How Many Questions Are on the California DMV Written Test?

The California DMV written knowledge test for a standard Class C driver’s license has 46 multiple-choice questions, and you need at least 38 correct to pass — an 83% score. Every question is drawn from the official California Driver Handbook, and the DMV posts sample tests online so you can see the format before you sit down for the real one.¹

What the 46 Questions Cover

The questions come straight from the California Driver Handbook. Expect items on speed limits, right-of-way rules, lane usage, and when to yield. Road signs and pavement markings make up a significant portion, so you should be able to identify warning, regulatory, and guide signs by shape and color. You’ll also see questions on safe following distances, handling emergencies like brake failure or a tire blowout, and driving in rain or fog.

One area that trips people up is sharing the road with pedestrians, cyclists, and large vehicles. The handbook devotes several pages to those topics and they appear regularly on the test. No testing aids are permitted during the exam. No phone, no handbook, nothing.²

At a DMV office, the test is given on a computer terminal with automated scoring, so you’ll know whether you passed as soon as you finish. Questions appear one at a time. The in-office test is available in dozens of languages; the at-home version is offered in 35.³

How Many Tries You Get

You have three attempts to pass the written test on a single application. Fail all three and you have to reapply and pay the application fee again.²

The wait between attempts depends on your age. Drivers under 18 must wait seven days after a failed test before retaking it, not counting the day of the failure.² Adults can generally retake the test the next business day.

If you took the test at home and failed both remote attempts, your third and final try has to happen in person at a DMV office.³

Other License Types Have Different Tests

The 46-question, 83%-passing format applies only to the standard Class C license. Other license types use their own written tests with different lengths.

Motorcycle License (Class M1 or M2)

A motorcycle license requires a separate knowledge test focused on motorcycle-specific laws and riding safety, including helmet requirements, lane splitting, and handling techniques.⁴ If you don’t already hold a Class C license, you’ll need to pass both the regular driver knowledge test and the motorcycle knowledge test, plus a motorcycle skills test or an approved California Motorcyclist Safety Program course.

Commercial Driver’s License

CDL applicants face multiple knowledge exams. The general knowledge test typically has 50 questions with an 80% passing threshold, and endorsement tests for air brakes, hazardous materials, tanker vehicles, passenger transport, and others run 20 to 30 questions each, also at 80% correct.⁵

Renewing? You Probably Don’t Take the Written Test

If you’re renewing an existing California license, chances are you won’t take a written test at all. Since October 2024, the DMV has eliminated the knowledge test requirement for most renewal applicants, including drivers 70 and older.⁶

A renewal test is still required if your driving record shows two or more accidents in the past two years, three or more accidents in the past three years, a DUI suspension within the past two years, or a violation point count greater than one in the past two years. Your renewal notice will tell you if a test is required.⁶

Drivers who do need a renewal test can often substitute an interactive eLearning course. The course takes about 45 minutes, works on any device, and consists of seven modules with a quiz after each one. Eligible seniors 70 and older can finish the eLearning course from home and visit a DMV office only for the vision screening.⁷ The course is currently offered in English, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese.⁸

1
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Sample Driver’s License Knowledge Tests
2
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. California Driver Handbook – Section 3: The Testing Process
3
California DMV. DMV Expands Eligibility for At-Home Testing
4
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Motorcycle Handbook – License Requirements
5
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Commercial Driver Licenses
6
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Written Knowledge Test Requirement Eliminated for Most California Drivers License Renewals
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State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Senior Drivers
8
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Online Learning