Preparing for the Delaware Permit Knowledge Exam

Before you study: who tests where

Age decides it. Section 2710 of Title 21 says that teens of 16 and 17 earn the Level 1 Learner's Permit by completing approved driver education and passing a written test and a road skills test, and either the DMV or a driver education teacher can give those tests. In practice most teens handle the written part in class, then take their Blue Certificate to the DMV for a vision check.

Applicants 18 and older follow the adult path in the manual: they visit a DMV office for the vision check and the written exam, and leave with a temporary instruction permit that lasts a year. A teen who reaches 18 during the graduated program may also choose the DMV's vision, written and road exams. If a teen needs a specialized evaluation or equipment, the driver education teacher identifies it and the DMV runs the test.

While you study: how the exam is built

According to the DMV's licensing page for adults, the exam has 30 questions and 24 right answers passes it, which is 80 percent. The manual itself does not print the number, so ask at check-in if you want to know exactly how many you can miss. Either way, the margin is thin, so know every sign's shape and color without hesitation.

Section one is highway signs and signals. You identify signs from shape, color or symbol alone and explain what signs, signals and road markings mean. Section two is rules of the road: Delaware traffic law and safe driving, for instance the speed limit on a two lane road, what a flashing red light requires, where passing is forbidden, how to recover from a skid and how far from a hydrant you must park.

While you study: which pages of the manual

Download the June 2024 edition of the Driver Manual, or ask for a free printed copy at any DMV office. Its opening pages warn that you will not pass the knowledge exams without knowing what is inside, and the Driver Examination pages walk through the vision check and both sections.

Section Four, Rules of the Road, supplies most of the questions. It covers signals and arrows, pedestrian and bike signals, guide, warning and highway signs, work zones, the move over and cell phone laws, lane markings, school bus stops, roundabouts, the diverging diamond interchange, where you may park and how fast you may go. Read Section Two as well, on the point system and drunk driving law, since those show up on almost any rules exam.

A study plan many adults like: two evenings on Section Four, one on Section Two and the examination pages, then the sample exam on day four. Score below 26 or so and go back to the chapters you missed before booking.

On test day: eyes, accommodations and what to wear

To be licensed you need to see 20/40, glasses or contacts allowed. Fall somewhere from 20/40 to 20/50 and you might be restricted to driving in daylight. If you only pass while wearing lenses, the license is marked so you cannot drive without them. Bring your glasses.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act the DMV makes reasonable modifications, such as help reading the questions, but you must request them ahead of time at [email protected] or 302-744-2500. Shirts and shoes are required inside DMV offices. The exam page does not list language options, so call your office before you go if English is not the language you want to be tested in.

If you fail: fees and deadlines

There is no separate charge for the knowledge test. The DMV's fee schedule folds the permit into the Class D fee, which you pay at application. That schedule last changed on October 10, 2025, so look up today's figure on the DMV fees page before you leave. All exams have to be passed within 12 months of applying.

The manual gives two 10 day waits: one between passing the knowledge exam and taking a Class D road exam, and one between a failed road exam and the retest. For a failed knowledge exam it names no waiting period, so ask the staff when you can come back.

Free practice from the state

The DMV's website hosts a free sample license exam, and the manual notes the same exam is in the DelDOT mobile app. Take it after reading Section Four, not before, so it tests what you learned rather than training you to guess. For signs, put your hand over the captions in the sign charts and name each one from its shape and color.