Topic 2 · Requirements and Process
If you fail the permit knowledge test, you may:
- Retake as many times as you want in one day
- Retest, but there is a limit to the number of tries — correct answer
- Skip the test after failing once
Why
You get three attempts on one application. After the third you must reapply. Minors wait seven days between attempts. (Handbook, Section 3.)
Practise this in the real format
Reading one answer is not the same as sitting the test. The simulator runs the first-time adult form: 36 questions, 6 mistakes allowed, 83% to pass.
Source: California Driver's Handbook (DL 600, rev. 6/2025), the document the DMV writes the real test from. Edited by Fernando Aguilera. Aprobify is not affiliated with the California DMV.
More from Requirements and Process
- During the knowledge test you may use:
- How long do provisional restrictions last?
- Is a permit valid if you haven’t started behind-the-wheel training with a professional instructor (under 18)?
- If you fail the vision test, the DMV will ask you to:
- What happens if you accumulate too many minor errors on your driving test?
- What is a critical driving test error that may cause an automatic fail?