The Tennessee knowledge (permit) test
The knowledge test checks that you understand Tennessee's road rules, signs and safe driving practices before you drive on a learner permit. It is based on the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual.
Tennessee is unusual because teens aged 15 to 17 can take this test online at home, supervised by a parent or legal guardian, instead of at a Driver Services Center.
By the end of this topic you can
- You can choose between the online and in-center test and explain who can use each.
- You can describe the format of the online test.
- You can name the main subject areas covered.
- You can explain what happens if you fail or break the rules during the test.
What you need to know and understand
- The online test has 30 questions, a 60-minute time limit and a pass mark of 80%.
- The online option is for applicants aged 15 to 17; adults test at a Driver Services Center.
- A parent or legal guardian proctors the online test using the Tennessee Proctor ID app.
- By state law, at least a quarter of the questions are about alcohol, drugs and driving.
- You cannot retest on the same day. Online, you wait 24 hours after a fail and get a maximum of two online attempts.
- Cheating is an automatic fail with a 30-day wait before you can try again.
Online at home or at a center?
At home, your parent or legal guardian registers as proctor in the Tennessee Proctor ID app and watches you for the whole test. You then still visit a Driver Services Center for your vision screening, documents and permit, and the Department may ask you to retest there.
At a center, the test is taken on a computer. The online test is offered in English and Spanish; if you need another language or an oral test, ask the Driver Services Center what is currently available before your visit. Notes, phones and other electronic devices are not allowed.
What the questions cover
- Signs and signals: shapes, colors, traffic lights and pavement markings.
- Safe driving: following distance, headlights, bad weather and sharing the road.
- Rules of the road: right of way, turns, school buses, parking and railroad crossings.
- Alcohol and drugs: impairment, implied consent and the rules for drivers under 21.
- Tennessee's teen license rules, such as permit supervision and night limits.
A study plan that works
Our Tennessee permit practice test and permit test guide give more questions and detail.
- Read the manual chapter by chapter, focusing on Tennessee numbers such as parking distances and railroad stopping distances.
- Use the free practice quiz in the MyTN app, in its Driver Services section.
- Retest yourself on the questions you got wrong until you get them right twice.
- Check the current format and rules on the Department of Safety's knowledge test page before test day.
Common mistakes
- Skimming the alcohol and drugs chapter. By law it makes up at least a quarter of the test.
- Having a phone or notes nearby during the online test. That is treated as cheating.
- Expecting to retest straight away after a fail. You must wait at least one day.
- Studying only general road sign apps and skipping Tennessee-specific numbers in the manual.
Test yourself: The Tennessee knowledge (permit) test
Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.
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Sources: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, information as of July 1, 2022 (Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security); Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Help Center articles (safetysupport.tn.gov): Are there other ways for me to practice for the knowledge test?; Driver License Knowledge Permit Test Online (Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security). Independent guide, not affiliated with any licensing agency. Always check the latest official rules with the Tennessee licensing agency.