What's on the test
The questions come from the Pennsylvania 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, and pavement markings.
- Rules of the roadTurns, intersections, right-of-way, curves, highways and parking.
- Sharing the road & emergenciesWork zones, railroads, pedestrians, bikes, trucks, school buses and emergencies.
- Space, speed & conditionsFollowing distance, scanning, speed limits, night and bad weather.
- Safe driving, alcohol & lawsDistractions, health, alcohol and drugs, seat belts, child seats and texting.
- Permits, points & penaltiesLearner's permit, junior license rules, points, police stops and DUI penalties.
A study plan in five steps
Read the Pennsylvania 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:
- Learner's Permit and Tests
- Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings
- Driver Factors
- Managing Space and Speed
- Turns, Intersections, Highways and Parking
- Special Circumstances and Emergencies
- Driving Record Information
- Laws and Related Issues
- References
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: 18 questions, 15 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
What's on the test
18 multiple-choice questions on traffic signs, Pennsylvania driving laws and safe driving practices. You need 15 right to pass. (Pennsylvania Driver's Manual, p. 5)
When you can start
You can apply for a learner's permit from your 16th birthday, with a health exam done no more than six months before it. (Pennsylvania Driver's Manual, p. 1)
Practice before the road test
Drivers under 18 hold the permit for six months and log 65 supervised hours, including 10 at night and 5 in bad weather. (Pennsylvania Driver's Manual, p. 2)
Junior license limits
No driving from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. without a parent, and limits on passengers under 18 who aren't family. (Pennsylvania Driver's Manual, p. 3)
Following distance
Pennsylvania teaches a 4-second following distance on dry roads, and more in rain, snow or behind trucks. (Pennsylvania Driver's Manual, p. 35)
School buses
Stop at least 10 feet away when a school bus shows red lights and its stop arm, unless you're across a divided highway. (Pennsylvania Driver's Manual, p. 58)
More answers: Pennsylvania permit test FAQ. Applying for the first time? How to get your Pennsylvania permit.
This guide is a free study aid, not the official test. Rules and fees can change: always check the current Pennsylvania Driver's Manual and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) 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 4 higher.