South Dakota Permit Test Passing Score: 80% Required, 6th Wrong Answer Ends the Test

The South Dakota permit test ends the moment you miss your 6th question - the kiosk closes the session automatically at that threshold. This page covers only the pass/fail scoring math and what the score table looks like in practice. It does not cover the full test format, question types, or retake scheduling rules. For the complete test structure including question count and format, see the South Dakota permit test format guide.

South Dakota Permit Test Passing Score Calculation

20 correct answers out of 25 equals 80 percent - the minimum passing score. You are allowed 5 wrong answers. The 6th wrong answer ends the session immediately with no remaining questions shown.

• Total questions:25 multiple-choice
• Minimum to pass:20 correct answers
• [YES] Allowed wrong answers:5
• Fail threshold:6 wrong answers - session ends, no further questions shown
• Retake:The earliest retest is the next working day. See the South Dakota permit test retake rules for the full policy.

Score Table: What Passes and What Fails

Scores of 20-25 correct out of 25 all pass. A score of 19 correct is a fail - the session ends when the 6th wrong answer is submitted, not after all 25 questions are shown.

Can You Pass the South Dakota Permit Test With Exactly 5 Wrong Answers?

Yes. Five wrong answers leaves 20 correct out of 25, which is exactly 80 percent and meets the passing score.

Does the Test End Immediately After the 6th Wrong Answer?

Yes, under the scoring rule used in this guide. The 6th wrong answer puts the score below the 80 percent passing threshold and ends the session.

Is 19 out of 25 a passing score in South Dakota? No. Nineteen correct is 76 percent, below the required 80 percent.

Near-Pass and Near-Fail Examples from South Dakota Exam Stations

At the Sioux Falls DPS office, a teen answered 19 questions correctly but missed one right-of-way question - 76%, one question short. They retook the test the following day after reviewing Chapter 5 of the manual and passed with 21 correct.

A Rapid City applicant passed with exactly 20 correct answers - using all 5 allowed wrong answers on road sign questions. Rushing through image-based questions is the most common near-fail pattern at Rapid City's kiosk stations.

In Watertown, a teen misread a state-specific rural warning sign and failed by exactly one point. South Dakota includes rural-specific warning signs not found in most third-party practice apps. Study those from the manual directly - apps often omit them. The earliest retest was the next working day.

After a Failing South Dakota Permit Test Score

If you fail, the earliest retest is the next working day. For attempt limits, additional fees, and the full retake procedure, see the South Dakota permit test retake rules.

For the full South Dakota permit test process, passing score rules, and study resources, see the South Dakota Learner's Permit guide on shoro.ai.