New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles
New Hampshire written test: a 10 day wait after a fail
See the exact New Hampshire scoring rules, what the knowledge test covers, and the state details that change how you take it.
- Exam Simulator40 questions, pass with 32, scored the way DMV scores it
- Practice Test 120 questions, a broad first pass across signs, right of way, rules and safety
- Road Signs Full197 questions, every sign, signal and pavement marking question
- Laws and Limits12 questions drawn from the RSA
People say written test, the DMV says knowledge test
Same exam. You answer on a screen, and what decides your day is the scoring below.
What the questions cover
Everything comes back to the New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated: signals and signs, right of way, speed rules, passing and lane use, parking, alcohol limits, and the licensing rules for new drivers. Multiple choice, one correct answer each.
Read off the DMV's own page and dated
40 questions, 40 minutes, and a test that stops itself
The New Hampshire knowledge test is 40 multiple choice questions with a 40 minute limit, and the DMV requires 80 percent on every knowledge exam, which puts the target at 32 correct. The touch screen does not wait for you to finish once the outcome is settled: miss more than 8 and the test ends on the spot. Every exam is randomized, so a retake will not be the same set of questions you saw before. That combination, a minute a question and an automatic stop, makes pacing matter more here than in states that simply mark the paper at the end.
New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles Driver's Manual, read 2026-08-27A 10 day wait after a fail, and no permit to practice on
New Hampshire's retake wait is one of the longest in the country. An operator or motorcycle applicant who fails a knowledge test waits 10 calendar days before retesting, and is given an appointment no sooner than that. CDL applicants wait 5 calendar days. The DMV applies the same 80 percent passing grade to every knowledge exam it gives, motorcycle included. Practicing in the meantime does not require a permit, because New Hampshire does not issue one: state law lets anyone at least 15 and a half drive while being taught, as long as a parent, legal guardian or a licensed adult aged 25 or older is in the car.
New Hampshire DMV, Driver Licensing Testing Requirements, read 2026-08-28Retrieval sticks, rereading does not
See how to study for the permit test before your next practice run.