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Washington Permit Practice Test

A free Washington permit practice test: 10 questions written from the Washington Driver Guide (plain-text PDF edition), each with the right answer and the reason. The real test has 40 questions and you need 32 right to pass.

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

  1. 1. If you sign up for an approved driver training course in Washington, what is the youngest age at which you can apply for an instruction permit?

    Show the answer

    Answer: B. 15

    Teens enrolled in an approved driver training course can apply for a permit at 15, shortly before the course starts. Teens who skip the course must wait until 15 and a half.

    Source: Chapter 1, 1.8 Getting a personal driver license: Instruction permit, PDF p. 4

  2. 2. A Washington teen decides not to take a driver training course. Until what age must they wait to take the driving skills exam and get a license?

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    Answer: C. 18

    Without a training course, a teen can get a permit after passing the knowledge exam at 15 and a half, but cannot take the skills exam or get a license until 18.

    Source: Chapter 1, 1.8 Getting a personal driver license: Instruction permit, PDF p. 4

  3. 3. How long must a Washington teen hold an instruction permit before getting a first driver license?

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    Answer: A. At least 6 months

    Drivers aged 16 or 17 must have had their permit for at least 6 months, along with the other requirements, before DOL issues their first license.

    Source: Chapter 1, 1.8 Getting your personal driver license: Ages 16 to 17, PDF p. 4

  4. 4. Washington's rules for a teen's first license call for supervised practice that includes how many hours of driving at night?

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    Answer: D. 10

    Teens need at least 40 hours of daytime and 10 hours of nighttime practice with an experienced licensed driver, and a parent or guardian confirms the 50 hours.

    Source: Chapter 1, 1.8 Getting your personal driver license: Ages 16 to 17, PDF p. 4

  5. 5. During the first 6 months of a Washington intermediate license, who may ride with you as a passenger?

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    Answer: C. No one under 20 unless they are immediate family

    For the first 6 months you may not carry passengers under 20 unless they are immediate family. After that, up to 3 non-family passengers under 20 are allowed.

    Source: Chapter 1, 1.8 Intermediate driver license, PDF pp. 5-6

  6. 6. With a Washington intermediate license, during which hours are you barred from driving unless a parent, guardian, or licensed driver aged 25 or older rides with you?

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    Answer: B. 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.

    Intermediate drivers may not be behind the wheel from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. unless a parent, a guardian, or someone 25 or older with a license is in the car. Farm work and a full year of clean driving are the exceptions.

    Source: Chapter 1, 1.8 Intermediate driver license, PDF p. 6

  7. 7. May a Washington driver with an instruction permit talk on a hands-free phone while driving?

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    Answer: D. No, except to report an emergency

    With a learner permit you may not use any phone or mobile device while you drive, even hands-free. The one exception is calling 911.

    Source: Get your learner permit page: Requirements for driving on public roads; also Driver Guide Chapter 3, 3.0 Hearing, PDF p. 24

  8. 8. For a Washington driver under 21, what blood alcohol level can bring the same kind of DUI consequences an adult faces at 0.08%?

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    Answer: A. 0.02%

    Drivers 21 and older face DUI consequences at 0.08%, but drivers under 21 face them at just 0.02%. The safest choice is never to drink and drive.

    Source: Chapter 1, 1.15 Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC), PDF p. 10

  9. 9. Washington's DUI line for active THC in the blood of a driver 21 or older is set at how many nanograms per milliliter?

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    Answer: C. 5

    For drivers 21 and older the THC limit is 5 nanograms per milliliter of blood. For drivers under 21, any active THC above zero counts.

    Source: Chapter 1, 1.15 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Cannabis Concentration, PDF p. 10

  10. 10. Under Washington's implied consent law, refusing an officer's alcohol or drug test can cost you your driving privilege for how long?

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    Answer: B. From 90 days up to 730 days, or until age 21 if that is longer

    Driving in Washington means you have agreed to testing when police suspect impairment. Saying no can cost you your license for anywhere from 90 to 730 days, or until 21 if that is longer, depending on your record.

    Source: Chapter 1, 1.15 Driving under the influence (DUI): Implied Consent Law and the refusal penalty under Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Cannabis Concentration, PDF p. 10

Ready for the real Washington test?

The free test shows 10 of the 71 questions for Washington. The Pass Pack opens all of them, with full 40-question practice exams marked against the real test’s pass mark (32 of 40 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. 40 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 Washington knowledge test works

Questions
40
To pass
32 (80%)
Learner permit from
age 15

Washington's car knowledge test has 40 multiple-choice questions and you need 32 right (80%) to pass; DOL gives the same figure for every age, and a passing score stays valid for 2 years. Source.

A teen enrolled in an approved driver training course can apply for an instruction permit at 15; anyone not taking the course must wait until 15 1/2, pass the knowledge test first, and cannot get a license until 18. Teens need the permit for at least 6 months and 50 hours of supervised practice (10 of them at night) before an intermediate license at 16. Source.

The questions come from the Washington Driver Guide (plain-text PDF edition) (online, undated; the plain-text PDF's file date is 1 July 2025, and the same file (unchanged) was still being served in July 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.

Washington rules worth knowing before the test

  • The knowledge test has 40 questions and you must get 32 right. A passing score stays good for 2 years, so take the skills exam before it runs out. Source
  • A learner permit lasts one year and can be renewed twice. After that you apply again, and you retake the knowledge test unless you are in a driver training course. Source
  • No Washington driver may hold a phone or other electronic device while driving. Permit and intermediate license holders may not use one even hands-free; an intermediate driver may use a phone only to report an emergency. Source
  • On an intermediate license, a second traffic violation or at-fault crash brings a 6-month suspension (or until 18, if that comes first); a third means suspension until 18. Source
  • In Washington every intersection counts as a crosswalk, whether or not lines are painted, so expect to yield to people crossing at any corner. Source
  • Fines double if you pass a stopped school bus, and they also double for offenses in a work zone while workers are present. Source
  • Beach driving is legal in just two counties, Grays Harbor and Pacific. There the sand counts as a state highway, the limit is 25 mph, and people walking or biking always go first. 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 Washington permit test

How many questions are on the Washington permit test?

Washington's car knowledge test has 40 multiple-choice questions and you need 32 right (80%) to pass; DOL gives the same figure for every age, and a passing score stays valid for 2 years. Source: Washington State Department of Licensing.

What score do I need to pass?

32 right out of 40, 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 Washington?

A teen enrolled in an approved driver training course can apply for an instruction permit at 15; anyone not taking the course must wait until 15 1/2, pass the knowledge test first, and cannot get a license until 18. Teens need the permit for at least 6 months and 50 hours of supervised practice (10 of them at night) before an intermediate license at 16. Source: Washington State Department of Licensing.

Is this the official Washington test?

No. This is an independent practice test, not part of the Washington State Department of Licensing. Every question is written in our own words from the Washington Driver Guide (plain-text PDF edition) or the state’s other official pages, and each answer names the section it comes from. The real test is taken with the Washington State Department of Licensing.

What does the Pass Pack add?

All 71 questions for Washington (the 30 written from the handbook and 41 road signs, markings and signals), full 40-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.