Is the Rhode Island Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics)
Rhode Island ranks 44th of 51 on knowledge-test difficulty — among the more forgiving. The state has the country's strictest distracted-driving law.
Across the 51 jurisdictions, more lenient knowledge tests tend to pair with deadlier roads. Rhode Island sits well to the left of the cloud — a more forgiving 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 DMV asks 40 questions and requires 70% correct — at least 28 right answers. That leaves a margin of 12 wrong. Most other jurisdictions set a harder pass-fail line.
Rhode Island lifts driving restrictions before most states
In Rhode Island, 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 17½.
- Learner's permitAge 16held 6 months, 50 hours (10 at night)
- Full licenseAge 17½all restrictions lift
Full license earlier than the 18-year norm.
50 hours behind the wheel, with a parent watching.
Rhode Island requires 50 supervised hours — above the national mean of 45.2, short of the IIHS-recommended 70.
On Rhode Island's roads.
For every 100,000 licensed drivers aged 19 and under in Rhode Island, 16.1 die in a crash each year. The U.S. average is 16.8; Rhode Island ranks 30th lowest of 51.
Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 ÷ FHWA DL-22 2024.
Across all drivers, Rhode Island's road network sees 0.93 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles travelled. The U.S. average is 1.25.
Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 ÷ FHWA VM-2 2024.
The country's strictest law on driving with a phone in your hand.
Rhode Island scores a full 6.0 of 6 on our distracted-driving rubric — the only state to do so. The law bans handheld phones for all drivers, prohibits texting and manual data entry for all drivers, and applies a total cellphone ban to teen and novice drivers. Rhode Island's seat-belt law is primary enforcement — an officer may stop a vehicle for an unbuckled driver alone. Self-reported belt use is 95%.
On two wheels.
Rhode Island's motorcyclist fatality rate is 6.31 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles — below the 6.87 U.S. average. Rhode Island's helmet law is partial — typically required only for younger riders.
Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 · FHWA MV-1 2024.
DMV's motorcycle knowledge test is 25 questions, with a 80% pass mark. Completion of the Rhode Island Motorcycle Safety Education Program waives the DMV road test. Required for riders under 21 and during the first year after licensure.
On bigger rigs.
The Rhode Island 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 DMV; see https://dmv.ri.gov for current rates.
Pass the DMV test before you take it.
Free Rhode Island practice questions with instant explanations. Score 90 percent on three runs in a row and the real thing tends to look familiar.
Free Rhode Island practice testNearby in the index.
Six more state pages — neighbours first, then the closest matches on road safety.
- Massachusetts4th of 51 on road safety46th-hardest test
- Connecticut5th of 51 on road safety14th-hardest test
- New Hampshire14th of 51 on road safety14th-hardest test
- Oregon12th of 51 on road safety25th-hardest test
- Georgia11th of 51 on road safety50th-hardest test
- Michigan15th of 51 on road safety33rd-hardest test