What's on the test
The questions come from the Montana Driver Manual. They cover these areas; each links to free practice questions on it:
- Signs, signals & markingsSign shapes and colors, work and school zones, lights, roundabouts, lane lines.
- Right-of-way, turns & parkingSpeed limits, passing, turns, who goes first, school buses, bicyclists, parking.
- Seeing & signalingDistractions, scanning, blind spots, night driving, the horn and turn signals.
- Speed, space & road conditionsGravel, ice and wildlife, following distance, merging, passing, slow vehicles.
- Alcohol, health & emergenciesVision, fatigue, alcohol and drugs, vehicle failures, crashes and police stops.
- Licenses, equipment & insurancePermits and the graduated license, required equipment, seat belts and insurance.
A study plan in five steps
Read the Montana 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 License
- Motor Vehicle Equipment
- Signs, Work Zones and School Zones
- Signals, Roundabouts, Railroads and Markings
- Speed, Passing, Turns and Right-of-Way
- Funerals, Bicyclists, Parking and Insurance
- Distractions, Seeing and Communicating
- Adjusting Speed and Sharing Space
- Physical Requirements
- Emergencies, Crashes and Enforcement Stops
- Penalties and Driving Records
- Other Services
- Drowsy Driving and Railroad Emergencies
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: 33 questions, 27 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 permit from 14½
Teens in a state-approved traffic education program can get a learner permit at 14½. At a driver exam station the youngest age is 15 with traffic education, or 16 without it. (Montana Driver Manual, p. 8)
6 months and 50 hours
Under 18, hold the permit for at least six months and log 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night, before the first-year restricted license. (Montana Driver Manual, p. 7–8)
Home by 11 p.m.
On a first-year restricted license you may not drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., except for emergencies, farm work, school, church, work or a purpose your parent approves. (Montana Driver Manual, p. 8)
One teen passenger, then three
Unless a licensed adult rides along, the first six months allow one unrelated passenger under 18, and the next six months allow three. (Montana Driver Manual, p. 8)
Every seat belted
Montana makes the driver responsible for buckling up every person in the car. Children up to age 6 and 60 pounds ride in a child safety seat. (Montana Driver Manual, p. 19–20)
20/40 vision
Before any license you pass a vision test showing at least 20/40 in one eye or better, with glasses or contacts if you need them. (Montana Driver Manual, p. 70)
More answers: Montana permit test FAQ. Applying for the first time? How to get your Montana permit.
This guide is a free study aid, not the official test. Rules and fees can change: always check the current Montana Driver Manual and the Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) 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 10 higher.