How to pass the Virginia permit test the first time
Independent practice site. We're not the DMV and aren't connected to any government agency.
Learn the signs until you never miss one, because Virginia's exam stops you there if you do. Then find your weak topics, study those first, and learn the rules that look alike as pairs, side by side.
Every fact here comes from the Virginia Driver's Manual. The pages are listed at the end, so you can check any of it.
Start with the free check-up to see which topics to study first. The free test takes about 5 minutes.
What the Virginia knowledge exam is
It's the written test for your learner's permit, taken on a computer in two parts. The questions come from the Virginia Driver's Manual.
The numbers to know
- 10Sign questions in part one
- All 10Sign questions you need right
- 80%To pass part two
- 15 daysWait after a fail, under 18
- 1 per business dayTries allowed
Part one is ten traffic sign questions, and you must answer all ten correctly before you can take part two. Part two is multiple choice on general knowledge, and you need at least 80 percent right.
You can't get help, help anyone else, or use a cell phone during the exam. An audio version is offered, and the exam comes in many languages and American Sign Language.
The signs part: no room for a miss
Most tests let you miss a few. Virginia's part one doesn't. Learn every sign by its shape and color first, then by its words, so you can name it even from a distance.
Shapes and colors
Shape
- Eight sides
- Octagon
- Three sides
- Triangle
- Four sides, on a point
- Diamond
- Five sides
- Pentagon
Means
- Eight sides
- Stop
- Three sides
- Yield
- Four sides, on a point
- Warning
- Five sides
- School zone or crossing
| Shape | Means | |
|---|---|---|
| Eight sides | Octagon | Stop |
| Three sides | Triangle | Yield |
| Four sides, on a point | Diamond | Warning |
| Five sides | Pentagon | School zone or crossing |
Colors help too: yellow with black warns, black with white states a rule, orange marks construction and pink an incident area. Green, blue and brown give directions, services and places of interest.
The mix-up
Not quite: A No Left Turn sign only bans left turns.
Right: In Virginia a U-turn counts as two left turns, so a No Left Turn sign bans U-turns too.
Rules people often mix up
Many rules come in look-alike pairs: the same kind of situation with a different number. Learn each pair together, so you know which number goes with which.
Numbers that come in pairs
High beams
- The bigger number
- Low beams within 500 feet of a car coming toward you
- The smaller number
- Low beams within 200 feet of a car you follow
Parking
- The bigger number
- 50 feet from a railroad crossing
- The smaller number
- 15 feet from a fire hydrant, 20 from an intersection
Following time
- The bigger number
- 4 seconds at 46 to 70 mph
- The smaller number
- 2 seconds under 35 mph, 3 at 35 to 45
| High beams | Parking | Following time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The bigger number | Low beams within 500 feet of a car coming toward you | 50 feet from a railroad crossing | 4 seconds at 46 to 70 mph |
| The smaller number | Low beams within 200 feet of a car you follow | 15 feet from a fire hydrant, 20 from an intersection | 2 seconds under 35 mph, 3 at 35 to 45 |
Alcohol limits
21 and over
- Can be convicted at
- 0.08 or more (DUI)
Under 21
- Can be convicted at
- 0.02 or more (illegal consumption)
| 21 and over | Under 21 | |
|---|---|---|
| Can be convicted at | 0.08 or more (DUI) | 0.02 or more (illegal consumption) |
The mix-up
Not quite: On a four-lane road, I don't have to stop for a school bus on the other side.
Right: Only a median or barrier lets oncoming traffic keep going. With no median, you stop until everyone is clear and the bus moves again.
The mix-up
Not quite: I can drive in the center turn lane for a block before my turn.
Right: You may drive no more than 150 feet in a center left turn lane.
The mix-up
Not quite: I can turn right at a red arrow after stopping, like at a red light.
Right: Virginia law bans turns at a red arrow, unless a sign says you may turn after stopping.
How to study in the days you have
A week before the exam
- Start with the signs. Go through them until you get every one right, every time, then keep a quick round of signs in every study day.
- Take a practice test and note which topics you missed. Study your two or three weakest topics a day, and read why each wrong answer is wrong.
- Keep a list of every question you miss, and try each one again on a later day. Cross it off once you've got it right on two different days.
- On each of the last three days, start with a full practice exam. Spend the rest of your time on the topic it shows is weakest.
- The day before, go over the signs, your list of misses and the number pairs one last time. Don't start anything new.
With less time, keep the same order and squeeze it. With one evening, do the signs, go over what you got wrong and the number pairs, and stop there.
If it doesn't go well
You can take the exam once per business day. If you're under 18 and fail, the law says you wait a full 15 days: fail on January 1, and the earliest retake is January 17.
After three fails, you can't take it a fourth time until you finish the classroom part of driver education. If you're eligible, an approved 8-hour course on the manual counts instead. It must be finished after the third fail.
After you pass
With your learner's permit, you may drive only with a licensed driver at least 21 in the front passenger seat. A legal guardian, brother or sister may be 18, 19 or 20.
Under 18, your road skills test is given as part of your driver education course. At 18 or older, you hold the permit for 60 days or finish driver education first.
Questions people ask
How many sign questions are on the Virginia permit test?
Part one has 10 traffic sign questions, and you must get all 10 right before you can take part two.
What score do I need on part two?
At least 80 percent of the general knowledge questions.
How soon can I retake the Virginia permit test?
Once per business day. If you're under 18, you wait a full 15 days after a fail. After three fails, you take a course before a fourth try.
Who can ride with me on a learner's permit?
A licensed driver at least 21 in the front passenger seat. A legal guardian, brother or sister may be 18 to 20.
Take the free 20-question test
20 questions from every topic, each with the answer explained and a link to the manual page. Ready's bar is 80%: 16 right. Free, no sign-up.
Go deeper
Practice the rules in this guide
Each one has a free practice question with the answer explained.
- Exam part one: all 10 sign questions
- Exam part two: at least 80 percent
- Retaking the exam: 15 full days under 18
- After three failed knowledge exams
- No Left Turn sign also bans U-turns
- Low beams within 500 feet of oncoming traffic
Show all 17
- Low beams within 200 feet of a car you follow
- Distance from a fire hydrant or fire station
- Distance from an intersection
- 50 feet from a railroad crossing
- Two, three or four seconds behind
- BAC .08 for drivers 21 and over
- BAC .02 for drivers under 21
- School bus across the road: only a median lets you go
- Center left turn lane: 150 feet
- Red arrow: no turn while it shows
- Who can sit beside a learner
Sources
Virginia Driver's Manual
- Section 1, Testing: pages 3 and 4
- Section 2, Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings: pages 5, 6, 7 and 12
- Section 3, Safe Driving: pages 15, 19, 22, 23 and 24
- Section 6, License Types: page 31
Checked against these sources on October 24, 2026.
We read these sources and wrote this guide in our own words. The DMV has the final word, and rules change, so check anything important with the DMV before your appointment.