The Tennessee permit test, explained

The short answer

Teens aged 15 to 17 can take the Tennessee knowledge test online with a parent or legal guardian as proctor. The online test has 30 questions, and you need 80 percent to pass. You can try it online twice, with 24 hours between tries. The learner permit starts at 15.

Source: Knowledge permit test online, Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security

Tennessee lets a parent watch the permit test at home. The proctor uses a Tennessee app on their own phone or tablet, and the test itself runs on a computer, laptop or tablet.

Try the free permit test

This text was written with AI help, checked against the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s pages and approved by Fri Vei AS. Last updated .

Checked against the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security · Report a mistake

Drivoku is not connected to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Every fact below links to the department’s page it comes from, checked on November 3, 2026.

The Tennessee permit test at a glance

Tennessee learner permit and knowledge test
Minimum age15 (Teen/GDL page)
TestsThe knowledge test (online or in person) and a vision screening
Number of questions (online test)30 (Online test page)
Passing score80 percent
Online triesTwo, with at least 24 hours between them
LanguagesEnglish and Spanish
ProctorA parent or legal guardian, using the Tennessee Proctor ID app on their own phone or tablet; one proctor can watch up to five applicants

How many questions are on the Tennessee permit test?

The online knowledge test for ages 15 to 17 has 30 questions, and you need at least 80 percent, so you can miss 6 (online knowledge test). The page we read gives these numbers for the online test; check with a Driver Services Center if you take the test in person.

How the online permit test works

  • You must be at least 15 and no older than 17.
  • A parent or legal guardian is the proctor. They install the Tennessee Proctor ID app on their own phone or tablet, not on the device you test on, and can proctor up to five applicants.
  • You take the test on a computer, laptop or tablet. Phones are not allowed for the test.
  • You get two tries online, and you must wait 24 hours after a failed try.
  • The department may ask you to take the test again at a Driver Services Center, even if you passed online.

What to bring

Teens also need proof of school attendance: proof from a current Tennessee school, or a letter from your previous state’s school, signed and dated by the principal or guidance counselor no more than 30 days before you apply (Teen/GDL page). The same page links the department’s fees FAQ.

Rules for teen drivers in Tennessee

Tennessee, like every state, uses graduated driver licensing. From the Teen/GDL page:

  • Learner permit: drive only with a licensed driver aged 21 or older in the front seat, never between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., and everyone wears a seat belt.
  • To move up to the intermediate restricted license: be at least 16, hold the permit for 180 days, drive 50 hours including 10 at night (a parent, guardian or driving instructor signs the 50-hour certification form), and pass the road skills test at a Driver Services Center.
  • Intermediate unrestricted license: at 17, after a year on the restricted license, with no more than 6 points, no at-fault crash and fewer than 2 seat belt violations.

What Drivoku covers for Tennessee

Our free permit practice test and the questions below cover road rules and signs that apply in every state, with signs from the national sign manual. They do not cover Tennessee’s own laws and numbers, so read the Tennessee driver manual too.

Practice five questions every state shares

Five shared road rules

Answer one question at a time. You see the answer and the reason after each one. Nothing you pick is saved or sent anywhere.

Question 1 of 5

  1. Speed and space

    On a clear, dry highway you drive so slowly that a long line of cars builds up behind you, though no hazard or law requires it. What does the law say?

    • You may drive any slow speed you choose
    • You must match the fastest car's speed
    • Do not block the normal flow of traffic Right
    • You must pull over and stop completely

    The right answer is C: Do not block the normal flow of traffic

    WhyDo not drive so slowly that you impede normal traffic, unless the slow speed is needed for safety or to obey the law.

    Source: UVC § 11-805 Minimum speed regulation (model law)

    Report this question

  2. Sharing the road

    Red lights are flashing at a railroad crossing, but the gate is still raised and you cannot see a train. No officer is directing traffic. What should you do?

    • Stop before the tracks; wait until the lights stop and it is safe Right
    • Cross slowly while watching for a train in both directions
    • Continue across because the raised gate permits travel
    • Stop only if a train becomes visible near the crossing

    The right answer is A: Stop before the tracks; wait until the lights stop and it is safe

    WhyFlashing crossing lights mean stop before the tracks; a raised gate does not cancel them.

    Source: UVC § 11-701(a) Obedience to signal indicating approach of train (model law)

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  3. Night and bad weather

    You are using high beams on a dark two-way road. An oncoming vehicle is getting close enough that your high beams could dazzle its driver. What should you do?

    • Keep high beams on until the other driver flashes theirs
    • Switch to parking lights until the other vehicle passes
    • Keep high beams on and aim your car toward the shoulder
    • Switch to low beams Right

    The right answer is D: Switch to low beams

    WhyDim high beams to low beams to avoid blinding an oncoming driver.

    Source: California Driver Handbook (California DMV): Signals, Horns, and Headlights: Using Your Headlights, Texas Driver Handbook, Chapter 9: Some Special Driving Situations, Headlights, Florida Driver License Handbook (FLHSMV): Low Visibility; Night Driving

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  4. Seat belts and child safety

    Where does NHTSA recommend children under 13 ride, when a back seat is available?

    • In the back seat Right
    • In the front seat with a belt
    • In the front seat with an air bag
    • On an adult's lap

    The right answer is A: In the back seat

    WhyNHTSA recommends children under 13 ride in the back seat, away from front air bags.

    Source: NHTSA: Air Bags, The Topic — Protection

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  5. Lanes

    You are on a road with four lanes and two-way traffic, with a center line between the directions. When may you cross that center line?

    • To pass a slower car ahead of you
    • Whenever your side of the road is busy
    • To make a safe, permitted left turn into a driveway, alley, or private road Right
    • To use the oncoming lanes as a shortcut past traffic

    The right answer is C: To make a safe, permitted left turn into a driveway, alley, or private road

    WhyOn a four-lane two-way road, never drive left of center to pass; turning left into a driveway is allowed.

    Source: UVC § 11-301(c) Drive on right side of roadway - exceptions (model law)

    Report this question

Each topic's level is free in the app. Pro lets you practice every topic as much as you want.

In the app, questions you miss come back until you get them right. 5 questions a day are free.

45 free questions on this website and 379 in the app, checked against the MUTCD, the Uniform Vehicle Code and Texas law, with the reason for every answer. About the app

Out now on iPhone and Android.

Practicing at home before the real online test? Take the 25-question permit practice test together, then the road signs quiz. Other states: permit test by state.

Common questions

Can you take the Tennessee permit test online?

Yes, if you are 15 to 17. A parent or legal guardian proctors it with the Tennessee Proctor ID app on their own phone or tablet.

How many questions are on the Tennessee online permit test?

30, and you need 80 percent to pass, so you can miss 6.

How many times can you take the Tennessee permit test online?

Twice, with at least 24 hours after a failed try.

Can a Tennessee learner permit holder drive at night?

Not between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. At other times only with a licensed driver aged 21 or older in the front seat.

Sources

(2)
  1. Knowledge permit test online, Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security
  2. Teen/graduated driver license, Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security