Virginia knowledge test: official resources, scores and languages

Virginia’s knowledge exam has two separate passing requirements. You must get all 10 road-sign questions correct before moving to the general section, then answer at least 24 of 30 general questions correctly: 80%. A strong general score cannot make up for a missed sign.

Exam part	Questions	Passing requirement
Road signs	10	All 10 correct before proceeding
General knowledge	30	At least 24 correct, or 80%

Use the DMV manual as your starting point

The Virginia Driver’s Manual page links to the interactive manual, study guide, complete PDF, individual sections and Spanish materials. Its practice questions cover traffic signs and general knowledge. Use the ordinary driver’s manual for a passenger-vehicle permit; motorcycle and commercial credentials have separate requirements.

Read signs together with their meaning and required action. Then study right-of-way, turns and lane changes, sharing the road, speed and stopping, occupant protection and penalties. After a wrong answer, find the rule in the manual and explain which detail changes the action. For example, an undivided road and a road separated by an actual barrier can produce different duties at a stopped school bus.

The official exam page explains the format and administration. Practice materials help you check understanding; they are not a promise of the questions you will receive.

Arrange the language or format you need

DMV lists English, Spanish, Chinese/Mandarin and Chinese/Mandarin (Traditional) among the available knowledge-exam languages. It also lists American Sign Language and other languages. Oral examinations are available on request at DMV customer service centers. Ask for the specific language and format before starting.

The language of a downloadable manual and the language available on the testing computer are separate questions. The manual’s testing section says a translator cannot be used for a language in which DMV already offers the exam. Do not assume you can bring someone to explain questions, or that knowledge-exam arrangements also cover the road test.

Know the retesting conditions

• Under 18: wait a full 15 days after a failed knowledge exam. DMV’s example is a January 1 failure with January 17 as the earliest retest.
• 18 or older: test no more than once per day.
• After three failures: complete the qualifying education before a fourth attempt; the course must be completed after the third failure.

Use the detailed three-failure training page before enrolling. Adults may complete an approved eight-hour Driver’s Manual course. A person under 18 who already completed classroom driver education before the third failure may use that course too; otherwise, the required classroom driver-education component must be completed after the failures. A driver improvement clinic does not satisfy this requirement. Present the required completion evidence to DMV.

Each retest requires a new application and the required identity/residency documentation. If you do not obtain the license or permit within one year of passing the knowledge exam, DMV requires retesting.

Plan the visit as well as the study

DMV offers appointments and walk-in testing. Its listed walk-in cutoff is 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and 11:30 a.m. on Saturdays; verify your center’s hours and services. Bring the correct application documents and any corrective lenses needed for the vision screening. Phones and outside help are prohibited during the exam.

Use the first-license document guide to check your folder, and keep practicing under the conditions of your permit before the road test.