What this test is. This is the official rulebook for the New York State Learner's Permit knowledge test, written in plain language so you know exactly what to expect on test day. The phone rules are built right into each setup so nothing is a surprise.
20Questions total
14Correct to pass
2 of 4Road-sign questions
NoTime limit
THE BASICS
General Test Rules (The Same Everywhere)
These four facts are true no matter where you take the test — at home or at the office.
Number of questions: There are 20 questions total on the screen.
Passing score: You must get 14 questions right to pass.
The special sign rule: 4 questions are about road signs. You must get at least 2 of those 4 right to pass.
Time limit: There is no time limit. You can take your time and read carefully.
OPTION 1
Taking the Test at Home (Online)
Who can choose this? Only people under 18 years old. If you are 18 or older, you must use Option 2.
1. The camera rule. You must use a computer with a webcam. The camera must stay turned on — it takes pictures of you during the test to make sure you are the one doing the work.
2. No cell phones or extra screens.
- Your cell phone must be turned off and placed completely across the room — not on your desk or in your lap.
- You cannot wear a smart watch (like an Apple Watch).
- You cannot use headphones or earbuds.
3. You must sit alone. No other people are allowed in the room. If the camera sees another person, or the microphone hears someone talking, the test stops and you fail.
4. No notes or books. You cannot look at the driver's manual, papers, or cheat sheets.
5. The office visit. Even after you pass at home, you still have to go to a real DMV office to show your ID papers, take an eye test, and get your permit card.
Remember — Passing the online test is only step one. You are not done until you visit the office in person for your ID check, eye test, and permit card.
OPTION 2
Taking the Test at the DMV Office
Who can choose this? Anyone, of any age, can take the test at the office.
1. Strict cell-phone rule. Before you sit down at the testing computer, your phone must be turned completely off or on silent, and hidden away inside a pocket, backpack, or bag.
Warning — If you take your phone out for any reason — even just to check the time — the computer will lock, your test will be canceled, and you will fail.
2. No electronic gear. You cannot wear any headphones, earbuds, or smartwatches while sitting at the testing station.
3. Work alone. Sit at your assigned computer booth and look only at your own screen. You cannot look at other people's screens or talk to anyone.
4. No paper items. You cannot have books, notes, or scrap paper on the desk.
FAIR CHANCE
Accommodations & Extra Time
The DMV wants everyone to have a fair chance to pass. A person with an Intellectual or Developmental Disability (IDD) has a legal right to extra help at a DMV office.
What is available:
- A quiet space — a separate room with fewer people and less noise so it is easier to focus.
- A test reader — a DMV staff member who reads the questions and answer choices out loud to you.
- Paper testing — a printed version instead of the computer or touchscreen.
- Extra time — a relaxed, unhurried environment where no one will rush you.
How to get them:
- Do not take the test at home. Readers and quiet rooms are only available in person at a DMV office.
- Bring proof of need — an IEP or 504 plan from school, or a note from a doctor or service coordinator stating the help needed (for example, "Needs a reader" or "Needs a quiet room").
- Ask right away. When you check in at the front desk, say: "I need a reasonable accommodation for the permit test due to a disability." Show your paperwork and they will set it up.
🗓️ My test appointment
Which option: Home / Office
Date:
Time:
DMV location:
✅ Test-Day Readiness Check
- I know I need 14 out of 20 right to pass, including 2 of the 4 sign questions.
- My phone is off and put away (across the room at home, or in a bag at the office).
- I am not wearing a smartwatch, headphones, or earbuds.
- No notes, books, or scrap paper are near me.
- If testing at home: my webcam is on and I am alone in a quiet room.
- I have my ID papers ready for the office visit (and know an eye test happens there).
- If I need an accommodation, I brought my paperwork and will ask at check-in.
💡 Tips for Test Day
- Slow down — there is no timer. Read each question and every choice before you pick an answer.
- Do not touch your phone. Not even to check the time. One glance can cancel the whole test.
- Study the road signs. They are their own pass/fail rule, so learn the shapes and colors until they are automatic.
FOR MENTOR USE — REVIEW THIS TOGETHER
Mentor Guide
How to use this guide with your student before test day
1. What this guide builds
It builds test-day confidence. Most permit-test stress comes from not knowing the rules — the phone policy, the passing score, what happens if something goes wrong. This guide removes the unknowns so the student can walk in calm and focus on the questions, not the procedure. The aim is a student who knows exactly what to expect before they sit down.
2. How to use it — walk through the rules together
- Read it together a few days before the test, not the morning of, so there is time for questions to surface.
- Decide Option 1 or Option 2 first (age and comfort with a webcam usually settle it), then focus only on that option's rules.
- Have the student say the phone rule back to you in their own words — it is the single most common way people fail.
- Fill in the "My test appointment" box together so the date, time, and location are locked in.
3. Reducing test anxiety
- Reassure them there is no time limit — rushing is optional, and slowing down is allowed.
- Remind them a miss is not a disaster: you only need 14 of 20, so a few wrong answers still passes.
- If they don't pass the first time, frame it as practice — the test can be retaken.
- Practice the setup: a quiet room, phone away, a calm deep breath before starting.
4. Supporting the student
- If the student has an IEP, 504 plan, or IDD, plan for the office (Option 2) — accommodations are only available in person.
- Gather ID papers and any accommodation paperwork ahead of time so nothing is scrambled on test day.
- Rehearse the check-in sentence: "I need a reasonable accommodation for the permit test due to a disability."
- Let the student lead where they can — your job is to remove obstacles, not to take the test for them.
5. A pre-test readiness check
- Run the Test-Day Readiness Check on the front page out loud — can the student check every box honestly?
- Quiz the two numbers that matter: 14 to pass, and 2 of 4 sign questions.
- Confirm the phone, watch, and earbuds plan for their chosen option.
- Confirm they know the office visit (ID + eye test) still happens even after an at-home pass.