Michigan Department of State
Michigan permit test: 50 questions, two sections
Original Michigan questions with the law cited under every answer, scored the way SOS scores it.
- Exam Simulator50 questions, pass with 40, scored the way SOS scores it
- Practice Test 120 questions, a broad first pass across signs, right of way, rules and safety
- Road Signs Full198 questions, every sign, signal and pavement marking question
- Laws and Limits12 questions drawn from the MCL 257
Work through them in order.
MI Practice Test 1
MI Practice Test 2
MI Practice Test 3
MI Practice Test 4
MI Practice Test 5
MI Full Marathon
MI Road Signs Mini
MI Road Signs Full
MI Right of Way
MI Complex Situations
Michigan Laws and Limits
MI Alcohol, Phones and Safety
MI Rules of the Road
Michigan Exam Simulator
Every question you miss saves to a review deck on this device. See how the review deck works.
Know the format before you book.
Michigan is the state where a teenager never sits the Secretary of State knowledge test at all. Under 18s clear a Segment 1 state exam given by their certified driver education provider at a 70 percent pass mark, then a Segment 2 exam at the same 70 percent, while the SOS knowledge test is for applicants 18 and over. That adult test comes in two parts, an Operator section of about 45 minutes and a Signs section of about 15, and both have to be passed on their own, so a weak sign result can end an otherwise good attempt. Michigan does not publish how many questions either section holds or what percentage passes it, and this page does not invent one: the SOS pages, What Every Driver Must Know and the state's own online testing vendor are all silent on the count. What is published is the mechanics. Testing at an office is free, testing at home costs a 6.50 dollar convenience fee and is watched by webcam, two online attempts are allowed per calendar day, and a pass stays valid for one year.
Honest note: SOS does not publish the exam format in a place we could confirm, so the 50 question count and the pass mark of 40 shown here are our best information rather than a verified fact. The practice questions themselves teach Michigan law either way. Confirm the format with Michigan Department of State before your appointment.
SOS: format figure not published; checked 2026-08-27
What the process looks like.
The knowledge test is written from the Michigan Vehicle Code, Act 300 of 1949. Our questions teach those same rules and cite the section behind each answer, so what you learn holds up on test day and on the road afterwards.
Michigan teens do not sit the Secretary of State knowledge test at all. They take a state exam at the end of driver education Segment 1, given by a certified driver education provider, and need at least 70% on it to pass the course. Segment 2 ends with its own state exam carrying the same 70% mark.
Michigan's graduated program starts with a Level 1 learner license, available at 14 years and 9 months once a teen finishes Segment 1, and it allows driving only with a parent, guardian, or a designated adult aged 21 or older who holds a valid license. Enrollment in Segment 1 itself opens a month earlier, at 14 years and 8 months.
Before the driving skills test that leads to a Level 2 license, a teen must finish Segment 2, hold the Level 1 license for six consecutive months, and log at least 50 hours of supervised driving including 10 hours at night.
The Secretary of State also requires no convictions, civil infractions, license suspensions, or at-fault crashes in the 90 days immediately before the skills test and the Level 2 application.
Level 2 drivers cannot drive between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., cannot carry more than one passenger under 21 who is not an immediate family member, and cannot use a cell phone while driving except in an emergency.
Applicants aged 18 and older can take the written knowledge test at home online for a 6.50 dollar convenience fee, or free of charge at a Secretary of State office.
Adults testing online may attempt the test twice in a calendar day, paying the 6.50 dollar fee each time, and a third try waits for the next day. In an office, a failing score ends the session on the spot and the applicant has to rebook for a different day. Anyone who passes one section and fails the other can go to a Secretary of State office and sit the full test again at no charge.
Michigan permit test questions, answered.
How many questions are on the Michigan SOS knowledge test?
The Secretary of State does not publish a question count. Its official pages say only that the test is multiple choice and comes in two portions you must both pass, an Operator section that takes about 45 minutes and a Signs section that takes about 15 minutes. Driver prep sites report 50 questions with 40 correct needed, and that split appears in no state document. Prep sites do not even agree with each other, which is a fair sign that none of them is reading it off an official page.
What score do I need to pass the Michigan permit test?
Michigan does not publish a passing percentage for the knowledge test. What the state does confirm is that both portions must be passed on their own, so a weak result on road signs alone can end the attempt even if the traffic law half goes well.
Do Michigan teens take the same written test as adults?
No. Under 18s go through driver education instead, and the written hurdle is the Segment 1 state exam given by their certified driver education provider, which needs a score of at least 70% to pass the course. Segment 2 ends with a second state exam at the same 70% mark. The Secretary of State knowledge test is for people aged 18 and over who have not held a license in the past four years.
Can I take the Michigan knowledge test online?
Yes, if you are 18 or older. The Secretary of State offers the same test used on the kiosks in its offices, taken at home for a 6.50 dollar convenience fee on a computer with a keyboard and mouse rather than a touch screen, and a webcam that takes random photos during the test to check for violations. Testing at a Secretary of State office is free.
Where does the Michigan knowledge test come from?
The state tells applicants to study What Every Driver Must Know, especially chapters 4 through 7, along with the Driving Skills Test Study Guide. A passed knowledge test stays valid for one year, though you have to retake it if your temporary instruction permit lapses and you apply for a new one.