How Many Questions Are on the Indiana Permit Test: Sections and Score

The Indiana permit test has 50 multiple-choice questions on how many questions are on the Indiana permit test: 16 on road signs and 34 on traffic laws and safe driving. You have to score at least 80 percent on each section separately. Missing that threshold on either one fails the whole attempt.¹²

How the Two Sections Are Scored

The signs section and the general knowledge section are graded independently. On the 16 signs questions, 80 percent means you can miss at most three. On the 34 general knowledge questions, 80 percent gives you a little more room, but not much. Pass one section and fall short on the other, and the whole test counts as a fail. There’s no partial credit that carries into your next visit, so a retake means starting both sections over.¹

The BMV’s official page confirms the two-section structure and the 80-percent threshold. The exact 16-and-34 split is drawn from the BMV’s practice exam, which mirrors the real test.²

What the Questions Cover

The 16 signs questions test recognition. You’re expected to identify regulatory, warning, and informational signs by shape, color, and symbol, sometimes without reading any text at all. Chapter 6 of the Indiana Driver’s Manual walks through every sign that can appear.²

The 34 general knowledge questions are more scenario-based. Expect right-of-way rules at intersections, signaling for lane changes, speed limits in school and construction zones, safe following distances, impaired driving laws, and Indiana’s driver point system. Indiana’s Move Over law shows up often: it requires you to change lanes or slow to at least 10 mph below the posted limit when approaching a stopped emergency vehicle, utility truck, tow truck, or a disabled vehicle with hazard lights on.³

How to Prepare

The Indiana Driver’s Manual is the only study source you need. Every question comes from it. The BMV publishes it free online and keeps printed copies at branches.⁴

The BMV also puts out a free practice exam in the same two-section format. Run through it once to see how the questions are phrased and where you’re weak.²

The signs section is where people trip. Sixteen questions sounds easy until you have to tell a yellow pennant (no-passing zone) from a yellow diamond (general warning) under time pressure. Spend real time on Chapter 6.

Taking the Test

The knowledge exam is walk-in at any Indiana BMV branch during business hours. No appointment.⁵ The test runs on a touchscreen terminal, and the moment you submit your last answer the system tells you whether you passed. The permit itself costs $9.⁶

If you fail, you have to wait until the next business day to try again. There’s no cap on how many attempts you can make, but every retake means answering both sections from scratch.¹

What to Bring to the Branch

Show up without the right paperwork and you’ll be turned away before you sit down at the terminal. Applicants under 18 also need a parent or legal guardian present to sign for financial liability.⁷

Proof of identity: an unexpired U.S. passport, certified birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, or another accepted identity document.
Proof of lawful status, which the identity document often covers on its own.
Proof of Social Security number: your Social Security card, a W-2, an SSA-1099, or a pay stub showing the full number.
Two documents proving Indiana residency, such as a utility bill, bank statement, or lease.
For minors, a parent or guardian signature on the application for financial liability.

If you want a Real ID-compliant permit, the same document categories apply, and the BMV publishes a more detailed checklist for it.⁸

1
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Knowledge Exam
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Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. BMV Practice Knowledge Examination
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Indiana Department of Transportation. Move Over or Slow Down
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Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Driver’s Manual
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Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Make a Branch Appointment and Prepare for a Visit
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Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. BMV Fee Chart
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Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Learner’s Permit Requirements
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Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Real ID Overview