New York Department of Motor Vehicles

The New York written test, explained

People say written test, DMV paperwork says knowledge test. Same exam. Nobody hands you a pencil anymore: you answer on a screen. What matters is the scoring, and here it is with nothing rounded off.

20
Questions
New York DMV, verified 2026-08-27
14
Correct to pass
14 of 20 (70%)
New York DMV, verified 2026-08-27
2/4
Road sign questions required
At least 2 of the 4 road sign questions must be correct whatever your total. A passing score with too many sign misses is still a fail.
New York DMV, verified 2026-08-27

What the questions cover

Everything comes back to the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law: traffic signals and signs, right of way, speed rules, passing and lane use, parking, alcohol limits, and the licensing rules that apply to new drivers. The exam is multiple choice with one correct answer per question.

The sign rule is the trap in New York. Four of the twenty questions are road signs and at least two must be right, no matter how well you do elsewhere. Our practice test scores it exactly that way.

How to prepare without wasting evenings

Reading rules is passive; retrieval is what sticks. Take a full-length run in the real format, read the explanation on every miss, and let the review deck bring your weak spots back tomorrow. Most people are consistently passing practice runs within a week of short daily sessions.

Take the free New York practice test