Nevada DMV Permit Practice Test

The Nevada DMV knowledge test stands between you and an instruction permit. The questions come from the Nevada Driver's Manual and cover everything from sign meanings to right-of-way rules. If you fail, the DMV won't tell you which questions you missed — you only get a pass or fail verdict. Know what you're walking into before you sit down.

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  Under-18 and adult exam25 questions for everyone. Pass at 80% — that's 20 correct. The test stops automatically when you've answered 20 correctly or 6 incorrectly, so you may finish before all 25 questions.
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  Application fee$22.50 for an instruction permit. Pay at any Nevada DMV office when you apply.
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  What to bringProof of identity, Social Security number, and Nevada residency documents. Teens under 18 also need a parent or guardian signature on the application.
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  Driver ed required under 18Most first-time drivers under 18 must complete a DMV-approved driver education course before testing. At 18 or older, driver ed is not required.
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  Nevada's early-stop format is unusualMost states make you answer all questions. Nevada cuts you off as soon as the outcome is determined — 20 correct or 6 wrong. That means a bad streak early costs more than one wrong answer normally would.
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  Traffic laws dominate the bankWith 306 of 528 bank questions in traffic laws, expect more right-of-way, turning, and passing rules than pure sign identification. Don't spend all your prep time on signs alone.

Nevada's question bank breaks down into traffic laws (58%), safety (21%), road signs (11%), and smaller shares for drugs/alcohol, parking, and vehicle rules. Expect traffic laws, safety responses, and road signs to account for well over half of any given exam. Get those three right and you're most of the way there.

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  Road signs (57 questions in bank)Shape, color, and meaning of regulatory, warning, and guide signs. A keep-right sign, an intersection-ahead sign, and advisory speed signs all appear in the bank. (Q14176, Q14177, Q14550)
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  Right-of-way at intersectionsAt a four-way stop, first to arrive goes first. If two vehicles arrive simultaneously, the one on the left yields to the one on the right. (Q14232, Q14512, Q14538)
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  Signal distance — city vs. highwaySignal at least 100 feet before a turn on city streets and at least 300 feet before a turn on open highways. Both numbers appear on the test. (Q14581, Q14593, Q14686)
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  Railroad crossingsWhen flashing signals warn of an approaching train, stop no closer than 15 feet from the nearest rail. (Q14392)
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  Following distanceAt 40 mph or slower, stay at least 2 seconds behind the vehicle in front of you. Increase that gap in poor conditions, behind large vehicles, or at highway speeds. (Q14595)
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  BAC limit — 21 and older0.08% BAC is the legal limit. At or above this level, driving is a DUI. (Q14412)
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  Alcohol impairment below the legal limitThe bank makes clear that driving skill and judgment are harmed by alcohol well below 0.08%. The test asks whether alcohol impairs you — the answer is yes, regardless of the legal limit. (Q14305, Q14405)
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  Chemical test refusalIf an officer suspects DUI, you cannot refuse blood, breath, or urine testing. Refusal results in license revocation. (Q14358)
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  Speed limitsSpeed limits mark the maximum under ideal conditions. Nevada law requires reducing speed when weather, visibility, or road conditions make it unsafe to drive at the posted limit. (Q14306, Q14438)

These are the categories that sink more first-time test-takers than any other. If you only have time to drill a few topics, drill these — they are consistently the source of the wrong answers that flip a pass into a fail.

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  Three-car right-of-way at four-way stopsFirst to arrive goes first. When two cars arrive at the same time, left yields to right. When three arrive simultaneously, it gets tricky — keep yielding to whoever is on your right. (Q14232, Q14512)
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  School bus — two-lane vs. multilane roadsOn a two-lane highway, traffic in BOTH directions must stop when red lights flash. On a multilane road with a median or shared center turn lane, only same-direction traffic stops. (Q14430, Q14292)
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  Hill parking — downhillTurn your wheels toward the road edge (right). If brakes fail, the car rolls away from traffic and into the curb or shoulder. (Q14604)
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  Hill parking — uphill with a curbTurn your wheels away from the curb (left). The curb acts as the stopper if the car rolls backward. (Q14571, Q14620, Q14639)
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  Impairment is not the same as the legal limit0.08% is when it becomes illegal — not when it becomes dangerous. The test asks directly whether alcohol harms driving skills; the answer is yes, at any amount. (Q14305)
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  "All of the above" is often correct in NevadaUnlike the "always/never" trap seen in other states, Nevada's bank uses "All of the above" as the correct answer for many multi-factor questions (signal rules, BAC factors, passing rules). Read every option before locking in an answer. (Q14181, Q14278)
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  Bicycle passing — slow down, give spacePass a bicyclist the same way you'd pass any vehicle: signal, check for oncoming traffic, and leave as much space as possible. Don't crowd them. When there's oncoming traffic AND a cyclist ahead, wait for the car to clear before passing the bike. (Q14337, Q14396, Q14461)

Reading alone reliably tops out around 60% on the real test. The students who pass first try use three loops: read once, drill once, listen once. That's it.

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  Loop 1 — read the handbook (or this guide)Download the Nevada Driver's Manual free from dmv.nv.gov. Read once, don't try to memorize. This guide compresses the highest-yield 20% into bullets.
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  Loop 2 — drill the practice examsTake the free 40-Q exam below cold. Anything under 32/40 → focus on the categories you missed and retake. We have 13 distinct exams (528 questions) for Nevada — more than enough to find every pattern.
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  Loop 3 — listen along on YouTubePlay the Nevada Road Signs or Traffic Laws videos the day before your test. Hearing the questions out loud locks them in faster than re-reading alone.
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  Sleep beats crammingMemory consolidates overnight. A full sleep the night before is worth more than two extra hours of late-night studying.
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  Study signs visuallyNever read sign descriptions in text only. Look at the actual shape and color. The test shows you the sign, not words describing it.
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  Read every option before pickingAll 528 Nevada questions have 4 options (A/B/C/D). The DMV writes plausible wrong answers. "All of the above" is correct surprisingly often in this bank — don't skip it.

Passing the knowledge test gets you an instruction permit — not a license. Nevada's graduated licensing rules are stricter than average: a 10 PM curfew (not midnight like many states), 50 supervised hours, and a path to early full-license before 18 if you earn it.

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  Permit supervisor ruleA licensed driver age 21 or older with at least 1 year of licensed experience must sit with you. No solo driving on a permit — ever.
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  Minimum permit holdYou must hold the instruction permit for at least 6 months before you can take the road test.
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  Supervised practice hours50 total hours required, including at least 10 hours in darkness. Log them carefully — your parent or guardian signs off on the hours.
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  Night-driving curfewCannot drive between 10 PM and 5 AM on the intermediate (provisional) license. Exceptions apply for school events or work with documentation. This curfew is earlier than the midnight cutoff most states use.
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  Passenger restriction — first 6 monthsNo passengers under age 18 during your first 6 months with the intermediate license — except immediate siblings.
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  Two paths to unrestricted drivingFIRST path: hold the intermediate license for 1 year violation-free — you can earn full unrestricted driving before turning 18 if your record is clean. LATER path: automatic full license at age 18 regardless. Nevada is one of the few states that lets clean teens graduate early.