7 Important Reminders for the DMV Written Test
The DMV Written Practice Test Industry
Since 2008, when licenseroute.com started, the DMV written practice test industry has grown tremendously. You can’t search for the words DMV written test without getting a result from numerous websites. These sites offer practice tests and dozens of tips – solicited and unsolicited – on how to ace the test.
It has become challenging to single out the good from the bad or the pros from the amateurs.
Many sites claim to have the real DMV questions, giving you the impression that you can rely solely on the practice tests to pass the knowledge examination. But replacing actual knowledge with memorized phrases is a dangerous study tactic.
Your memorized phrases are also less likely to be on the test because the websites don’t have access to the actual tests; they just want you to believe that.
Practice tests are a learning tool, not a cheat sheet.
Expert DMV instructors and driving school teachers have helped me compile a list of the most important things to consider when you prepare for the examination day. Here are some things you should know:
1. Study the Handbook
Surveys show that students spend less time with the state driver handbook than ever before. It is a shame since the handbook outlines all the information you need for the examination. In most states, the manual is also an excellent source when you need to check facts or refresh your knowledge. States have different laws for when it is legal/illegal to pass a stopped school bus, turn against a red arrow, and many other things. Most of us don’t always remember those rules if we don’t encounter the situation daily.
But you need to know them for the DMV test!
The handbook is usually free (some states charge a low fee) and available at your local DMV office. There is also a PDF version online on the DMV website. In some states, you can also get audio files and download the booklet as an app on your phone.
2. Talk to Others
Preparing for your DMV written test is more than just passing the knowledge examination. You are learning for life and need to be your best driver. After all, your life and health may depend on you being a safe and defensive driver.
This isn’t always obvious to new students. As with all tests, the school mentally takes over. You study for the DMV writing test yourself as if it is just another school test.
It would be best if you tried to break this study habit. Approach your DMV driving test with curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. Discuss traffic rules and driving rules with others. Go online and read about vehicles and road safety. There is always something to learn. Engage in forums about driving. Active learning helps you digest the content of a driver handbook much faster, and you will also retain the knowledge much longer.
3. Write
Writing or taking notes is another approach to active learning. Some will say that notes should be kept short and simple, and they also say that notes serve one simple purpose – to help you remember information.
This is not true. You should use notes to rewrite the information in your own words. The longer, the better. This triggers a reflecting process that promotes learning.
Short and automatic notes won’t help, no matter how well you organize them. They have the same low effect on your learning as highlighting, underlining, and rereading the text in your textbook. It becomes static.
4. Understand How Multiple-Choice Tests Work
Knowing the rules of the road is the best strategy when taking the written DMV test, but knowing how multiple-choice tests work may help you when you don’t know an answer.
Do you see the choices “None of the above” or “All of the above” on your test? Then you have an advantage over the test maker. Research shows that this choice tends to be correct most of the time.
Start by looking closely at each choice. If you have “all of the above” as one choice and at least one other choice seems correct, then “all of the above” is most likely your answer. The same thing is true with “none of the above. If at least one other choice seems false, then all choices are likely false. Go with “none of the above.”
Creators of multiple-choice tests only use these options when there are many things you should do or must not do. If the first approach doesn’t pan out, ask yourself if there are several possible answers, and there usually are.
But since each question should have only one correct answer, using “All of the above” and “None of the above” on tests is considered bad practice today. We also see fewer of these questions today.
Do you need to make a wild guess? Look at the length of all answers. A test maker must make sure that a correct choice is indisputably right. This may require more qualifying language. If an option is noticeably longer than the others and you must guess, go with the longest sentence.
Test makers often construct false choices by using qualifiers like always or never. Unless the question relates to traffic laws, such words may stand out and warn you that the answer is incorrect. Conditional phrases with words like “usually,” “normally,” or “in most situations” are more likely to be correct.
Be aware of unnecessary details that may change over time. Motor Vehicle Departments are reluctant to modify tests because small details like speed limits, penalties, and demerit points change. Updating tests cost money and much administration, which is why a test-maker doesn’t use these facts unless they are wrong.
In this question, all choices sound plausible, right? But there is no “All of the above,” and two answers have details that will likely change over time. If you don’t know the answer and are forced to guess, go with the one that may be true over time.
5. Take Written Practice Tests
A DMV written practice test serves two purposes:
- You familiarize yourself with the test format.
- You get instant feedback on your current knowledge level.
With challenging practice tests, you will also improve your test-taking “endurance” and learn to pace yourself and read everything twice. You should know that most errors on a DMV exam are made by users who knew the answer but answered a question too quickly.
You should take as many practice tests as possible and try to learn from every mistake. Read critically and check facts with your driver handbook.
6. Don’t Attempt the Real Written DMV Test Too Soon
You are probably eager to get your learner’s permit. With eagerness, it is also tempting to try to take shortcuts. Don’t.
For one thing, shortcuts can be mentally damaging. You don’t want to earn your learner’s permit without knowing about road signs, safe driving techniques, and state laws. Others will know if you cheated your way to your permit or driver’s license, and you won’t be a hero in their eyes. They will see you as a failure, even if you passed your exam.
And don’t think that it is all common sense. If the population of this country all had the same common sense, it could be a different matter. But there is no universal common sense, and everyone has their definition.
Once you get your permit and driver’s license, you will understand what I mean!
Not even laws make common sense, sometimes. But there is always a reason behind them, and you need to find out what these are.
Passing the DMV exam and becoming an excellent driver requires some self-investment. It won’t happen overnight. Adopt a healthy mindset and set up a realistic goal. Driving is fun, and you don’t want it to end just because you didn’t bother to learn the rules.
A DMV written practice test will give you a hint of your progress. Aim for a score of 95 – 100 %. Friends and family can also help with honest feedback. Don’t be afraid to ask them.
7. Know When to Move On
Use your time at the DMV office wisely, and don’t be put down by impossible questions. If you have no idea how to answer a question, move on! Focus on the questions you know the answer to.
Nearly all states allow you to save a question on the DMV written test until the end of the test. You will not see your skipped questions if you reach your passing score, and the test will terminate once you have passed.
If it isn’t possible to skip questions, make an educated guess (see above). If you get it wrong, don’t beat yourself up over it. Be realistic about your abilities and knowledge. Make your best guess and move on!
If you follow our advice, you will only see one or two questions to which you don’t know the answer, which happens to everyone.
Photo copyrights: ammentorp / 123RF Stock Photo, vadimgozhda / 123RF Stock Photo, dotmatchbox, California DMV Practice Test, and Andriy Popov
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