FirstTryEn españolHow to pass the permit test
The permit test is multiple choice and written from the official handbook, so it is passable by anyone who reads the handbook and practices in the real format. Here is what the passing score is, why people fail, and how to study in four days.
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Is the permit test hard?
Passing marks run from 70% to about 83% by state (table below), and in California the DMV describes its questions as one correct answer with two choices that are clearly wrong or do not fit. The hard part is not the questions; it is the number of exact facts (distances, speeds, limits) the handbook holds. People who read the handbook once and take two practice tests pass; people who only take practice tests from memory of their driving lessons often do not.
The passing score in each state
| State | Questions | Right to pass | You can miss | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California, under 18 | 46 | 38 (83%) | 8 | DMV page |
| California, 18 or older | 36 | 30 (83%) | 6 | DMV page |
| Florida | 50 | 40 (80%) | 10 | DMV page |
| Illinois | 35 (practice format) | 28 (80% on the real test) | 7 (practice) | DMV page |
| New York | 20 | 14 (70%) | 6 | DMV page |
| Pennsylvania | 18 | 15 (83%) | 3 | DMV page |
| Texas | 30 (practice format) | 21 (70% on the real test) | 9 (practice) | DMV page |
| CDL General Knowledge | 50 (practice format) | 40 (80% on the real test) | 10 (practice) | DMV page |
- New York: The real New York test also has 4 road-sign questions, and you need 2 of them right. This practice covers the written rules.
- CDL General Knowledge: Federal rules require at least 80 percent on every CDL knowledge test. Many states give 50 General Knowledge questions (40 right to pass), but the count varies by state and license class, so check with yours.
Why people fail
- Reading too fast. "Which of these is NOT allowed" and "when must you" trip more people than any rule.
- Guessing numbers. Parking distances, signal distances and speed limits are exact; the wrong choices are near misses.
- Studying the wrong state. Rules differ. Study your own state's handbook, in its current edition.
- Skipping the signs chapter. Shapes and colors are tested everywhere, and in New York they are a separate pass mark.
- Only memorizing practice questions. No one has the real questions. Learn the rule behind each practice question instead.
Four days to the test
- Read the rules-of-the-road and signs chapters.
- Read speed limits, right-of-way, parking, alcohol and new-driver rules; write down every number.
- Take a full practice test in your state's format; open the handbook section on every miss.
- Take a second test. Two passes with room to spare, and you are ready.
On test day
Read each question twice before looking at the choices. Answer the ones you know first if your DMV lets you skip. Do not change an answer unless you remember the handbook line that proves the new one. If you fail, your DMV page (linked in the table) explains when you can retake it.