Yes. You can take your permit test at home in Massachusetts: the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) lets you take the learner's permit exam online within 60 days of visiting an RMV Service Center. You start in person with your documents, then take the same 25-question exam on a computer with a webcam, alone in a quiet room. The rules are strict, and breaking one means an automatic fail.
This guide covers who can use the RMV permit test online at home, every rule the RMV lists, and what happens if you fail or are caught cheating.
Can you take your permit test at home in Massachusetts?
Yes, after your in-person visit. The RMV's Learner's Permit Exam Overview says customers can choose to take the permit exam online within 60 days of visiting the Service Center. The exam is the same one given in person: 25 questions, 18 correct to pass, with a 25-minute time limit.
The minimum age for a Massachusetts learner's permit is 16. If you are under 18, a parent or guardian gives written consent on the application. The online exam is offered in many languages, but the American Sign Language version is only given at a Service Center.
How the RMV permit test online at home works
- Visit a Service CenterBring your application, identity and residency documents, parent consent if under 18, and the $30 fee. You also have a vision screening.
- Get set upUse a computer with a working camera, and Chrome 97, Edge 94 or newer. Phones and tablets are not allowed.
- Take the exam within 60 daysPick a quiet room, consent to photos, and finish 25 questions in 25 minutes.
- Pass and get your permitYou need 18 correct. If you fail, pay another $30 in your myRMV profile to try again.
The RMV proctoring rules
The RMV takes photos of you before, during and at the end of the exam. These are its rules, from mass.gov:
- Do not allow other adults, children (including babies) or pets in the room.
- Leave your phone, smartwatch and other electronics in another room.
- Keep your face clear: no baseball hats, masks or sunglasses.
- Do not use the driver's manual or search the internet for answers.
- Keep the camera on for the whole exam.
And these count as an automatic fail:
| Rule | What triggers a fail |
|---|---|
| Inactivity | Not clicking a button on a question for more than 2 minutes |
| Time out | Taking longer than 25 minutes |
| Lost focus | Leaving the browser during the exam |
| Cheating | A fail, plus no license or permit of any kind for 60 days |
Parents: say good luck before the exam starts, then leave the room and close the door. A parent standing in the doorway is still another person in the room.
Small gestures count
The RMV takes communication during the exam seriously, in person too. In 2015, CBS Boston reported that a 16-year-old taking the written test at the Watertown RMV was failed for giving her mother a thumbs-up through the glass, and her permit was put on hold for 60 days. That was an in-office test, but the lesson carries over to the online exam: during the test, do not look at, signal to or talk with anyone.
If your setup cannot meet the rules
The RMV says that if you cannot meet these conditions, you should take the exam at an RMV Service Center instead. Choose the office if you share a small home with no quiet room, if your only device is a phone or tablet, or if your internet connection drops often. A failed online exam costs the same $30 as any retake.
What happens if you fail?
You can take the exam again, but first you must pay another $30 fee through your myRMV profile. The RMV does not publish a waiting period for an ordinary fail. If you were failed for cheating, you cannot hold any license or permit for 60 days, and the RMV says you may also face further investigation.
Can you take your permit test at home in Massachusetts?
Yes, within 60 days of visiting an RMV Service Center, on a computer with a working camera, alone in a quiet room.
Is the RMV permit test online at home the same as the office test?
Yes. Both have 25 questions, 18 correct to pass, and a 25-minute limit.
What gets you failed on the RMV permit test online?
Another person or pet in the room, more than 2 minutes without clicking, going past 25 minutes, leaving the browser, or using notes or the internet.
How much does the RMV permit test online cost?
The learner's permit application fee is $30. Each retake costs another $30, paid in your myRMV profile.
Can I take the RMV permit test online on my phone?
No. The RMV does not allow smartphones or tablets.
