What's on the test
The questions come from the New Hampshire Driver's Manual. They cover these areas; each links to free practice questions on it:
- Signs, signals & markingsTraffic lights and arrows, sign shapes and colors, work zones and road lines.
- Traffic lawsRight-of-way, speed limits, signals, turns, roundabouts, school buses, parking.
- Defensive drivingSeat, mirrors, belts, passing, backing, curves, night and following distance.
- Emergencies & crashesSkids, blowouts, brake failure, breakdowns, crash reports and insurance.
- Sharing the roadPedestrians, bicyclists, motorcycles, trucks, emergency vehicles and work zones.
- Licenses, alcohol & phonesPractice driving, youth operator rules, fatigue, phones and impaired driving.
A study plan in five steps
Read the New Hampshire 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 in New Hampshire
- Driver's License and Non-Driver ID Information
- Dangerous Driving
- Before Driving
- Steering, Right-of-Way, Speed and Signals
- Passing, Backing, Road Conditions and Night Driving
- Traffic Signals and Signs
- Work Zone Signs and Pavement Markings
- General Driving and Parking
- Driving Safely
- Accidents and Financial Responsibility
- Driving Emergencies
- Pedestrians, Bicyclists, Motorcycles and Slow Vehicles
- Trucks, Emergency Vehicles, Police Stops and Work Zones
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
No learner's permit
New Hampshire doesn't issue permits. From 15 and a half, you may practice driving without a license as long as a parent, legal guardian or licensed responsible adult aged 25 or older rides with you. (New Hampshire Driver's Manual, p. 2)
40 questions, 32 to pass
The knowledge test is 40 multiple-choice questions on a touch screen, with 40 minutes to finish. A ninth wrong answer ends the test, and a retest is at least ten days later. (New Hampshire Driver's Manual, p. 2–3)
Driver education before 18
At 16 or 17 you need an approved driver education course: 30 classroom hours, 10 hours of driving and 6 hours of observation with a certified instructor, plus 40 logged hours with a parent or adult, 10 of them at night. (New Hampshire Driver's Manual, p. 1)
Youth Operator limits
Licenses issued at 16 to 20 are vertical Youth Operator licenses. Until 18: no driving from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m., no more passengers than belts, and for the first six months at most one non-family passenger under 25 unless an adult 25 or older rides along. (New Hampshire Driver's Manual, p. 4)
Phones and seat belts
No one may use a hand-held phone or device while driving. Under 18, even hands-free use is banned except to report an emergency. (New Hampshire Driver's Manual, p. 7–8)
Insurance isn't required, but
New Hampshire has no mandatory auto insurance law. If you cause a crash without insurance and can't pay the damages, the DMV suspends your license, and you may have to carry SR-22 insurance for years. (New Hampshire Driver's Manual, p. 32)
More answers: New Hampshire permit test FAQ. Applying for the first time? How to get your New Hampshire permit.
This guide is a free study aid, not the official test. Rules and fees can change: always check the current New Hampshire Driver's Manual and the New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division 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.