Hard questions in the Portuguese theory test, explained by topic

The hard questions in the theory test (exame de código) rarely ask for a rare rule. They ask you to apply a familiar rule properly in a case where intuition misleads: priority to the right that does not apply on a roundabout, the two-lane exception that does not apply to the pedestrian crossing, the 30-second stop that is also prohibited.

Below are twelve situations written for this article, grouped by topic, with the answer and the reasoning step by step.

If your problem is misreading the question or answering too fast, that is a different matter: see the common mistakes in the Portuguese theory test. Here the focus is the content of the rules.

Giving way (cedência de passagem)

Three cars at a junction with no signs

Three cars arrive at the same time at a crossroads with no signs at all: Blue comes from the south, White comes from the east and wants to turn left, Grey comes from the west. The road from the north is empty. Who goes first?

White goes first, then Blue, and finally Grey.

1. With no signs, each driver gives way to whoever approaches from their right.
2. Blue has White on its right, so it waits. Grey has Blue on its right, so it waits too.
3. White has the road from the north on its right, which is empty. It has nobody to give way to, so it goes first, even though it is turning left.

The left turn is the bait: many students send that car to the back at once. What decides is who has someone on their right.

Leaving a private road

You leave a private dirt track that leads to a farm and join a municipal road. A car is approaching from your left. As you are on its right, can you go first?

No. You give way to it. Anyone leaving a property, a private road, a car park or a fuel station always gives way. The priority-to-the-right rule does not apply here, because you are not arriving at a junction between public roads.

Entering a roundabout

You arrive at a two-lane roundabout with no signs. A car is circulating inside, in the outer lane, and is about to pass in front of you. For that driver, you appear on the right.

Even so, you are the one who gives way. Anyone entering a roundabout gives way to the vehicles circulating in it, whichever lane they are in.

Once inside, if you are taking the third exit, you only move into the right-hand lane after passing the second exit, gradually approaching your own. Heavy vehicles, cycles (such as bicycles) and animal-drawn vehicles may use the right-hand lane, as long as they let out those circulating in the other lanes.

Priority vehicles

A tram at a junction

At a crossroads with no signs, a tram approaches from your left.

You give way to the tram. At crossroads and junctions, vehicles running on rails have priority. The side it comes from does not matter here.

An ambulance at a red light

You have a green light at a crossroads. An ambulance with its emergency lights and siren on approaches from your left, with a red light on its side.

You let the ambulance through. Every driver must give way to a vehicle on an urgent mission (missão urgente) that is using its emergency signals (flashing lights and siren). The ambulance is required to stop at red, but can then proceed, with due care, without waiting for green. Your green does not give you priority over it.

Overtaking

Two lanes, a pedestrian crossing ahead

On an avenue with two lanes in the same direction, you are in the right-hand lane behind a slow car. A few metres ahead there is a pedestrian crossing. Can you move into the left-hand lane and overtake it?

No. Overtaking is prohibited immediately before and at pedestrian and cycle crossings.

The trap is in an exception to the same rule. When there are two lines of traffic in the same direction, the prohibitions on crests, level crossings, crossroads, junctions and bends with reduced visibility no longer apply. But the pedestrian crossing one still does. On the same avenue, overtaking at a crossroads would already be allowed, as long as you did not cross into the side of the road for oncoming traffic.

It is different if you are already in the left-hand lane because it is the one for your destination: inside built-up areas (localidades), moving faster than the adjacent lane does not count as overtaking.

A cyclist on a national road

You are behind a cyclist on a road with one lane in each direction and good visibility.

You may overtake, but you slow down and leave at least 1.5 m of side distance. If the oncoming car does not leave you that space, you wait behind the cyclist.

Speed

The same car, with and without a trailer

You are driving a passenger car on a national road, outside built-up areas, with no limit signs. Today you have a small trailer attached.

Your limit drops from 90 to 70 km/h. A trailer lowers all the limits outside built-up areas. Inside them, it stays the same:

On the motorway there is also a minimum: you may not drive below 50 km/h. If you want to practise these numbers, there are speed questions (in Portuguese) to work through.

Stopping and parking (paragem e estacionamento)

Dropping someone near the bus stop

Inside a built-up area, you pull in 15 m before the bus stop sign to drop off a friend. You do not get out of the car and you take half a minute.

You may not. Next to a bus stop (or a stop for other public transport), it is prohibited to stop or park less than 25 m behind and 5 m ahead of the sign. The word that decides is parar (to stop): the law prohibits both, so staying only a short time changes nothing.

Compare this with a fuel station: there, only parking less than 5 m away is prohibited. A quick stop for someone to get out is allowed.

To know which one applies, remember the definition. Stopping is immobilising the vehicle for the time strictly necessary for people to get in or out or for brief loading and unloading, with the driver ready to drive off. Any other immobilisation that is not imposed by traffic itself is parking.

Alcohol

A driver with two years of licence

You have had your licence for two years and you are stopped at a police checkpoint (operação stop). The test reads 0.3 g/l.

You are considered to be under the influence of alcohol. You are in the probationary period (regime probatório), the first three years of holding a licence, and for you the limit is 0.2 g/l. The same applies to drivers of taxis, TVDE (app-based ride-hailing), heavy vehicles, child transport and emergency vehicles. For other drivers of light vehicles, the limit is 0.5 g/l.

At 0.3 g/l, the fine (coima) ranges from 250 to 1,250 euros, because for these drivers the bands in the law also come down. From 1.2 g/l it is no longer a contraordenação (an offence punished with a fine): it is a crime for any driver, according to the Penal Code (Código Penal).

Lights

A tunnel on a sunny day

At midday, in sunshine, you enter a signed tunnel.

You switch on your dipped headlights (médios). In signed tunnels, dipped headlights are compulsory during the day. Sidelights (mínimos) are not enough.

Fog in the mountains

Fog starts to form and visibility drops. Do you switch on everything you have, including the rear fog light?

It depends on how dense the fog is. The front fog lights are used when conditions require it. The rear one is for dense fog or a significant reduction in visibility.

When the fog lifts, you switch both off, because using them without need is prohibited: with good visibility, the rear light dazzles whoever is behind you. And you do not use full beam (máximos): the light reflects off the fog and you see even less.

When a question like this catches you out, look for which of these rules is hidden in the situation. To go over the priority theory calmly, the giving way chapter (in Portuguese) explains it step by step.