By VidMira · November 4, 2026
The NJ drivers test is two tests in order: a knowledge test, then a road test with an examiner. The test many people call the NJ DMV test is given by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJ MVC). First, you prove who you are and pass a vision screening.
Step 1: Documents and vision screening
Every New Jersey license applicant must have the documents to satisfy the 6-Point ID Verification (Driver Manual, p. 30).
A vision screening is required for all motorists. The MVC may refer people with impaired vision to a physician (Driver Manual, p. 30). The standards are:
- Basic license: 20/50 vision, with or without corrective lenses.
- Sight in one eye only: you must meet 20/50 in that eye and have documentation signed by a licensed physician.
- CDL: 20/40 in both eyes, and you must be able to tell red, green and amber lights apart.
(Driver Manual, p. 31)
Step 2: The 50-question knowledge test
The knowledge test has 50 questions, plus a survey question about organ donation (Driver Manual, p. 30). To pass, you need 80 percent, which is 40 of the 50 questions correct (Driver Manual, p. 31).
The test is offered in English, American Sign Language and several other languages, including Spanish. If you cannot read in any language, an oral test with headphones is given (Driver Manual, p. 30). No separate road-sign test is mentioned on the NJ MVC's pages.
- Interpreters: if your language is not offered, you must first try the test in an offered language. After that you may use a state-approved interpreter, and you must tell the MVC at least two weeks before the date you plan to test (Driver Manual, p. 30).
- Retake wait: if you do not pass, the NJ MVC's pages say you can retake the knowledge test after 7 days.
For how to practice, see our NJ permit practice test guide.
Step 3: Practice time before the NJ road test
Before a road test appointment you need supervised practice on your permit (Driver Manual, p. 34):
- GDL permit holders under 21: at least six months of supervised practice, including at least 50 hours, 10 of them in darkness.
- GDL permit holders 21 and over: at least three months of supervised practice.
No practice driving is allowed on the test course or in the parallel parking area. The full permit path is in our NJ learner's permit GDL steps post.
Before you go: NJ driver's test checklist
Only original documents are accepted (Driver Manual, p. 34). Bring:
- 6 points of ID.
- Your validated permit, legible and not laminated.
- A completed BA-CSD form from your parent, guardian or supervising driver.
- For the car: a valid inspection sticker (or a "No Inspection Sticker Required" card), a valid registration card and a valid insurance ID card.
- If the car failed inspection, the Vehicle Inspection Report (p. 37).
- If GDL rules apply to you, 2 red GDL decals properly mounted.
- A driver licensed for the type of vehicle your permit covers, to come with you.
Rules for the accompanying driver
The MVC does not supply cars for road tests (Driver Manual, p. 35). A licensed driver must stay in the vehicle with you at all times, even in the road test line. If that driver is licensed in another state or has less than three years of driving experience, they must drive the car to the road test area. During the test, only MVC examiners may be in the vehicle.
What the test car must have
If the examiner considers the vehicle unsuitable or unsafe, the test can be denied or failed (Driver Manual, p. 36). The car must give the examiner clear access to the foot brake, or to a parking brake mounted to the right of the driver. All signals, brake lights and windshield wipers must work. Autocycles and self-parking vehicles cannot be used, and a rental car is allowed only if you are listed as a driver on the rental agreement (p. 34).
Common reasons a vehicle is rejected
- An improper, expired or missing inspection sticker.
- Poor brakes (the pedal fades or goes to the floorboard), a lit dashboard brake warning light, or a parking brake, brake lights or signal lights that do not work.
- Unsafe tires (smooth, cut or badly worn).
- An interior that is not reasonably clean.
- A fast engine idle, because the examiner cannot judge your speed control.
- Missing seat belts. They are required on all vehicles made after July 1, 1966.
- Tinting on the driver and/or front door windows.
- Missing interior or driver-door rear-view mirrors, broken or cracked glass, or doors and windows that do not work from the inside.
(Driver Manual, p. 37)
What the NJ road test checks
An MVC examiner rides with you in an off-road area or on a public road course. The purpose is to make sure you understand the rules of the road and can drive safely (Driver Manual, p. 35). The test covers:
- Driving in reverse and following other vehicles
- Nearing corners and intersections
- Parallel parking
- Sitting properly, including seat belt use
- Starting, steering, and stopping smoothly
- Stopping at signs
- Turning and turning around
- Using the horn
- Yielding the right-of-way
(Driver Manual, p. 36). With a standard transmission, you must also show you can shift gears correctly (p. 35).
If you pass, take your permit, the examiner's authorization and 6 Points of ID to an MVC Licensing Center. The MVC then monitors your driving habits for one year (Driver Manual, p. 36). If you do not pass, the NJ MVC's pages say you can retake the road test after 14 days.
Moving to New Jersey with a license
If you are at least 18 and hold a valid, non-provisional license from another state, the knowledge and road tests may be waived. You still need 6-Point ID. You get a four-year basic New Jersey license and surrender your old one. Drivers aged 17 to 18 with a valid license get a one-year probationary license and follow GDL rules. Applicants from outside the country must pass the knowledge test and vision screening and may have to take a road test; the results are valid for two years (Driver Manual, p. 32).
Sample questions
What minimum vision is required for a basic license applicant?
Answer: 20/50, with or without corrective lenses.
Why: Basic license applicants need 20/50 vision with or without corrective lenses (Driver Manual, p. 31).
Out of 50 questions, what is the minimum number you must answer correctly to pass the knowledge test?
Answer: 40.
Why: 40 of 50 questions (80 percent) must be correct (Driver Manual, p. 31).
Before a road test appointment, a GDL permit holder under 21 must have at least how much supervised practice?
Answer: Six months, including at least 50 hours (10 during darkness).
Why: Under-21 GDL permit holders need six months and 50 hours (10 in darkness) (Driver Manual, p. 34).
Practice with the app
NJ DMV Permit Practice Test is a free study app for the New Jersey knowledge test, in English or Spanish. Its practice test asks 50 questions and passes at 40, and each answer explains why with the manual page. You can also study by topic, use flashcards and listen to the audiobook. Get NJ DMV Permit Practice Test.
Sources
- New Jersey Driver Manual (2026 edition), pages 30–37
- NJ MVC: Knowledge test
- NJ MVC: Sample knowledge test
Checked against the New Jersey Driver Manual (2026 edition) on November 4, 2026. Rules can change; the NJ MVC's own pages at nj.gov/mvc always win. NJ DMV Permit Practice Test is an independent study app by VidMira LLC. It is not affiliated with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission or any government agency.
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VidMira LLC is not affiliated with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJ MVC) or any government agency.