How many questions can you miss on the permit test?

By the Permito team · Facts checked against the Pennsylvania, Florida, New York, Virginia, Georgia, Washington, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine and Oregon agency pages and North Carolina rule 19A NCAC 03B .0201 · Updated November 10, 2026 · Sources checked November 10, 2026 · How we check facts

How do you work out how many questions you can miss?

Subtract the number of correct answers the state requires from the number of questions on the test. Connecticut gives a 25-question test and requires at least 20 correct answers, so you can miss 5 (Connecticut DMV). Some agencies publish the count and some a percentage. With a percentage, multiply it by the number of questions: Florida’s page says to answer 40 of 50 questions correctly, which is 80 percent, so the room for error is 10 (Palm Beach County Tax Collector).

We use only what an agency publishes. North Carolina’s rule sets a percentage for the knowledge test but does not state how many questions it has, so we give no count of misses for it and do not guess one (N.C. rule 19A NCAC 03B .0201). Pass marks by state, where the agencies publish them, are in the Questions and pass mark by state, with sources.

How many questions can you miss in each state?

Here are ten states where we could read both the number of questions and the number of correct answers needed on a government page at our latest check, dated under Sources. Pennsylvania has the least room, and Florida and Georgia the most.

The table lists only the states we confirmed on the date given under Sources. See the Permit test by state for every state.

Why can a percentage mislead you?

The same percentage means a different number of misses on a different test. Florida needs 40 of 50 correct, Washington 32 of 40, Maine 24 of 30 and Connecticut 20 of 25. Each is an 80 percent score, and the room for error is 10, 8, 6 and 5 questions (Palm Beach County Tax Collector) (Washington DOL) (Maine BMV) (Connecticut DMV).

A short test also makes each question weigh more. Pennsylvania asks for 15 of 18, or 83%, so one wrong answer costs about 5.6 points there, against 2 points on Florida’s 50 questions (PA Driver’s Manual) (Palm Beach County Tax Collector). A higher percentage on a short test can leave you with fewer misses than a lower one on a long test: Pennsylvania allows 3, Florida 10.

A percentage can also hide the parts. Virginia’s 80 percent applies to the 30 general questions only, and all 10 sign questions must be right, so you need 34 of 40 in all (Virginia DMV). Georgia needs 30 of 40 correct, but 15 of 20 in each part, so a split of 16 and 14 fails (Georgia DDS).

Which states score parts of the test separately?

Virginia, Georgia, New York and North Carolina each set a minimum for road signs (Virginia DMV) (Georgia DDS) (NY DMV Driver’s Manual) (N.C. rule 19A NCAC 03B .0201). The full rules are in our guide to Do you have to get every road sign question right on the permit test?. For misses, the short version is:

• Virginia: none of the 10 sign questions, and up to 6 of the 30 general questions (Virginia DMV).
• Georgia: up to 5 misses on the signs test and up to 5 on road rules (Georgia DDS).
• New York: up to 6 of 20, but at least 2 of the 4 sign questions must be right, so at most 2 of your misses can be signs (NY DMV Driver’s Manual).
• North Carolina: up to 3 of the 12 road signs for a Class C license; the knowledge test needs 80 percent of its questions right (N.C. rule 19A NCAC 03B .0201).

In these states, a good total does not cover a weak signs section.

How should you use the number when you practice?

Treat it as a floor, not a target. Take full-length practice tests in your own state’s format and aim to finish well above the minimum, so one confusing question does not decide the result. In a state with a separate sign minimum, track your sign score and your rules score on their own. Practice tests are on our state pages: Pennsylvania practice test: ten questions with explanations, Florida practice test: ten questions with explanations, New York practice test: ten questions with explanations and Virginia practice test: ten questions with explanations. Handbooks that differ from the law are covered in What if the driver handbook and the law disagree?.

What happens if you miss one question too many?

Retake rules are set by each agency. In Pennsylvania you may retake the knowledge test the following business day (PA Driver’s Manual). In Virginia, an applicant under 18 must wait a full 15 days, and anyone who fails three times must complete the classroom part of a Virginia-approved driver training program before trying again (Virginia DMV). Check your own state’s page for its waiting time before you book.

The bottom line

Subtract the correct answers your state requires from the questions on its test: 3 in Pennsylvania, 6 in New York and 10 in Florida (PA Driver’s Manual) (NY DMV Driver’s Manual) (Palm Beach County Tax Collector). Then check whether your state also scores signs or another part on its own, because there the total is not the whole rule.

Related guides

• Do you have to get every road sign question right on the permit test?
• What if the driver handbook and the law disagree?
• Can you take the Florida permit test in Spanish?

Keep going

• Pennsylvania permit test guide: question count, pass mark and state rules
• Pennsylvania practice test: ten questions with explanations
• Florida permit test guide: question count, pass mark and state rules
• Florida practice test: ten questions with explanations
• New York permit test guide: question count, pass mark and state rules
• New York practice test: ten questions with explanations
• Virginia permit test guide: question count, pass mark and state rules
• Virginia practice test: ten questions with explanations
• Permit test by state
• Questions and pass mark by state, with sources
• All permit test guides

Sources

Sources checked on November 10, 2026.

1. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Driver and Vehicle Services: Online Driver’s Manual, Chapter 1: Testing (web edition, read November 10, 2026).
2. Palm Beach County Tax Collector: Knowledge Exam (web page, read November 10, 2026).
3. New York State Department of Motor Vehicles: Driver’s Manual, Chapter 1: Driver Licenses (web edition, read November 10, 2026).
4. Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles: The Knowledge Exam (web page, read November 10, 2026).
5. Georgia Department of Driver Services: Section 3: Testing Information (DDS Driver’s Manual) (DDS Driver’s Manual 2023-2024, web edition read November 10, 2026).
6. North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings (N.C. Administrative Code): 19A NCAC 03B .0201, Driver’s License Examination and Online Renewal (readopted effective November 1, 2021).
7. Washington State Department of Licensing: Do I need to take a test? (web page, read November 10, 2026).
8. Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles: Take the Knowledge and Vision Test (web page, read November 10, 2026).
9. Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles: Written Test (sample test page) (web page, read November 10, 2026).
10. Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles: Drivers License Exam (web page, read November 10, 2026).
11. Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (ODOT): Oregon Driver Manual: Knowledge Tests (web page, read November 10, 2026).

Rules change. Check your state’s official handbook before your test. Permito is a private study app, not affiliated with any DMV or government agency. Found a mistake? Write to support@permito.app and we will check it against the source. How we check facts.