How Many Questions Are on the Permit Test? US & Canada Compared (2026)
Short answer: it depends on the state or province. Among the 27 US jurisdictions whose single-part car knowledge test we confirmed on an official page, the test has between 18 (Pennsylvania) and 50 questions (Florida, New Jersey, Utah). The most common length is 25 questions, used by 9 of them.
3 more states split the test into separately scored parts (Georgia, Virginia, Wisconsin), and for 21 states we have not yet found the count on an official page. Those are listed at the end rather than filled in from third-party sites.
United States: permit test questions and pass marks
States where the test has separately scored parts
In these states, a high total score is not enough. Each part has its own pass mark.
| Jurisdiction | Questions | Pass mark | Practice & Mock | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 40 | — | Test details | dds.georgia.gov |
| Virginia | 40 | — | Test details | www.dmv.virginia.gov |
| Wisconsin | 65 | — | Test details | wisconsindot.gov |
Canada: learner’s knowledge test by province
Canadian provinces use the same idea under different names (Class 7 learner’s test in BC, Alberta and New Brunswick; G1 in Ontario; the SAAQ theory exams in Quebec).
| Jurisdiction | Questions | Pass mark | Practice & Mock | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | 50 | 40 (80%) | Test details | icbc.com |
| Alberta | 30 | 25 (83%) | Test details | www.alberta.ca |
| Ontario | 40 | — | Test details | drivetest.ca |
| Quebec | 28 | — | Test details | saaq.gouv.qc.ca |
| New Brunswick | 40 | 32 (80%) | Test details | www.gnb.ca |
| Nova Scotia | 40 | — | Test details | www.novascotia.ca |
In-depth state & provincial exam guides
- Ontario G1 Test (2026): 40 Questions, 16/20 Pass Mark in Both Parts & Topic Breakdown (中文版指南)
- BC ICBC Knowledge Test (Class 7L): 50 Questions, 80% Pass Mark & 12 Languages (中文版指南)
- Alberta Class 7 Knowledge Test: 30 Questions, 25 to Pass (83%) & Topic Breakdown
- California DMV Permit Test (Class C): Official Sample Tests & Topic Breakdown (繁體中文指南)
- New York DMV Permit Test: 20 Questions, 14 to Pass & the 2-of-4 Road Sign Rule (中文版指南)
- CDL Permit Test Questions & 80% Pass Score by State (49 CFR § 383.133)
What the test day usually looks like
- Read the official handbook
- Practise by topic
- Check format, fees and ID on the agency site
- Take the knowledge test
- Pass: get your learner permit
Sign questions appear in every handbook we checked. You can also drill signs across all states on our US Traffic Signs Practice Test hub.
Not yet confirmed
We have not found the question count for these jurisdictions on an official page yet, so we do not state one: US: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming. Canada: Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut. Check the licensing agency’s website before your test. Each jurisdiction page on our US hub and Canada hub links directly to it.
FAQ
How many questions are on the car permit test in most US states?
Among the 27 single-part US car permit tests confirmed on official DMV pages, tests range from 18 questions (Pennsylvania) to 50 questions (Florida, New Jersey, Utah). The most common length is 25 questions (9 states).
What is the typical passing score for a learner’s permit test?
Most US states and Canadian provinces require 80% correct answers (for example, 40/50 in BC, Florida, New Jersey, and Utah; 20/25 in Connecticut, DC, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nevada). Notable exceptions include New York (14/20 or 70%, including at least 2 of 4 road signs) and Alberta (25/30 or 83%).
Which states and provinces split the knowledge test into separately scored sections?
Ontario G1 (20 road signs + 20 rules of the road, 16/20 required in each), Quebec SAAQ Class 5 (3 sections totaling 28 questions, 75% required in each), and multi-part US exams such as Wisconsin and Virginia require passing each section independently.
Are commercial (CDL) permit test question counts the same across states?
Yes. Unlike car learner's permit exams, CDL knowledge tests follow federal FMCSA standards (49 CFR § 383.133) requiring at least 80% correct on the 50-question General Knowledge test, 25-question Air Brakes test, and endorsement exams.
How we collected these numbers
Each figure was read from the licensing agency’s own page (linked in the table) on the date shown. Pass marks given as a percentage were converted to a number of correct answers and rounded up. The table is generated from the same data as our test pages, so it changes when a source is re-checked.