New Jersey · Handbook chapter 2 · 5 min read

Chapter 2: Driver testing

The New Jersey vision, knowledge and road tests: 50 questions with 40 to pass, test languages and interpreters, retake waits, what the road test covers and why a test car can be rejected.

Why this chapter matters

Knowing exactly how the tests work takes the surprise out of test day. This chapter covers the vision standard, the 50-question knowledge test with its 80 percent pass mark, and the road test you take after your supervised practice.

Three tests, in order

You pass a vision test and a knowledge test to validate your permit, then a road test after supervised practice. The road test can be taken only after the knowledge and vision tests are passed.

The vision test

Everyone is screened. A basic license needs 20/50 vision, with or without glasses or contact lenses. If you have sight in one eye only, that eye must meet 20/50 and you need a form signed by a licensed physician. The MVC may refer you to a doctor and may ask any driver for a vision recheck later.

The knowledge test

• 50 questions, plus one survey question about organ donation.
• To pass you need 80 percent: 40 of the 50 correct.
• No time limit is published.
• The questions come from this manual: rules of the road, signs, safe driving, alcohol and penalties.

How to take it

Visit an MVC Driver Testing Center with your 6 Points of ID, buy an examination permit and book the knowledge test. If you are on the age-16 driving school route, the MVC says you take the test at the school. A vision test is part of the same visit.

If you fail

You can re-test after 7 days. If you pass, your permit is validated for practice driving. Out-of-country applicants must also pass the knowledge test, and test results are valid for two years.

Languages and interpreters

The written test is offered in English and these languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, Spanish, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Hindi, Albanian and Turkish. Oral tests are offered in English and Spanish, and the manual also lists American Sign Language. If you cannot read in any language, headphones are supplied for an oral test.

If your language is not offered, the MVC can provide and pay for a state-approved interpreter. The MVC's Knowledge Test page, which is newer than the manual, says you can ask for one at your permit appointment and that interpreter appointments are usually set within four to six weeks. The manual also says you must first try the test in an offered language and give the MVC at least two weeks' notice, so ask early. Deaf or hard of hearing applicants can use an MVC-approved interpreter, paid by the MVC.

The road test

Under 21, you need at least six months of supervised practice with at least 50 hours, including 10 in darkness, and a completed BA-CSD form before the road test. At 21 or older, three months of supervised practice is enough. Book the road test online or at a Licensing Center.

What to bring

• 6 Points of ID (original documents only).
• Your validated permit, legible and not laminated.
• A valid inspection sticker, registration card and insurance ID card for the test car.
• The two red GDL decals, properly mounted, if they apply to you.
• A licensed driver to come with you.

The accompanying driver must stay in the car whenever it moves, even in the test line. If that driver is licensed in another state or has less than three years of experience, they must drive the car to the test area. The MVC does not supply cars, and only the examiner rides with you during the test.

What the examiner checks

Driving in reverse, following other vehicles, approaching corners and intersections, parallel parking, sitting properly with your seat belt on, starting, steering, stopping at signs, stopping smoothly, turning, turning around (the three-point turn), using the horn and yielding the right-of-way. If you have a manual car you will also be asked to shift gears.

If you fail the road test, you can re-test after 14 days. If you pass, the examiner authorizes your license; take the permit, the authorization and your ID to a Licensing Center (some road test sites can issue it on the spot).

Why a test car can be rejected

The car itself can end your test before it starts. Common reasons:

• An improper, expired or missing inspection sticker.
• The examiner cannot reach the foot brake or parking brake.
• Weak brakes, a brake warning light on, or brake lights, signals or the parking brake not working.
• Smooth, cut or badly worn tires.
• A dirty interior, a fast engine idle or missing seat belts.
• Tinted front side windows, missing mirrors, cracked glass or doors and windows that do not work from inside.
• Autocycles and self-parking vehicles cannot be used, and rental cars only if your name is on the agreement.

The safety pledge

New Jersey asks new drivers to take a safety pledge: stop completely at every STOP sign and never run a red light, keep your mind on the road, keep phones out of your hands, and leave five extra minutes for every trip.