Knowledge test, TIPIC and driver education

Key points

1. At 15 years and six months you can take the vision screening and knowledge test.

   Source: Section 1

   “At age 15 years and six months, you meet the minimum age requirement to complete the vision screening and knowledge test.”
   Ohio Driver Manual, Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, Section 1

2. The knowledge test has 40 multiple-choice questions, and you need 75% to pass.

   Source: Section 1

   “The test is 40 multiple-choice questions (with a 75% passage rate needed)”
   Ohio Driver Manual, Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, Section 1

3. If you fail, wait one day before retesting. There is no limit on attempts, but only one per day.

   Source: Section 1

   “You must wait one day before retesting. There is no limit on how many times you can take the knowledge test, but you can only take it once in a day.”
   Ohio Driver Manual, Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, Section 1

4. After passing, buy your TIPIC within 60 days or start over with the vision and knowledge tests.

   Source: Section 1

   “If a TIPIC is not purchased within 60 days, the applicant must start over with the vision screening and knowledge test.”
   Ohio Driver Manual, Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, Section 1

5. Under 16, a parent, guardian, custodian, licensed instructor or person 21 or older acting as a parent must sit beside you.

   Source: Section 1

   “If under age 16, the driver must have a parent, guardian, custodian, licensed driving instructor, or a person age 21 or older, who acts in loco parentis, occupying the front passenger seat beside the permit holder.”
   Ohio Driver Manual, Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, Section 1

6. At 16 or 17, any licensed driver 21 or older may supervise, but from midnight to 6 a.m. it must be a licensed parent, guardian or custodian.

   Source: Section 1

   “Age 16 to 17: Driving with any valid licensed driver, age 21 or older, in the front passenger seat is permitted, except from midnight to 6 a.m. when the driver must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or custodian who holds a valid Driver License.”
   Ohio Driver Manual, Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, Section 1

7. With a TIPIC, any mobile electronic device use is banned, and occupants may not outnumber the seat belts.

   Source: Section 1

   “Use of any mobile electronic device is prohibited while driving. Total number of occupants in the vehicle cannot exceed the total number of safety belts installed in the vehicle.”
   Ohio Driver Manual, Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, Section 1

8. Drivers under 21 need driver education with 24 hours of instruction and 8 hours of driving.

   Source: Section 1

   “To obtain a Driver License, a driver under age 21 must meet these requirements: Complete a driver education class at a licensed driver training school with 24 hours of classroom or online instruction, and 8 hours of driving time.”
   Ohio Driver Manual, Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, Section 1

9. You must log 50 hours of practice, including at least 10 at night.

   Source: Section 1

   “Complete and log 50 hours of driving with an eligible licensed driver (see TIPIC Restrictions above), with at least 10 hours of night driving.”
   Ohio Driver Manual, Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, Section 1

10. Drivers under 18 must hold the TIPIC for at least six months.

    Source: Section 1

    “Hold the TIPIC for at least six months. (Applicable to drivers under age 18 ONLY.)”
    Ohio Driver Manual, Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, Section 1

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Ohio practice test

1. 1. At what age may an applicant first complete Ohio’s vision screening and knowledge test for a TIPIC?

   1. 15 years and 6 months
   2. 14 years and 6 months
   3. 16 years exactly
   4. 17 years and 6 months
   Show answer

   15 years and 6 months. Ohio sets the minimum age for completing the vision screening and knowledge test at 15 years and six months. This is the starting age described for the TIPIC process, not 14 years and six months or a full sixteenth birthday. The applicant still must complete the required steps and purchase the permit after passing. The cue is the half-year detail: the initial eligibility point is 15 years, 6 months.

2. 2. How much supervised practice must an Ohio driver under 21 log, and how much of it must be at night?

   1. 40 hours, including 8 at night
   2. 55 hours, including 5 at night
   3. 50 hours, including 10 at night
   4. 60 hours, including 12 at night
   Show answer

   50 hours, including 10 at night. A driver under 21 must complete and log 50 hours of supervised driving, with at least 10 hours occurring at night. The 40-hour and 8-hour combination understates both requirements, while the larger totals are not the manual’s stated minimum. These hours are part of the driver education path and must be completed with an eligible licensed driver. The cue is the paired figures: fifty total, ten nighttime.

3. 3. What does Ohio prohibit a probationary driver from doing while operating a vehicle?

   1. Using a phone only at a red light
   2. Using a phone only on a highway
   3. Using any device, including a phone
   4. Using a device only after midnight
   Show answer

   Using any device, including a phone. The probationary license restrictions in Section 12 say the driver may not use any devices, including phones, while operating a vehicle. Section 3 adds that drivers under 18 may not use an electronic device even hands free or while stopped at a traffic light, with exceptions only for navigation device purposes and emergency services calls. The highway and red light choices shrink the ban, and the midnight choice confuses it with the separate nighttime driving restriction.

Source: the Ohio Driver Manual, Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, Section 1: How to Get Your Driver License. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.