Is the Pennsylvania Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics)

The test

PennDOT asks 18 questions and requires 83% correct - at least 15 right answers. That leaves a margin of 3 wrong. Only 1 other jurisdictions set a tougher pass-fail line.

Pennsylvania's path from permit to full license

In Pennsylvania, a new driver picks up a learner's permit at 16, holds it for 6 months, qualifies for an intermediate license at 16½, and earns a full unrestricted license at 18.

On Pennsylvania's roads.

For every 100,000 licensed drivers aged 19 and under in Pennsylvania, 16.5 die in a crash each year. The U.S. average is 16.8; Pennsylvania ranks 32nd lowest of 51.

Across all drivers, Pennsylvania's road network sees 1.27 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. The U.S. average is 1.25.

What Pennsylvania bans behind the wheel.

Pennsylvania scores 4.5 of 6 on our distracted-driving rubric (rank 19th of 51). The state bans handheld phones for all drivers and prohibits texting and manual data entry for all drivers. Pennsylvania's seat-belt law is secondary enforcement - an officer cannot stop a vehicle for an unbuckled driver unless another violation is present. Self-reported belt use is 90%.

What it costs to insure a car here.

Once you have the license, insurance is the real running cost. In Pennsylvania, the average driver pays about $1,155 a year, less than the $1,282 a typical American pays. Here is where that sits next to the national average and the cheapest and priciest states.

About 11% of Pennsylvania drivers carry no insurance at all (the national figure is 15.4%), and the least coverage the state lets a driver carry is $15,000 for injuries to one person, $30,000 total for injuries per accident, and $5,000 for property damage. Roll spend, uninsured drivers, affordability and required coverage together and Pennsylvania lands 26th of 51 on our insurance-burden score, where 1st is the heaviest.

One way to trim the bill: Pennsylvania law makes insurers give a discount for finishing an approved defensive-driving course (for drivers 55+), minimum 5%, good for 3 years.

On two wheels.

Pennsylvania's motorcyclist fatality rate is 7.02 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles - near the 6.87 U.S. average. Pennsylvania's helmet law is partial - typically required only for younger riders.

PennDOT's motorcycle knowledge test is 20 questions, with a 80% pass mark. Whether a safety course waives the PennDOT road test is not something we have verified for Pennsylvania, so check with PennDOT before you count on it. Required for riders under 21 and during the first 2 years (waived with safety course).

On bigger rigs.

The Pennsylvania CDL knowledge test is federally standardised - 50 questions, 80 percent to pass, the same content in every state. Fees, scheduling and endorsement processing run through the PennDOT; see https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dmv for current rates.