How to Take a Practice Test

Do you really need a DMV practice test? If you have some experience at a drivers education course and you have read your state’s road manual, the permit test should be a breeze. This is a belief held by plenty of young drivers. However, those young drivers do not know that almost half of all test-takers fail their permit test on the first try, and some even fail it on the second try. In fact, learners permit practice tests are especially helpful in states like Vermont, where there is a limit on how many times a student can attempt the test.

Practice driving tests are helpful because DMV drivers tests cover so much information. A state drivers manual contains hundreds of topics, from child safety to common road signs, and a permit test could quiz you on any tiny law or detail. Additionally, most permit tests have steep requirements to pass. For example, Washington D.C. requires an 80 percent score to pass. Drivers license practice tests are necessary because you learn the information in your state and prepare for the rules and requirements of the written test.

What are the benefits of taking a DMV practice test?

Students who take a DMV.com learners permit practice test are five times more likely to pass than the national average. That is because practice tests are a scientifically proven better way to study. A practice test helps students learn and reconstruct information in a way that other study methods do not. Additionally, more than one study published found that students who use practice tests to study remember as much as 50 percent more information than other students, even a week later.

Further, DMV.com drivers ed practice tests are specifically designed in order to provide the best value to students. The practice test questions are drawn from the same sources as the official learners permit test in each state so that each question is a reflection of what students must know for the test. It also mimics the form of the official test so that students will be accustomed to the test-taking process on the day they apply for their learners permit.

What is included in DMV.com’s drivers license practice test?

A DMV.com permit practice test is 50 questions long and covers all of the important details that students will see on their permit tests. This includes road safety, how to drive in poor weather, the penalties for driving under the influence and the specific laws of each state.

While a student who downloads the Georgia DMV.com drivers permit practice test will learn about the state’s cellphone ban, a student who downloads the Texas DMV.com practice test will learn that cellphones are only banned until the driver is older than 18 years of age. Other things students should expect to see in their DMV permit practice test are:

  • Lane markers and what they mean.
  • How to drive in an emergency situation.
  • What a new driver is allowed to do with his or her permit.
  • When it is safe to turn right on red.
  • When airbags make crashes more dangerous.

Drivers License Test Rules and Requirements

We created a DMV sample test for each state because every state has a specific drivers test, and the rules to pass vary. For example, in Vermont, a permit test is 20 questions long and students must answer 16 correctly. Meanwhile, the DC test is 25 questions long and there is a time limit.

Almost all modern permit tests are automated, and students will have to answer a set number of multiple choice questions. Check if the test in your state is timed so that you can practice your test-taking speed with the DMV.com practice test.

How to Pass a Driving Test

DMV learners permit practice tests contain all the knowledge you need to pass a driving test in your state. To get a learners permit, you must be ready to prove that you know the road laws well enough to be trusted behind the wheel. For most states, this includes driving test questions on:

Further, students will be required to pass a skills test in order to apply for their license. This test is the application of all the theoretical information covered in the written exam. To pass a road test, students must be able to:

  • Safely drive through an intersection.
  • Competently park, stop and brake.
  • Parallel park.
  • Control the vehicle.
  • Use signals.
  • Observe the rules of the road.
  • Reverse in a straight line.

What is included in DMV.com’s drivers test study guide?

In addition to the permit test questions in the DMV.com practice test, we also include a bonus DMV study guide. The study guide is an excellent, plain-language summary of your state handbook. Where most state handbooks are 100 pages long or more, the DMV.com study guide is a concise explanation of all the same points. Complete with colored graphics of lane markers, driving situations and road signs, the study guide makes information easy to learn and remember.

The permit test study guide includes everything you need to know for your exam, and drivers who already have their permit can use it to refresh their knowledge before the road test. The drivers test study guide includes:

  • Who can drive in a HOV lane.
  • How to exit a roundabout.
  • Traffic signals and their meanings.
  • State driving laws.
  • Standard speed limits.
  • The official driving hand signals.
  • And much more!

How to Use DMV.com’s Drivers Permit Practice Test and Study Guide

Make the best use of your study time and your DMV.com practice written driving test by adopting smart study habits. Reading and note-taking is not a good way to memorize information. Instead, use the practice test as a learning method and combine it with the DMV.com learner permit study guide for the fastest results.

Take the learners permit test multiple times to cement information and force your brain to think in a way that recalls and reconstruct information from memory. It may not feel like learning in the same way that rote memorization does, but it will be more effective in the long-run. Repeated testing will help you absorb detailed information in a way that notes will not, and it will show you will which parts of the drivers license study guide you should revisit.

Free DMV Practice Tests

Some states offer free DMV online practice tests to prepare new drivers for their written exam. However, this is not standard in every state. For example, Washington State does not administer written tests. Drivers there have to go to a licensed third-party to take their permit test, so the state does not offer any resources for young drivers.

Further, some generic online practice permit tests are available for free. However, students who consider studying with this option should be careful only to use drivers test study guides from legitimate companies that update their material. States change the road laws frequently, and an outdated test may actually leave a student more confused and less prepared for the official exam. Also, if the practice test is not state-specific, a student may learn the wrong laws and suffer for it on the official exam.

How to Schedule a Drivers License Test

Locate a DMV testing location near you, and schedule your appointment over the phone or online. The closest DMV office usually offers testing and an online registration portal. However, in the case of states like Washington, where testing is done by private companies, the enrollment process for your permit test may be different.

If you are unsure if you can schedule your DMV driving test appointment, call a nearby location and make your appointment by phone. In general, you will be able to take a written test at any nearby center, pays your fees and apply for your permit all at once.

What to Bring to a Driving Test

A practice written driving test may help prepare you for a written drivers test, but you will have to apply for your learners permit before the test is issued. To complete an application for a learners permit, complete the application in your state either in person or online.

Additionally, you will need documentation to prove your state residence, identity and legal presence in the United States. When you go to take your permit test, be sure to bring:

  • Proof of identity: S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, Certificate of Citizenship, Certificate of Naturalization, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, valid Permanent Resident Card, valid Employment Authorization or a foreign passport with a valid U.S. visa.
  • Proof of state residence: Utility bills, mortgage agreement, lease, homeowner’s policy, insurance policy, telephone bill, mail from a state or federal agency, vehicle registration or a paystub that shows your name and
  • Proof of Social Security number: Social security Card, 1099 form or a recent W-2 form.

In the case of minors applying for their learners permit, they may prove residence with documents that show the names of their legal parents or guardians. Additionally, most identity documents also prove legal presence in the United States.

Last updated on Monday, June 8 2020.

Sources

  1. Knowledge Tests from DC.gov
  2. Drivers License Manual from Vermont.gov
  3. How to Prepare for a Drive Test from Texas.gov