The Texas Driver Handbook states that you must score 70 percent or better to pass any knowledge exam. That figure is official. The question count is not — DPS does not publish one anywhere in the handbook, so the widely repeated “30 questions, 21 to pass” rests on a number nobody official has stated.
So this test uses our own length and the state’s own bar: 40 questions, scored at 70 percent, which is 28 correct. Every question comes from the official Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7, revised January 2026).
Texas Practice Test
Why our length and the state’s pass mark
Every Texas study site prints the same sentence: 30 questions, 21 correct to pass. We checked it against the official Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7, revised January 2026), and only half of it holds up.
The handbook says: you must score a grade of 70 percent or better to pass any knowledge exam. That covers the Class C exam, the Class M motorcycle exam and the Class A or B rules exam. It is unambiguous and official.
The question count appears nowhere. Not in the chapter on obtaining a license, not in the examinations section, not in the appendices. So “21 correct” is arithmetic done on a figure no official source has published.
Rather than repeat it, this test runs to 40 questions and scores at 70 percent, which is 28. The length is ours; the bar is the state’s.
Getting the learner license
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Age | At least 15, no more than 18 |
| Fee | $16, being $15 plus the $1 administrative fee |
| Expires | On your 18th birthday |
| Required first | Classroom portion of driver education, vision exam, knowledge exam |
| Driving exam | Not required for a learner license |
| Hardship license | $6, ages 15 to 18, needs full driver education plus vision, knowledge and driving exams |
If you are under 18 you also need a Verification of Enrollment and Attendance (VOE) form showing you attended school at least 80 days in the preceding fall or spring semester. The VOE cannot be dated more than 30 days before application during the school year, or 90 days during the summer.
Three details people get wrong
- Your supervising driver needs experience, not just an age. At least 21 and at least one year of driving experience. They sit beside you, and cannot be intoxicated, asleep, or doing anything that stops them observing and responding to your driving
- A suspension extends Phase One. The six-month holding period is extended by the number of days of any suspension, because your license was invalid for that time
- Driver education runs to 25, not 18. Under the Less Tears More Years Act every applicant younger than 25 must complete an approved course. Certain courses also remove the requirement to sit the Class C knowledge exam at the office
Phase Two restrictions
A provisional license is issued at 16 to 18, marked PROVISIONAL, and expires on your 18th birthday. Until then you may not drive:
- With more than one passenger under 21 who is not a family member
- Between midnight and 5 a.m., unless driving is necessary for work, a school-related activity, or a medical emergency
Every driver under 18 is separately barred from using a wireless communication device, hands-free included, except in an emergency. Any license issued to someone under 21 is marked UNDER 21.
Failing costs time, not just money
Fees must be paid before any exam is given. Miss the knowledge or driving exam on the first attempt and your application is held for 90 days. After 90 days, or after three failed exams, you start again with a new application and a new fee.
On the driving exam, more than 30 points deducted is a fail, as is violating the law, refusing instructions, driving dangerously or having a crash. Nobody under 18 is exempt from the driving exam. You may also be asked for a quick stop from about 20 mph and to back the car about 60 feet.
Everyone must complete the Impact Texas Drivers course for their age group before the driving exam. Pass everything and the temporary license you carry is good for 45 days.
Testing in another state?
The variation is wide. Iowa prints the passing score on each individual test form, Nevada publishes both numbers openly at 25 and 20, and Arkansas publishes neither. Compare them on our states page, or read more Texas detail on the Texas hub.
Disclaimer: Pass The Permit is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Texas Department of Public Safety or any government agency. Our questions are original practice material, not real exam questions, and our 40-question format is our own — only the 70 percent pass mark comes from the state. Always confirm current requirements against the official Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7).