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Failed OR DMV knowledge test twice — what am I doing wrong?

by Preethi N. 934 views3 replies
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Preethi N.OP
May 27, 2026

So I just failed the Oregon DMV knowledge test for the second time and I'm honestly embarrassed. I studied the driver manual cover to cover both times, but I keep getting tripped up on the right-of-way scenarios and those weird traffic signal questions. I missed by 3 questions both times — you need a 28/35 to pass and I scored a 25 each time.

A friend told me the manual isn't enough on its own and that I should be doing an OR DMV practice test to get used to the actual question format. That makes sense now that I think about it. Has anyone found a solid study guide that goes deeper than just the handbook? I'm 34 and haven't been in school in years so test-taking isn't exactly my strong suit anymore.

I've got another attempt scheduled for next Thursday. Is a week enough time if I actually buckle down? Any specific topics I should hammer on? Speed limits in school zones and roundabout rules seem to come up a lot based on what I can remember.

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Brian Y.
May 28, 2026
Oh I've been exactly where you are. The manual tells you the rules but doesn't train you to recognize how they phrase the questions — that's the real trick. I spent about 4 days doing practice tests online, like 50 questions a day, and passed with a 33/35. School zones, pedestrian crossings, and those "who goes first at a four-way stop" scenarios were on mine heavily. Don't just read the explanations when you get one wrong, actually look up why in the manual too.
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David K.
May 28, 2026
The roundabout questions tripped me up too! Oregon added more of those in recent years so they definitely show up. One thing that helped me was using a study guide that breaks topics into sections instead of reading the whole manual linearly. I could focus on my weak spots. Also — and this sounds obvious — read every answer choice before picking. I rushed through two I actually knew and got them wrong. Week is plenty of time if you're doing 30-40 practice questions daily.
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Brian Y.
May 28, 2026
Failed once here too, passed the second time after 5 days of practice tests. Honestly the exam tips that helped most: slow down on the "what should you do" questions because there's usually a technically-wrong obvious answer. You've got this — third time's the charm and you already know where your gaps are.

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