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Illinois Office of the Secretary of State, Driver Services Department

The Illinois road test, without the mystery

The road test feels arbitrary from the passenger seat, but it is a scored evaluation with published rules, and knowing the scoring is half the preparation.

35
Questions
15 items ask you to identify traffic signs and the other 20 are multiple choice or true and false questions on traffic law and safe driving.
Illinois Rules of the Road Review Course workbook, form DSD DS 9, verified 2026-08-27
28 of 35
Pass mark
The rule sets a Class D written test of at least 35 questions with 80 percent answered correctly, which works out at 28.
92 Ill. Adm. Code 1030.80(b), verified 2026-08-27
3 in a year
Attempts per fee
The licence application fee buys three attempts at the written and road tests inside one year, counting from the date of the first attempt.
92 Ill. Adm. Code 1030.86(a), verified 2026-08-27
30 days
Cheating penalty
An open book in view, looking around, or touching a phone counts as cheating, fails the exam, and bars a retest for 30 days.
92 Ill. Adm. Code 1030.80(k), verified 2026-08-27

How it works here

What ends a test on the spot

Details vary by state, but examiners across the country share a core list of automatic fails: the examiner having to grab the wheel or brake, disobeying a stop sign, signal, or posted rule, causing another road user to brake or swerve, striking the curb hard during a maneuver, and any collision at all. Everything else is usually a point deduction, which means one wobbly parallel park rarely fails anyone on its own.

We keep a full breakdown in what counts as an automatic fail and a printable preparation list in the road test day checklist.

Book before you feel ready

Appointment scarcity is real: waits run weeks to months in the biggest states. Book the test, then use the wait to practice. If the date arrives early, most states let you reschedule without penalty, and an early slot you cancel costs nothing compared to months lost waiting.

First the knowledge test, though. Pass it in one sitting with the free Illinois practice test.