Fail Your Permit Test? You’re Not Alone

by Jim Thompson | Last Updated: March 10, 2021

Completing the licensing requirements of the DMV can be a stressful time. The first step in the process, the written test, has delayed many people in their attempts to get a license. In fact, a recent study done by CarInsurance.com, it was found that nearly 4 in 10 licensed drivers could not pass the written test. Even with much more at stake, it seems that the model used in school, memorizing facts for a test with no intention of using the information later, is true even on the driving test.

Some Notable Failures

Here are a few facts about some drivers and their licenses.

• NASCAR driver Kyle Busch competed in a racing event even though he could not drive on the road outside the track. His license had been suspended when he was caught doing 128 mph in a 45 mph zone.
• California resident Edythe Kirchmair recently became the oldest driver in the state when she received her license at the age of 105. We’re not sure how many times she took the test but, evidently, she eventually passed.
• In Korea, a woman named Cha Sa-soon spent the equivalent of nearly US $10,000 to finally receive her license. She is the world record holder for taking (and retaking) the written test. She finally passed after 960 attempts.

So How Can You Be Successful?

If you soon will be facing your written permit test, here are some tips to increase your chances of success.

• Don’t try to cram at the last minute – Permit test questions cover many different topics and trying to get these all straight in your head in the 11^th hour will most likely lead to failure.
• Use your study time efficiently – Determine the number of days you have remaining before your test and break the driver handbook into that many sections. Do your best only to cover one topic a day and take advantage of the many online practice tests available.
• Use proven study skills – Simply reading and rereading the driver handbook is usually not enough to get facts to stick in your brain. Go through the book intentionally. It is a good strategy to use a highlighter on important information and underline key points. You may even want to go as far as to summarize sections to make sure you understand fully.
• Get a good night’s sleep – It’s a fact, brains work better when they’re rested. To get the best out of that sleep, try to stay away from electronic devices for at least two hours before you put your head on the pillow.
• Eat right, especially on test day – If you ever took a standardized test at school you may remember the advice that a good breakfast would help you as you took the test, and the same is true on permit test day. It’s hard for your brain to work efficiently if your stomach is growling.

One of my teachers once said, “Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” Preparing well greatly increases your chances of success and, hopefully, you will be able to pass it again in the future unlike those four out of 10 drivers in the CarInsurance.com study.