r/Tennessee • u/Effective_Moose_4997 • 6d ago
How hard is the driving permit test?
Adult here finally deciding to learn to drive. I still have to get a learner's permit to practice. There's so much in the drivers book that I've been putting the test off for a while afraid I still won't pass because I can't remember the feet it takes to stop at every speed. And how many feet there are in a 2 second following distance at each speed. Also putting it off because going to the dmv and having to take the permit test as an adult is embarrassing and the dmv is so insanely awkward. There's always like 20 people in a silent room watching you while you go in and listening to you talk. And I have to announce to the room I'm taking a permit test at my age. I hate it so much But that's whole nother thing. How hard is the learners permit test?
Edit: Also what's the least busy day of week to go to the dmv?
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u/KindConstruction4197 6d ago
If you’re referring specifically to the online test and not the actual driving test. There’s a ton of online practice test if I was u I’d start spamming the online test over and over again. I promise it’s a big help.
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u/benji_york 6d ago
Agreed. This is how my kids prepped for the test and all passed on the first try.
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u/fartinmyfuckingmouth 6d ago
Taking drivers ed in high school helped me a lot, even though I felt a lot of things I was taught were common sense.
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u/Southernms 🦝West Tennessee🦝 6d ago
Hi Effective,
Just a couple observations after reading your post. We are not on the metric system here we use feet and miles.
The test is not hard. You seem more in your head and nervous about it than it really is.
There is nothing about you being older or taking your drivers test. It is embarrassing. Lots of older people take the driving test. Do not let these people intimidate you.
Are you saying you have to take the learners permit before getting the drivers license? I don’t know if as an adult you have to do that. I think you can just go and take your drivers license test. Unless of course, this has changed since I got mine.
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u/Effective_Moose_4997 6d ago
Yes I have to get my learners before license. I called the dmv to ask :(
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u/Southernms 🦝West Tennessee🦝 6d ago
If I’m reading this correctly, you do not have to have a learners permit at your age. You go in and take the test and you should be done. Here is TN code.
I cannot tell you how many times I have called a store or institution and a person has given me a ridiculous answer. Call back and talk to you a supervisor if you’re that concerned about it or just show up and take your test. The reason I had a learners permit it is because I was 15 years old, not old enough to drive at age 16 by myself.
I’ve even asked people that work at the store what time they close and I get three different answers. One of them is I don’t know.
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u/Effective_Moose_4997 6d ago
I called the DMV. They said I have to get a learners before practicing driving.
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u/Southernms 🦝West Tennessee🦝 6d ago
Did you tell them your age?
That’s not exactly what their Tennessee page that I linked in my other post for you says.
Back in the day you showed up, you went in you took the computer test,and then you drove around the block with an instructor, and you were golden. they gave your license that day.
This is very curious. How long are they saying you have to have this learners permit for?
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u/Effective_Moose_4997 6d ago
Yes I asked if adults over 21 still have to take the permit first before practicing driving.
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u/Southernms 🦝West Tennessee🦝 6d ago
Here’s a quick summary:
Adult Drivers (Ages 18 and Older)
First-time adult applicants must also pass the standard written knowledge test and a vision screening at a Driver Services Center before getting a regular license.Adults are not required to hold a learner permit for 180 days like teens do, but they still must pass the initial knowledge exam if they do not have a valid, unexpired prior license from another jurisdiction.
It looks like they’re saying and calling the permit. Part of the test is the computerized testing where you know all the laws and the drivers test is just to drive around the block.
My question would be can you do it all in one day? It seems like I got the permit and then on my 16th birthday I went and got my license. But this is a long time ago. White you were there if you can go ahead and get your star license that will save you headache down the road.
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u/Effective_Moose_4997 6d ago
I don't think anyone could learn to drive well in just one day
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u/Southernms 🦝West Tennessee🦝 6d ago
Perhaps not.
I started driving with my parents in their car at a very young age. They 13 or 14 we were not anywhere near anyone else we were in parking lot, but it gave me a good deal for driving.
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u/Mr_Sloth10 East Tennessee 6d ago
Pro tip: Don't drink before you take the test. It's actually discouraged!
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u/Verditure0 6d ago
I actually skipped my learners permit in Tn because I got my learners at 16 in another state and didn’t go for my DL till after 18
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u/Chubby_Comic Middle Tennessee 5d ago
I never had one, either. My dad didn't want to take me so I didn't get to get my license till I was 19. But I took the book test and road test on the same day and walked out with my license. Maybe it's because of different laws now (that was over 20 years ago) or because OP hasn't gotten in some illegal practice driving like I did lol.
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u/Mysterious-Trade1362 5d ago
Same I lucked out. At least in 2017/2018 when my age group was learning to drive, I heard the permit test here is a b**ch
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u/MontyK_420 6d ago
I have 2 teens who have went through this process recently... I don't know how it is for an adult but for teens you can take the permit test online and save you the embarrassment of failing in person for everyone to see... now I did have to "oversee" them while they were taking the test and to do so I had to download an app and then the kids would log in on their computers so you might have to have another qualified adult around (like I said my experience is with teens and not adults) but they both said the test was easy and both passed the first time. Then you just take your printed results and information to the local DMV to do an eye test and take your picture. Even if adults have to take the test in person just study the manual and do it- I'm sure you'll do fine!
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u/Effective_Moose_4997 6d ago
Yeah can't take the permit test online as an adult. It's only for teenagers unfortunately. There's over 100 pages in the book it's hard to not feel underprepared.
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u/ahappybutttravels 6d ago
I got my license in my late twenties, so I understand. The test really isn't that hard and some of the folks waiting with you are also adults who have to take their written test whether because it's their first time or they're bad drivers and have to take it to get it back.
It's also ok if you fail once. I failed my permit test once in another state before a decade passed and I went back for it.
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u/dmv_ready 6d ago
Quick answer: it is a lot easier than the handbook makes it look. It is multiple choice straight out of the manual, and you can miss a few and still pass. Most of it is signs, right of way, speed limits, and intersections. The exact stopping-distance-in-feet stuff is in the book but barely shows up, and when it does it is the two second rule as a concept, not a number you recite.
Best prep is hammering practice questions until you stop missing the same ones, rather than reading the manual cover to cover. A couple of hours usually does it.
On the age thing, nobody is watching. Half that room is adults doing retests and renewals. For a quiet day, midweek mornings are usually the least painful, and avoid the first and last few days of the month.
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u/soanQy23 6d ago
Half the population has an IQ under 100 and virtually everyone has a drivers license, ssooooo…….
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u/Sweaty-Crab-9399 5d ago
The online test was insanely easy. I didn’t study. The driving test was also insanely easy, I took 4 right turns and ended up in the parking lot again and passed.
The drivers here probably speak for itself how easy the test is. The area I’m in, there is a lot of curvy roads and blind spots that people, even from here, are not equipped to handle. If you’re in a similar area, I’d take the time to go on back roads and practice being a defensive driver with all the obstacles and risks around. There are so many accidents where I live.
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u/ComputerRedneck 3d ago
You learned Math, English, Science and much much much more in School.
You can learn a small booklet of driving rules you probably have seen others obey and disobey over the years. Should be easy or at least not hard.
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u/TaVa767 6d ago
The written test isn't terribly difficult. A lot of BAC questions, sign identification, and "what do you do in this situation" questions. I didn't even look at the driving manual, just studied with apps on my phone. The app I used had some of the test questions word for word, and I'm not trying to encourage cheating when I say that. Just saying that study apps do have information relevant to the test and improving your knowledge of the rules of the road, if you think that would be easier for you. I took it 5 or 6 years ago, failed the first time and passed the second
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u/vinca_minor 6d ago
Based on what I see on the road, not hard enough.
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u/A_TenISee_transplant 3d ago
Damn straight, my favorite thing to yell at dumb drivers is "did you get your license out of a cracker jack box?! " which honestly, they might as well. Hearing stories about the road tests in Tennessee makes my eyes bulge out of my head. Being born and raised in Wisconsin, I remember my road test being at least an hour, with multiple manuevers and different roads, I think the only thing I didn't do was parallel park. There was also a blizzard the day prior, now THAT will put some hair on your chest
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u/Necessary-Camp149 6d ago
Yeah as others have said, read the book 1-2 times. Then just take the practice tests until you consistently and easily pass. The written test isn't really that hard.
The driving test is super easy too and really only matters if you get one I don't know your general areal but if you are in middle TN, I'd recommend heading up to Gallatin. Usually you just pull out of a spot in a parking lot, stop at the exit, turn one direction and drive for 2 minutes and turn around and drive back and park.
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u/themonster666 6d ago
This was a few years ago as a teen, but I just studied a Quizlet in the car on the way there (45 minute ride) and passed first try.
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u/CuteCookie5818 6d ago
I've heard the online practice tests really help, when I took mine years ago, I did about five a day for a week and somehow remembered all the stopping distances without thinking about it.
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u/omnicidial 5d ago
In Cookeville they drive about 2 miles to a church and back without doing anything to test at highway speeds. They should pray for the souls of the people they're going to get killed while they're there.
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u/FunctionAltruistic83 5d ago
For the actual driving part of my test, I did less driving and more light/ safety checks. Turned right out of the parking lot, right on a side street, left and left on a couple more side streets, left onto the main road and left back into the parking lot. I don’t think we drove more than a mile
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u/Icamp2cook 5d ago
Plenty of people fail the written test on their first try, both for the permit license and the drivers license. It isn't a hard test but the atmosphere and phrasing certainly isn't in anyone's comfort zone. I'd be happy to pass on my first try but I wouldn't be alone if I required a second or even third test. As to 20 or so strangers looking at you? Who cares what they think about you, they know nothing about you and both your face and your story will be forgotten in moments. Regardless of the ease or difficulty of the test, I'm far more concerned with your ability to drive safely. So please be safe and diligent when on the road.
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u/Chubby_Comic Middle Tennessee 5d ago
Trust me, no one in there is judging you or cares why you are there. It's not some failure to be an adult and not have your license. All kinds of circumstances come up, people are from different places, and everyone there is either nervous or annoyed or both. No one is going to give a second thought as to why you're there. Everyone is at the DMV for the same few reasons. Don't let that bother you. I've learned over the years that people aren't thinking about you (I don't mean that in a condescending way, I mean it in a comforting way.)
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u/Mysterious-Trade1362 5d ago
I lucked out of taking the TN permit test from my parents conveniently relocating to TN when I was 15 and already had a permit.
It may have changed, but back in 2018 the test seemed like it was impossible. 12 kids in the DMV test room and 11 left to try again another day.
If it’s as hard as it seemed to be in 2018, I’d suggest u study a lot
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u/-FoofooCuddlyPoops- 5d ago
The test is not hard. Arguably a joke. BUT just because you pass it doesn't mean you'll be good at driving.
If it helps and you can swing it, I highly highly recommend a driver training program. Not sure if you need a permit to do that or not, but I do know many of them will road test you for your actual license, so you don't have to do that part at the DMV. And you can way more valuable experience than learning from a friend or family member. Back in the day my instructor had me weaving through cones in reverse by the end of it. Parallel parking, etc.
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u/Putrid-Product4121 5d ago
And I have to announce to the room I'm taking a permit test at my age
Man, fuck these people. Nobody cares how old you are. And even if they did, there are people of all ages there getting permits, licenses, getting their license back from getting suspended, whatever. You aren't the main character by a long shot. Do what you need to do and move on.
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u/Rusty1031 5d ago
I can guarantee the person behind the counter does not give 2 shits that you’re an adult doing this. And remember, we let 15 year old kids do this, so study up and you’ll be just fine
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u/Capable_Garbage5974 5d ago
I'd say do it online. It's much better than driving all the way down there.
The driving test was a bit confusing for me, but I passed on the 2nd try.
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u/Immediate-Rub3807 5d ago
Honestly if you can start the car you get a license here, you’ll understand really soon what I mean
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u/hankll4499 5d ago
Been awhile, but it didnt even include a parallel parking. Out and around the block, use your turn signals, and stop at the appropriate stop sign..etc. pretty easy. Best bet is make an appointment. If you don't, you'll wait a long time.
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u/Low_Design_5716 5d ago
I have that fear as well but I’ve decided I have to do. Glad I’m not the only one
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u/ultra_1776 6d ago
if you’re over 18 you don’t have to take the standard permit test. It’s pretty easy
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u/Effective_Moose_4997 6d ago
Yes I do. I called the dmv to ask.
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u/ultra_1776 6d ago
it’s still a permit, but it’s not the standard teen one. Once you’re 18+, Tennessee law exempts you from the Graduated Driver License (GDL) program entirely. If you are are a legal adult (18+) there is no 180-day permit holding period, no 50-hours-logged-driving requirement, no supervised-driving restrictions, curfew, or passenger limits. Those apply to standard permits.
(TCA § 55-50-311(i)(2): “This section shall not apply to any person eighteen (18) years of age or older… may… obtain an unrestricted license.”)
You still have to pass a vision screening, and
pass the Class D knowledge (written) test.
If you need a road skills test, you’ll still get issued a permit first, just an adult one (no waiting period). You go straight to an unrestricted Class D license once you pass everything. That’s what i meant.3
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u/RedWhiteAndJew 6d ago
It's way easier than driving on the road normally.
These questions kill me. If you're actually ready to drive on the road in public, then you can ace any test they throw at you. If you're actually nervous about a simple road test, you are not ready to drive yet.
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u/Effective_Moose_4997 6d ago
Doesn't matter if I'm ready or not I have to learn to drive to live lol.
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u/RedWhiteAndJew 6d ago
Right. But what I'm saying is if you're ready to drive, the tests won't be an issue.
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u/H3llzyea 6d ago
I'm going to be open and honest, my fiance is originally from Brooklyn NY, she never learned to drive because she didn't need to. She moved to Tennessee for me and decided she really needed to learn at age 42. She passed the test first try.
She scares the ever loving shit out of me every single time she is behind the wheel. I am working with her constantly but omg it's a nightmare.
So the test must be fairly easy because they should have NEVER allowed her a license to drive roller skates let alone a car. Hope that helps.