Ohio Temps Test PDF: BMV Practice Questions & Answers (2026)
Reviewed by Chad HenryAfter 25 years of teaching driver education
The Ohio "temps" test
In Ohio the learner permit is officially the Temporary Instruction Permit Identification Card (TIPIC), but almost everyone calls it "temps". The Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) knowledge test has 40 questions and you need 75% - 30 correct - so you can miss 10. That is a little more room than the 80% states, but the online attempt limits make a careless fail costly.
Ohio offers the knowledge test online as well as in person. Online, you get at most two attempts in any six-month period, with 24 hours between attempts.
Ohio knowledge test - verified facts
- Questions on the test
- 40
- To pass
- 30 of 40 correct (75%)
- Permit
- Temporary Instruction Permit Identification Card (TIPIC)
- Minimum age
- 15½ years old
- If you fail
- Online: max 2 attempts per 6-month period with a 24-hour wait between attempts; in-person retake wait not published
- Online test
- Yes - an online knowledge test option is available.
You can miss up to 10 of the 40 questions and still pass. The minimum is 30 correct answers (75%).
Official source: Ohio BMV driver handbook · facts last reviewed 2026-09-28
5 Ohio-specific questions from the PDF
What is the maximum speed limit on a rural interstate freeway in Ohio?
- A. 65 mph
- B. 70 mph
- C. 75 mph
- D. 80 mph
Show answer
B. 70 mph - Ohio sets a maximum of 70 mph on rural interstate freeways. Always obey posted signs, which may be lower.
Source: Ohio handbook, ORC 4511.21(B)(14)
Under Ohio's distracted driving law (ORC 4511.204), which of the following is generally prohibited for a driver 18 or older while driving in traffic?
- A. Holding the phone while typing, reading, or watching on it
- B. Using the speaker phone function without holding the phone
- C. Following hands-free navigation without holding or typing on the device
- D. Calling law enforcement about an emergency
Show answer
A. Holding the phone while typing, reading, or watching on it - Ohio prohibits using, holding, or physically supporting an electronic wireless communications device while driving. Exceptions include emergency calls, speaker phone and navigation use without holding or typing, single-touch or single-swipe functions, and holding the phone to your ear for a call without manually entering text.
Source: Ohio handbook, ORC 4511.204(A) and (B)(3)-(4)
In Ohio, a driver under 21 can be charged with OVUAC at what blood alcohol concentration (BAC)?
- A. 0.01
- B. 0.02
- C. 0.05
- D. 0.08
Show answer
B. 0.02 - Ohio's under-21 limit (OVUAC) is 0.02 BAC - well below the 0.08 limit that applies to drivers 21 and older.
Source: Ohio handbook, ORC 4511.19(B)(1)
In Ohio, a driver under 18 (permit or probationary license) may use a cell phone while driving:
- A. Not at all, except for emergencies or hands-free navigation they do not handle
- B. Hands-free for calls
- C. To text while stopped at a red light
- D. Only to call a friend
Show answer
A. Not at all, except for emergencies or hands-free navigation they do not handle - ORC 4511.205 bans drivers under 18 with a permit or probationary license from using an electronic wireless communications device in any manner while driving, including hands-free calls. The exceptions are emergency contacts, use while stopped outside a lane of travel, and voice-operated or hands-free navigation that is not handled while driving.
Source: Ohio handbook, ORC 4511.205(A)-(B)
Ohio's 'assured clear distance ahead' rule requires you to:
- A. Drive at a speed that lets you stop within the distance you can see is clear
- B. Always stay exactly two seconds behind
- C. Maintain 70 mph on all freeways
- D. Use high beams at all times
Show answer
A. Drive at a speed that lets you stop within the distance you can see is clear - Ohio law requires driving at a speed that lets you stop within the assured clear distance ahead - the distance you can see to be clear.
Source: Ohio handbook, ORC 4511.21(A)
Ohio-specific rules to learn
The Ohio-specific questions above are sourced directly to the Ohio Revised Code (ORC), the law the BMV test is based on. They cover:
- Distracted driving (ORC 4511.204): holding or using a phone while driving is generally prohibited for drivers 18 and over.
- Drivers under 18 (ORC 4511.205): no phone use at all while driving, hands-free included, except in an emergency.
- OVUAC: a driver under 21 can be charged at a BAC of 0.02.
- Assured clear distance ahead: always be able to stop within the distance you can see ahead.
From temps to license
- Minimum age: 15½.
- Driver education is required under 18.
- Hold the TIPIC for 6 months and log 50 hours of practice, including 10 at night, with a parent or guardian.
Take the PDF on paper first, check every explanation, then use the Ohio online practice tests until you are scoring 36 out of 40 or better. With only two online attempts per six months, don't use one until you can pass the simulator comfortably.