Arkansas DMV Permit Practice Test

The Arkansas knowledge test is administered by the DFA-OMV (Office of Motor Vehicle, Department of Finance and Administration) and is the required step before you can hold a learner's permit. It's 25 questions for all applicants — teen or adult — and the DFA-OMV won't tell you which questions you missed if you fail. You get the score and nothing else.

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  Knowledge test (all ages)25 questions. You need 20 correct (80%) to pass. The same test format applies whether you're 16 or 36.
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  Application fee$45 total — $40 for the learner's permit plus a $5 testing fee. Pay at the DFA-OMV office when you apply.
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  What to bringProof of identity (birth certificate or passport), proof of Arkansas residency (utility bill, lease), and your Social Security card or number. Go prepared — a missing document means a second trip.
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  Driver educationNOT required by Arkansas law. Completing a driver's ed course is entirely optional. This is a genuine advantage: you don't have to wait for or pay for a class before testing.
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  Why AR can still trip you upThe test is only 25 questions, so every miss costs 4 points. Three wrong answers and you're below 80%. Thin margins punish gaps in traffic law and road sign knowledge harder than longer tests do.
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  Study guideThe official reference is the Arkansas Driver's License Study Guide, available free from the DFA-OMV. This page compresses the highest-yield content into the sections below.

Arkansas's 462-question bank splits heavily toward traffic laws (278 questions, 60%), with safety second (87), road signs third (55), and drugs/alcohol a separate category (29). Traffic laws, safety, and road signs together account for well over 90% of what you'll see on test day.

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  Road signs (55 questions in bank)Sign colors and shapes — orange diamonds for work zones, white rectangles for regulations, yellow for warnings. Flashing yellow: slow and proceed with caution. Flashing red: treat as a stop sign. (Q14841)
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  Right-of-way and yieldingAt a yield sign, slow and give way to cross traffic close enough to be a hazard — you don't always have to stop, but you must yield. (Q14853, Q15052) At a four-way stop, the first vehicle to arrive goes first; ties go to the driver on the right. (Q14951)
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  Left-turn ruleDrivers turning left must yield to oncoming traffic. No exceptions unless a signal gives you a protected green arrow. (Q14831)
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  Following distanceUse the 2-second rule under normal conditions. (Q15150) On slippery roads, increase that gap — there is no specific second count, but more than normal is required. (Q14787)
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  Railroad crossingsIf crossing gates are lowered and lights flash, stop — do not go around or under the gate. (Q14793) After a train passes, wait for signal lights to stop flashing AND check for a second train before crossing. (Q14947, Q14880)
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  BAC limit (21 and older)0.08% or higher is illegal. At that level, DWI applies regardless of whether you feel impaired. (Q15038)
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  Under-21 BAC ruleZero tolerance — any amount of alcohol can suspend your license. The bank's exact wording: "any amount." Do not pick a percentage option on the test. (Q15126)
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  BAC of 0.02%Even at 0.02% — well below the legal limit — your chances of having an accident double. Impairment begins before you're legally drunk. (Q14966)
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  Chemical test refusalRefusing an alcohol test means you may lose your license. This is implied consent — by driving in Arkansas you have already agreed to submit. (Q14767)
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  Speed limitsAlways obey posted limits. Maximum posted speed should only be driven under ideal conditions — not in rain, at night, or in heavy traffic. (Q14704, Q14860)

These are the categories that sink first-time test-takers in Arkansas most often. Traffic laws dominate the bank — right-of-way edge cases, school bus rules, and hill parking catch people who think they already know the answers.

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  Three-car right-of-way at four-way stopsEveryone knows "yield to the right" — almost nobody handles three cars arriving simultaneously. The rule is: first to arrive goes first; ties go to the driver on the right. (Q14951)
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  School bus — stop in BOTH directionsWhen a school bus is stopped with red lights flashing and the stop arm extended, you must stop regardless of your direction of travel — unless a physical median separates you. Slowing to 25 mph or changing lanes is not acceptable. (Q15070, Q14734)
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  Hill parking — downhill (any road)Turn wheels TOWARD the side of the road (right). If the brake fails, the car rolls away from traffic and into the curb. (Q15026, Q15044)
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  Hill parking — uphill WITH a curbTurn wheels AWAY from the curb. The curb catches the tire if the car rolls back. (Q15066)
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  Impairment vs. the legal limitThe legal Arkansas BAC limit is 0.08%. But even 0.02% doubles accident risk, and any amount affects judgment and coordination. The test asks the difference — impairment is not the same as being "over the limit." (Q14966, Q14875)
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  'Always'/'never' trap — genuine exception"Always" answers are usually wrong on driving tests — except when the topic is absolute. In Arkansas: always yield to a pedestrian with a white cane or guide dog, in every situation. (Q14854)
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  Bicycle lane and sharing rulesBicycles on the road are legally treated as vehicles, not hazards. (Q14801) When a child is on a bicycle near your vehicle, expect the unexpected — not that they're in full control. (Q14974)

Reading once tops out around 60% on the real test. First-time passers use three loops: read once, drill once, review once. With only 25 questions on the real exam, one bad loop is the difference between passing and retaking.

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  Loop 1 — read the handbookDownload the Arkansas Driver's License Study Guide free from dfa.arkansas.gov. Read it through once without trying to memorize. This guide highlights the highest-yield 20% in the sections above.
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  Loop 2 — drill the practice examsTake the free 40-Q exam below cold. Review every wrong answer category — with 462 questions in our Arkansas bank across 6 categories, you have plenty of distinct questions to drill before repeating.
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  Loop 3 — listen along on YouTubeArkansas Traffic Laws and Road Signs videos are on the DriveToExcel YouTube channel. Play them in the background the day before your test. Hearing questions spoken out loud locks them faster than re-reading.
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  Sleep beats crammingMemory consolidates overnight. A full night's sleep before your test is worth more than two extra hours of late-night studying.
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  Study signs visuallyNever just read the description of a sign. Look at the actual shape, color, and symbol. The test shows the sign image — not the words.
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  Read all three options before pickingArkansas's test questions use 3 options (A/B/C) — no option D. The first option often looks right until you read the third. Don't stop at A.

Passing the knowledge test gets you a learner's permit — not a license. Arkansas's Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program is more lenient than many states on paper (no mandated practice hours), but the permit hold time and intermediate restrictions still matter.

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  Permit supervision ruleWhile on a learner's permit, you must be accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old. No solo driving — ever, on a permit.
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  Permit hold timeYou must hold the permit for a minimum of 6 consecutive months with a clean driving record before you're eligible for the intermediate license.
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  Supervised practice hoursArkansas does NOT mandate a specific number of supervised hours — unlike most states. The DFA-OMV recommends 30–40 hours total (with 10 at night), but there is no legal requirement to log or certify any hours. This is a genuine advantage.
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  Night driving curfew (intermediate license)Intermediate license holders (ages 16–17) cannot drive between 11:00 PM and 4:00 AM — unless accompanied by a licensed driver 21 or older, participating in a school or church activity, or responding to an emergency.
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  Passenger restriction (intermediate license)Cannot have more than one unrelated minor passenger in the vehicle — unless accompanied by a licensed driver who is 21 or older.
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  When restrictions liftThe intermediate license expires on your 18th birthday. To get an unrestricted license, you must also have maintained a clean driving record for at least 1 year since the intermediate license was issued. Both conditions must be met.