Passed your theory? The CBR interim test helps you pass first time

Theory exam done? Nice work. The next big step is the practical driving test, and CBR has just published figures that make one option stand out: candidates who first take the interim test (tussentijdse toets) pass their first driving test more often.

The key numbers from CBR

• 58% vs 46%: in 2024, candidates who took the interim test first passed their first B test 58% of the time, against 46% for those who didn't.
• Almost half do it: 46% of candidates choose the test, and CBR runs about 75,000 of them a year.
• Calmer on the day: candidates say they go into the real test with more confidence because they have already been "behind the blue door" at CBR.
• Instructors agree: 72% of driving instructors surveyed see clear benefits.
• Available everywhere again: since 30 March 2026 at all practical test locations.

What happens during the interim test?

It is a practice version of the real driving test, with the same parts and the same length: 55 minutes in total.

• Check-in: the examiner checks your ID, whether your theory result is still valid, and your completed "self-reflection" form.
• Car park: an eye test (reading a number plate at about 25 metres) and a few questions about the car.
• The drive: about 35 minutes, partly on your own using a sat nav. The examiner watches things like observation, giving way, merging, junctions, roundabouts and the special manoeuvres.
• Feedback: straight afterwards you hear what is already good and what to focus on in your last lessons.

The bonus: an exemption

If you do the special manoeuvres (such as parallel parking, turning the car around and reversing) well, smoothly and safely, you get an exemption: you won't have to do them on your next driving test. Two things to know:

• If you take more than one interim test, only the exemption from the last one counts.
• Test in an automatic but take the exam in a manual? You lose the exemption. The other way round, you keep it.

When and how to book

• You must be at least 16.5 and have passed your theory exam, with the result still valid on the day of the test.
• The best moment is between two-thirds and three-quarters of the way through your lessons.
• Your driving school books it for you; you authorise (machtigen) your school at CBR.

Tip from The Bro School

Your theory pass is your ticket to both the interim test and the real driving test, so get it done early and your lessons never have to wait. Still studying? Practise with our exams in Dutch and Arabic: see our packages. Already passed? Ask your instructor whether an interim test makes sense for you.

Source: CBR, 16-09-2026 and CBR, Interim test