What's on the test
The questions come from the Maryland Driver's Manual. They cover these areas; each links to free practice questions on it:
- Signs, signals & markingsSign colors and shapes, traffic and lane-use signals, and pavement lines.
- Right-of-way & passingWho goes first, speed, following distance, turns, U-turns, passing and parking.
- Weather, highways & work zonesHeadlights, fog, snow, skids, railroad crossings, roundabouts and interstates.
- Sharing the roadPedestrians, emergency vehicles, trucks, school buses, motorcycles and bicycles.
- Alcohol, distractions & crashesBAC limits, phones, drowsy driving, crashes and the Move Over law.
- Permits, licenses & penaltiesThe learner's permit, provisional license limits, penalties and seat belt laws.
A study plan in five steps
Read the Maryland Driver's Manual
Everything on the test is in it. Read it chapter by chapter, slowly, and come back to the parts you find hard:
- Driving Tests Requirements
- Licensing Requirements and Process
- Basic Driving
- Signs, Signals and Pavement Markings
- Driving Situations and Conditions
- Dangerous Driving Behaviors
- Sharing the Road
- Crashes and Traffic Stops
- Other Restrictions, Violations and Penalties
- Other Important Information
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, 22 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
A 25-question test
The knowledge test is taken at an MVA location: 25 questions, with 20 minutes to finish. (Maryland Driver's Manual, p. 7)
Permit at 15 years 9 months
Learners under 25 can apply from 15 years and 9 months; under 18, a parent or guardian co-signs. (Maryland Driver's Manual, p. 9)
60 hours of practice
Under 25, log 60 supervised hours (10 of them around dark) and finish driver education before the provisional license. (Maryland Driver's Manual, p. 10)
No phone for new drivers
With a learner's permit or provisional license you may not use any phone while driving, not even hands-free, except to dial 911. (Maryland Driver's Manual, p. 47)
Three feet for bicycles
Leave a gap of at least 3 feet when you pass a bicyclist, whether in a bike lane, on the shoulder or in your lane. (Maryland Driver's Manual, p. 40)
Move over
Change lanes away from any vehicle stopped on the road with flashing lights, or slow to a safe speed if you can't. (Maryland Driver's Manual, p. 45)
More answers: Maryland permit test FAQ. Applying for the first time? How to get your Maryland permit.
This guide is a free study aid, not the official test. Rules and fees can change: always check the current Maryland Driver's Manual and the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) before your test.Page numbers are the ones printed on the handbook pages; tap one to open the official PDF at that page.