Okay so I have to share this because I was seriously about to give up. Failed the PENNDOT written exam twice — first time I only got a 72 (need 77 to pass), second time a 74. I'd been just reading through the driver's manual and figured that was enough. It wasn't. After that second fail I was frustrated and honestly a little embarrassed, I'm 34 years old and can't pass a driving test.
What finally clicked for me was actually doing a proper PENNDOT practice test instead of just passive reading. There's a huge difference between recognizing an answer and actually recalling it under pressure. I spent about 10 days doing timed practice runs, focusing hard on road signs, right-of-way scenarios, and the specific Pennsylvania speed limit rules which kept tripping me up.
Passed with an 84 on my third attempt. If you've failed before or you're prepping for the first time, don't skip the practice testing phase. Any questions about what to focus on — happy to help.