The Connecticut knowledge test is 25 questions and you need 20 correct, which is 80 percent. The DMV states both numbers openly, so there is no guesswork here — ignore any site telling you the bar is 84 percent.
What makes Connecticut expensive is failing. You wait seven days and pay the $40 exam fee again. Most states let you return the next business day.
This practice test uses the same 25 questions and 20 to pass, with an explanation after every answer.
Connecticut Practice Test
The numbers Connecticut publishes, and the one it does not
Connecticut is refreshingly open about its exam. The DMV states the test is 25 questions and that you need at least 20 correct, and the Driver’s Manual says the same. That is 80 percent.
You will still find sites quoting 84 percent, or 21 correct. That is wrong, and it matters: it would tell you one wrong answer is fatal when actually you have five to spare.
The Work Zone Safety Course is new and mandatory
Effective 1 January 2026, everyone applying for a learner’s permit must complete the free online Connecticut Work Zone Safety Course before taking the knowledge test. It takes under an hour. Create an account in your legal name, complete it, print the certificate, and bring it with your other documents.
This is recent enough that plenty of guides have not caught up. Turning up without the printed certificate means you do not test that day.
Failing costs a week and $40
| If you fail | What happens |
|---|---|
| The vision test | Reschedule immediately, no wait |
| The knowledge test | Wait seven days and pay the $40 exam fee again |
Most states let you return the next business day. Connecticut does not, which makes preparation worth more here than the practice time costs.
What to bring to the appointment
- Identification as set out in the DMV document checklist. Photocopies and faxes are not accepted
- Form R-229, completed and signed, printable after you book online
- $40 exam fee
- Work Zone Safety Course completion certificate, printed
- Glasses or contact lenses if you need them
- Connecticut non-driver ID if you hold one; it is surrendered when the permit is issued
All testing is in person by appointment only, at select DMV offices. The vision test comes first and you must pass it before the knowledge test. The standard is 20/40 or better with or without lenses, plus a binocular peripheral field of 140 degrees.
If you are 16 or 17
- An eight-hour program is required, and two of those hours must be attended by a parent or legal guardian, covering the laws for drivers under 18 and the dangers of teen driving
- Training at a licensed Connecticut school runs to 30 hours classroom and at least 40 hours behind the wheel
- The school issues form CS-1 on completion, and you cannot take the road test without it
- Your permit lasts until you are licensed or two years from issue, whichever comes first
Alcohol law, with the statute behind it
| Driver | Illegal at | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Age 21 and over | 0.08 percent | 14-227a |
| Commercial motor vehicle | 0.04 percent | 14-227a |
| Under 21 | 0.02 percent | 14-227g |
A first conviction brings a fine of $500 to $1,000, a 45-day suspension, and a one-year ignition interlock requirement after restoration. A second within ten years is $1,000 to $4,000 with 120 non-suspendable days. A third is permanent revocation. All interlock costs fall on the driver, and a court may not waive them.
Adults, and moving here
Anyone 18 or over who has never been licensed needs an adult learner’s permit first, valid two years, with no driver education requirement.
If you already hold a license from another US state or territory, or from Germany, Canada or France, you can transfer it to Connecticut without an adult learner’s permit at all.
Testing in another state?
New England varies more than you would expect. Vermont asks 20 questions and starts at 15, New Hampshire has no learner permit at all, Rhode Island publishes no exam format, and Maine wants 70 hours of supervised driving. Compare them on our states page, or read more Connecticut detail on the Connecticut hub.
Disclaimer: Pass The Permit is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles or any government agency. Our questions are original practice material, not real exam questions. Always confirm current requirements against the official Connecticut Driver’s Manual, portal.ct.gov/dmv and the Connecticut General Statutes.