Virginia written test: 34 of 40, retakes split by age

Virginia's exam is 40 questions in two parts, and the parts are not scored together. The first 10 are road sign questions and every one of them must be correct before the 30 question general knowledge section opens, so one missed sign ends the attempt whatever the rest of the paper would have scored. The general section is then graded at 80 percent, 24 of 30, which brings the full exam to 34 of 40 correct. The Virginia DMV publishes both parts on its knowledge exam page, and this is a genuine gate rather than a weighting, so a strong general score cannot rescue a missed sign.

Virginia rations attempts by age. Applicants 18 and older can sit the knowledge exam once per day, applicants under 18 must wait 15 days between attempts, and anyone who fails three times must complete a Virginia approved driver training program before testing again. The permit is available at 15 years and 6 months and a driver's license 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 60 days or complete an approved course instead, and from 1 January 2027 applicants aged 18 to 20 must do both.