" sign is called "Vorfahrt achten!" in Germany (pay attention to right of way).

Hilarious😂

I guess you already failed

I would watch the whole series in one go :D Kinda interesting IMO

A few general rules for all of europe. There are different default speed limits for different types of roads, if its an built up (urbanised) area, or even vehicle combinations you are using. These are not always shown on road signs and can change depending on which country you're in. So if you're planning to cross borders in europe be sure to check up on speed limits for the other country too. Any regular road sign that isnt a 'Zone' is only in effect untill the next intersection where people can merge onto the road, if its not repeated after it is no longer in effect. While USA divers licences are valid for use throughout europe in most cases. They are NEVER valid if you are still under 18. You are required to drive on the rightmost lane available to you. You will get fined for staying in the left lane. (exceptions for sorting yourself at intersections. i.e. sorting on the leftmost lane to turn left twice on two intersections following eachother.)

In the school i work we teach our students The difference between the white and red triangles are that the A frame means "Achtung" (attention) and other way around like a V is "Vorfahrt gewähren" (yield sign)

This was surprisingly delightful.

The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic that the US hasn't ratified, states the simple traffic sign rules. They are all color- and shape-coded. In German, some of these rhyme: "Rund und rot, immer ein Verbot!" - Round and RED, always prohibiTED! Red triangle, pointing up: Always a "warning of" Red triangle, pointing down: Yield, give right of way. Blue and round: Mandatory for Blue and square: Always a suggestion like the 130 kph on Autobahn. red bordered circle with a blue field and a red strike or crossed out: Parking or halting prohibited. Also, there are rules regarding priorities of 'signs': Man (Police) > traffic lights > traffic signs > right before left. If at a crossing a working traffic light exists but the police is there, police overrules all lower instances. Etc. HTH, good luck everybody with their theoretical exams!

so great to watch 🙂 Thanks 🙂

Great reaction on question 19!

I love that he sometimes say something being like "obviously not that", but the thing actually is usual. Like "there's no zone for pedestrian".

Swiss here.. In Switzerland end of 30 = 50, end of 50/60/70 = 80, end of 80 = 120 The unlimited sign as in Germany means 120 in Switzerland.

Oh i can't wait for the rest!!!!

minimum speed signs you can find on german autobahn. if there is a hill and you can choose 3 lanes, the left lane is allowed minimum speed of 100km/h, the middle lane 80km/h and the right lane for slow vehicules like trucks. so slow vehicules are not blocking the other lanes.

The German name for the "give way" sign is "Vorfahrt achten" and translates to "obey the right of way". And by the way, this wasn't a driving exam. This was just a catalogue of traffic signs. In the real exam, you are put into traffic situations and have to answer how to handle them. There's also questions about physical calculations, emission rules and so on.

The information of destination of the ramp image... I have that sign like right next to my home 😅😂 with thr exact same Citys and distances 👌🏼

Ryan, you can be proud of yourself, you did well on the test.

Priority road means when you cross an intersection, other cars have to give you a way, they should have a red triangle sign. The road is not controlled by traffic lights.

Lamp before beam: "It is definitely a forward facing lamp"

easy to read once you know the rules : - circle sign means mandatory or forbiden, depending on color (blue/red), a circle with a slash means "no more forbiden" - rectangular sign means info (crossing for pedestrian for example) - triangle means alert, inverted triangle means "not prioritary road" , but you don't have to stop if there is no vehicule...

idk how to describe this but the symbol of the front fog lights (green symbol) is inclined to the ground, the lines are not vertical because the light shines on the ground to avoid dazzling the oncoming traffic 😅

6:00 Mandatory path would be a sign for pedestrians that they have to go forward (instead of e.g. turning to left). However, this sign is shown for the cars and then it means crossing. This is a special sign in sense that it combines blue rectangle and white triangle so it's part warning, part mandatory yield to crossing pedestrians. At least here in Finland, the mandatory stuff is in blue circle so mandatory path for pedestrian would be blue circle with white stick figure in the middle with not extra stuff.

I immediately had a flash of laughter when you did hallo said 😂

14:00 30 is the maximum speed in a lot of places. Usually it's 50 while you're in towns and cities. Many smaller ones have 30 throughout. Often times it's only the main road that allows 50 where a lot of the side roads only allow 30. Then there's low traffic areas, where you're actually not allowed to hit the gas pedal at all and just let the car roll through them. 30 is not a weirdly low number, trust me.

06:02 The sign means zebra crossing. Here, vehicles MUST give way to pedestrians crossing the road. 14:57 There is a general minimum speed limit on the motorway (Autobahn). (60km) Only vehicles that can drive faster than 60km/h due to their design are allowed to drive there. In the event of traffic jams and congested traffic, the minimum speed may logically be undercut. At this minimum speed, the vehicle must be able to travel faster than 30 km/h. Vehicles that cannot drive faster due to their design are not allowed to drive here. And that's right: the red rope means the end of this restriction