Class C License Knowledge Test Practice

California · America

3 selected Class C License questions, each with a written explanation. Start with a full practice run, or study one topic at a time using the links below.

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Traffic Signs & Signals Regulatory, warning and guide signs, plus traffic light and pavement marking questions. Right of Way & Intersections Who goes first at intersections, roundabouts, merges and uncontrolled crossings. Speed Limits & Following Distance Posted speed limits, school and construction zones, stopping and following distance. Impaired Driving & Penalties Blood alcohol limits, drugs and fatigue, licence suspensions, demerit points and fines. Parking & Stopping Rules Where you may park, distances from hydrants and crossings, hill parking and disabled permits. Highway & Freeway Driving Entering and exiting freeways, lane changes, overtaking and HOV lane rules. Bad Weather & Night Driving Rain, snow, ice, fog and night driving: visibility, traction and headlight use. Sharing the Road Pedestrians, cyclists, school buses, emergency vehicles and heavy trucks.

About this test

Class C is California's ordinary licence for passenger cars and light trucks. Getting one starts with the DMV written knowledge test, which is what these questions cover.

Applicants under 18 answer 46 questions and need 38 correct; applicants 18 and older answer 36 and need 30. The DMV publishes the pass mark as 80%, and those question counts work out slightly above that, so aim well clear of eight in ten. Every question is drawn from the California Driver's Handbook, which the DMV publishes free, and questions are pulled at random rather than in a fixed order. The test is available in 35 or more languages.

One $46 application fee covers the instruction permit, up to three attempts at the written test and your eventual driving test. Applicants under 18 must wait seven days between attempts; fail three times and you file a fresh application and pay again. Note that DMV offices stop administering knowledge tests at 4:30 p.m., so book early in the day.

The exam concentrates on right-of-way, speed limits and the basic speed law, signs, signals and pavement markings, alcohol and drug limits — 0.08% for adults and 0.01% under 21 — seat belts and child restraints, and parking rules.

Under-18 applicants then hold the permit at least six months, complete six hours of professional training and log 50 hours of supervised practice, 10 of them at night, before the behind-the-wheel test.

Full step-by-step guide: California DMV Written Test 2026: Fees, Questions, Permit

Official information and booking: California DMV — licences and ID cards

Study from: California Driver’s Handbook

Before you book the knowledge test

Every item on the DMV test is in the California Driver’s Handbook. If an explanation on this site and the handbook ever disagree, the handbook wins.

  • Under-18 applicants must wait seven days between written attempts.
  • Right-of-way, the basic speed law, and 0.08% / 0.01% alcohol limits come up constantly.

California DMV — licences and ID cards · California Driver’s Handbook

How many tries do I get?

The $46 application includes up to three written attempts. Fail all three and you apply again and pay again.

Is the test the same for adults and teens?

Same handbook, different length: 36 questions for adults, 46 for applicants under 18.

Guides that belong with this page

California DMV Test Guide The California DMV knowledge test explained: one $46 application covering three attempts, 46 questions under 18 and 36 for adults, and an 80% pass mark. California Handbook First The Class C knowledge test is drawn from the California Driver’s Handbook on dmv.ca.gov. How to use the official book and sample tests — and why third-party 2026 playlists are not the exam.