Practice tests
Taking the permit test in Spanish
The practice test above switches to Spanish on the Spanish version of this page. Pick your state in the tool below the summary to see whether its agency confirms a Spanish knowledge test.
Your score · California
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| Pass mark: 37 of 46 (80 %) |
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Practice questions written from the state handbook and federal rules. Not the official test.
Many states let you take the written permit test in Spanish, but not all say so clearly. Of the 51 jurisdictions in our data, 21 confirm a Spanish knowledge test on an official page or in the handbook, 2 state that the test is offered in English only or without Spanish, and 28 do not address the question on the pages we read. A Spanish test covers the same rules and is scored the same way as the English one; only the language of the questions changes. Two things do not change with the language: road signs carry English words such as STOP, YIELD and ONE WAY everywhere in the United States, and the road test is given in traffic, where the examiner's instructions are short and often in English. Our practice test is available in full in Spanish, with the same 80 car questions and the same explanations.
Can you take it in Spanish in your state?
Knowledge test in Spanish
Yes
| Agency | California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) |
Questions and state rules by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the questions are written
States that confirm a Spanish knowledge test
We count a state as "yes" only when the agency page or the handbook says the knowledge test is available in Spanish. A state is "no" when its official text says the test is given only in English or lists languages without Spanish.
| Status | States | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish test confirmed | Alabama, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington | 21 |
| No Spanish test stated | Oklahoma, Wyoming | 2 |
| Not addressed on the pages read | Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin | 28 |
"Not addressed" does not mean the test is unavailable. Some agencies offer it at the counter without saying so online. Call or check the testing location page before you go, and ask whether an audio version exists if reading is the harder part for you.
What changes, and what does not
The Spanish test asks the same rules, at the same length and pass mark as the English test of the same state. The question count guide applies to both. Translation quality varies, and a few terms do not map neatly: a "learner permit" can appear as permiso de aprendizaje or permiso de instrucción, "yield" as ceder el paso. Practicing in both languages helps you recognize the rule whatever the wording.
The road test is another matter. The examiner gives short directions, such as "turn left at the next light" or "pull over to the curb", and many agencies run it in English, sometimes with a list of standard phrases translated. Learn those phrases before the drive, along with the sign words below.
Sign words to know in English
Under the federal sign manual, regulatory and warning signs are written in English in every state. Shapes and colors help, but a handful of word signs come up on the test and on every drive.
| Sign text | In Spanish | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| STOP | ALTO | Detenerse por completo |
| YIELD | CEDA EL PASO | Dejar pasar a otros antes de seguir |
| DO NOT ENTER | NO ENTRE | Prohibido entrar en esa calle o rampa |
| WRONG WAY | SENTIDO CONTRARIO | Va en contra del tránsito: salga ya |
| ONE WAY | UN SOLO SENTIDO | Todo el tránsito va hacia la flecha |
| NO TURN ON RED | NO DAR VUELTA CON LUZ ROJA | Esperar la luz verde para girar |
| MERGE | INCORPORACIÓN | Dos carriles se juntan más adelante |
| SCHOOL ZONE | ZONA ESCOLAR | Velocidad reducida cuando hay niños |
| RIGHT LANE MUST TURN RIGHT | EL CARRIL DERECHO DEBE GIRAR A LA DERECHA | No siga recto desde ese carril |
| KEEP RIGHT | MANTÉNGASE A LA DERECHA | Pase el obstáculo por la derecha |
A study plan in two languages
Start with the Spanish handbook if your agency has one, for the rules. Then take the practice test in Spanish until you pass with a margin, and switch to English for the sign section, since that is what you will read on the road. The road signs test drills the shapes and colors. Family members who help a teen study can follow the Spanish explanations while the teen takes the test in the language the state offers.
Can you take it in Spanish in your state?
Knowledge test in Spanish
Yes
| Agency | Texas Department of Public Safety, Driver License Division |
Other languages
Several agencies translate the test into a long list of languages, from Chinese and Vietnamese to Arabic and Russian; others offer English and Spanish only. Our practice test exists in English and Spanish. The state pages on this site report the language information each agency publishes, and the written test guide describes the format common to all of them. We are an independent site, not a licensing agency.