PermitoPennsylvania permit test
The Pennsylvania knowledge test has 18 questions and you need 15 correct to pass (83%). Source: pa.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
Test facts
| What | Number | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Questions on the test | 18 | pa.gov | |
| Pass mark | 83% (15 of 18 correct) | pa.gov |
Some practice sites list a pass mark of 84%. The agency’s published pass mark is 83%. Source: pa.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
Pennsylvania laws and handbook points
Points from Pennsylvania law and the Pennsylvania driver handbook, each taken from one of our Pennsylvania practice questions with its source. Practice material, not the state test.
Permits and graduated licensing
A driver under 18 was suspended once for 90 days and later reaches six points again. How long is the second suspension?
Answer: 120 days, longer than the first. The first suspension of a driver under 18 for points or extreme speeding is 90 days, and any later one lasts 120 days. The longer period is meant to discourage repeats.
Other choices: 90 days again, the same as before. The second suspension is longer, to discourage repeat violations. 180 days, half a year. The law sets 120 days for repeats, so 180 is too long.
Sources: Driver handbook, Chapter 4: Driving Record Information.
Alcohol and drugs
After several drinks, a driver has two cups of coffee and a cold shower, then says he is sober. What is true?
Answer: Only time lowers his BAC, so he is still impaired. Only time sobers a person up. Coffee, caffeine drinks, and cold showers can make someone feel more awake, but a tired and impaired driver is still unsafe behind the wheel.
Other choices: Coffee lowers BAC within minutes. Caffeine may keep him awake, but it does not change the alcohol in his blood. A cold shower removes alcohol through the skin. A shower wakes you up, and the liver alone processes alcohol over time.
Insurance
Which offense can lead to a suspension or revocation of a license?
Answer: Reckless driving. Reckless driving, racing, DUI, and hit-and-run can all cost you your license. Driving while already suspended does too, but a parking ticket does not.
Other choices: Driving with a dirty windshield. A dirty windshield can be fined, but it does not suspend a license. Forgetting a turn signal once. A signal violation may cost points but not a suspension.
Sources: Driver handbook, Chapter 4: Driving Record Information.
Speed and following distance
You follow a delivery van on a dry highway. How much space should you leave to steer or brake around a hazard?
Answer: A gap of four seconds. Keep a four second following distance on a dry highway. This gives you time to steer or brake without a panic stop that could cause a driver behind you to crash.
Other choices: A gap of two seconds, as in New York. Two seconds is shorter than the four-second gap Pennsylvania teaches for highway speeds. A gap of six seconds, only for trucks. Six seconds is closer to the wet road advice, and cars need four on dry roads.
Parking
Which pair of parking distances is correct?
Answer: Hydrant 15 feet, railroad crossing 50 feet. Keep 15 feet from a fire hydrant, but 50 feet from the closest rail at a railroad crossing. Crossings need extra room because trains cannot stop quickly.
Other choices: Hydrant 20 feet, railroad crossing 100 feet. These figures are too large and belong to other rules. Hydrant 30 feet, railroad crossing 10 feet. The numbers are swapped and placed on the wrong objects.
Sources: 75 Pa.C.S. 3353; Driver handbook, Chapter 3: Learning to Drive.
Right of way
Who goes first at the entrance of a roundabout?
Answer: Cars already circling inside it. A driver entering a roundabout yields to vehicles already in the circle, and traffic moves counterclockwise. Failing to yield at the entry is the most frequent cause of roundabout crashes.
Other choices: Whichever car is larger or faster. Size and speed give no priority at a yield line. Cars waiting at the yield line to enter. The entering driver yields, so the circle is not stopped for you.
Sharing the road
A car sits in a traffic lane with its hazard flashers on and a caution triangle behind it. Does the Move Over law apply?
Answer: Yes, it shows two of the required signals. The Move Over law covers a disabled vehicle that shows at least two of these: hazard flashers, caution signs, or road flares. Drivers should move away from it or slow down.
Other choices: No, the law covers only police and fire vehicles. Disabled vehicles and tow crews are covered, as well as emergency vehicles. Yes, but only if flares are lit. Flares are one choice among three; any two markings are enough.
Sources: 75 Pa.C.S. 3327; Driver handbook, Chapter 3: Learning to Drive.
Emergencies
Dense fog covers a country road, and you can barely see the white line. You are already driving. What should you do?
Answer: Pull completely off the road and park with hazard lights on. Do not start a trip in fog so dense you cannot see. If caught in it, pull completely off the road, preferably into a parking lot, turn on hazard lights, and keep your seat belt fastened.
Other choices: Stop in the lane and turn off the lights. An unlit car in the lane could be hit by someone who cannot see it. Drive on slowly with high beams on. High beams reflect off the fog and make seeing harder.
Turns and lanes
You turn left from a side street onto a major road. About how large a gap should you allow from traffic on the right?
Answer: About 9 seconds. When turning left from a side street onto a major road, allow a gap of about 9 seconds from vehicles approaching from the right. The turn is slow and crosses lanes, so a short gap is risky.
Other choices: About 15 seconds. Fifteen seconds is more than the manual suggests. About 5 seconds. Five seconds is too short for a turn that crosses several lanes.
Pavement markings
A center lane has a solid yellow line on the outside and a broken yellow line on the inside. How may you use it?
Answer: Only for left turns, both ways. A center lane with a solid outer line and a broken inner line is for left turns only, for traffic in both directions. Enter it close to your turn, since a long stay raises the risk of a head-on crash.
Other choices: To park for a short stop. Stopping there blocks drivers who are waiting to turn. To drive in when traffic is heavy. It is not a through lane, even when other lanes are slow.
- Questions in this list were last updated .
What the Pennsylvania question bank covers
Questions in Permito’s Pennsylvania bank, by topic. The counts describe the bank, not the state test.
| Topic | Questions in the bank |
|---|---|
| Road signs | 359 |
| Sharing the road | 64 |
| Safe driving | 63 |
| Right of way | 55 |
| Alcohol and drugs | 52 |
| Speed and following distance | 52 |
| Emergencies | 42 |
| Traffic signals | 42 |
| Permits and graduated licensing | 41 |
| Turns and lanes | 36 |
| Pavement markings | 33 |
| Parking | 28 |
| Insurance | 17 |
Where these numbers come from
Each number was read on the agency page linked beside it. The count of correct answers is the agency’s percentage, rounded up.
Practice
- Try the Pennsylvania practice questions. Questions with the answer, the explanation and the source.
- Compare all states
Road signs
Sign questions are part of the Pennsylvania bank too. The road sign reference shows every sign Permito teaches, with its name and what it means. See all road signs.
Common questions
How many questions are on the Pennsylvania permit test?
The test has 18 questions. Source: pa.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
What score do I need to pass the Pennsylvania permit test?
You need 15 correct answers out of 18, which is 83%. Source: pa.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
Why do some websites show different numbers?
Some practice sites list a pass mark of 84%. The agency’s published pass mark is 83%. Source: pa.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the agency page at pa.gov, which we checked on October 17, 2026. Permito is not part of any government agency.
Are the practice questions on Permito from the Pennsylvania test?
No. They are our own practice questions, written from the Pennsylvania driver handbook and vehicle code. Permito is not affiliated with any DMV or government agency.
A teen received a learner's permit and has not yet taken the road test. How long does the permit stay valid?
One year from the issue date. A learner's permit is valid for one year from the day it is issued. If it runs out before the driver passes the road test, an extension application is needed. Sources: 75 Pa.C.S. 1505; Driver handbook, Chapter 1: Non-Commercial Learner's Permit Information.
After a DUI arrest, a driver says only a signed form can make him take a blood test. Is he right?
He is wrong, since the license already carries consent. Pennsylvania drivers give implied consent to chemical testing when they get a license. Saying no after a DUI arrest is a refusal, which brings a suspension even without a conviction. Sources: 75 Pa.C.S. 1547; Driver handbook, Chapter 4: Driving Record Information.
You hit a parked car and cannot find the owner. What should you do?
Leave a note with your name and phone number, and call the police. A driver who hits a parked car first looks for the owner. When none can be found, leave a note showing date, time, name, and phone, and call the police. Sources: Driver handbook, Chapter 4: Driving Record Information.
On a dark, unlit country road with low beams, what is the fastest you should go to stop in time for a hazard?
At most 45 mph on low beams. Low beams light about 250 feet, but stopping from 55 mph takes more than that. Driving faster than you can stop inside your light is called overdriving, so stay at or below 45 mph. Sources: Driver handbook, Chapter 3: Learning to Drive.
A driver leaves a car on the street side of a parked delivery truck. What is this called?
Double parking, which is not allowed. Parking on the roadway side of a car already stopped or parked at the curb is double parking and is illegal. It also blocks traffic and hides drivers from each other. Sources: 75 Pa.C.S. 3353; Driver handbook, Chapter 3: Learning to Drive.
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