Before you prove your skills on the road when getting your driver’s license, you need to take the written portion of the Illinois Driving Exam — 35 questions that will test the knowledge you’ve obtained from driver education courses. The questions range from identifying road signs and basic rules of the road to understanding your vehicle’s functions and how to safely operate it under various adverse conditions.
In order to pass the exam, you need to get at least 80% of the questions correct (that’s 28 of them). Whether you’ve recently finished driver education or are just renewing your Illinois license, here are some tips to help you prepare, and eventually ace the written portion of the Illinois driving exam.
Documentation Requirements for the Written Illinois Driving Exam:
Before you start studying, you need to make sure that you have all the necessary documentation to apply for a First-Time Standard Issued Illinois Driver’s License.
Here is what you will need to bring with you to the DMV:
- Proof of date of birth (example, certified birth certificate or valid U.S. passport)
- Proof of Social Security number (example, Social Security card or pay stub)
- Proof of residency (one document) (example, bank statement, or electric or gas bill)
- Proof of signature
Unacceptable forms of ID include, but are not limited to:
- Business cards
- College IDs
- Club/Fraternal membership cards
- Hunting or fishing licenses
- Insurance cards
- Illinois concealed carry cards
- Vehicle registration documents
If you are unsure about any of the documents listed above, the detailed list of official Illinois Secretary of State document requirements can be found here.
What to Expect on the Written Illinois Driving Exam:
The written exam requires driver’s license applicants to:
- Identify traffic signals by shape, color, or symbol
- Identify signals and pavement markings
- Answer multiple-choice and true-or-false questions about traffic laws, safety rules, crash prevention and vehicle equipment.
The written exam contains 35 questions, 20 of which will either be multiple choice or true-false questions. The remaining questions will address traffic sign identification. In order to pass the exam, you have to receive a score of 80%, answering 28 out of the 35 questions correctly.
Don’t worry if you don’t pass on your first try! The written exam can be taken three times within one year from the date the application fee is paid.
There are plenty of resources available to prepare you for the Illinois written driving exam. To begin learning the rules of the road and prepare for your written exam, check out the Illinois 2020 Rules of the Road.
Top Driver Driving Schools Will Prepare You
With more than 40 locations throughout Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio, Top Driver is your best resource for driver education, providing over 21,000 hours of in-vehicle training and 15,000 hours of classes each year. We have a variety of teen programs for new drivers, adult refresher courses, and remedial courses.
Top Driver is also going the extra mile to ensure a safe learning space for our students and instructors by providing remote classroom education opportunities and implementing a coronavirus vehicle sanitization process.
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Additional Reading
- What to Expect During the Illinois Driving Exam
- What is a Remedial Driving Course
- About the Illinois Driving Exam