Test Takers Failing the Driver Knowledge Test
Immigrants Struggling with the Driver Knowledge Test
California DMV (www.dmv.ca.gov) released the test pass rates for the driver knowledge test under AB60. It is discouraging news for everyone wanting their first driver’s license or permit in California. Or, as one test taker puts it: “Everybody fails this test. It is just not fair!”
California enacted the new driver’s license law known as AB60 in January 2015. The law allows undocumented immigrants (non-visa status) to apply for a California driver’s license. An applicant must prove their identity and that they have been living in California for the last six months.
During the first year, the DMV issued approximately 605,000 driver licenses under AB 60 and administered over two million knowledge and drive tests.
Test Pass Rates for the Driver Knowledge Test
The test pass rate among test takers under AB60 is discouraging. Only one out of three test takers passed the Spanish driver knowledge test, according to numbers released by www.dmv.ca.gov. On the English test, the passing score is 54%, which means that only one out of two passed their first driver knowledge exam.
In Nevada, which implemented a similar law, it is even worse. The passing score among Spanish-speaking test takers is a mere 30 percent (less than one out of three).
Is the Driver Knowledge Test too Difficult?
If you are an illegal immigrant who has been driving without a license, you want to take the opportunity to get an official driver’s license. You also want to pass this knowledge exam with ease.
Driver’s Prep has free practice tests available in English. They contain about 1,000 questions for California and 600 questions for Nevada.
We suggest you get a copy of the California or Nevada driver handbook. Read your handbook carefully. Then, take several practice tests at driversprep.com. Remember, you need a large pool of questions to cover all areas. You will only find this at Driver’s Drep, nowhere else. Remember, there is no need to pay for permit practice tests or give up any of your personal information.
Understanding the Driver Knowledge Test
When taking a sample test, ensure you understand the questions and the answers. Please read the comments carefully and compare them with the information in the handbook. Everything in the handbook is there for a reason!
I took all five practice tests on California’s government web site. Cumulatively, I got in the mid to high 90% range. There were only a very few very state specific questions I got wrong (right for my state). The thing is, I live in Florida. I have never looked at a California drivers manual. Why are so many failing? What are they being asked? What is so difficult about this? Prepared? Strictly speaking, I wasn’t for the California practice tests, but I did well.
I’ve taken practice tests for Florida,Virginia, Connecticut, Georgia, Ohio,Iowa and Nebraska and passed them all handily without studying their manuals. I, of course didn’t ace them as they all had a small handful of questions about penalties and limits that are state specific.
The GMAC National Driver’s Test, of 7 or 8 years ago, was a no brainer. Still about one in four adult licensed drivers failed it. Why?!
The only thing I can come up with to reconcile all this is to postulate that the real tests are orders of magnitude more difficult. Given what happened to me when I moved to Florida in late 1989, this wouldn’t surprise me. Out of 40 questions, there were maybe 5 sign questions, The rest were really obscure insurance law questions (you would be amazed at what you can pull out of Florida’s title XXIII chapter 324.)
Then I had to back in to a parking space from 90 degrees, not looking back or using any mirrors. Yes Virginia, all this really happened. To this day I am still furious with them for that
A vehicle traveling at 70 mph has ____ foot-pounds of kinetic energy
In 2008, what color vehicle had the highest accident rates?
On a road with a posted speed limit of 55 mph, how much distance do you need to pass another vehicle?
At an uncontrolled intersection, who must yield where yielding is required
the vehicle arriving later than the other
the vehicle on the left of the other vehicle arriving simultaneously
the vehicle turning left with on coming traffic that arrived at the same time
none of the above
Or other questions never addressed in the manual or statutes, that reflect the authors opinion, making you guess at the ‘best answer’. The test algorithm is designed to detect guessing by marking wrong any submitted answer. I’ve seen all these types of questions.
Philip, thanks for your input. Your comments are always interesting and taking seriously by our team!
Let me just briefly go over some of your statements/examples:
This kind of questions don’t exist in any official state DMV test today. If you see it on a practice test? Ignore it.
If you mean that it is just based on color and not based on an illustration, I seriously doubt that this question ever existed, since nobody (as far as I know) keep this kind of records.
Question not addressed in the manual don’t really exist on real tests. But they may exist on practice tests. From time to time we (Driver’s Prep) have a few of these, since the contents of the manual changes.
Facts, however, should still be covered by statutes.
If it is an opinion (safe driving practices sometimes fall in this category), it is never one single person’s opinion, but based on statistics, which is often supplied by NHTSA and carefully considered before entered in a driver’s manual.
But then again, as we all know, nothing is 100% foolproof.
The team behind Driver’s Prep have several examples where state manuals differ in their recommendations. None of them are significant, but may confuse the casual reader comparing the manuals.
Phil, I think we updated 2 or 3 questions on the Florida Test based on your input. So, thanks again. Keep them coming.