Tennessee DOS Permit exam preparation

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Free practice test · 300 original questionsFree practice · 300 questions

Tennessee DOS Permit practice test

This free Tennessee permit practice test covers the knowledge test for a Tennessee Class PD learner permit or Class D license (signs and signals, safe driving, rules of the road, and drugs and alcohol), with questions written from the official Comprehensive Driver License Manual.

  • 30 questions
  • 24 correct (80%) to pass
  • 60-minute limit
Start 20 free questions What’s inside
  • No signup to start
  • Every answer includes a source note
  • Updated October 15, 2026

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Driving & Licenses · Exam prep

Tennessee DOS Permit practice test: how the exam works and how to prepare

Original practice questions written from the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, text current as of July 1, 2022, printed March 2025) and checked against its text; not official Department questions. Not affiliated with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. The real Tennessee DOS Permit test at a glance: 30 questions, 24 correct (80%) to pass, 60-minute limit. Use these free Tennessee DOS Permit practice questions to learn the format and read the explanation and source note behind every answer.

Published Tennessee Department of Safety standard for the online knowledge permit test: 24 of 30 correct (80%) in 60 minutes. By law at least 25% of the knowledge test covers drugs and alcohol.

  • Give drugs and alcohol real time: by law at least 25% of the test covers them, including .08 BAC, .02 for drivers under 21, and a 12-month suspension for refusing the implied consent test
  • Know the numbers the manual lists: 55 mph default, 70 mph interstate maximum, 45 mph minimum in the right interstate lane, a two-second gap (four in bad weather or at night), 15 to 50 ft from the rails, 3 ft passing a bicyclist
  • Know the Tennessee-only rules: the Move Over law, the school bus stop law (a Class A misdemeanor, $250 to $1,000), six points for a school zone speeding violation, and a dead signal treated as an all-way stop
  • Know the teen steps: Class PD at 15, 180 days on the permit, 50 driving hours including 10 at night, and the 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew on the Intermediate Restricted license
Official format

The real test at a glance

What it takes to pass the Tennessee DOS Permit test

Need 24 of 30You can miss 6

Quick Summary: The official Tennessee DOS Permit knowledge test requires a minimum passing score of 80%. Format: 30 questions. Sourced directly from official state testing blueprints.
  • 30 questions
  • 24 correct (80%) to pass
  • 60-minute limit

Published Tennessee Department of Safety standard for the online knowledge permit test: 24 of 30 correct (80%) in 60 minutes. By law at least 25% of the knowledge test covers drugs and alcohol.

300
practice questions
20
free, no signup
80%
published threshold
30
questions per simulation

Topic coverage

Topics covered in this bank

300 original questions mapped to the listed source topics. Bars show how many questions each topic gets.

Original practice questions written from the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, text current as of July 1, 2022, printed March 2025) and checked against its text; not official Department questions. Not affiliated with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

View full topic blueprint & drills →

Drill down by official testing module:

Special conditions48Licensing (GDL)35Sharing the road33Intersections and turns30Alcohol and drugs29Road signs26

From the question bank

Try 3 more real questions

Answer in your head, then check. Every explanation cites the official source.

  1. Q1Alcohol and drugs

    How soon does alcohol begin to be absorbed into the bloodstream after a drink?

    1. AWithin one to two minutes
    2. BAfter three hours
    3. CAfter six hours
    4. DAfter one hour
    Show answer

    A. Within one to two minutes Alcohol begins to be absorbed into the bloodstream within one to two minutes after an alcoholic beverage is consumed. Intoxication occurs when you drink alcohol faster than the liver can oxidize it. As the percentage of alcohol in your blood increases, you become more intoxicated.

  2. Q2Intersections and turns

    What is the rule of thumb for line colors on the road?

    1. AYellow on your right, white on your left
    2. BWhite on your right, yellow on your left
    3. CWhite on both sides
    4. DYellow on both sides
    Show answer

    B. White on your right, yellow on your left White on your right and yellow on your left is the basic principle of right-hand traffic. If you find yourself with the yellow line to your right, pull over immediately: you are on the wrong side of the road. Always drive on the right side of a two-lane highway except when passing.

  3. Q3Licensing (GDL)

    Who may ride with a Class PD permit holder who is practicing driving?

    1. AA parent or guardian of any age, seated in the back seat
    2. BA licensed driver at least 21, in the seat beside the driver
    3. CAny licensed driver, as long as they are sitting in the front seat
    4. DA licensed driver at least 18 years old, seated in the rear seat
    Show answer

    B. A licensed driver at least 21, in the seat beside the driver A permit driver may operate an automobile only when accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old and sits in the seat beside the driver. A passenger in the back seat, or someone under 21, does not meet that rule.

All 20 free questions with answers Take them as a timed quiz

Study plan

How to pass the Tennessee DOS Permit

The order that works: learn the rules, drill until they’re automatic, then use the exam simulator to check consistency.

  1. 1

    Give drugs and alcohol real time: by law at least 25% of the test covers them, including .08 BAC, .02 for drivers under 21, and a 12-month suspension for refusing the implied consent test

  2. 2

    Know the numbers the manual lists: 55 mph default, 70 mph interstate maximum, 45 mph minimum in the right interstate lane, a two-second gap (four in bad weather or at night), 15 to 50 ft from the rails, 3 ft passing a bicyclist

  3. 3

    Know the Tennessee-only rules: the Move Over law, the school bus stop law (a Class A misdemeanor, $250 to $1,000), six points for a school zone speeding violation, and a dead signal treated as an all-way stop

  4. 4

    Know the teen steps: Class PD at 15, 180 days on the permit, 50 driving hours including 10 at night, and the 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew on the Intermediate Restricted license

Exam simulator

Sit a timed mock test for the Tennessee DOS Permit

One question at a time against a real countdown, no feedback until you submit, flag questions to come back to, then a score against the pass mark with a by-topic breakdown and every answer explained. Topics are mixed across the whole bank, and a retake is a new draw.

Try the free mock test

The free mock test runs 20 questions from the free set, once. Unlocking adds full-length runs of 30 questions from the whole bank. A practice mock test, not an official replica.

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20 q
Full run
30 q
Time limit
60 min
Pass mark
80%

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Published Tennessee Department of Safety standard for the online knowledge permit test: 24 of 30 correct (80%) in 60 minutes. By law at least 25% of the knowledge test covers drugs and alcohol.

Free study kit

Everything free for the Tennessee DOS Permit test

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About these questions

Written by QuizCram from the official source and verified against its text — never copied from a real exam. Original practice questions written from the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, text current as of July 1, 2022, printed March 2025) and checked against its text; not official Department questions. Not affiliated with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

Questions last updated
October 15, 2026
Bank version
v2 · 300 questions

If you fail

Failed the Tennessee permit test? When can you retake it?

24 hours. Online test for ages 15–17: 2 attempts, then a Driver Services Center.

From the Tennessee — knowledge test online, checked 2026-09-30. Full Tennessee retake rules

Good to know

Tennessee DOS Permit FAQ

The Tennessee Department of Safety lists 30 questions on the online knowledge permit test, with 24 correct (80%) needed and 60 minutes to finish. The manual says the test splits into four roughly equal areas: signs and signals, safe driving principles, rules of the road, and drugs and alcohol.

You can apply for a Class PD learner permit at 15 by passing the knowledge test and the vision screening. Teens 15 to 17 can take the knowledge test online with a parent or legal guardian as proctor, using the Tennessee Proctor ID app. You hold the permit for 180 days before the Intermediate Restricted License.

The drugs and alcohol section. By law at least 25% of the questions cover it, so you need .08 and .02 for drivers under 21, the 12-month implied consent suspension, and the DUI penalty table. The numbers for stopping, following and parking distances also catch people out.

No. They are original questions written from the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (2025 printing) and checked against its text, with the chapter and printed page cited on every answer. QuizCram is not affiliated with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

Yes. Open the exam simulator and sit a timed mock test of 20 questions built from the free questions, once, with no signup. Unlocking the exam adds full-length runs of 30 questions in 60 minutes (the published time limit), as many as you like, each a new draw from the whole bank.

The exam's agency publishes no topic weights, so it mixes topics in proportion to the question bank, favouring questions you missed before and never repeating one within a run. A retake is a new draw, so you will meet different questions. It is a practice mock test, not an official replica of the real exam.

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41 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.

All 31 signs with drawings