Driving Tests

Connecticut Permit Test: 25 Questions, 20 Correct to Pass

informational·how to guide·Published October 17, 2026

How many questions are on the Connecticut permit test, and how many must you get right?

The Connecticut DMV knowledge test has 25 questions, and you need at least 20 correct to pass, so you can miss up to 5. You take it in person, by appointment only, after you pass a vision test in the same visit. The test is based on the Connecticut Driver's Manual. You cannot take the test online.

Where these Connecticut permit test rules come from

The numbers and steps come from the Connecticut DMV knowledge and vision test page and the Connecticut Driver's Manual. The test content and language rules come from Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 14-36 (2026 Supplement). The fee rule comes from Sec. 14-50, the phone law date from Public Act 26-63, and the fees and office list from the Connecticut DMV teen driver and adult learner's permit pages. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Connecticut DMV (portal.ct.gov/dmv) before you drive.

The Connecticut knowledge test at a glance

The Connecticut knowledge test at a glance
Item	What to know
Questions	25
Correct answers to pass	At least 20 (you can miss up to 5)
Where	In person, by appointment only, at select DMV offices
Before it	Vision test in the same appointment: 20/40 or better, with or without glasses or contact lenses
Fees	$40 testing fee and $19 learner's permit fee, paid online when you book
Languages	11 languages, plus a hard-copy written test in 24 more on request
If you fail	Wait seven days and pay $40 to retake

How the Connecticut permit test appointment works

1
Book and prepay online
You cannot walk in. Use the DMV online service to schedule your knowledge test and pay in advance.
2
Go to a permit testing office
For a teen permit, the DMV lists these offices: Bridgeport, Cheshire, Danbury, Enfield, Hamden, Norwalk, Old Saybrook, Waterbury, Wethersfield and Willimantic.
3
Pass the vision test first
The vision test comes before the knowledge test. You need 20/40 vision or better, and 140 degrees of binocular peripheral visual field.
4
Take the 25-question knowledge test
Answer at least 20 correctly. The test is based on the information in the Driver's Manual.
5
Schedule your road test
You can schedule the on-road skills test (driving test) only after you pass the knowledge test. You also need the required permit time and driver training first.

What to bring to the knowledge test

The printed certificate from the free Connecticut Work Zone Safety Course, which every permit applicant has needed since January 1, 2026. The Work Zone Safety question in our practice test covers this step.
Form R-229, the completed and signed permit application. You can print it after you book online.
Original identity documents. The DMV does not accept photocopies or faxed copies. The Connecticut DMV documents guide lists which ones to bring.
Glasses or contact lenses, if you need them to meet the vision standard.
For a minor with no parent or legal guardian present: a completed Certificate of Parental Consent (form 2-D).

What is on the Connecticut knowledge test?

State law says the Class D knowledge test must include a question about highway work zone safety and at least one question about distracted driving or the use of mobile phones and other electronic devices. The Driver's Manual on the DMV site was revised in March 2023, before the phone law changed on October 1, 2026. For the current phone rules, read the Connecticut distracted driving law guide.

Languages for the Connecticut permit test

The DMV offers the knowledge test in 11 languages: Albanian, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, English, French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. You can also ask for a hard-copy written test in 24 more languages, among them Armenian, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Ukrainian and Urdu. By law, you also need enough English to read traffic control signs.

What happens if you fail the Connecticut permit test?

You fail the vision test

You cannot take the knowledge test that day. You can reschedule your appointment immediately.

You fail the knowledge test

You wait seven days and pay $40 to reschedule the retake. State law charges $40 again for each failed exam or failed part. Our practice question on the seven-day retest wait tests this rule.

You pass both tests

You qualify for your learner's permit. After the required permit time and driver training, you can schedule the road test.

How to prepare for the 25 questions

Review the written Driver's Manual first. The audio versions do not have the most up-to-date information. Then use the DMV's Practice Test One, Two and Three, in English or Spanish, or its free mobile app with sample questions. Our own Connecticut practice tests and question pages are also free and in English only. They are practice, not the official test.

How long the Connecticut learner's permit lasts

You must be at least 16 to get a learner's permit. Once you have it, the permit is valid until you get your license or for 2 years from the issue date, whichever comes first. Adults who are 18 or older get an adult learner's permit, which is also valid for two years.

Key takeaways

The Connecticut knowledge test has 25 questions, and 20 correct answers pass.
You take it in person, by appointment, at a DMV office. You book and prepay online.
The vision test comes first: 20/40 or better and 140 degrees of peripheral vision.
If you fail the knowledge test, you wait seven days and pay $40 to retake it.
Next step: practice on the free Connecticut Class D practice test.

Connecticut permit test: common questions

Can I take the Connecticut permit test online?

No. All Connecticut DMV testing is in person, by appointment only, at select DMV locations. You schedule the knowledge test and prepay in the DMV online service, and walk-ins are not accepted for permit tests. Online practice tests can help you study, but they do not replace the DMV test.

Is the Connecticut permit test the same for adults?

Yes. If you are 18 or older, you apply for an adult learner's permit and pass the same vision test and 25-question knowledge test. The fees are the same: $40 for testing and $19 for the permit, paid online when you book. If you fail either test, you reschedule online and pay the fees again.

Is the Connecticut permit test hard?

You need 20 of 25 correct, and the questions are based on the Driver's Manual, so careful study is the best preparation. The DMV also offers three practice tests and a free mobile app with sample questions. Start with the written manual, because the audio versions do not have the most recent laws.

How much does the Connecticut permit test cost?

The testing fee is $40, and the learner's permit fee is $19. You pay them online when you book the appointment. The $40 testing fee covers the vision, knowledge and road tests. If you fail the knowledge test, you pay $40 again to retake it.

Can I take the Connecticut permit test in Spanish?

Yes. Spanish is one of the 11 languages that the DMV offers for the knowledge test. You can also ask for a hard-copy written test in 24 more languages, such as Haitian Creole or Ukrainian. State law also requires enough English to read traffic control signs.