# Permit test pass rate by state

> Source: https://drivings.com/us/theory-test-pass-rates
> Permit test pass rates are not published as one comparable national figure; this guide separates scoped state evidence from historical federal test profiles for all 50 states and DC.
> Region: United States (en-US)
> Last updated: 2026-07-13

## Is there a national permit test pass rate?

No. Each state and DC administers its own DMV knowledge exam, and public reporting uses different years, applicant groups and counting methods. All 51 jurisdictions have a test profile in the cited federal study, but only 26 have a published pass-rate figure in the evidence collected here. A state may count every written-test attempt, first attempts only, selected age groups or a single part of the exam.

That means the available rates should not be combined into a national ranking. Before comparing two results, check the year, applicant group, test type and whether the denominator is people or attempts. Passing scores, numbers of questions, languages, test times and retest rules also differ by state and can change.

## Scoped official state figures

| State | Period | Published pass rate | Scope | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Arizona | 1991 | 78% | standard written applicants | Arizona DOT |
| District of Columbia | FY 2015/16 | 51% | real id learners | DC Council / DC DMV |
| Florida | FY 2016/17 | 64.04% | first attempt class e | FLHSMV |
| Georgia | 2022 | 68.02% | road rules only | Georgia DDS |
| New Jersey | 2022 | 50% (upper bound) | all knowledge tests | New Jersey MVC |
| North Carolina | FY 2012/13 | 67% | driver education students | North Carolina General Assembly |
| Oregon | 2025 | 42% | all attempts | Oregon DMV |

These results are displayed with their original scope. A rate for driver-education students is not interchangeable with a rate across all knowledge-test attempts, and a figure derived from a published failure rate remains tied to that source's applicant group.

## Oregon annual knowledge-test results

Oregon publishes the most complete recent annual series in this dataset. It counts Class C test attempts, not unique applicants or first attempts. The English-language result is shown separately because changes in the mix of test languages can move the overall rate.

| Year | Test attempts | Overall pass rate | English pass rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2019 | 250,499 | 66% | 65% |
| 2020 | 175,826 | 66% | 67% |
| 2021 | 270,601 | 54% | 60% |
| 2022 | 199,605 | 45% | 51% |
| 2023 | 227,066 | 41% | 49% |
| 2024 | 223,227 | 40% | 50% |
| 2025 | 197,792 | 42% | 50% |

The Oregon overall rate moved from 66% in 2019 to 42% in 2025, while the English-language rate moved from 65% to 50%. This is an Oregon trend, not a result for the United States as a whole. Online testing and revised questions arrived during the series, so the years are not perfectly like for like.

## State test profiles and available rate evidence

This table keeps test-format fields beside the available rate evidence so a number is not separated from its state context. The profiles reproduce the cited NHTSA study and are historical, not current DMV requirements; check the state agency before taking a test.

| State | Questions | Passing score | Test time | Retest wait | Available rate evidence |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Alabama | 30 | 80% | 18 min | Same day | No rate in the cited sources |
| Alaska | 20 | 80% | 25 min | 1 day | No rate in the cited sources |
| Arizona | 30 | 80% | 25 min | 1 day | 78% (1991, standard written applicants) |
| Arkansas | 25 | 80% | 25 min | 1 day | 53.4% (2007, historical) |
| California | 46 | 85% | 30 min | 7 days | 57.3% (2005, historical) |
| Colorado | 25 | 80% | 23 min | 0.5 days | 68.2% (2007, historical) |
| Connecticut | 16 | 75% | 18 min | 7 days | 70% (year not stated, historical) |
| Delaware | 30 | 80% | 40 min | 7 days | No rate in the cited sources |
| District of Columbia | 20 | 75% | 20 min | 1 day | 51% (FY 2015/16, real id learners) |
| Florida | 20 | 75% | 13 min | 0.5 days | 64.04% (FY 2016/17, first attempt class e) |
| Georgia | 20 | 75% | Not stated | 1 day | 68.02% (2022, road rules only) |
| Hawaii | 30 | 80% | 30 min | 7 days | No rate in the cited sources |
| Idaho | 40 | 85% | 25 min | 3 days | No rate in the cited sources |
| Illinois | 35 | 80% | 13 min | 1 day | 91.8% (2007, historical) |
| Indiana | 50 | 80% | 45 min | Not stated | No rate in the cited sources |
| Iowa | 35 | 80% | 25 min | Same day | No rate in the cited sources |
| Kansas | 25 | 80% | 18 min | 1 day | No rate in the cited sources |
| Kentucky | 30 | 80% | 30 min | 1 day | 70% (2007, historical) |
| Louisiana | 30 | 80% | 13 min | 1 day | No rate in the cited sources |
| Maine | 20 | 80% | 25 min | Same day | 65% (year not stated, historical) |
| Maryland | 20 | 85% | 10 min | 1 day | 47.3% (2007, historical) |
| Massachusetts | 20 | 70% | 25 min | Same day | 80% (2007, historical) |
| Michigan | 80 | 70% | 75 min | 1 day | No rate in the cited sources |
| Minnesota | 40 | 80% | 18 min | 1 day | 54% (2007, historical) |
| Mississippi | 20 | 80% | 35 min | 1 day | 40% (year not stated, historical) |
| Missouri | 25 | 80% | 15 min | Not stated | 38.6% (2007, historical) |
| Montana | 33 | 81% | 20 min | Not stated | No rate in the cited sources |
| Nebraska | 25 | 80% | 10 min | 1 day | 50% (2007, historical) |
| Nevada | 50 | 80% | Not stated | Same day | 58.4% (2006, historical) |
| New Hampshire | 30 | 80% | 30 min | 10 days | 75% (2007–2008, historical) |
| New Jersey | 50 | 80% | 35 min | Not stated | 50% (2022, all knowledge tests) |
| New Mexico | 25 | 75% | Not stated | Not stated | No rate in the cited sources |
| New York | 20 | 70% | Not stated | 1 day | 77.5% (2007, historical) |
| North Carolina | 25 | 80% | 25 min | 1 day | 67% (FY 2012/13, driver education students) |
| North Dakota | 25 | 80% | 25 min | 1 day | No rate in the cited sources |
| Ohio | 40 | 75% | 25 min | 1 day | No rate in the cited sources |
| Oklahoma | 20 | 75% | 25 min | 1 day | No rate in the cited sources |
| Oregon | 35 | 80% | 16 min | 1 day | 42% (2025, all attempts) |
| Pennsylvania | 18 | 83% | 15 min | 1 day | No rate in the cited sources |
| Rhode Island | Not stated | Not stated | 25 min | Not stated | No rate in the cited sources |
| South Carolina | 30 | 80% | 35 min | 1 day | No rate in the cited sources |
| South Dakota | 25 | 80% | 10 min | 1 day | No rate in the cited sources |
| Tennessee | 30 | 80% | 45 min | 7 days | 50% (year not stated, historical) |
| Texas | 30 | 70% | 15 min | Not stated | No rate in the cited sources |
| Utah | 50 | 80% | 30 min | 0.5 days | No rate in the cited sources |
| Vermont | 20 | 80% | 10 min | 1 day | 70% (year not stated, historical) |
| Virginia | 25 | 80% | Not stated | 15 days | No rate in the cited sources |
| Washington | 25 | 80% | 25 min | 0.5 days | No rate in the cited sources |
| West Virginia | 25 | 76% | 18 min | 7 days | No rate in the cited sources |
| Wisconsin | Not stated | Not stated | 45 min | Not stated | 71.7% (2007, historical) |
| Wyoming | 25 | 80% | 23 min | 0.5 days | No rate in the cited sources |

## Preparing for a state DMV written test

Start with the current driver manual for the state where you are applying. Confirm the number of questions, passing score, identification requirements, appointment rules, available languages and wait after a failed attempt on the official DMV website. Do not rely on another state's test format.

Use practice tests to find weak topics such as road signs, right of way, speed limits, safe following distance and sharing the road. Review why each answer is right instead of memorizing a sequence. Read every question and all answer choices carefully on test day; wording can differ from a practice set even when the underlying rule is the same.

## Evidence limits

The nationwide test profiles and historical rates come from an NHTSA study using information collected mainly in 2007–08. They are useful historical evidence, not current DMV requirements. The additional state publications use their own periods and populations. A missing rate means the cited sources did not provide one; it does not mean nobody passed or failed.

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