Free NJ Permit Test Study Guide PDF (No Email Needed)

This free NJ permit test study guide PDF is a four-page printable you can download right now, with no email and no sign-up. It covers how the New Jersey knowledge test works, road signs by shape and color, the numbers people forget, the GDL rules for drivers under 21, and 20 practice questions with answers, all checked against the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission's own pages.

We have run US Driving School in Hamilton, New Jersey, since 2008, and this is the same short list of topics we go over with our own students before their knowledge test. The questions are original practice questions based on the official New Jersey Driver Manual. They are not real MVC test questions.

What is in the NJ permit test study guide PDF

It is not a replacement for the New Jersey Driver Manual, which is free at nj.gov/mvc and is where every test question comes from. Think of the PDF as the summary you review the night before and the morning of your test.

How the NJ knowledge test works

• The MVC calls the permit test the knowledge test. It is multiple choice and based on the New Jersey Driver Manual.
• The MVC does not publish the number of questions or the passing score on the pages we checked. You may see 50 questions and 80% online, but treat that as unofficial.
• Teens 16 and older in the special learner permit path usually take the knowledge test and a vision test at their driving school.
• Adults buy a $10 examination permit at a driver testing center with their 6 Points of ID, then make an appointment for the knowledge test.
• The written test comes in 13 languages, and oral tests are offered in English and Spanish.
• If you fail, you can retest in 7 days.

Road signs by shape and color

Sign questions are the easiest points on the test if you learn shapes first. The study guide uses this table:

Numbers to know

In our experience, the students who fail the NJ knowledge test usually know how to drive. They lose points on exact numbers. These are the ones on the study sheet, each checked on an official New Jersey page:

GDL rules for drivers under 21

New Jersey's Graduated Driver License (GDL) rules show up on the test and matter every day you drive with a permit. The MVC lists these:

• Red reflective decals on the front and rear license plates (upper left corner) for permit and probationary drivers under 21.
• No hand-held or hands-free interactive wireless devices while driving.
• Passengers with a permit: the supervising driver, your parents, guardians or dependents, and one more passenger unless a parent or guardian is in the car.
• Seat belts for everyone in the car.
• You cannot get your license until you are 17.

New Jersey permit test study guide: 10 sample questions

Here are the first 10 questions from the PDF. Try them before you look at the answers.

1. A red, eight-sided sign means: A) Yield, B) Stop, C) Do not enter.
2. A red and white triangle pointing down means: A) Yield, B) Stop, C) Merge.
3. A yellow diamond-shaped sign is a: A) Guide sign, B) Warning sign, C) Regulatory sign.
4. A five-sided sign marks: A) A hospital, B) A school zone or crossing, C) A rest area.
5. Orange signs are used for: A) Work zones, B) Parks, C) Motorist services.
6. A yellow pennant on the left side of the road means: A) Yield ahead, B) No passing zone, C) Merge left.
7. A round yellow sign with an X and RR means: A) Road closed, B) Railroad crossing ahead, C) Rest area.
8. A blue rectangular sign shows: A) A warning, B) Motorist services, C) A speed limit.
9. A school bus is stopped with red lights flashing on an undivided road. You must: A) Stop at least 25 feet away, B) Pass slowly on the left, C) Stop only if behind it.
10. You are on the opposite side of a divided highway from a stopped school bus with no barrier between you. You: A) Must stop, B) May pass at 10 mph or less, C) May pass at the speed limit.

Answers

1. B) Stop
2. A) Yield
3. B) Warning sign
4. B) A school zone or crossing
5. A) Work zones
6. B) No passing zone
7. B) Railroad crossing ahead
8. B) Motorist services
9. A) Stop at least 25 feet away
10. B) May pass at 10 mph or less

The other 10 questions in the PDF cover alcohol limits, GDL hours, passengers, phones, decals and test timing.

How to use the study guide

1. Week 1: readRead the New Jersey Driver Manual one chapter a day, with the study guide next to you. Highlight anything on the sheet you did not know.
2. Week 2: practiceTake the 20 questions in the PDF, then full practice tests online. Write down every miss and find it in the manual.
3. Day beforeReread pages 1 and 2 of the guide only: signs, numbers and GDL rules.
4. Test dayBring your documents and glasses if you need them. Read every question twice before you answer.

When you score 18 or more out of 20 on the PDF questions, move on to full-length practice tests. Book your test when you pass those several times in a row.

Want help beyond the PDF?

US Driving School (usdrivingschool.com) teaches teens and adults in New Jersey, with behind-the-wheel lessons and road test preparation. Teens in the special learner permit path take their knowledge test through their driving school, so ask about it when you enroll.

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