North Carolina NCDMV practice tests 2026
Get ready for the North Carolina written knowledge tests: numbered practice tests that follow the official North Carolina format, with 128 questions on North Carolina law, from teen licensing and speed limits to alcohol limits and insurance, plus the road rules that apply everywhere.
Choose your North Carolina test
Car
The written knowledge test for a learner permit or a Class D driver license.
Motorcycle
The written test for a Class M license or motorcycle endorsement.
CDL
The general knowledge test every commercial driver license applicant takes.
Handbook
The official North Carolina driver, motorcycle and CDL handbooks every test is based on.
All North Carolina practice tests
North Carolina Permit Practice Tests
North Carolina Motorcycle Practice Tests
North Carolina CDL General Knowledge Practice Tests
How to pass the North Carolina knowledge test
- Read the handbook. Every question comes from the official North Carolina manuals; the handbook page links to the agency's own copies.
- Practice test by test. Each numbered test mixes North Carolina law with the national road rules, like the real exam.
- Read every explanation. Especially for answers you got right by guessing.
- Simulate the real exam on the category page when you pass the tests comfortably.
North Carolina written test format
| Test | Questions | Pass mark | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car | 25 | 20 correct (5 mistakes allowed) | 15 years |
| Motorcycle | 25 | 20 correct (5 mistakes allowed) | 16 years |
| CDL | 50 | 40 correct (10 mistakes allowed) | 18 years intrastate, 21 years interstate |
Car. NCDMV requires four separate assessments for an original license: vision, traffic signs, written knowledge and the road skills test, and each must be passed separately. Neither the North Carolina Driver Handbook nor the NCDMV web pages publish the item count or pass mark, so the figures shown are listed as unconfirmed. Age 15 is the minimum for the Level One Limited Learner Permit.
Motorcycle. NCDMV requires vision, traffic signs and a motorcycle knowledge test for a motorcycle learner permit or endorsement but does not publish the item count or pass mark, so the figures shown are listed as unconfirmed. The age shown is the floor of the NCDMV bracket for applicants aged 16 to 18, who also need parental consent and a motorcycle safety course. Those applicants must already hold a full provisional license, so the effective minimum age is later than a bare sixteenth birthday and the value is listed as unconfirmed.
CDL. NCDMV confirms the minimum ages of 18 for intrastate operation and 21 for interstate commerce or hazardous materials, but does not publish the number of items or the pass mark for the general knowledge test. The count and pass mark shown follow the common federal 80 percent standard and are listed as unconfirmed.
What the North Carolina questions cover
| Topic | Questions |
|---|---|
| Licensing and permits | 23 |
| Graduated licensing for teen drivers | 20 |
| Speed limits | 12 |
| Alcohol limits and DUI | 13 |
| Penalties and points | 16 |
| Phone use and distraction | 8 |
| Insurance requirements | 10 |
| Move over law | 7 |
| Other state rules | 19 |
Sources and accuracy
The North Carolina facts on this site were checked against these official sources on August 24, 2026. Test formats that the NCDMV does not publish are marked as such in the notes above.
- ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/new-drivers/Documents/nc-driver-handbook.pdf
- ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/new-drivers/Pages/handbooks.aspx
- ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/motorcycle/Pages/default.aspx
- ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/commercial/Pages/default.aspx
- ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/new-drivers/Pages/default.aspx
- ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/new-drivers/Documents/motorcyclist-handbook.pdf
- ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/new-drivers/Documents/commercial-driver-manual.pdf
DMV Exam Test is not affiliated with the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. To book a test, pay fees or check your license, use the official NCDMV website.