What's on the test
The questions come from the Colorado Driver Handbook. They cover these areas; each links to free practice questions on it:
- Signs, signals & markingsTraffic lights, HAWK signals, sign shapes and colors, lane lines and crosswalks.
- Rules of the roadRight-of-way, roundabouts, speed limits, turns, signals and parking.
- Freeways, mountains & weatherMerging, passing, headlights, snow and ice, mountain roads and work zones.
- Sharing the roadFollowing distance, school buses, trucks, trains, bicycles and pedestrians.
- Alcohol, safety & emergenciesDUI and DWAI, seat belts, your vehicle, aggressive driving and crashes.
- Permits & licensesThe written test, the instruction permit, practice hours and teen limits.
A study plan in five steps
Read the Colorado Driver Handbook
Everything on the test is in it. Read it chapter by chapter, slowly, and come back to the parts you find hard:
- Getting a Driver License and Minor Drivers
- Losing Your License, Seat Belts and Impaired Driving
- Your Vehicle and Basic Driving
- Traffic Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings
- Lane Controls and Right-of-Way
- Speed, Turning and Parking
- Freeways, Passing, Night Driving and Weather
- Snow, Mountains, Rural Roads and Work Zones
- Following Distance, Merging and Traffic Stops
- Sharing the Road
- Aggressive Driving, Emergencies and Crashes
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: 25 questions, 20 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
Permit from age 15
You can get an instruction permit from 15 once you pass the written test; a licensed driver aged 21 or older must sit in the front passenger seat whenever you practice. (Colorado DMV: Permits and First-Time Driver License)
A year with the permit
Teens hold the permit for 12 months (or until they turn 18, if that comes first) and turn in a signed log of 50 driving hours, 10 of them at night. (Colorado DMV: Permits and First-Time Driver License)
Three seconds behind
In normal conditions, Colorado teaches a three-second gap to the vehicle ahead, and more in bad weather, heavy traffic or at night. (Colorado Driver Handbook, p. 18–19)
Three feet for bicycles
Give a bicyclist at least three feet when you pass, on every road; you may briefly cross a solid or double yellow line to do so when no one is coming. (Colorado Driver Handbook, p. 22)
Stop 20 feet from a school bus
When a school bus flashes its red lights, stop at least 20 feet away; on a divided highway with a median, only traffic behind the bus must stop. (Colorado Driver Handbook, p. 20)
DWAI starts low
Colorado can convict a driver of DWAI when they are impaired even to the slightest degree; drivers under 21 can lose their license above 0.02 BAC. (Colorado Driver Handbook, p. 3)
More answers: Colorado permit test FAQ. Applying for the first time? How to get your Colorado permit.
This guide is a free study aid, not the official test. Rules and fees can change: always check the current Colorado Driver Handbook and the Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) 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 3 higher.