What's on the test
The questions come from the California Driver's Handbook. They cover these areas; each links to free practice questions on it:
- Signs, signals & markingsWhat every sign, signal and lane marking means.
- Rules of the roadTurns, merging, passing and right of way.
- Sharing the road & parkingPedestrians, bikes, trucks, motorcycles and parking.
- Road conditions & awarenessScanning, blind spots, night, skids, fog and floods.
- Safe driving, alcohol & phonesSteering, signals, seat belts, emergencies, alcohol and phones.
- Your license, points & insurancePermits, tests, points, insurance and registration.
A study plan in five steps
Read the California Driver's Handbook
Everything on the test is in it. Read it chapter by chapter, slowly, and come back to the parts you find hard:
- The California Driver's License
- Getting an Instruction Permit and Driver's License
- The Testing Process
- Changing, Replacing, and Renewing Your License
- An Introduction to Driving
- Lanes and Lane Markings
- Turns, Merging, and Passing
- Parking
- Electric Vehicles and Law Enforcement Stops
- Traffic Signals and Signs
- Right of Way, Roundabouts, and Pedestrians
- Sharing the Road
- Points, Suspension, and Hearings
- Awareness and Road Conditions
- Seat Belts, Speed, and Emergencies
- Alcohol and Drugs
- Financial Responsibility, Insurance, and Collisions
- Vehicle Registration Requirements
- Driver Safety
Practice one topic at a time
After each chapter, practice that topic. You see the right answer and why straight away, with the handbook page to reread.
Learn the road signs
Signs are quick points once you know them by shape and color. Study the signs one at a time, then test yourself on 20.
Fix your weak spots
Your practice results are saved on your device. Practice my weak spots builds a round from the topics you miss most.
Take the full practice exam
The full exam works like the real one: 46 questions, 38 to pass, no answers until the end. Keep going until you pass comfortably several times in a row, then review every question you missed.
Before test day
What's on the test
A multiple-choice knowledge test on what's in the California Driver's Handbook. You get three tries before you need to apply again, and you can't use the handbook or a phone during the test. (California Driver's Handbook, p. 5)
Three tests to a license
A vision test, the knowledge test and, later, a behind-the-wheel drive test with a DMV examiner. (California Driver's Handbook, p. 5)
When you can start
If you're under 18, you can apply for an instruction permit at 15½, after completing a driver education program, with a parent or guardian's signature. (California Driver's Handbook, p. 3)
Practice before the drive test
Under 18, you hold your permit for at least 6 months and practice at least 50 hours with a licensed driver aged 25 or older, including 10 hours at night. (California Driver's Handbook, p. 3)
What to bring
Proof of identity, two proofs that you live in California, your social security number (exceptions may apply) and, if your name has changed, a document showing your current name. (California Driver's Handbook, p. 2)
How to prepare
The tests are based on what's in the California Driver's Handbook, so read it, practice one topic at a time, learn the road signs, then take the full practice exam until you pass it comfortably. (California Driver's Handbook, p. 1)
More answers: California permit test FAQ. Applying for the first time? How to get your California permit.
This guide is a free study aid, not the official test. Rules and fees can change: always check the current California Driver's Handbook and the California Department of Motor Vehicles before your test.Page numbers are the ones printed on the handbook pages; tap one to open the official PDF at that page. A PDF viewer counts the cover too, so its page numbers run 6 higher.