Florida Permit Test: Questions and Passing Score

The Florida permit test is short, but it is not a formality. Every year plenty of applicants fail it because they only skimmed the handbook.

The official name is the Class E Knowledge Exam. You take it after your vision test, as part of getting a learner's license.

Here is what the exam looks like, what score you need, what happens if you fail, and how to get ready without wasting time.

Format and topics

The handbook describes the Class E Knowledge Exam as 50 multiple-choice questions on Florida traffic laws, safe driving practices and the identification of traffic controls.¹ In practice that means road signs, signals and pavement markings, right of way, speed, passing, parking and the rules for sharing the road.

State law adds one detail worth knowing: at least 25 questions in the exam question bank must cover bicycle and pedestrian safety.⁴ So do not skip the chapters on cyclists and pedestrians.

Passing score

Two county tax collector offices publish the same number. Palm Beach County says you must answer 40 of the 50 questions correctly, which is 80 percent.² Hillsborough County lists the same requirement: 50 questions, 40 correct.³

That leaves room for 10 wrong answers. It sounds generous, but the questions on signs and right of way are black and white, and a few careless misses add up fast.

Where you can take it

The handbook names several routes: a driver license service center, a Driver Education Licensing Assistance Program (DELAP) school, or an approved third party provider. Students of all ages may test with a provider that offers the exam in person, and students under 18 may take it online.¹

If you test at a tax collector office, Palm Beach County notes the exams there are given in English only.²

If you fail

The statute sets the fee for each subsequent knowledge test after a failed initial test at $10.⁴ The 2023 handbook lists the same $10 written re-test fee.¹

Cheating has a clear penalty. Anyone found to have cheated or otherwise circumvented any part of the exam must retake it.⁴

How to prepare

Read the Official Florida Driver License Handbook from cover to cover once, then focus on the chapters where you miss questions. FLHSMV also offers a free official practice test with 20 questions on its website.⁵

Our practice trainer has 430 questions in 10 topics. Twenty of them are the official FLHSMV practice questions; the rest are our own, written from the handbook. They are not exam questions, but they train the same knowledge, with an explanation for every answer.

Ready to test yourself? Start a free practice test or browse all questions by topic.

Not sure about the paperwork yet? See our step-by-step guide on how to get a learner's permit in Florida.

Common questions

How many questions are on the Florida permit test?

50 multiple-choice questions.¹

What score do you need to pass?

40 correct answers out of 50 (80 percent), according to county tax collector offices.²³

How much does a retake cost?

$10 for each subsequent knowledge test after a failed initial one.⁴

Is there an official practice test?

Yes. FLHSMV publishes a practice test with 20 questions.⁵

Can I take the test online?

Students under 18 may take the Class E Knowledge Exam online through an approved third party provider.¹

Sources

Pass mark figures come from county tax collector pages. Check the current rule with FLHSMV before your test date.

1. FLHSMV: Official Florida Driver License Handbook (rev. 08/2023) (flhsmv.gov)
2. Palm Beach County Tax Collector: Knowledge Exam (pbctax.gov)
3. Hillsborough County Tax Collector: Class E learner driver license (hillstaxfl.gov)
4. Florida Statutes, s. 322.12: Examination of applicants (leg.state.fl.us)
5. FLHSMV: Practice Test (English) (flhsmv.gov)