New York Permit Practice Test
A free New York permit practice test: 10 questions written from the New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), each with the right answer and the reason. The real test has 20 questions and you need 14 right to pass.
10 questions. Pick an answer to see if you are right.
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Answer: A. 16
You must be at least 16 to apply for a learner permit in New York. Students may take the online knowledge test at 15 and 11 months, but the permit itself comes at 16.
Source: Chapter 1, Online Knowledge Test Application, pp. 10-11; Types of Licenses, p. 6
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Answer: B. At least 21
The supervisor must be at least 21, hold a license valid for the vehicle, and sit in the front seat with you.
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Answer: C. Only a parent, guardian, person in loco parentis, driver education teacher or driving school instructor
Upstate, any properly licensed driver 21 or older may supervise during the day, but from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. it must be a parent, guardian, person in loco parentis, or driving teacher or instructor.
Source: Chapter 1, Regional Restrictions for a Junior Permit, p. 12
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Answer: D. Never; it is not allowed
In the five boroughs, junior permit holders may not drive at all from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. During the day they need a qualified supervisor and a dual-control car.
Source: Chapter 1, Regional Restrictions for a Junior Permit, p. 12
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Answer: A. At least 50 hours, with at least 15 after sunset
The certification says you drove at least 50 hours with a proper supervisor, including at least 15 hours after sunset. The DMV also suggests 10 hours in moderate to heavy traffic.
Source: Chapter 1, Preparing for the Road Test and Certification of Supervised Driving, pp. 13-14
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Answer: B. At least six months
Only time the permit spends in valid status counts toward the six months; any period it was suspended or revoked does not. After that you may book the road test.
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Answer: C. No more than one
Junior license holders may not drive with more than one passenger under 21 unless those passengers are immediate family.
Source: Chapter 1, Junior Operator Restrictions: Driving with a Junior License, p. 15
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Answer: D. An approved safe driving course, such as the 5-hour pre-licensing course or high school driver education
You need the 5-hour pre-licensing course certificate or a driver education completion certificate before scheduling. A defensive driving (PIRP) course does not count.
Source: Chapter 1, Safe Driving Course Requirement, pp. 13-14
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Answer: A. The license is suspended for 120 days
For junior and probationary drivers, a first texting or handheld-phone conviction brings a 120-day suspension.
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Answer: B. License suspended for six months
After a DMV hearing, the license is suspended for six months, plus a civil penalty and a fee to get it back. A second violation means revocation for a year or until 21, whichever is longer.
Source: Chapter 9, Zero Tolerance for Drivers Under Age 21, p. 57; Chapter 2, Drivers Under Age 21, p. 21
Ready for the real New York test?
The free test shows 10 of the 71 questions for New York. The Pass Pack opens all of them, with full 20-question practice exams marked against the real test’s pass mark (14 of 20 to pass).
- Every question for your state. All 71, each with the reason and the source it comes from.
- Exams the length of the real one. 20 questions, no hints until the end, then your score against the pass mark and every mistake explained.
- Your mistakes, saved. Every question you miss, in practice or in an exam, comes back until you get it right, on this device.
- Every state, one price. Moving, or helping a teen in another state? Every state we cover is included, plus the road signs test.
Get every question: US$9.99 once One payment, no subscription.
Your Pass Pack
All 71 questions are open on this device.
Take a full exam
20 questions drawn at random, no answers shown until you finish, then your score against the real pass mark (14 of 20 to pass).
Questions you missed before
Every other question
How the New York knowledge test works
- Questions
- 20
- To pass
- 14 (70%)
- Learner permit from
- age 16
The written test has 20 questions; you need at least 14 right, and at least two of the four road-sign questions must be among them. The same rule applies to the junior (DJ) and adult (D) license tests. Source.
You can apply for a New York learner permit at 16. Junior permit holders must keep the permit at least six months before the road test, and the DMV says to log at least 50 hours of supervised practice, 15 of them after sunset. Source.
The questions come from the New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21) (MV-21, no printed edition date (copyright 2018; PDF file dated April 2026), read 2026-10-12), which is what the real test is written from. Read it alongside these questions: every answer above names the section it comes from.
New York rules worth knowing before the test
- Under the Move Over law, slow down for emergency and hazard vehicles stopped with lights flashing. On multi-lane parkways and interstates, also leave the lane next to them when it is safe. Source
- When a railroad crossing has flashing red lights, a lowered gate or a ringing bell, stop at least 15 feet from the tracks and wait until the gates are fully up. Source
- Children under 4 must ride in a federally approved child safety seat, and children 4 through 7 need a booster seat used with a lap and shoulder belt. Source
- Keep at least two seconds behind the vehicle ahead, and stretch that to three or four seconds in bad weather or behind large trucks. Source
- At a modern roundabout, traffic moves counterclockwise and drivers already in the circle have the right-of-way; wait for a gap before entering. Source
- Drinking alcohol, or having an open container of it, in a vehicle on a public road is a traffic infraction for the driver and for passengers. Source
- If traffic lights are out or not working, treat the intersection like a STOP sign and then follow the right-of-way rules. Source
Signs, markings and signals
Every state’s test asks about road signs, which follow one national standard. Practise them with pictures on the road signs test.
Questions about the New York permit test
How many questions are on the New York permit test?
The written test has 20 questions; you need at least 14 right, and at least two of the four road-sign questions must be among them. The same rule applies to the junior (DJ) and adult (D) license tests. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
What score do I need to pass?
14 right out of 20, which is 70%. This practice test marks you against the same share the real test asks for.
How old do I have to be for a learner’s permit in New York?
You can apply for a New York learner permit at 16. Junior permit holders must keep the permit at least six months before the road test, and the DMV says to log at least 50 hours of supervised practice, 15 of them after sunset. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
Is this the official New York test?
No. This is an independent practice test, not part of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Every question is written in our own words from the New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21) or the state’s other official pages, and each answer names the section it comes from. The real test is taken with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
What does the Pass Pack add?
All 71 questions for New York (the 30 written from the handbook and 41 road signs, markings and signals), full 20-question practice exams marked against the pass mark, and your missed questions kept on this device. It costs US$9.99 once and covers every state we cover. See the Pass Pack.