In short
The US written exam taken to get a learner's permit before the road test.
A permit test (also called a written test) is the US equivalent of the UK theory test. It is a multiple-choice exam on road law, signs and signals, taken at a DMV office or online (in some states).
Passing the permit test grants a learner's permit, which lets you drive with a qualified adult while preparing for the road test.
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