What's on the test
The questions come from the Kentucky Driver Manual. They cover these areas; each links to free practice questions on it:
- Signs, signals & markingsRight of way, traffic lights, warning, work zone and railroad signs, lane lines.
- Turns, parking & passingSteering, turnabouts, intersections, school buses, parking, lanes and passing.
- Sharing the roadPedestrians, bicyclists, motorcycles, trucks, emergency vehicles and ATVs.
- Space, emergencies & nightSpeed limits, following distance, skids, breakdowns, night and trailers.
- Alcohol, distractions & seat beltsFatigue, distractions, road rage, DUI law, seat belts, air bags and child seats.
- Permits & licensesThe learner's permit, intermediate license, tests, points and insurance.
A study plan in five steps
Read the Kentucky Driver Manual
Everything on the test is in it. Read it chapter by chapter, slowly, and come back to the parts you find hard:
- The Driver's License: Licenses, Permits and Tests
- The Driver's License: Moving, Renewal and Loss of Privileges
- General Information
- Be in Shape to Drive
- Before You Drive
- Basic Driving
- Rules of the Road: Right of Way and Traffic Signals
- Rules of the Road: Signs and Pavement Markings
- General Driving: Turns, Intersections, School Buses and Parking
- General Driving: Lanes, Highways and Passing
- Safe Driving Tips
- Emergency Situations and Avoiding Crashes
- Sharing the Road
- Special Driving Situations
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: 40 questions, 32 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 at 15
At 15 you can take the vision and written knowledge tests with the Kentucky State Police; under 18, a parent or legal guardian signs your application. (Kentucky Driver Manual, p. 4–5)
180 days and 60 hours
Teens keep the learner's permit for at least 180 days and log 60 hours of practice, 10 of them at night, before the road test. (Kentucky Driver Manual, p. 5)
Intermediate license at 16
After 180 days on the permit and once you are 16, a road test earns the intermediate license; 180 more days, age 17 and a 4-hour driver education course lead to a full license. (Kentucky Transportation Cabinet: Graduated Driver Licensing Program)
No driving midnight to 6 a.m.
Teen permit and intermediate drivers stay off the road between midnight and 6 a.m. without good cause, and under 18 may carry only one unrelated passenger younger than 20. (Kentucky Driver Manual, p. 5–7)
Four-second following gap
Kentucky teaches at least four seconds between you and the vehicle ahead, with more at night, in bad weather and behind trucks or motorcycles. (Kentucky Driver Manual, p. 51)
Stop for school and church buses
Traffic from both directions stops for a stopped school or church bus; only the opposite direction of a divided road with four or more lanes may keep going. (Kentucky Driver Manual, p. 44)
More answers: Kentucky permit test FAQ. Applying for the first time? How to get your Kentucky permit.
This guide is a free study aid, not the official test. Rules and fees can change: always check the current Kentucky Driver Manual and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Driver Licensing 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 8 higher.