Straight answers to the most common questions about passing the DPS motorcycle knowledge exam.
The Mississippi motorcycle knowledge test has 25 multiple-choice questions. You must answer at least 20 correctly — 80% — to pass. The Department of Public Safety does not publish the count on its page, so 25 questions is the figure used by the major practice-test sites.
You need 80% — 20 of the 25 questions correct. The test is based on the Motorcycle Operator Manual that the Mississippi DPS Driver Service Bureau provides.
Yes. To operate a motorcycle or motor scooter on Mississippi roads you must hold a valid Mississippi driver license with a motorcycle endorsement, which requires passing both a knowledge (written) test and a skills (road) test.
You can get a motorcycle learner's permit at 15. A regular Mississippi driver license — required for the motorcycle endorsement — is issued at 16.
The motorcycle learner's permit must be held for one year, or until you reach age 17, whichever comes first.
No. While on the permit you must ride with a fellow rider who is at least 21 and holds a valid driver license with a motorcycle endorsement. You should not ride on public roads without a permit.
The motorcycle learner's permit costs $1.00, and the motorcycle endorsement itself costs $5.00. These are separate from any driver-license fee.
Yes — partly. If you successfully complete a motorcycle safety class endorsed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), you are not required to take the on-cycle skills test. You still must pass the written knowledge test.
No. If you hold a valid out-of-state license with a motorcycle endorsement, Mississippi may issue you a Mississippi license with a motorcycle endorsement without further testing — the written and skills tests are waived.
You must either trailer your motorcycle to the test location or have a motorcycle-licensed rider present (on their own bike or another vehicle), and you must show proof of insurance at the time of the road test.
Yes. Mississippi has a universal helmet law: every motorcycle rider and passenger must wear an approved crash helmet (meeting AAMVA/DOT criteria) whenever the motorcycle is ridden, at any age.
Mississippi law does not separately require eye protection, but the Motorcycle Operator Manual strongly recommends a face shield or goggles. A windshield is not a substitute for eye protection.
Mississippi uses the standardized MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (17th Edition), which the DPS Driver Service Bureau makes available to download. All knowledge-test questions come from it.
No. The motorcycle knowledge test is given in person at a Mississippi DPS Driver Service Bureau location.
Questions cover protective gear and the helmet rule, motorcycle controls and braking, turning and swerving, lane positioning and following distance, the SEE strategy, intersections, crash avoidance, slippery surfaces, mechanical problems, carrying passengers and cargo, and the effects of alcohol and drugs.
Always use both brakes together. The front brake supplies at least 70% of your stopping power; squeeze it smoothly and progressively rather than grabbing it.
Keep at least a two-second following distance behind the vehicle ahead, and open it to three seconds or more on slippery roads, in heavy traffic, or when you cannot see ahead.
In Mississippi, as in every state, an adult is legally intoxicated at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or above. Riders under 21 face a lower limit, and impairment of judgment and skill begins well below the legal limit.
Source: Test details reflect the consensus of major rider-education sources — confirm with the state agency before your visit. Mississippi adopts the unmodified MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (17th Edition), which the DPS Driver Service Bureau hosts. The motorcycle knowledge test is 25 questions, 20 correct (80%) to pass — a third-party consensus, since the DPS page does not publish the count. Universal helmet law; the motorcycle privilege is an endorsement on a Mississippi driver license.