Indiana · Permit testHow do you use the BMV's Indiana permit practice test?
- Download the Practice Knowledge Examination from the BMV's knowledge exam page. The same questions are in Chapter 9 of the manual.
- Do the sign part first. Its 6 questions come from Chapter 6, and four of them ask what a sign's shape means.
- Then do the 10 traffic questions, which come from Chapters 6, 7 and 8: turning on red, officers directing traffic, truck stopping distances, headlights, speed limits and tire blowouts.
- Check your answers on the last page. Score each part on its own, because the real exam needs 80% on each part.
- For every miss, find the rule in the manual and read the whole section around it, not just the one line.
Study options compared
| Option | Price | Free to use | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official and free | |||
Indiana Driver's ManualOfficial · PDFThe BMV's source for the knowledge exam. Download it whole or one chapter at a time in English. The sign questions come from Chapter 6, and the traffic questions from Chapters 6, 7 and 8. The BMV says printed copies can be out of date, so use the online version. | Free | The whole manual, in 11 languages | |
BMV Practice Knowledge ExaminationOfficial · PDFSix sign questions and ten traffic questions, split into the same two parts as the real exam. It's the same set as Chapter 9 of the manual. Short, but the questions are the BMV's own. | Free | All 16 questions and the answer key | |
Motorcycle and CDL manualsOfficial · PDFThe Motorcycle Operator's Manual for the motorcycle permit exam, and the Commercial Driver's License Manual (September 9, 2022) with the Indiana Specific CDL Manual for the CLP exams. | Free | Every manual in full | |
| Apps and websites | |||
Driving-Tests.org and DMV GenieWeb and app · all statesDriving-Tests.org also makes the DMV Genie app. Its Indiana section also has topic tests on fines and limits, distracted driving and drinking and driving, plus a 50-question exam simulator. The 50 is the site's choice, not a BMV figure. DMV Genie is rated 4.8 on the App Store, from about 184,000 ratings for all states. | Indiana tests free on the website. App Premium starts at $9.99 | About 20 Indiana tests, including five Indiana permit practice tests and road sign tests | |
ZutobiApp and web · all statesShort lessons and quizzes that play like a game. The Indiana page claims more than 600 Indiana questions. It also gives a question count and a pass score for the real exam. The BMV publishes neither of those, only the rule of 80% on each part. On the App Store it's rated 4.7, from about 239,000 ratings covering every state. | Free start, then paid plans (App Store purchases from $4.99) | Some free lessons. Most of the course needs a paid plan | |
Indiana BMV Permit Practice (S Mehta)App · iPhoneAn Indiana-named app with car, motorcycle and CDL sections, a signs test, fines and limits, a marathon mode and stats. 4.7 stars from about 1,100 ratings, last updated August 2025. The developer is S Mehta, not the BMV. | Free with ads. Premium $3.99 a week, $8.99 for 30 days, $12.99 a year or $17.99 for life | Practice and sign tests, with ads | |
| Video | |||
BMV knowledge exam videosOfficial · YouTubeThe BMV's own videos, made to go with the Driver's Manual. Chapter 9 of the manual points to them. Handy if you'd rather watch than read, or want a second pass before the branch. | Free | The whole playlist | |
| In person | |||
BMV-licensed driver training schoolsLocalWhere you take driver education: 30 hours of classroom or online theory and 6 hours behind the wheel. Enrolling lets you get a permit at 15, and finishing lets you get a license at 16. Schools in the BMV's skills test program can also give the driving test. | Set by each school | ||
Prices and ratings checked October 2026.
A study path through the manual
- Chapter 6, Traffic Signs and Signals: the seven sign colors, the seven shapes, then lights, arrows and pedestrian signals.
- Chapter 7, Safe Vehicle Operation: lane markings, passing, turns, roundabouts, Indiana's speed limits, following distance, weather, railroad crossings and sharing the road.
- Chapter 8, Accidents and Emergency Situations: what to do after a crash, blowouts, a car in water and impaired driving.
- Chapter 1 and Chapter 5 for your own rules: who can supervise you, probationary limits, points and insurance.
- The BMV's YouTube channel has a playlist of knowledge exam videos that follow the manual, if you'd rather listen.
Choosing an app or website
Apps and websites give you hundreds of extra questions and track what you keep missing. Check two things before you pay: what's free, and whether the questions match Indiana's own rules, like the 60 mph default on rural divided highways or the round railroad sign.
The BMV doesn't publish its question bank or how many questions the real exam has. When an app quotes a question count or calls its questions the real ones, that's the app's claim, not the BMV's.
Do you need a driving school?
Only if you want to start early. A permit at 15 needs enrollment in a BMV-licensed behind-the-wheel course, and a license at 16 needs the full course: 30 hours of classroom or online theory plus 6 hours behind the wheel. Without it you wait until 16 for the permit and 16 years and 270 days for the license.
A course isn't required to pass the knowledge exam. The BMV's map shows licensed providers near you.
Sources: Indiana BMV · Indiana Driver's Manual, Chapter 9 · Indiana Driver's Manual, Chapter 7 and 4 more. Checked October 2026.
- Indiana BMV: Practice Knowledge Examination (PDF) ↗
- Indiana BMV: Knowledge exam ↗
- Indiana Driver's Manual, Chapter 9: Knowledge Exam Sample Questions (PDF) ↗
- Indiana BMV: Driver's Manual ↗
- Indiana Driver's Manual, Chapter 7: Safe Vehicle Operation (PDF) ↗
- Indiana BMV: Driver education ↗
- Indiana BMV on YouTube ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.