What's on the test
The questions come from the New Jersey Driver Manual. They cover these areas; each links to free practice questions on it:
- Signs, signals & markingsTraffic and pedestrian signals, sign shapes and colors, road markings.
- Rules of the roadSpeed, passing, crosswalks, intersections, school buses and parking.
- Sharing the roadPedestrians, Safe Passing, motorcycles, trucks, mopeds, trains, horses.
- Defensive drivingFollowing distance, weather, night driving, emergencies and crashes.
- Alcohol, points & penaltiesBAC limits, DUI penalties, interlocks, the point system and driver programs.
- Permits, licenses & your carGDL steps, tests, seat belts, car checks, registration and insurance.
A study plan in five steps
Read the New Jersey 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 New Jersey Driver License System
- New Jersey Driver Testing
- Driver Responsibility
- Safe Driving Rules and Regulations
- Defensive Driving
- Drinking, Drugs, and Health
- Driver Privilege and Penalties
- Sharing the Road with Others
- Vehicle Information
- Appendix: Driver Safety (signals, signs and markings)
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: 50 questions, 40 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
50 questions, 40 to pass
The knowledge test has 50 questions (plus an organ donation survey question). You need 80 percent, 40 correct answers, to pass. (New Jersey Driver Manual, p. 30–31)
Everyone starts with GDL
Every first-time driver goes through the Graduated Driver License program: a permit, supervised practice, then a probationary license for a year before the basic license at 18 or older. (New Jersey Driver Manual, p. 14–17)
Permit at 16 or 17
At 16 you can get a special learner permit through an approved behind-the-wheel course; at 17 you can get an examination permit by passing the knowledge and vision tests. (New Jersey Driver Manual, p. 15–16)
50 practice hours
Permit holders under 21 practice at least six months with an adult supervising driver, logging at least 50 hours, 10 of them in darkness. (New Jersey Driver Manual, p. 15–16)
GDL limits
Under 21 on a permit or probationary license: no driving 11:01 p.m.–5 a.m., no phones at all, one passenger besides dependents unless a parent is along, and red decals on both plates. (New Jersey Driver Manual, p. 18–19)
Stop for pedestrians
You must come to a complete stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk and stay stopped until they've cleared your lane and the next one. (New Jersey Driver Manual, p. 66)
More answers: New Jersey permit test FAQ. Applying for the first time? How to get your New Jersey permit.
This guide is a free study aid, not the official test. Rules and fees can change: always check the current New Jersey Driver Manual and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) 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 2 higher.