The MVA permit test in Maryland does not have to be difficult. Using this study guide, and taking the permit practice test will help make the process easy.
In the state of Maryland, you must pass a written test before you can get your driver's permit. The test is based off information found in the Maryland Driver's Manual, which you must know well before you can expect to qualify for a permit.
The Maryland driver permit test is 25 questions long. In order to pass, you must get a score of 85 percent or above, which is 21 questions correct out of the 25. All the questions are in multiple choice format, with three answer choices for every question. You will be given 15 minutes to complete the exam.
The test is designed to test your knowledge of Maryland road rules and regulations. There are three general topics covered on the written permit test: vehicle laws, road signs and safe driving practices. Safe driving questions asses your knowledge of how to operate a vehicle safely in certain situations. Questions about signs make sure that you are able to recognize and understand road signs in Maryland, and the vehicle laws questions test you on the state laws for motor vehicles. These topics are equally weighted on the test. It is important to note that the written permit test assess only your knowledge of these topics; the driving skills test will see how well you apply them on the road.
Another important point is that the permit test will mainly cover your understanding of traffic laws and situations. Therefore you can just skim over sections of the manual that are mostly administrative in nature. Here are the most important sections to study:
- Sections III (Basic Driving) and VII (Sharing the Road) will provide you with extensive information on Maryland motor vehicle laws.
- For safe driving practices, section V (Driving Situations and Conditions) and VI (Dangerous Driving Behaviors) should be studied. It contains information on different driving situations that might appear on the exam.
- In section IV (Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings) you can find information on signs that you have to know for the written test.
Also make sure to pay special attention to any part of the manual that discusses the permit rules and restrictions, or teen driving in general. For example, the information about the stages of licensing found Section II on pages 5-7 might be covered on the test.
If you read the manual and study the mentioned sections, you will have a much better chance at passing the Maryland written permit test. For extra help as you prepare, consider taking a practice test, which will give you an idea of the format and content of the real test.
