What's on the test
The questions come from the West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook. They cover these areas; each links to free practice questions on it:
- Signs, signals & markingsSign shapes and colors, work zones, railroads, traffic lights and road lines.
- Traffic lawsSpeed limits, turns, parking, passing, right-of-way and school buses.
- Interstates & emergenciesMerging, exits and breakdowns, then blowouts, skids, brake failure and crashes.
- Defensive drivingBad habits, light, rain, floods, snow and fog, fatigue, seat belts and air bags.
- Sharing the roadNight driving, motorcycles, trucks and the No-Zone, horses and bicycles.
- Licenses, tests & alcoholDocuments, GDL levels, the tests, insurance, points, DUI and implied consent.
A study plan in five steps
Read the West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook
Everything on the test is in it. Read it chapter by chapter, slowly, and come back to the parts you find hard:
- Licenses, Documents and New Residents
- Permits and the Graduated Driver's License
- Driver Responsibilities, Insurance and Points
- Alcohol, Drugs and Drowsy Driving
- The Vision, Knowledge and Road Tests
- Sign Shapes, Regulatory, Warning and Guide Signs
- Railroad Crossings, Signals and Pavement Markings
- Speed, Signals, Turns and Parking
- Passing, Right-of-Way, Pedestrians and School Buses
- Headlights and Sharing the Road
- Driving on Interstates
- Defensive Driving, Weather and Safety Equipment
- Emergencies, Crashes and First Aid
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, 19 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 learner's permit at 15
The Level 1 GDL instruction permit is open from age 15, after a vision screening and the knowledge test, with a parent or legal guardian's written consent. (West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p. 9)
25 questions, 19 to pass
The knowledge test has at least 25 questions on traffic rules, signs and markings from the handbook. Get 19 of 25 right before the timer runs out. (West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p. 24)
Six clean months and 50 hours
To move up to a Level 2 intermediate license at 16 you need 180 days on the permit without a conviction and 50 logged hours (10 after dark), or an approved driver's education course. (West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p. 10)
Night and passenger limits
Level 2 drivers need a licensed adult 21 or older with them from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. (work, school, religious and emergency trips excepted) and carry no unrelated passengers under 20 for six months, then one. (West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p. 10–11)
No phone at all under 18
Drivers under 18 may not use a phone or other wireless device while driving except to call 9-1-1. Everyone else may use one only hands-free. (West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p. 11)
Zero tolerance under 21
Under 21, any measurable alcohol costs you your license. Drivers 21 and older are presumed under the influence at 0.08 percent, and refusing the breath test means losing your license for at least a year. (West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p. 21–22)
More answers: West Virginia permit test FAQ. Applying for the first time? How to get your West Virginia permit.
This guide is a free study aid, not the official test. Rules and fees can change: always check the current West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook and the West Virginia 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 10 higher.