Are Online DMV Practice Tests Evil?

Are Online DMV Practice Tests Good or Bad?

Derek Thompson, a retired driver instructor from Pennsylvania, does not like our online DMV practice tests. He says that the explosion of online practice tests for DMV exams has created a new generation of young people who master the DMV examination but have no clue about the rules of the road.

We, of course, got curious and had to find out what he meant.

Not Meaningful Learning

If young people pass their DMV tests the first time with the help of online permit practice tests, isn’t that a good thing?

Derek: Just recognizing questions and answers from an online DMV practice test may help you pass your examination, but it will not make you a good driver. It is not meaningful learning.

So what is meaningful learning?

Derek: Memorization is helpful when it comes to numbers and vocabulary – like when you are learning a new language. When learning about safety and driving, you must understand the whys and the hows. To me, it is all about knowledge and attitudes. Sorry to say, many teenagers today don’t get the most important message of all: driving is a privilege, not a right. They only focus on their written exam and lose the big picture.

The DMV Sample Tests are Different

Nearly all state departments dealing with motor vehicles, licensing, or public safety have some sample tests, like the ones on PennDot – Test Your Knowledge You also have several private websites. Isn’t variety good?

Derek: The sample tests on the DMV homepage show a glimpse of what the test looks like and what you should expect. They don’t lure you into thinking you will get all the answers for free without studying.

We always stress that anyone using our website must read the driver handbook and fully understand the content.

Derek: But do they?

I believe most students do. But there will, of course, always be people who want to cheat on high-stakes tests. For different reasons. That will happen with or without online DMV practice tests, won’t it?

Derek: Teenagers will not work hard when they have a good excuse for laziness. Any parent knows that. To me, tests on the internet are that excuse.

How Important are the Written Knowledge Tests?

But studies show that safe driving and security have little to do with the written knowledge tests. States with more, and perhaps harder, questions don’t get better drivers on the road.

Derek: I disagree. True knowledge and safe driving are strongly correlated. A driver with knowledge, skill, and the right attitude has a lower risk of being involved in accidents. Otherwise, we wouldn’t invest so much in safe driving classes.

I agree that attitude and conscientiousness play a significant role.

Derek: A knowledge test should also focus on that. But if you simply repeat things you have seen on an online practice test, there is no real impact on your attitude and conscientiousness. You have missed the point.

The Solution?

So what is the solution?

Derek: 25 questions on a knowledge test and 15 minutes behind the wheel on a road test is not enough to check a person’s knowledge, skills, and attitude. Sites like this have taken the DMV a bit by surprise. They need to adapt and change, making DMV practice tests like this less important. The Graduated Driver program is a step in the right direction. Otherwise, DMV tests in the US have mostly stayed the same for several decades. It is time to reconsider a lot of things. I hope that will happen soon.

Read More

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Practice Tests for Your State

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Photo copyright: Warren Goldswain.
Photo is an illustration only and does not show people in this post.