How Many Questions Are on the DMV Test?
DMV written tests range from 20 questions in a few smaller states to 50 in places like New York and Massachusetts. The federal CDL knowledge test is uniformly 30 questions per FMCSA standards, but state-issued passenger and motorcycle tests vary widely. Here is the breakdown for the standard car/Class C test in every state.
| State | Agency | Questions | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | AL DPS | 30 | 80% |
| Alaska | AK DMV | 20 | 80% |
| Arizona | AZ MVD | 30 | 80% |
| Arkansas | AR DFA | 25 | 80% |
| California | CA DMV | 36 | 83% |
| Colorado | CO DMV | 25 | 80% |
| Connecticut | CT DMV | 25 | 80% |
| Delaware | DE DMV | 30 | 80% |
| District of Columbia | DC DMV | 25 | 80% |
| Florida | FL DHSMV | 50 | 80% |
| Georgia | GA DDS | 40 | 75% |
| Hawaii | HI DOT | 30 | 80% |
| Idaho | ID ITD | 40 | 75% |
| Illinois | IL SOS | 35 | 75% |
| Indiana | IN BMV | 50 | 84% |
| Iowa | IA DOT | 35 | 80% |
| Kansas | KS DOR | 25 | 80% |
| Kentucky | KY DOT | 40 | 80% |
| Louisiana | LA OMV | 40 | 80% |
| Maine | ME BMV | 30 | 70% |
| Maryland | MD MVA | 25 | 85% |
| Massachusetts | MA RMV | 25 | 72% |
| Michigan | MI SOS | 50 | 80% |
| Minnesota | MN DPS | 40 | 80% |
| Mississippi | MS DPS | 30 | 80% |
| Missouri | MO DOR | 25 | 80% |
| Montana | MT DOJ | 33 | 80% |
| Nebraska | NE DMV | 25 | 80% |
| Nevada | NV DMV | 50 | 80% |
| New Hampshire | NH DMV | 40 | 80% |
| New Jersey | NJ MVC | 50 | 80% |
| New Mexico | NM MVD | 25 | 75% |
| New York | NY DMV | 20 | 70% |
| North Carolina | NC DMV | 25 | 80% |
| North Dakota | ND DOT | 25 | 80% |
| Ohio | OH BMV | 40 | 75% |
| Oklahoma | OK DPS | 50 | 75% |
| Oregon | OR DMV | 35 | 80% |
| Pennsylvania | PA DOT | 18 | 75% |
| Rhode Island | RI DMV | 25 | 80% |
| South Carolina | SC DMV | 30 | 80% |
| South Dakota | SD DPS | 25 | 80% |
| Tennessee | TN DOS | 30 | 70% |
| Texas | TX DPS | 30 | 80% |
| Utah | UT DPS | 25 | 80% |
| Vermont | VT DMV | 20 | 80% |
| Virginia | VA DMV | 25 | 80% |
| Washington | WA DOL | 25 | 80% |
| West Virginia | WV DMV | 25 | 75% |
| Wisconsin | WI DOT | 50 | 80% |
| Wyoming | WY DOT | 25 | 80% |
Time limits
Most states give you unlimited time on the written test, which surprises first-timers — there is no countdown clock at the testing station. A few states (notably Maryland, Connecticut) impose a 30-minute soft limit, but DMV staff rarely enforce it strictly.
Test format
All states use multiple-choice questions with 3 or 4 answer options. Most states have moved to computer-based touchscreen testing; only a handful (mostly rural counties) still use paper. Computer tests typically present questions one at a time and you can\'t go back to change earlier answers.
Topic distribution
About 40-50% of questions cover road signs, 30-40% cover rules of the road, 10-15% cover safe driving / emergencies, and 5-10% cover alcohol & drug laws. Our car practice tests mirror this distribution.