North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles

The North Carolina written test, explained

People say written test, NCDMV 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.

25
Questions
19A NCAC 03B .0201, Driver's License Examination and Online Renewal, verified 2026-08-28
20
Correct to pass
80% to pass; NCDMV publishes no question count
19A NCAC 03B .0201, Driver's License Examination and Online Renewal, verified 2026-08-28
9/12
Road sign questions required
At least 9 of the 12 road sign questions must be correct whatever your total. A passing score with too many sign misses is still a fail.
19A NCAC 03B .0201, Driver's License Examination and Online Renewal, verified 2026-08-28

What the questions cover

Everything comes back to the North Carolina Motor Vehicle Laws, N.C. General Statutes Chapter 20, with driver licensing under the Uniform Driver's License Act in Article 2: 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.

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 North Carolina practice test