California DMV Knowledge Test Question Bank 2025. Whether you take the knowledge test on a DMV touchscreen, at home on the webcam-proctored version, or through a renewal kiosk, every question is drawn from the very same master pool of items built from the Driver Handbook.
Size and structure of the bank
- Total English items: 342
- Number of content areas: 23
- Adult (DL 5) format: ten interchangeable 36-question forms
- Provisional (DL 5T) format: five 46-question forms for drivers under 18
Items are seeded onto each form in fixed proportions, so every applicant gets an equal mix of topics and at least two “mandatory” sobriety-law questions.
California DMV Knowledge Test Question Bank
Topics Covered
Knowledge area | Items on a single adult form | % of your test |
---|---|---|
Traffic signs | 3 | 8 % |
Safe-driving practices | 3 | 8 % |
Visual scanning | 3 | 8 % |
Right-of-way | 2 | 6 % |
Speed limits | 2 | 6 % |
Space cushion | 2 | 6 % |
Turns | 2 | 6 % |
Traffic signals & lights | 2 | 6 % |
Driving in rain, fog, snow | 2 | 6 % |
…plus 14 other areas (1 item each) | — | — |
How to crack the bank
- Read the 2025 Driver Handbook once—no shortcuts. Every item must trace to a line in that book.
- Run the four DMV sample tests until you’re missing fewer than three per set.
- Alternate with a third-party simulator that achieves the same 83% pass rate.
- Spot-review the high-weight areas in the table above; eight topics cover half the exam.
- Narrate from the passenger seat. Calling out signs and hazards in live traffic wires, abstract rules are transferred to muscle memory.
Quick facts to remember:
Fact | Number |
---|---|
Total English questions in the bank | 342) |
Content areas | 23 |
Adult test length | 36 Qs |
Under-18 test length | 46 Qs |
Passing score | 83 % (30/36 or 38/46) |
Attempts allowed per application | 3 |