Virginia: Licensing basics — Part 1 Practice Test
Questions in this part include: “Which valid driver's license from another place means you do not need to take the knowledge exam?” · “If you fail the knowledge exam and are under age 18, how long must you wait by law before you can retake it?”
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Questions are original and based on the official manual "Virginia Driver's Manual" (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
All 18 questions in this practice test
Take the test above first, then use this list to study. Tap “Show answer” to see the correct answer and explanation.
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Which valid driver's license from another place means you do not need to take the knowledge exam?
- A driver's license from Germany
- A driver's license from Mexico
- A driver's license from Brazil
- A driver's license from the United Kingdom
Show answer
Correct answer: A driver's license from Germany
A valid license from another U. S. state, Canada, Germany, France, or the Republic of Korea exempts you from the knowledge exam.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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How is the two-part knowledge exam given?
- On paper, marked by the examiner
- Orally, by a DMV staff member
- On a computer
- In a vehicle, during a short drive
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Correct answer: On a computer
The manual says the two-part knowledge exam is given on a computer.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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What does the two-part knowledge exam test?
- Your knowledge of vehicle repair, insurance rates, and road construction
- Your knowledge of traffic signs, motor vehicle laws, and safe driving
- Your knowledge of driving history, crash statistics, and highway funding
- Your knowledge of parking fees, license plates, and vehicle registration
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Correct answer: Your knowledge of traffic signs, motor vehicle laws, and safe driving
The exam covers traffic signs, motor vehicle laws and safe driving.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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Where are the questions on the knowledge exam taken from?
- The Code of Virginia and its annual updates
- A national bank of driver test questions
- Textbooks used at driver training schools
- The information in the Virginia Driver's Manual
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Correct answer: The information in the Virginia Driver's Manual
The manual states that exam questions come from the information in the manual.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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What must you do in part one of the knowledge exam before you can take part two?
- Answer all ten traffic sign questions correctly
- Answer at least eight of the ten traffic sign questions correctly
- Answer at least 80 percent of the traffic sign questions correctly
- Finish the ten traffic sign questions, whatever your score
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Correct answer: Answer all ten traffic sign questions correctly
Part two is only available after every one of the ten traffic sign questions in part one is answered correctly.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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What kind of questions make up part two of the knowledge exam?
- Traffic sign questions only
- Questions you answer aloud to a DMV examiner
- Multiple choice questions that test your general knowledge
- Driving tasks you perform on a computer simulator
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Correct answer: Multiple choice questions that test your general knowledge
Part two uses multiple choice questions on general knowledge.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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What share of the questions in part two of the knowledge exam must you answer correctly to pass?
- At least 70 percent
- At least 80 percent
- At least 75 percent
- At least 90 percent
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Correct answer: At least 80 percent
To pass part two you must answer at least 80 percent of its questions correctly.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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If you fail the knowledge exam and are under age 18, how long must you wait by law before you can retake it?
- A full 2 days
- A full 7 days
- A full 30 days
- A full 15 days
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Correct answer: A full 15 days
By law an applicant under 18 who fails must wait a full 15 days before retaking the exam.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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How often may the knowledge exam be taken?
- Only once per business day
- Twice per business day
- Only once per week
- Only once per month
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Correct answer: Only once per business day
The knowledge exam may be taken just once each business day.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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Which of these is available for the knowledge exam?
- A take-home version
- A version you may take with the manual open
- An audio version
- A version you may take with a friend's help
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Correct answer: An audio version
The manual says an audio version of the exam is available.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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According to the manual, may a translator be used for the knowledge exam in a language the exam is offered in?
- Yes, if DMV staff approve the translator
- No, not in a language the exam is offered in
- Yes, a family member may translate
- Only for part one of the exam
Show answer
Correct answer: No, not in a language the exam is offered in
The manual says translators may not be used for the knowledge exam in the languages it is offered in.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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What happens if you fail the knowledge exam three times?
- You cannot retake it until you wait a full year after the third failure
- You cannot retake it until you complete a driver improvement clinic
- You may retake it at once at any DMV office, with no other requirement
- You cannot retake it until you pass the classroom part of driver education
Show answer
Correct answer: You cannot retake it until you pass the classroom part of driver education
After three failures you cannot take the exam a fourth time until you complete and pass the classroom component of driver education; a DMV-approved 8-hour course based on the manual may be an option instead.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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How long is the course, based on the Virginia Driver's Manual, that DMV approves for people who failed the knowledge exam three times?
- 8 hours
- 4 hours
- 6 hours
- 12 hours
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Correct answer: 8 hours
The DMV-approved course based on the manual is 8 hours long.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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Where is the course based on the Virginia Driver's Manual available?
- At any DMV customer service center
- At a public library only
- At a driver training school and online
- At the Department of Education only
Show answer
Correct answer: At a driver training school and online
The manual says the course is available at a driver training school and online.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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An applicant age 18 or older completes the course based on the Virginia Driver's Manual after failing the knowledge exam three times. When must the course be completed?
- Before the date of the first failure
- After the date of the third failure
- Within 30 days before the third failure
- On the same day as the third failure
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Correct answer: After the date of the third failure
The completion date of the course must be after the day the knowledge exam was failed the third time.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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What must a customer younger than 18 have already completed to take the course based on the Virginia Driver's Manual?
- The in-vehicle part of driver education
- A behind-the-wheel checklist
- The road skills test
- The classroom component of driver education
Show answer
Correct answer: The classroom component of driver education
Customers younger than 18 may take the course only if they have previously completed the classroom component of driver education.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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A customer younger than 18 wants to take the course based on the Virginia Driver's Manual. To whom must the certificate of completion for the classroom component be presented?
- The driver training school that will conduct the course
- The DMV examiner who gives the road skills test
- A staff member at the Department of Education
- A licensed driver who signs the checklist form
Show answer
Correct answer: The driver training school that will conduct the course
The certificate for the classroom component goes to the driver training school that will conduct the manual course.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)
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Which action is listed as something you cannot do when testing?
- Wear glasses or contact lenses during the exam
- Use a cell phone during the exam
- Take the audio version of the exam
- Tell a DMV staff member about a special need
Show answer
Correct answer: Use a cell phone during the exam
The manual lists using a cell phone during the exam among the things you cannot do while testing.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39 (April 27, 2026)), page 3 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 3)