Can you take the ICBC knowledge test in Chinese?

2026-10-03

Short answer: yes. Both written forms of Chinese are on ICBC's list, and you can also hear the questions read aloud. The longer answer matters, because the test, the practice test and the study guide do not come in the same set of languages.

The knowledge test: 12 languages

ICBC offers the car and motorcycle knowledge tests, in person and online, in 12 languages (ICBC: Take the online knowledge test). The online test page lists them as English, Arabic, Croatian, French, Farsi, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese (ICBC).

Other ICBC pages name the two Chinese options differently. The translation service page and the knowledge test tip sheet say "Mandarin" and "Cantonese" instead of Simplified and Traditional Chinese (ICBC: Translation service; ICBC tip sheet). The tip sheet adds that audio is available if you need to hear a question. ICBC does not say on these pages which script goes with which spoken version; if it matters to you, ask when you book.

You can listen to the questions both in person and online (ICBC: Get your L).

The practice test: 7 languages

ICBC's free online practice test is in seven languages: English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Punjabi, Farsi, Vietnamese and Modern Standard Arabic (ICBC: Practice knowledge test). So if you plan to sit the test in French, Croatian, Russian, Spanish or Ukrainian, you will practise ICBC's questions in another language.

The study guide: download languages

Learn to Drive Smart, the guide the test is based on, can be downloaded in seven languages according to its own page: English, Simplified Chinese, Punjabi, Farsi, Vietnamese, Modern Standard Arabic and French (ICBC: Learn to Drive Smart). There is no Traditional Chinese edition in that list. The ICBC practice test app includes the guide in English only (ICBC).

If your language is not on the list

ICBC says that if you need the knowledge test in a language it does not offer, an ICBC-approved independent translator can interpret for you (ICBC: Translation service). ICBC's approved translator list says these translators do not work for ICBC and their fees vary from one to another (ICBC: Approved translator list).

For talking to ICBC staff, every driver licensing office has over-the-phone interpreters (ICBC), and ICBC's moving-to-B.C. page says its free phone interpretation covers 170 languages (ICBC: Moving from outside Canada). Interpretation is not available for road tests (ICBC).

Choosing a language

Pick the language you read fastest and most accurately. A few practical points:

Road signs carry most of their meaning in shape and colour, but the answer options are words. If you will drive in English, learn the English names of the signs too.
If you study in one language and test in another, practise in the test language at least once so the wording is not new on the day.
Our free question bank is in English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese, and you can switch language on any question. We wrote the questions ourselves from Learn to Drive Smart; they are not ICBC's.