The Illinois knowledge (permit) test

By the end of this topic you can

• You can describe what the Illinois written exam covers.
• You can explain how many attempts you get and over what period.
• You can describe the rules on cheating and what happens if you break them.
• You can plan a study routine using the Rules of the Road and its study questions.

What you need to know and understand

• A vision screening and a written exam are required for every permit.
• The exam asks you to identify traffic signs by shape, color or symbol, and to identify signals and pavement markings.
• It also includes multiple-choice and true-or-false questions on traffic laws, safety rules, crash prevention and vehicle equipment.
• You have three attempts to pass each exam within one year of paying your application fee.
• Anyone caught cheating fails and cannot retake the exam for 30 days.
• Taking any part of the exam for someone else is a crime with a fine and a minimum of seven days in jail.
• Oral exams can be requested in person at any SOS driver's license facility, Monday through Thursday.

What the exam is built from

The SOS says the Rules of the Road contains what you must know to pass the written test on traffic laws and signs. Sign recognition is a big part of it, so learn each sign by shape and color as well as by wording. A red octagon is always STOP, a pennant is a no passing zone warning, and a round yellow sign means a railroad crossing ahead.

The rest of the exam tests rules such as right of way, passing, speed limits, school buses, the GDL limits for teens, DUI law and required equipment. The SOS does not set out the number of questions or the pass mark in the manual, so ask at the facility if you want to know the current format. Our deeper permit test guide also covers this.

A study plan that works

1. Read the Rules of the Road one chapter at a time, starting with Chapter 3 on drivers under 21.
2. Answer the study questions at the end of each chapter, then check the answer key at the back, which gives the page for each answer.
3. Spend extra time on Chapter 9 (signs) and Chapter 10 (signals and pavement markings).
4. Use the SOS Rules of the Road Review Workbook or a practice test to find weak spots.
5. Reread any chapter where you missed more than one question.

On the day: conduct rules and help available

Examiners warn applicants who look suspicious, for example with an open book in view, looking around, or checking a phone. Put your phone away before you start.

If you have a language barrier or a reading or learning disability, you can ask for an oral exam in person, Monday through Thursday. Interpreter service is available for deaf or hard of hearing applicants if you arrange it before your visit.

Common mistakes

• Only memorizing sign wording. Many questions show the shape or color, so learn what each shape and color means.
• Skipping the chapters on DUI and license suspension. Questions can come from any part of the manual.
• Checking your phone during the exam. That can be treated as cheating, with a fail and a 30-day wait.
• Using up all three attempts quickly. Study between attempts, because they must fit within one year of paying the fee.

Test yourself: The Illinois knowledge (permit) test

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

Go deeper

• Illinois Permit Practice Test
• Illinois Permit Test
• Illinois Instruction Permit at 15