Permit test by state/Tennessee

Tennessee permit test: 30 questions, 24 to pass

Tennessee’s learner permit knowledge test is run by the Tennessee Driver Services. 30 questions · 24 correct to pass (80%) — you can miss 6.

Checked September 24, 2026 against the TN Driver Services — Knowledge permit test online. Rules change — confirm with the Tennessee Driver Services before you test.

Questions30
Correct to pass24 (80%)
Wrong answers allowed6
Road signs scored separatelyNo separate minimum published
Study fromTennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual

Rules that trip people up

  • 60 minutes to finish.
  • Teens 15–17 can take it online under a parent's supervision.

How to pass the Tennessee permit test on the first try

  1. Get the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual. The test is written from it, so treat it as the syllabus, not background reading.
  2. Learn signs by shape and color first. Sign shapes are standardized nationally — an octagon is always stop, a triangle always yield, a diamond always a warning — so a sign you’ve never seen can still be read from its shape.
  3. Make a numbers sheet. Speed limits, following distances, parking distances and BAC limits are where most points are lost — they’re easy to confuse and easy to test.
  4. Practice at the real length. Take 30-question practice tests and don’t book the real one until you score 90% twice in a row — that leaves margin over the 6-miss limit.

Tennessee practice questions are in the works

We write every bank from the official handbook, with an explanation and a source note on each answer. Leave your email and we’ll send one message when the Tennessee bank opens — 20 questions free.

Meanwhile, our free guide to the most-missed DMV test concepts covers the rules that trip up drivers in every state.

Tennessee permit test FAQ

The standard car knowledge test has 30 questions and you need 24 correct to pass (80%).

6. Miss 7 and you fail.

The Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual. Every question on the real test comes from it. Start with road signs and right-of-way, then the numbers people forget: speed limits, following distances, and blood-alcohol limits.