Is the Indiana Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics)
Indiana ranks 8th-hardest of 51 jurisdictions on knowledge-test difficulty. The state's road-safety, GDL and distracted-driving measures all land near the middle of the national distribution.
Across the 51 jurisdictions, stricter knowledge tests tend to pair with safer roads. Indiana sits well to the right of the cloud — a tougher test than most — with a road-safety composite closer to the middle.
Source: DMV IQ Driving Index. FARS 2023 · FHWA 2024 · CDC BRFSS 2023 · IIHS 2025.
The test
The BMV asks 50 questions and requires 80% correct — at least 40 right answers. That leaves a margin of 10 wrong. Among the 51 jurisdictions, 7 are harder; the other 43 are easier.
Indiana's path from permit to full license
In Indiana, a new driver picks up a learner's permit at 15, holds it for 180 days, qualifies for an intermediate license at 16 + 180 days, and earns a full unrestricted license at 18.
- Learner's permitAge 15held 180 days, 50 hours (10 at night)
- Probationary licenseAge 16 + 180 daysnight ban 11 PM - 5 AM (Sun-Thu); 1 AM - 5 AM (Fri-Sat)
- Full licenseAge 18all restrictions lift
50 hours behind the wheel, with a parent watching.
Indiana requires 50 supervised hours — above the national mean of 45.2, short of the IIHS-recommended 70.
On Indiana's roads.
For every 100,000 licensed drivers aged 19 and under in Indiana, 22.4 die in a crash each year. The U.S. average is 16.8; Indiana ranks 41st lowest of 51.
Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 ÷ FHWA DL-22 2024.
Across all drivers, Indiana's road network sees 1.02 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles travelled. The U.S. average is 1.25.
Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 ÷ FHWA VM-2 2024.
What Indiana bans behind the wheel.
Indiana scores 3.5 of 6 on our distracted-driving rubric (rank 38th of 51). The state bans handheld phones for all drivers and applies a total cellphone ban to teen and novice drivers. Indiana's seat-belt law is primary enforcement — an officer may stop a vehicle for an unbuckled driver alone. Self-reported belt use is 93%.
On two wheels.
Indiana's motorcyclist fatality rate is 7.11 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles — near the 6.87 U.S. average. Indiana's helmet law is partial — typically required only for younger riders.
Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 · FHWA MV-1 2024.
BMV's motorcycle knowledge test is 25 questions, with a 84% pass mark. Completion of the Indiana Motorcycle Safety Education Program waives the BMV road test. Required for riders under 18.
On bigger rigs.
The Indiana CDL knowledge test is federally standardised — 50 questions, 80 percent to pass, the same content in every state. The CDL knowledge-test fee in Indiana is $17. Other fees and endorsement processing run through the BMV.
Pass the BMV test before you take it.
Free Indiana practice questions with instant explanations. Score 90 percent on three runs in a row and the real thing tends to look familiar.
Free Indiana practice testNearby in the index.
Six more state pages — neighbours first, then the closest matches on road safety.
- Michigan15th of 51 on road safety33rd-hardest test
- Ohio34th of 51 on road safety39th-hardest test
- Kentucky35th of 51 on road safety13th-hardest test
- Illinois24th of 51 on road safety8th-hardest test
- North Carolina28th of 51 on road safety5th-hardest test
- Tennessee30th of 51 on road safety33rd-hardest test