The Maryland MVA knowledge test is a 25-question, multiple-choice exam drawn from the Maryland Driver’s Manual, given on a computer at an MVA branch. You have 20 minutes, and you need 88 percent — at least 22 correct — to pass.1MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Knowledge Tests Questions are randomized from a larger pool, so no two tests look alike.
What the Test Covers
Questions come straight from the Maryland Driver’s Manual. Expect right-of-way rules, speed limits in different zones, the meaning of road signs and pavement markings, safe following distances, and lane usage. A noticeable share of the test deals with impaired driving, reflecting Maryland’s emphasis on alcohol and drug awareness education under Noah’s Law.
Because the questions pull from a larger bank, memorizing specific question-and-answer pairs from unofficial study sites is a bad bet. Focus on understanding the rules themselves. Yielding, sign shapes, and how to handle emergency vehicles come up repeatedly, since those are the situations where new drivers make the most dangerous mistakes.
How to Prepare
Start with the Maryland Driver’s Manual, free to download from the MVA website or pick up in print at any branch. Read it cover to cover, including the sections that look obvious. The test asks about details people gloss over, like the exact distance you must park from a fire hydrant or the blood alcohol thresholds that apply to different age groups.
Then use the MVA’s free official practice test, which mirrors the real exam. It runs 25 questions and comes in timed and untimed versions. The untimed version lets you work at your own pace and links each question to the relevant manual section, which turns it into a study tool rather than just a quiz. The timed version gives you the same 20-minute window you’ll see on test day.2MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Maryland Online Driver Test Tutorial
Take it until you’re consistently scoring above 90 percent. At 88 percent to pass, you can only miss three out of 25. That leaves almost no room for guessing.
Documents to Bring
The MVA requires originals or certified copies. Photocopies won’t be accepted, and a missing or expired document is the most common reason people get turned away at the counter. You need to prove four things:3MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Identification (ID) Card
- Identity, with a valid U.S. passport, certified birth certificate, or similar government-issued document.
- Legal presence in the United States. For U.S. citizens, the identity document usually covers this.
- Social Security number, shown by an original Social Security card, a W-2 with the full number, or another qualifying document.
- Maryland residency, proven with two separate documents such as a utility bill, bank statement, or residential lease.
If you’re under 18, a parent or legal guardian has to come with you to co-sign the application.4Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Learner’s Permit Minimum age for a learner’s permit is 15 years and 9 months.
Fees
As of September 2025, the MVA charges $65 for a Type I learner’s permit (new drivers with no previous license), which includes the eventual conversion to a full license, and $45 for a Type II permit (previously or currently licensed drivers). A corrected permit is $30. Fees are paid when the MVA processes your application, before you sit for the knowledge test.5MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. License and ID Fees
Scheduling and Test Day
Book an appointment through the MVA’s online scheduling system before visiting a branch. Walk-in availability for knowledge tests is limited, and showing up without an appointment risks being sent home. Arrive a few minutes early so you can check in at the information desk or self-service kiosk without eating into your 20-minute test window.
Before you sit at the computer, you’ll take a vision screening. It isn’t optional. An unrestricted license requires visual acuity of 20/40 or better in each eye and a continuous field of vision of at least 140 degrees. Vision between 20/40 and 20/70, with at least 110 degrees of field, qualifies for a restricted license that requires corrective lenses.6Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Vision Tests and Requirements If you normally wear glasses or contacts, bring them. Failing the vision screening stops the process before you reach the knowledge test.
The knowledge test runs on a computer terminal. A short tutorial walks you through the interface before the real questions start.
Languages and Accommodations
The standard Class C knowledge test is offered in 17 languages: English, Spanish, American Sign Language, Amharic, Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Farsi, French, Hindi, Korean, Nepali, Portuguese, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Yoruba. CDL knowledge tests are only offered in English and Spanish.7MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Prepare for a Driver’s License Test
If you have a reading disability or another condition that calls for an oral version of the test or other accommodation, request it through your myMVA account or by selecting “Accommodations for Customers with Disabilities” from the category menu on the ContactMVA page. An MVA representative will follow up, and the agency may ask for documentation from a qualified professional depending on what you need.8Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Accessibility and Accommodations
If You Fail
You can schedule a retake as soon as the next business day after a first failure. After two or more failures, the waiting period increases to at least seven calendar days before you can try again. This applies to all noncommercial and commercial knowledge tests.1MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Knowledge Tests
Use the wait to study the areas that tripped you up. The untimed practice test is especially useful here because each question links back to the manual section it came from. Most people who fail the first attempt pass the second once they know which topics to focus on.
One Thing That Can Hold Up Your Application
Maryland law requires you to report certain medical conditions when you apply, including epilepsy or seizures, sleep apnea or narcolepsy, stroke, diabetes with recent low blood sugar events requiring assistance, heart conditions causing loss of consciousness, dementia, schizophrenia, and conditions causing dizziness or blackouts. Vision below 20/70 in at least one eye, loss of a limb, and physical weakness that could affect driving also have to be disclosed.9MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Medical Condition Disclosure
Disclosing a condition doesn’t automatically disqualify you. It triggers a review, and many applicants with managed conditions still receive a license, sometimes with restrictions. Failing to disclose a condition you were required to report can lead to suspension and legal consequences later.