How to Take a Practice Test

Do you really need to take a DMV practice test? If you’ve taken a driver’s ed course and read your state’s road manual, you might think the permit test will be easy. Many young drivers feel that way. But what they don’t realize is that almost half of people fail the permit test the first time—and some fail again on their second try. In some states, like Vermont, you can only take the test a limited number of times, which makes practice even more important.

DMV practice tests are helpful because the real test covers a lot of information. Your state’s driver’s manual has hundreds of topics, from safety rules to road signs, and your test could ask about any of them. Plus, passing isn’t always easy. For example, Washington D.C. requires a score of 80% to pass.

Taking a practice test helps you learn your state’s specific rules and gets you ready for what to expect on the real written test.

What are the benefits of taking a DMV practice test?

Students who take a learners permit practice test are 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, drivers ed practice tests are specifically designed in order to provide the best value to students. The practice test questions are usually 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 a practice test?

A permit practice test should cover 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.

Other things students should expect to see in a 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.

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.

Free DMV Practice Tests

Some states offer free online DMV practice tests to help new drivers get ready for the written exam. But not all states do this. For example, in Washington State, the DMV doesn’t give written tests. Instead, drivers must go to a licensed third-party testing center, so the state doesn’t provide study tools for young drivers.

There are also free practice permit tests online from other websites. If you choose to use one, make sure it comes from a trusted company that keeps its materials up to date. Road laws can change often, and using an old or outdated test could make you more confused and less prepared. Also, if the test isn’t made for your state, it might teach you the wrong rules—and that could hurt your chances of passing the real 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, April 14 2025.