California Department of Motor Vehicles
California road test: published examiner score sheet
How California Department of Motor Vehicles scores the California road test, the sourced facts that change how you prepare for it, and what ends an attempt on the spot.
- Exam Simulator46 questions, pass with 38, scored the way DMV scores it
- Practice Test 120 questions, a broad first pass across signs, right of way, rules and safety
- Road Signs Full202 questions, every sign, signal and pavement marking question
- Laws and Limits44 questions drawn from the CVC
What the California road test weighs.
Each note below is specific to California, read from California Department of Motor Vehicles materials, so you know what its examiners weight and what its offices expect on the day.
Statewide road test pass rate. Across 10.16 million tests from 2016 to 2025, per the DMV FO21 drive test report.
California DMV FO21 report, public records release, verified 2026-08-27Road test fail rate in 2025. The fail rate has risen four years in a row.
California DMV FO21 report, public records release, verified 2026-08-27Typical appointment wait. Some offices have reached 115 days.
California DMV appointment data, press reporting, verified 2026-08-27California publishes its Driving Performance Evaluation criteria, so you can study the exact score sheet the examiner uses.
California Department of Motor VehiclesCritical errors such as striking the curb hard, disobeying a sign or signal, or requiring examiner intervention end the test immediately.
California Department of Motor VehiclesAutomatic fails and test day.
See what can end a road test immediately before your appointment.