Oregon DMV Permit Practice Test

The Oregon DMV knowledge test is the gateway between you and a learner's permit. Questions come from the Oregon Driver Manual, and if you fail, the DMV gives you your score — not the questions you got wrong. You walk out knowing the number, not the gaps. That's exactly why drilling from the actual question pool matters more than rereading the manual a second time.

• ✓
  Adult test (18+)35 questions, 80% pass rate — you need at least 28 correct. All adults take a single general knowledge test. There is no separate signs section for adults.
• ✓
  Under-18 dual-section testIf you're under 18, Oregon requires two knowledge tests, not one. The first is 35 general questions (need 28/35). The second is a separate 20-question signs-and-safety test (need 16/20). Both must be passed before you get your permit.
• ✓
  Application fee$23.50 paid at the DMV branch when you apply. Bring cash or card — this fee is assessed at the time of application and is not refundable if you don't pass the test.
• ✓
  Bring with youProof of identity (birth certificate or passport), Social Security number, and proof of Oregon residency. All documents must be original or certified — the DMV will not accept photocopies.
• ✓
  Driver education — optional but worth itOregon does not require driver ed for those under 18, but completing an ODOT-approved traffic safety course cuts your supervised practice hours from 100 down to 50. That's 50 hours you don't have to log.
• ✓
  Why OR trips people upTraffic laws dominate the bank (317 of 499 questions — 64%). Students who skim the signs section and assume they know the rules get blindsided by nuanced right-of-way and school bus questions. Oregon also tests DUII consequences specifically, not just general impairment effects.
• ✓
  Under-18 double-test riskTeen applicants who don't realize they face two separate tests often pass the general section and walk in unprepared for the 20-question signs test. Treat both as distinct pass/fail gates.

Oregon's 499-question bank clusters heaviest in traffic laws (317 questions), safety (67), and road signs (44). Those three categories alone represent nearly 86% of the pool. Master right-of-way rules, signal timing, and sign meanings and you've covered the bulk of the exam.

• ✓
  Road signs (44 questions in the bank)Diamond shapes warn of hazards. Downward-pointing triangles mean yield (Q12517). Round signs indicate railroad crossings (Q12660). Orange = construction zone (Q12593). The test shows you the actual sign image, not a text description.
• ✓
  Right-of-way and turningWhen two cars arrive at an uncontrolled intersection at the same time, yield to the driver on your right (Q12544). When turning left, yield to all oncoming traffic and pedestrians already in the intersection (Q12395). At an unmarked T-intersection, traffic on the through-road has right-of-way (Q12851).
• ✓
  Signal distance — 100 feetOregon law requires you to activate your turn signal at least 100 feet before turning or changing lanes (Q12884). Signaling is required by law even when no other traffic is present (Q12651).
• ✓
  Following distance — at least 2 secondsAt speeds of 30 mph or slower, maintain at least 2 seconds of following distance behind the vehicle in front (Q12843). The broader rule is 2–4 seconds under normal conditions (Q12882). Increase distance behind large vehicles that block your view (Q12580).
• ✓
  BAC limit (21+) — 0.08%It is illegal to drive in Oregon with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher if you are 21 or older (Q12537). Oregon's offense is called DUII — Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants — and covers alcohol, controlled substances, and inhalants (Q12426).
• ✓
  DUII first-offense suspension — 1 yearA first DUII conviction results in a one-year suspension of your driving privileges (Q12737). This is longer than many states' minimum.
• ✓
  Implied consent — breath, blood, or urineOregon's Implied Consent Law means that by driving in the state you have already agreed to take a breath, blood, or urine test if arrested for DUII (Q12634). Refusal is not a legal escape — it triggers separate administrative penalties.
• ✓
  Alcohol impairment starts before 0.08%The bank explicitly tests that alcohol slows reflexes, harms judgment, and reduces coordination at any amount — not just above the legal limit (Q12383, Q12449). Coffee, fresh air, and food do not reduce BAC — only time does (Q12432).
• ✓
  Speed limitsPosted speed limits are the maximum legal speed under ideal conditions — not a target you must hit (Q12468, Q12754). Driving so slowly that you disrupt traffic flow is also illegal (Q12530). Slow down whenever conditions are less than perfect (Q12619).

These are the categories that sink more first-time Oregon test-takers than any other. If you only have time to drill a few topics, start here.

• ✓
  Three-car right-of-way scenariosTwo cars arrive at an uncontrolled intersection simultaneously — the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right (Q12544, Q12757). When turning left on a solid green light, you yield to all oncoming traffic — you only have right-of-way on a green left-turn arrow (Q12601). Left-turning drivers must yield to oncoming traffic AND pedestrians in the intersection (Q12395).
• ✓
  School bus rulesWhen a school bus has its red lights flashing and stop arm extended, stop completely and wait to proceed — in both directions on a two-lane highway (Q12477, Q12563). Amber flashing lights mean the bus is preparing to stop — slow down and prepare to stop yourself (Q12605). After the bus loads or unloads, watch for children walking along the roadside before proceeding (Q12604).
• ✓
  Hill parking — downhillParking downhill on a street with a curb: turn wheels to the right (toward the curb). If brakes fail, the curb catches the car before it rolls into traffic (Q12790, Q12872).
• ✓
  Hill parking — uphill with curbParking uphill with a curb: turn wheels sharply away from the curb (to the left). The curb acts as a stop if the brakes fail (Q12788, Q12797, Q12844). The rule flips from downhill — this is the most common hill parking mistake.
• ✓
  DUII vs. legal limit framingThe legal limit of 0.08% is the threshold for arrest — not the point where impairment begins. Oregon's bank specifically tests that alcohol harms driving ability well before you reach that number (Q12383, Q12442, Q12449). 'I'm under the legal limit' is not a safe driving strategy.
• ✓
  The 'all of the above' patternOregon's bank uses 'All of the above' as the correct answer on a significant portion of questions — especially in the drugs/alcohol and safety categories. Don't reflexively skip it. When all three prior options are clearly correct, option D is almost always the answer (Q12383, Q12426).
• ✓
  Passing a bicyclistTo safely pass a bicyclist on a two-lane road, slow down and wait until oncoming traffic is clear, then pass while giving the cyclist as much space as possible (Q12571, Q12699). Do not honk to clear the way — that's incorrect and tested (Q12571).

Reading the manual once reliably tops out around 60% on the real test. Students who pass on the first try use three loops: read once, drill once, listen once. That's the whole system.

• ✓
  Loop 1 — read the handbookDownload the Oregon Driver Manual free from oregon.gov/odot/dmv. Read through once without stopping to memorize. The manual covers everything the test draws from — but reading it once isn't enough on its own.
• ✓
  Loop 2 — drill the practice examsTake the free 40-Q exam on this page cold. Anything under 32/40 — identify the categories you missed and drill those specifically. Oregon's bank has 499 questions across 12 practice exams. Anything under 80% in a category warrants another full pass.
• ✓
  Loop 3 — listen along on YouTubePlay the Oregon DMV practice video the night before your test. Hearing the questions and answers read aloud locks them in faster than re-reading. Oregon's bank is 100% 4-option (A/B/C/D) format — train your ear to eliminate wrong answers.
• ✓
  Sleep beats crammingMemory consolidates overnight. A full night's sleep before the test outperforms two extra hours of late-night studying every time. Finish your last drill session at least an hour before bed.
• ✓
  Study signs visually, not verballyDon't just memorize sign descriptions in text form. Look at the actual shape, color, and symbol. The DMV test shows you the sign image — especially critical for Oregon's under-18 20-question signs section.
• ✓
  Read all four options before pickingOregon's entire bank of 499 questions uses 4-option A/B/C/D format. The first option is often plausible but wrong. 'All of the above' is the correct answer on many alcohol, safety, and right-of-way questions — never skip it without reading all three preceding options.

Passing the knowledge test gets you an Oregon instruction permit — not a full license. Oregon's GDL rules are moderately strict, with a midnight curfew, phased passenger limits, and a 6-month minimum hold before you can test for a provisional license.

• ✓
  Permit supervisionA licensed driver at least 21 years old who has held their license for at least 3 years must sit in the front passenger seat whenever you drive on your instruction permit. No remote supervision — they must be physically present next to you.
• ✓
  Permit hold time — 6 months minimumYou must hold your instruction permit for at least 6 months before you are eligible to apply for a provisional license. There is no way to shorten this waiting period.
• ✓
  Supervised practice hoursIf you completed an ODOT-approved driver education course: 50 total hours required, including 10 nighttime hours. Without driver ed: 100 total hours required, including 10 nighttime hours. All hours must be logged and documented.
• ✓
  Night driving curfew — midnight to 5 AMDuring the first year of your provisional license, no driving between midnight and 5 AM. Exceptions exist for work, school, or emergencies, or when accompanied by a licensed driver age 25 or older.
• ✓
  Passenger restriction — first 6 monthsFor the first 6 months of your provisional license, no passengers under age 20 are allowed unless they are immediate family members. The restriction does not care how many — zero non-family under-20 passengers.
• ✓
  Passenger restriction — next 6 monthsFrom month 7 through month 12, you may carry up to 3 passengers under age 20 (immediate family excluded from the count). The limit drops to 3, not unlimited — don't fill the car.
• ✓
  When restrictions lift — whichever comes FIRSTBoth the midnight curfew and the passenger restrictions end after 1 year with the provisional license OR when you turn 18 — whichever milestone happens first. If you get your provisional license at 17 years and 6 months, the restrictions end at 18, not at the 1-year mark.