The Connecticut knowledge (permit) test

By the end of this topic you can

• You can describe the format and pass mark of the Connecticut knowledge test.
• You can explain what happens if you fail and how long you wait to retry.
• You can list the manual chapters the questions come from.
• You can build a study plan around official DMV materials.

What you need to know and understand

• The test has 25 questions and you need at least 20 correct, which is 80 percent.
• It is taken in person, by appointment, right after the vision test.
• Questions are based on the Connecticut Driver's Manual.
• If you fail, you wait seven days and pay $40 to rebook.
• The test is offered in several languages, and an audio version with a headset is available.
• Practice tests are available in the official DMV mobile app.

Inside the exam room

You answer 25 multiple-choice questions and must get 20 right, so you can miss no more than five. The vision test comes first in the same appointment. If you do not pass the vision check, you cannot sit the knowledge test that day.

Besides English, the DMV offers the test in languages including Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Albanian, Arabic, Chinese, French, Italian, Russian and Vietnamese. You can ask for an audio version with a headset if reading is hard for you.

What the questions cover

• Speed and stopping distances, and driving to suit the conditions.
• Right of way at intersections, four-way stops, roundabouts and for emergency vehicles.
• Traffic signs, signals and pavement markings, including sign shapes and colors.
• Drinking, drugs and driving, including the stricter limit for drivers under 21.
• Seat belt, child seat and cell phone laws, plus the special rules for 16 and 17 year olds.
• Handling emergencies, skids and what to do after a crash.

If it does not go your way

A failed knowledge test is not the end. You must wait seven days, pay the $40 testing fee again and book a new appointment. Use the week to go back over the manual sections you found hard.

A five-step study routine

1. Read one chapter of the Connecticut Driver's Manual each day.
2. Answer the study questions at the end of each chapter without looking.
3. Make flashcards for numbers such as parking distances and alcohol limits.
4. Take practice tests in the DMV app and our free Connecticut permit practice test.
5. Aim to score well above 20 out of 25 several times before booking.

Common mistakes

• Only memorizing practice answers. The real questions may be worded differently, so learn the rule behind each answer.
• Skipping the teen-specific rules. Questions on passenger limits, curfew and phone bans for under-18s are common.
• Forgetting the Work Zone Safety Course certificate, which is required from 2026.
• Rushing. With only 25 questions, six slips means a fail.

Test yourself: The Connecticut knowledge (permit) test

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Connecticut Permit Practice Test
• CT Permit Test
• Connecticut 8 Hour Safe Driving Practices Course