Booking your test

Can I take the theory test in another language?

Updated 4 Aug 2026

No. The UK theory test is available in English and Welsh only. Foreign-language voiceovers and interpreters were withdrawn in April 2014, and there is no route to sitting the test in another language or bringing a translator with you.

English or Welsh

Those are the options. The audio version you can request through headphones is available in English or Welsh, and there is no other language version of the test.

You also cannot bring a translator or interpreter. This surprises people, because a lot of third-party sites still describe the old arrangement.

What changed, and why

Foreign-language voiceovers and interpreters were withdrawn on 7 April 2014. Two reasons were given, and the first is more striking than the official phrasing suggests:

  • Fraud. Between February 2008 and December 2009, more than 20% of theory tests taken with an interpreter were found to be fraudulent — and a single interpreter was involved in 586 fraudulent tests.
  • Road safety — that drivers should be able to read road signs and understand the rules of the road without translation.

More than 70% of respondents to the public consultation supported the change.

The exception that remains

The withdrawal did not remove support for reading difficulties. If you have dyslexia or a similar condition you can still take the test with an English or Welsh voiceover, along with extra time and other adjustments — see extra time and support.

The distinction is deliberate: support for how you read the test stayed; translation of what the test says did not.

Preparing when English is not your first language

The material itself is the same for everyone, and the vocabulary is learnable — it is a fairly small set of terms that recur. Working through questions in English well before test day is worth more than any adjustment, because the test is not the only time you will need to read a road sign.

Sources and last verified

Rules and fees change. These are the official pages this answer is based on, with the date we last checked each one — if you are reading this long after, check the source before relying on it.

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