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Preparing For Your Driving Permit Test

Preparing For Your Driving Permit Test

Ready to study for your driving permit test? Awesome! Congratulations! As a certified driving instructor, I understand that for some of you, this is a very exciting time and for others, it’s a time of great nervousness. For most of you, it’s probably a little bit of both! Here you are, the moment you’ve waited for. Time to learn how to drive. You’ve got every right to be pumped about it… driving it awesome! But first things first, you’ve got to get that driving permit and the last thing you want to do is fail the test. You’ve already come this far, no reason to delay any longer!

Fact: Most People Fail The Driving Permit Test

If you weren’t nervous before, this little stat might make you feel a little squeamish. More than half of all drivers ed students fail their driving permit test! While it’s not the end of the world if you fail (in most states you get more than one shot), failing isn’t exactly a picnic, either. It’s embarrassing and who likes to study for (and take) a test more than once? Luckily for you, there are ways to all but guarantee you pass.

Sign Up For An Online Test Prep Course

Hands down, the most sure-fire way to blaze right through your driving permit test is to be prepared by studying the correct material. Just because you study really hard does NOT mean you will pass! The important thing is studying the correct material. By only studying the things you need to study, it saves you time, stress, and aggravation.

There are several different driving permit test prep courses online. Here’s the thing – don’t bother with the free courses. They are junk. You need to sign up for a legitimate driving permit course like this one.

While signing up for a good online driving permit test prep course may not be a mandatory step for success, it really is the fastest and easiest way to learn everything you need to know. The courses include interactive graphics, animations, quizzes, videos, games, etc. If you go with one of the better courses, such as the one I liked to above, it will be run by an actual drivers education school. Does it cost a few bucks? Yup. But considering driving is the single most dangerous activity humans do on a daily basis, learning about proper driving safety early on is well worth the few bucks they charge.

Get Your Study Material Straight From The Source

One of the easiest ways to be adequately prepared for your driving permit test is to obtain a free copy of your state’s Rules of the Road Book. We have conveniently linked to all of them here. Just pick your state and download the manual or go to your local driver services facility and get a hard copy there (usually for free). Aside from taking an online course to prepare, this is the single best way to study for your driving permit test and it doesn’t even cost you a thing.

Why Is A Driving Permit Test Required?

Before you get behind the wheel, it’s important to know at least some very basic rules of driving. While there are some driving rules that are very obvious, such as maintaining the speed limit and using your turn signals, other laws are a bit lesser-known. For instance, you do not always have to stop for a school bus that is picking up or dropping off children. There are exceptions. If you are at a 4-way intersection, there are rules about who is allowed to go first. You will even learn about how to signal with your hands and arms in case your brake lights or turn signals ever stop working.

Much of what you learn will actually seem important, like how to calculate a safe following distance or drive safely on icy roadways. Other things will seem less important. Just keep in mind, this is temporary. Whether you think it’s important to learn or not, it’s something you need to know for your driving permit test, so know it. Once you have your actual driver’s license, you can basically remember whatever you want and forget the rest. But for now, it’s all about getting that driving permit. Do whatever you gotta do because it’s only temporary.

Where Do I Take My Driving Permit Test?

In most cases, you will take your driving permit test in a local driver services facility. There are usually a few rows of computers where the tests are taken. It is highly likely you will have a multiple-choice test that is scored immediately from the computer. While a few places still have paper-based tests, this is getting very rare.

If you are able to take an online driver’s ed course, you may not have to take a driving permit test at the driver services facility at all. Everything will simply be in your online course. Once you are finished taking your online driver’s ed course, just go down to the driver services facility and get your permit!

By the way, if taking a driver’s ed course online sounds like your cup of tea, check out our online driver’s ed reviews. Let me share  two of the best ones out there below:

Aceable

Preparing For Your Driving Permit Test AceableApproved in the following states: CA, GA, FL, IL, NV, OH, OK, PA, TX

Aceable is one of the newer online driver’s ed courses that now offers the most advanced online driver’s ed course. The course works flawlessly on any device. Plus, they have a designated app that makes access to their course more convenient. Its course also has the most advanced video and animated training, with interactive features designed to increase a student’s information retention. What’s more, you’ll get exceptional customer support. Find out more about Aceable in my full review here.

DriversEd

Preparing For Your Driving Permit Test DriversEdApproved in the following states: AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, ID, IN, MN, NE, NV, OH, OK, PA, TX, UT, VA, WI

(Note that the courses offered by DriversEd are available in other states but those are not state-approved. So if you’re from outside the states listed, you’ll have to ask your local DMV first if it can satisfy the license requirements of your state). 

As one of the pioneers in providing online driver’s ed programs, there’s no doubt that DriversEd has become one of the most popular online driving schools. Recently, they updated their animations and graphics, making their materials more up-to-date to modern trends and 3D appearance. It will only take around 1 and 2 minutes to sign up for their course and you can take the first 20 minutes for free. If you don’t like how it goes, you can simply leave without being charged – although it’s highly unlikely that you would opt not to continue. Here’s the link to my complete review of this school if you’d like to learn more.

What Happens If I Fail The Driving Permit Test?

Usually, you have another chance to take it. If you fail it a certain number of times (usually 3), you may have to wait a while before you can take the test again. The rules about this vary from state to state, but a single failed test is not enough to deny you a driving permit. If you fail more than 1, it starts getting a little more serious.

Who Has To Take A Driving Permit Test?

In every state, there is some form of “certification” or test you must take in order to obtain your driving permit and drive on public roadways. In some cases, you may be able to fulfill your driving permit test requirements through a driver’s ed course. This is especially common with an online driver’s ed course such as this one. Any way you do it, the bottom line is, you’re going to have to study and do some work to get your permit. Don’t worry, it’s well worth it!

When Do I Take My Driving Permit Test?

Again, this varies from state to state, but generally, you can obtain your driving permit when you are 15 years old. In some states, you must wait until you are 16 and in others, you may be able to obtain a special waiver to obtain your driving permit early, sometimes 14 years old or younger. However, the general shift is to keep the driving age where it is now or even increase the driving age. It is very unlikely that you will obtain a driving permit before the age of 15 at the earliest.

Good luck, have fun, and remember to always drive safely!!

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