Learner driver's view of a quiet street with a driver handbook on the dashboard

All exams/Permit test by state

DMV permit test by state, side by side: pass marks, questions and misses allowed

Pennsylvania asks 18 questions; Florida, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Utah ask 50. Maryland wants 88% while Texas, New York, and New Mexico pass you at 70%. The format for 42 states, each checked against the state’s own site.

Find your state Free permit practice test

Find your state

Every state’s test, side by side

Checked September 24, 2026 to October 18, 2026 against each agency’s website or driver manual · filled bubbles are the answers you need, outlined ones the misses you can afford

42 states

Chart of the DMV permit test in each state: how many questions it has, how many correct answers you need and how many you can miss
Permit test by state: filled bubbles are the correct answers you need, outlined ones the misses you can afford. Download the full-size image

20-second look

How many questions can you miss on the permit test? (20 seconds) · State by state, the number of questions on the DMV permit test and how many you can miss, from each state agency's published format.

What the numbers tell you

Four things worth knowing

  • 88%

    Maryland is the hardest bar

    22 of 25 — you can miss only 3.

  • 70%

    Texas, New York, and New Mexico are the most forgiving

    But New York still fails you if you miss 3 of its 4 road-sign questions.

  • 7

    states score road signs on their own

    Virginia makes you answer all 10 sign questions correctly before the rest of the test even opens.

  • 18

    Few questions means little room for error

    Pennsylvania’s 18-question test allows only 3 misses — fewer than most 50-question tests.

Before test day

How to use this

  1. 1

    Find your state and note the two numbers that matter: questions and how many you can miss.

  2. 2

    If signs are scored separately, drill signs until you never miss one — it's the cheapest points on the test.

  3. 3

    Read the official manual your state names on its page; every real question comes from it.

  4. 4

    Take timed practice tests at your state's length and aim for a margin of at least 10 points above the pass mark.

Curious which states are strictest? See the hardest permit tests, ranked. If you do fail, check the retake rules by state for the wait and any retest fee.

All the numbers

Compare every state in one table

42 states

StateQuestionsTo passCan missWatch out forSource
AlabamaFree questions———The manual publishes neither a question count nor a passing score; test administered on automated equipment for a $5.00 fee per attempt (Chapter 1, p. 11).AL
ArizonaFree questionsCheat sheet302480%6Can be taken at an MVD office or as the Permit Test @ Home.AZ
CaliforniaFree questionsCheat sheet463883%8Applicants under 18 take 46 questions; adults 18+ take 36 and need 30 correct.CA
ColoradoFree questions———The handbook publishes neither a question count nor a pass mark.CO
Connecticut252080%5The 25-question test is based on the information in the Connecticut driver's manuals.CT
Delaware322681%6The DMV's sample test has 10 questions; the real Class D knowledge test has 32.DE
FloridaFree questionsCheat sheet504080%1060-minute time limit on the Class E knowledge exam.FL
GeorgiaFree questionsCheat sheet403075%10Two separate tests: road signs (20 questions) and road rules (20 questions).GA
Hawaii25——This is the online learner's permit test: 25 questions with a one-hour limit, open from age 15 years 6 months.HI
Idaho403485%6You can miss up to 6 questions before failing.ID
IllinoisFree questions35——15 of the 35 questions are traffic-sign identification; the other 20 are multiple-choice or true/false.IL
IndianaFree questions—80%—Two components — road signs, and traffic rules and laws — and you need 80% on each.IN
Iowa—80%—The 80% figure is the passing score Iowa DOT states for its practice test, which draws 25 questions from a pool that includes real test questions. The real test's length is not published there.IA
Kansas25——The handbook says you answer 25 questions about traffic laws and identify certain signs by shape, color or symbol.KS
KentuckyFree questions—80%—80% passing grade required; question count is not published (manual Section One, p. 11).KY
Louisiana—80%—LA
Maine302480%6Questions cover rules of the road, signs, pedestrian and bicycle safety, operating-under-the-influence laws and distracted driving.ME
MarylandFree questions252288%320-minute time limit.MD
MassachusettsFree questions251872%725 questions in 25 minutes; 18 correct answers (72%) required to pass.MA
MichiganFree questions———A multiple-choice knowledge test plus a road-sign test, both required before a Temporary Instruction Permit.MI
MinnesotaFree questions—80%—80 percent score required to pass; question count is not published (manual Chapter 1, p. 15).MN
MissouriFree questions252080%525 multiple-choice questions; the written test is not open book.MO
NevadaFree questions252080%5The online test has a 60-minute limit; the in-person test has no time limit.NV
New Hampshire—80%—Every knowledge exam needs 80%; the test is random, so a retake is a different exam.NH
New JerseyFree questionsCheat sheet504080%10If you fail, wait seven days before retaking; retakes are unlimited within your test receipt's 180 days.NJ
New Mexico—70%—Class D (car) and Class M (motorcycle) written tests need 70% or better.NM
New YorkFree questionsCheat sheet201470%64 of the 20 questions are about road signs, and at least 2 of those 4 must be correct — even with 14 right overall.NY
North CarolinaFree questionsCheat sheet—80%—Separate road-signs test: identify at least 9 of 12 signs.NC
OhioFree questionsCheat sheet403075%1040 multiple-choice questions on motor vehicle regulations and traffic signs.OH
OklahomaFree questions201575%5Service Oklahoma's written test page lists 20 questions and 15 correct answers (75 percent) to pass; the online test allows 60 minutes.OK
OregonFree questions352880%735 multiple-choice questions based on the Oregon Driver Manual.OR
PennsylvaniaFree questionsCheat sheet181583%318 multiple-choice questions; 15 correct to pass — you can miss only 3.PA
South CarolinaFree questions—80%—The 80% figure is the pass mark SCDMV states for its own practice exam. The real test's question count is not confirmed.SC
South Dakota—80%—The knowledge test needs a score of 80% or higher; South Dakota publishes no sample test.SD
TennesseeFree questions302480%660 minutes to finish.TN
TexasFree questionsCheat sheet302170%9A failed application is held for 90 days with up to three attempts.TX
UtahFree questions504080%1050-question closed-book knowledge test requiring an 80% score (40 correct) to pass (manual Section 6, p. 23).UT
Vermont201680%4The knowledge test is online; each question has four answers.VT
VirginiaFree questionsCheat sheet4080%—Part one is 10 traffic-sign questions and you must answer all 10 correctly before part two opens.VA
WashingtonFree questionsCheat sheet403280%8You must answer 32 of 40 questions correctly to pass.WA
West Virginia251976%6The handbook says the test has at least 25 questions and you must answer 19 of the 25 correctly.WV
Wisconsin504080%10Taken on a touch screen at a DMV service center.WI
7 states don’t publish the numberread October 1, 2026

For these states we read the agency’s own manual and pages and found no question count and no pass mark for the car knowledge test. Practice-test sites quote numbers for them, but none gives an agency source, so we don’t repeat them. What each agency does say is below.

Testing in California, Texas or Florida?

Practice with original questions written from your state’s handbook — 20 free, with an explanation and source note on every answer.

Free permit practice test CaliforniaTexasFlorida

Good to know

Permit test FAQ

It depends on the state: from 18 in Pennsylvania to 50 in Florida, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Utah among the states that publish a count. Most standard car tests fall between 25 and 50 questions.

Most states set the bar at 80%. Texas, New York, and New Mexico accept 70%, while Maryland requires 88% — the highest bar in this table.

In several states, yes: New York, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Virginia, Indiana, and Missouri score road signs on their own, so a strong overall score can still fail if you miss too many sign questions. Check your state's row before test day.

Each figure was checked against the state agency's own website or official driver manual between September 24, 2026 and October 18, 2026 (each state page shows its own date), and every row links to that source. Where an agency doesn't publish a number we show a dash rather than a guess — rules change, so confirm with your DMV before you test.

Using this table in an article or a classroom? You’re welcome to — please link to this page as the source so readers get updates when a state changes its test.

Permit tests by state

Find your state’s permit test

42 states: the knowledge test format, the pass mark, how long you wait to retake it, and practice questions from the state’s own handbook.

Road signs

Signs the permit test asks about

31 signs, each with its meaning and real questions. Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina and Virginia test road signs as a separate section, so learn them on their own.

  • What to do and real questions
  • What to do and real questions
  • What to do and real questions
  • What to do and real questions
  • What to do and real questions
  • What to do and real questions
  • What to do and real questions
  • What to do and real questions

All 31 signs with drawings