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Tennessee Permit Practice Test

A free Tennessee permit practice test: 10 questions written from the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, each with the right answer and the reason. The real test has 30 questions and you need 24 right to pass.

10 questions. Pick an answer to see if you are right.

  1. 1. If you are under 18, how long must you hold your Tennessee learner permit before you can move up to an Intermediate Restricted license?

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    Answer: B. 180 days

    Teens must keep the learner permit for at least 180 days (about six months) before applying for the Intermediate Restricted license. Use that time to build up your supervised driving hours.

    Source: Section A-3, Intermediate Licenses for Drivers Under 18: Learner Permit, p. 14

  2. 2. A 15-year-old holds a Tennessee learner permit. During which hours is this driver not allowed to drive at all?

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    Answer: C. 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

    Learner permit holders under 18 may not drive between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Plan practice drives so you are home before 10 p.m.

    Source: Section A-3, Intermediate Licenses for Drivers Under 18: Learner Permit, p. 14; Teen Driver FAQs, question 2, p. 19

  3. 3. Unless one of the law's exceptions applies (such as driving with a parent), an Intermediate Restricted driver may not drive during which hours?

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    Answer: A. 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

    The Intermediate Restricted license bans driving from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. unless an exception applies, such as a parent riding along or a written note for work or a school event.

    Source: Section A-3, Teen Driver FAQs, question 4, p. 19; GDL At-a-Glance Review, Table 3.2, p. 20

  4. 4. Leaving aside the exceptions in the law, how many passengers may an Intermediate Restricted driver carry?

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    Answer: B. One

    An Intermediate Restricted driver is limited to one passenger unless an exception applies, such as a passenger aged 21 or older with a full license. Fewer friends in the car means fewer distractions.

    Source: Section A-3, Teen Driver FAQs, question 4, p. 19; GDL At-a-Glance Review, Table 3.2, p. 20

  5. 5. To get an Intermediate Restricted license, how much behind-the-wheel practice must a parent, guardian or driving instructor certify?

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    Answer: D. 50 hours, with 10 at night

    Tennessee asks for 50 hours of practice, 10 of them after dark, signed off on the state's official form. Night hours matter because darkness makes driving harder.

    Source: Section A-3, Intermediate Licenses for Drivers Under 18: First Level - Intermediate Restricted License, p. 14

  6. 6. A Tennessee driver under 18 gets a notice of proposed suspension after collecting how many points within 12 months?

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    Answer: C. 6 or more

    Drivers under 18 face a proposed suspension at 6 points in 12 months, half the adult level of 12. Even a couple of tickets can put a teen's license at risk.

    Source: Section B-8, Driving Responsibilities: Driver Improvement Program, p. 86

  7. 7. A Tennessee driver with a learner permit is convicted of using a cell phone while driving. Which of these is one of the results?

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    Answer: B. 6 points on the record and a 90-day delay before the Intermediate Restricted license

    Permit and intermediate drivers may not use a cell phone while driving. A conviction adds 6 points to a minor's record and pushes back the next license step by 90 days, besides a fine.

    Source: Section A-3, Important Information for Teens and Parents: Cell Phone Usage Prohibited, p. 18

  8. 8. A 17-year-old is stopped while driving in Tennessee. What is the lowest blood alcohol level at which this driver can be convicted of underage driving while impaired?

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    Answer: A. .02

    For drivers aged 16 to 20, a blood alcohol level of .02 is enough for an underage impaired driving conviction, which costs a year of driving. If you are under 21, do not drink at all before driving.

    Source: Section B-7, Alcohol, Other Drugs and Driving: Under 21 Laws, Under 21 BAC, p. 83

  9. 9. You are arrested on suspicion of DUI and refuse the officer's request for a blood or breath test. What suspension does the Tennessee manual say a court will likely order?

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    Answer: C. 12 months

    By driving in Tennessee you have already agreed to testing. Refusing after an arrest is likely to bring a court suspension of 12 months.

    Source: Section B-7, Alcohol, Other Drugs and Driving: Implied Consent Law, p. 81

  10. 10. A 19-year-old is convicted for the first time of buying alcohol, even though no car was involved. What happens to this person's driving privilege?

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    Answer: D. It is lost for one year

    People aged 18 to 20 lose the right to drive for a year after a first conviction for buying, trying to buy or having alcohol, whether or not they were driving. A second conviction means two years.

    Source: Section B-7, Alcohol, Other Drugs and Driving: Under 21 Laws, 18-20 Alcohol Violations, p. 83

Ready for the real Tennessee test?

The free test shows 10 of the 71 questions for Tennessee. The Pass Pack opens all of them, with full 30-question practice exams marked against the real test’s pass mark (24 of 30 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. 30 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.

How the Tennessee knowledge test works

Questions
30
To pass
24 (80%)
Learner permit from
age 15

The Class D knowledge test is multiple choice, drawn from Sections B and C of the manual, and is split about evenly between signs and signals, safe driving, rules of the road, and alcohol and drugs. The state's online test for applicants aged 15 to 17 has 30 questions and needs a score of at least 80% (24 of 30); the manual does not give a separate question count or pass mark for adults testing at a Driver Services Center. Source.

You can get a Class PD learner permit at 15 after passing the knowledge test and vision screening. A driver under 18 must hold the permit for at least 180 days and have 50 hours of certified practice (10 at night) before moving to the Intermediate Restricted license at 16. Source.

The questions come from the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (Information stated as current as of July 1, 2022 (PDF file last modified March 13, 2025), 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.

Tennessee rules worth knowing before the test

  • With a learner permit you need a licensed driver aged 21 or older in the front passenger seat, and if you are under 18 you may not drive from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Source
  • An Intermediate Restricted driver normally may carry only one passenger and may not drive from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., apart from the exceptions the law lists. Source
  • State law requires at least a quarter of the knowledge test questions to be about alcohol, drugs and driving. Source
  • A blood alcohol level of .08 is always illegal for drivers; a driver aged 16 to 20 can be convicted of underage driving while impaired at just .02. Source
  • Tennessee's hands-free law (2019) bars drivers from holding a phone with any part of the body, and from writing, sending or reading texts while driving. Source
  • If you fail the knowledge test, you must wait at least one day before you try again, and no test can be repeated on the same day. Source
  • Unless signs say otherwise, the limit is 55 mph on state and federal highways; most rural interstates are posted at 70 mph and busy urban interstates are typically 55 mph. 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.

Practice tests by state

Questions about the Tennessee permit test

How many questions are on the Tennessee permit test?

The Class D knowledge test is multiple choice, drawn from Sections B and C of the manual, and is split about evenly between signs and signals, safe driving, rules of the road, and alcohol and drugs. The state's online test for applicants aged 15 to 17 has 30 questions and needs a score of at least 80% (24 of 30); the manual does not give a separate question count or pass mark for adults testing at a Driver Services Center. Source: Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Driver Services Division.

What score do I need to pass?

24 right out of 30, which is 80%. 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 Tennessee?

You can get a Class PD learner permit at 15 after passing the knowledge test and vision screening. A driver under 18 must hold the permit for at least 180 days and have 50 hours of certified practice (10 at night) before moving to the Intermediate Restricted license at 16. Source: Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Driver Services Division.

Is this the official Tennessee test?

No. This is an independent practice test, not part of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Driver Services Division. Every question is written in our own words from the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual or the state’s other official pages, and each answer names the section it comes from. The real test is taken with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Driver Services Division.

What does the Pass Pack add?

All 71 questions for Tennessee (the 30 written from the handbook and 41 road signs, markings and signals), full 30-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.