Learner's permit, knowledge test and road test

Key points

1. You cannot apply for your permit before your 16th birthday.

   Source: Handbook p. 1

   “You cannot apply for your permit before your 16th birthday.”
   Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 1

2. The permit application is valid for one year from the physical exam, which may be no more than six months before your 16th birthday.

   Source: Handbook p. 1

   “is valid for one (1) year from the date of your physical examination; however, the physical examination date may not be more than six (6) months prior to your 16th birthday.”
   Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 1

3. The Knowledge Test has 18 multiple choice questions, and you must answer 15 correctly to pass.

   Source: Handbook p. 5

   “The Knowledge Test consists of 18 multiple choice questions. You must answer 15 questions correctly to pass the test.”
   Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 5

4. After you pass, your learner's permit is valid for one year.

   Source: Handbook p. 2

   “After passing the Knowledge Test, the examiner will give you a learner’s permit, which is valid for one (1) year.”
   Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 2

5. Under 18, you need at least 65 hours of practice, including 10 hours at night and 5 hours in bad weather, before the road test.

   Source: Handbook p. 2

   “If you are under the age of 18, you are required to complete at least 65 hours of behind-the-wheel skill-building including no less than 10 hours of nighttime driving and five (5) hours of bad weather driving before taking your Road Test.”
   Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 2

6. You must wait the mandatory six months from the permit issue date before the road test.

   Source: Handbook p. 2

   “After you have waited the mandatory six (6) months from your permit issue date”
   Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 2

7. For parallel parking on the road test, the space is 24 feet long and eight feet wide.

   Source: Handbook p. 6

   “Park your vehicle midway between two (2) uprights in a space that is 24 feet long and eight (8) feet wide.”
   Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 6

8. Under 18, if you fail the road test you must wait seven days to retake it.

   Source: Handbook p. 6

   “If you are under the age of 18 and fail the Road Test, Pennsylvania law requires you to wait seven (7) days before you can retake the Road Test.”
   Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 6

9. You get three chances to pass the road test with each learner's permit.

   Source: Handbook p. 6

   “You have three (3) chances with each learner’s permit to pass the Road Test before the expiration date of the learner’s permit.”
   Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 6

10. New residents with a valid out-of-state license must get a Pennsylvania license within 60 days.

    Source: Handbook p. 3

    “you must get a Pennsylvania driver’s license within 60 days after moving to Pennsylvania and surrender your out-of-state driver’s license.”
    Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Handbook p. 3

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Pennsylvania practice test

1. 1. How many questions must an applicant answer correctly to pass Pennsylvania's Knowledge Test?

   1. 12 of 18
   2. 16 of 18
   3. 17 of 18
   4. 15 of 18
   Show answer

   15 of 18. Pennsylvania's Knowledge Test contains 18 multiple-choice questions, and an applicant needs 15 correct responses to pass. The option saying 12 of 18 understates the required score, while 16 and 17 set a higher bar than PennDOT's stated threshold. Think of the test as allowing only three missed questions. A practice session that produces 14 correct answers is still short, even though it is more than three quarters of the exam. Keep the pair 18 questions and 15 needed together when checking your result.

2. 2. How long is a Pennsylvania learner's permit application valid, and how old may the physical exam be?

   1. Two years, with any exam date
   2. Six months, with an exam in the last 30 days
   3. One year from the physical examination, which may be no more than six months before the 16th birthday
   4. It never expires
   Show answer

   One year from the physical examination, which may be no more than six months before the 16th birthday. The Non Commercial Learner's Permit Application, form DL-180, is valid for one year from the date of your physical examination, but the exam date may not be more than six months before your 16th birthday. A health care provider completes the back of the form, and if the examiner cannot tell whether it meets medical standards the permit may be delayed. Applicants under 18 also need the parent consent form.

3. 3. Before taking the road test for a junior license, a Pennsylvania learner's permit holder must complete at least how many hours of adult-supervised skill-building driving?

   1. 35 hours, including at least 5 at night and 2 in bad weather
   2. 50 hours, including at least 10 at night and 5 in bad weather
   3. 100 hours, including at least 20 at night and 10 in bad weather
   4. 65 hours, including at least 10 at night and 5 in bad weather
   Show answer

   65 hours, including at least 10 at night and 5 in bad weather. A Pennsylvania driver under 18 must complete at least 65 hours of behind-the-wheel skill-building before the Road Test. That total must include no less than 10 hours of nighttime driving and five hours in bad weather. The smaller totals leave out required practice, while 100 hours is not the minimum named by the manual. Treat the three numbers as one package: 65 overall, 10 nighttime, and 5 bad-weather hours. The signed certification is part of the road-test preparation for a young driver.

Source: the Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Chapter 1: Non-Commercial Learner's Permit Information. 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.