According to the latest data from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, nearly 5.7 million people in Tennessee are of driving age as of 2022. However, only 5.06 million have driving licenses. The rest (about one in four) of the state’s residents who can legally drive don’t have one yet.

Do you belong to the second group and have decided it’s time to enjoy the privileges of driving? If so, your next step must be to prepare using comprehensive Tennessee driver’s license practice test materials. They can help you pass the state’s knowledge test, a prerequisite for licensing.

To that end, the experts at Brentwood Driver Training put together this Tennessee DMV test prep guide. Read on to discover what it should cover and nifty driver’s test strategies to help you ace the exam.

Topics Your Tennessee Driver’s License Practice Test Must Cover

To pass the Tennessee driver’s test, examinees must correctly answer at least 80% of the items.

The answers to the questions are in the 130+ page Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual. You must carefully review everything in it, but pay even more attention to the following topics, as they’re the focus of the knowledge test questions.

Traffic Signs and Signals

Your practice test should cover questions that test your knowledge of road signs, including:

  • Warning signs
  • Speed limit signs
  • Construction signs

It must also include questions about how to navigate the following safely:

  • Signals like traffic lights
  • Intersections
  • Roundabouts

Rules of the Road

Ensuring practice tests cover the rules of the road in Tennessee will do more than just improve driving test scores. It will also help instill in you the importance of obeying traffic laws, which is paramount to every road user’s safety.

If everyone followed road regulations, there would be fewer motor vehicle crashes. According to a May 2024 article from AttorneyAtLawMagazine.com, data from the TDOT (Tennessee Department of Transportation) revealed 178,154 car accidents in the state in 2023.

So, when practicing for your Tennessee driver’s license knowledge test, be sure it covers topics like:

  • Obeying speed limits
  • Not running red lights
  • Yielding to other drivers and pedestrians
  • Checking blind spots before turning or changing lanes
  • Signaling your intentions in advance

Being a Safe Driver

When practicing for your test, ensure you study how to be a safe, responsible driver, such as by:

  • Adhering to all traffic laws
  • Being aware of your surroundings
  • Implementing defensive driving strategies

Expect the driver’s license knowledge test to ask about avoiding driving distractions, too. Knowing this by heart won’t just help you pass your exam; it can keep you and other road users safe, considering that distracted driving is one of Tennessee’s leading causes of road collisions. According to TN.gov, in 2024, a crash involving a distracted driver occurred every 43 minutes.

Some strategies to help you avoid driving distractions include:

  • Never texting or talking on the phone while driving
  • Not eating or drinking while operating a motor vehicle
  • Never adjusting navigation or stereo systems while you’re on the move

DUI Laws and Penalties

Considering how dangerous driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs can be, many of the questions in the Tennessee driver’s license knowledge test cover this topic. You may encounter questions that tackle the following:

  • DUI penalties
  • Blood alcohol concentration (BAC)
  • Implied consent law
  • Effects of alcohol and how it impairs driving abilities

Tips to Pass Your Test and Get Your TN Driver’s License

Remember: Passing the Tennessee driver’s license knowledge test is a prerequisite to obtaining your driver’s license. If you fail this exam, you must wait 24 hours before you can retake it. You can only proceed to the next phase of the licensing process (i.e., acing the road test) once you pass the written exam.

So, follow these tips to help you conquer the knowledge test like a pro.

Engage in Active Preparation

Read the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual from back to front. To improve your understanding of the manual, be sure to:

  • Take notes
  • Highlight crucial sections
  • Continuously test yourself to determine how well you understand it

Active preparation can help reinforce key concepts and boost memory retention.

Don’t Cram

Study many weeks in advance. Delegate at least 30 to 60 minutes a day to review for the test and do practice exams. It’s a much more effective approach to long-term recall and can help you avoid the stress of last-minute cramming.

Monitor Your Progress

Review your practice test results to help you identify areas you struggle with. Spend more time reviewing these topics until you perfect your practice exams.

Invest in Professional Driving Classes

Maximizing your chances of passing the knowledge and road tests is something you can achieve through professional driver training programs. Highly experienced and skilled instructors conduct these classes, and you can expect them to:

  • Cover the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual
  • Give you all the resources you need to help you pass the knowledge and road tests
  • Share actionable, practical tips and strategies for safe, responsible driving
  • Give you hands-on training on safely operating your car

At Brentwood Driver Training, we offer multiple driver’s ed programs, all led by our state-licensed teachers. From classroom courses to hands-on, individualized training, we offer these and more to aspiring drivers in middle Tennessee.

Stay Hydrated and Rest Well

Staying hydrated and getting enough sleep and rest are crucial for overall health, but they can also help you on the day of your knowledge test. They can boost concentration and recall and make you feel more at ease and relaxed as you answer all those test questions correctly.

Ace Your Tennessee Driver’s License Knowledge Test

For your Tennessee driver’s license practice test materials to be effective, they must cover traffic signs and signals, rules of the road, safe driving, and DUI laws and penalties. You should also take as many of these tests as possible many weeks in advance.

Brentwood Driver Training is happy to be your partner throughout your driver’s licensing journey. Since 1992, we’ve helped others like you in Williamson and Davidson Counties, TN, empowering them with the skills and knowledge necessary to become safe and competent drivers. We’re also proud to be the only driving school in middle Tennessee with a fleet of vehicles boasting dual controls.

Reach out today to learn more about our driver’s ed programs and sign up for them!