How many questions can you miss on the permit test?
The short answer
It depends on your state. In the states we checked, you can miss from 3 questions (Pennsylvania, 15 of 18 to pass) to 10 (New Jersey, 40 of 50). Texas needs 70 percent, so you can miss 30 percent of the questions. The Texas Driver Handbook, the Texas Administrative Code and the Transportation Code do not state how many questions the test has.
Choose your state to check the rule for your test.
Last checked against the sources: · Report a mistake
How many you can miss by state
| State | Questions | To pass | You can miss | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | Not stated on the DMV’s permit page | 80 percent | 20 percent of your questions | Learner’s permits, California DMV |
| Georgia | 20 on road signs and 20 on road rules | 15 of 20 on each part | 5 per part (road signs and road rules) | Drivers Manual, Georgia Department of Driver Services |
| New Jersey | 50 | 40 (80 percent) | 10 questions | Sample knowledge test, New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission |
| New York | 20 | 14, including at least 2 of the 4 road sign questions | 6 questions; at least 2 of the 4 road sign questions must be right | Driver’s Manual, New York State DMV |
| Pennsylvania | 18 | 15 | 3 questions | Driver’s Manual: testing, PennDOT |
| Tennessee | 30 (online test for ages 15 to 17, with a parent as proctor) | 80 percent | 6 questions (online test for ages 15 to 17) | Knowledge permit test online, Tennessee Department of Safety |
| Texas | DPS’s handbook and rules do not state the number of questions | 70 percent | 30 percent of your questions | Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7), Texas DPS |
| Virginia | 10 on road signs and 30 on general knowledge | All 10 sign questions, and 24 of the 30 | 6 general questions; no sign questions wrong | The knowledge exam, Virginia DMV |
| Washington | 40 | 32 | 8 questions | Do I need to take a test?, Washington State Department of Licensing |
Check your state’s pass mark
Texas: how many can you miss?
Texas needs 70 percent. The Texas Driver Handbook, the Texas Administrative Code and the Transportation Code do not state how many questions the test has. If your test has 30 questions, as many websites say, 70 percent is 21, so you could miss up to 9; we could not confirm the 30 in any DPS source. Read the Texas permit test guide or try the Texas practice test.
Common questions
How many questions can you miss on the permit test?
It depends on your state. In the states we checked, the allowance ranges from 3 in Pennsylvania to 10 in New Jersey, with separate rules for some parts of the test.
How many questions can you miss on the Texas permit test?
Texas needs 70 percent, so you can miss 30 percent of the questions. The Texas Driver Handbook, the Texas Administrative Code and the Transportation Code do not state how many questions the test has.
Is the permit test the same in every state?
No. Each state writes its own test; signs follow the national MUTCD.
What happens if you fail the permit test?
You can usually retake it; each state sets its own wait and fees. Texas allows three tries per application and fee (Transportation Code 521.161(d)). In Virginia, under-18s wait a full 15 days (Virginia DMV).
Retake sources: Texas Transportation Code 521.161(d) and Virginia DMV.
Try the free permit practice test for signs and shared road rules. Read the permit test guide for what to check in your state’s handbook before test day.
Sources
- Learner’s permits, California DMV
- Drivers Manual, Georgia Department of Driver Services
- Sample knowledge test, New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
- Driver’s Manual, New York State DMV
- Driver’s Manual: testing, PennDOT
- Knowledge permit test online, Tennessee Department of Safety
- The knowledge exam, Virginia DMV
- Do I need to take a test?, Washington State Department of Licensing
- Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7, revised January 2026), Texas DPS