Free Virginia permit practice tests
Virginia's knowledge exam has a built-in gate: missing even one of the first 10 road sign questions stops you before you ever reach the 30 general knowledge questions that carry the 80% passing threshold.
- Questions
- 40
- Correct to pass
- 34 34 of 40 correct: all 10 road-sign questions plus 24 of 30 general knowledge (80%)
- Sign questions
- All 10 all correct before the rest counts
- Questions here
- 263 all free, all cited
Format verified against Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles on 2026-08-27. Check the official page before you book, because states do change their rules.
Work through them in order.
The essentials
Start here. Five distinct sets drawn from across the whole bank, plus a marathon that keeps going until you have seen everything.
VA Practice Test 1
A broad first pass across signs, right of way, rules and safety.
VA Practice Test 2
A completely different set of questions from test 1.
VA Practice Test 3
More scenarios, no repeats from the first two tests.
VA Practice Test 4
Fresh questions again, weighted toward the tougher end.
VA Practice Test 5
The last of the five distinct sets in the essentials block.
VA Full Marathon
Every question in the bank, and anything you miss comes back later in the same run until you get it right.
Signs, signals and right of way
The two areas that fail the most people. Work through the sign tests until every shape and color is automatic, then handle the intersection scenarios.
VA Road Signs Mini
A ten question warm up on shapes, colors and the signs people mix up.
VA Road Signs Full
Every sign, signal and pavement marking question in the bank.
VA Right of Way
Intersections, four way stops, roundabouts, pedestrians and emergency vehicles.
VA Complex Situations
Only the questions rated hard. Short, unpleasant, and the fastest way to find your gaps.
The rules that get you fined
Speed, alcohol, phones, seat belts and the state specific limits that carry real penalties. These questions cite the statute so you learn the rule, not just the answer.
Virginia Laws and Limits
Only the questions drawn from this state's own code: its limits, its penalties, its restrictions.
VA Alcohol, Phones and Safety
Impairment, distraction, seat belts, child restraints and sharing the road with trucks and bikes.
VA Rules of the Road
Speed, lane use, passing, parking, headlights and railroad crossings.
The exam simulator
The real thing: your state's exact question count and pass mark, scored the way the licensing agency scores it.
Your missed questions
Every question you get wrong anywhere on this site saves to a review deck on your own device. It comes back after a day, then three days, then a week, and retires once you have answered it correctly three times running. Open any test above and the review button appears as soon as the deck has something in it.
What the process looks like
- Virginia sets the minimum age for a learner's permit at 15 years and 6 months, with a driver's license possible no earlier than 16 years and 3 months.
- Applicants under 18 must complete a state approved driver education program, hold the learner's permit for at least nine months, and have a parent certify 45 hours of practice driving with 15 of those hours after sunset.
- First time applicants 18 and older currently hold the permit for 60 days or complete an approved driver education course instead. From 1 January 2027, applicants aged 18 to 20 must do both, a 90 day hold plus the course, while applicants 21 and older keep the choice between the two.
- Drivers under 18 cannot carry more than one passenger under 21 unless a licensed parent or other adult acting in place of a parent is in the front passenger seat, a limit that eases to three passengers under 21 after one year of licensed driving.
- Virginia law bars drivers under 18 from being behind the wheel between midnight and 4 a.m., with exceptions for work, supervised activities, emergencies, or a licensed adult riding along.
Applicants under 18 must wait 15 days between attempts, applicants 18 and older can test once per day, and three failed attempts require completing a Virginia approved driver training program before testing again.
The knowledge test is written from the Virginia Motor Vehicle Code. 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.
How the Virginia written test is scored and what happens at the Virginia road test.
Virginia permit test questions, answered
How many questions are on the Virginia DMV knowledge exam?
The exam has 40 questions total, split into a 10 question road sign section and a 30 question general knowledge section. Verified against the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles on 27 August 2026.
What score do you need to pass the Virginia knowledge test?
You must answer all 10 road sign questions correctly before moving on, then get at least 24 of the 30 general knowledge questions right, which is 80% on that section.
What happens if you fail the Virginia written test?
Applicants under 18 wait 15 days before retesting, those 18 and older can test once per day, and anyone who fails three times must complete a Virginia approved driver training program before another attempt.
When can you get a driver's license in Virginia?
The earliest is 16 years and 3 months. Applicants under 18 must finish driver education and hold a learner's permit for at least nine months first, while first time applicants 18 and older hold the permit 60 days or complete an approved driver education course instead.