Maine written test: 24 of 30, paperwork changes at 21

Maine's official drivers license exam page states the format without hedging: the knowledge test is 30 questions and you must answer a minimum of 24 correctly to pass. That is 80 percent, and it leaves 6 wrong answers as the whole margin. The BMV publishes the count and the pass mark in the same sentence, which puts Maine in the smaller group of states where both halves of the format come from the agency rather than from a prep site. The same figures apply whatever route brought you to the counter, because Maine separates its applicants by how long they must practice rather than by which exam they sit.

Maine's graduated system is written for drivers under 18, but state law adds requirements for drivers under 21, so an 18, 19 or 20 year old getting a first license still holds the permit six months and still logs 70 hours with 10 after dark. Applicants under 21 also submit a completed driving log documenting those hours instead of the road test request card older applicants use. An applicant aged 21 or over skips the six month wait entirely and can apply for the road test without it, though the ban on using a phone while driving on a permit still applies at any age. A permit holder must be accompanied by a supervising driver who is at least 20 years old and has held a license for at least two years.