Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
Virginia permit test: 40 questions, all 10 signs right
Original Virginia questions with the law cited under every answer, scored the way DMV scores it.
- Exam Simulator40 questions, pass with 34, 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 Va. Code
Work through them in order.
VA Practice Test 1
VA Practice Test 2
VA Practice Test 3
VA Practice Test 4
VA Practice Test 5
VA Full Marathon
VA Road Signs Mini
VA Road Signs Full
VA Right of Way
VA Complex Situations
Virginia Laws and Limits
VA Alcohol, Phones and Safety
VA Rules of the Road
Virginia Exam Simulator
Every question you miss saves to a review deck on this device. See how the review deck works.
Know the format before you book.
Virginia's exam has a gate in front of it. The Virginia DMV puts 10 road sign questions first, and every one of them has to be correct before the 30 question general knowledge section opens, so a single missed sign ends the attempt whatever the rest of the paper would have scored. Clear the gate and the second section is graded at 80 percent, 24 of 30, which brings the whole exam to 34 of 40 correct. The retake rules then split by age in a way few states match: applicants 18 and older can sit the test once per day, applicants under 18 wait 15 days between attempts, and anyone who fails three times must complete a Virginia approved driver training program before another attempt. The permit is available at 15 years and 6 months and a license no earlier than 16 years and 3 months, with 45 certified hours of practice driving including 15 after sunset for applicants under 18.
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.
Source: Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, verified 2026-08-27
What the process looks like.
The knowledge test is written from the Code of Virginia. 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.
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.
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.