Vermont written test scoring: 16 of 20, unlimited attempts

The Vermont Driver's Manual describes the knowledge test as an online test of 20 questions, each with four answers of which only one is correct, and requires at least 16 correct to pass, which is 80 percent. Four misses passes and a fifth does not. It is one of the shortest standard knowledge tests in the country, which cuts both ways: there is less ground to revise, and each wrong answer carries five percentage points rather than the two it would carry on a 50 question paper.

Vermont sets no cap on attempts. You may test as many times as you need, but you must wait at least one day between attempts and the test fee applies on each one, so the cost of failing accrues per sitting rather than being bounded by a block of tries. Applicants can start the learner permit process at 15, though anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian's signature and a clean driving record for the previous two years. The permit then has to be held for at least one year before a junior driver's license can be issued, along with six months free of permit recalls, suspensions or revocations.