Virginia Driver Improvement Course Test: What to Expect

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

The virginia driver improvement course test is the final test of the Driver Improvement Clinic (DIC), and online you take it with the same DMV-licensed provider you signed up with. DMV allows no paper test, lets you try only once per business day, and checks your ID before you start. The test sits inside the 8-hour course, and you must finish the whole course before you get a certificate.

Key Facts

Where you test: online, with the provider you registered with, or in person if you took the clinic in person. See the DMV test rules.
How often you can try: once per business day. See if you do not pass.
ID: checked during the course and again before the final test. See identity checks.
Time: the 8 hours of the online clinic include the final test. See part of the 8 hours.
Not published: DMV sets no public question count, passing score, time limit or format. See what DMV does not publish.

What DMV Says About the Final Test

Virginia DMV runs the Driver Improvement Clinic program. Its page on how to complete an online driving improvement clinic holds the test rules. They are short, and they apply to every licensed online provider.

DMV says the final test “must be taken online through the online clinic provider that you registered with.” It adds, “No paper testing is allowed.” It also says, “The test may be taken only once per business day.”

These are state rules, not one provider’s policy. So the same limits apply no matter which licensed online provider you pick.

Virginia Driver Improvement Course Test Rules for Online Clinics

Here are the test rules DMV and its provider agreement set for the online clinic:

Test question	The official answer	Where it comes from
Who gives the final test?	The online provider you registered with	DMV online clinic page
Can I take a paper test?	No paper testing is allowed	DMV online clinic page
How often can I try?	Only once per business day	DMV online clinic page
Will my ID be checked?	Yes, during the course and before the test	DMV online clinic page
Is the test inside the 8 hours?	Yes, the course is 8 hours including the test	Form DIC 551
When do I get a certificate?	Only after the whole course is complete	Form DIC 551

The provider agreement is Form DIC 551. Every online provider signs it with DMV. It describes the clinic as “an eight-hour course, including the final test.”

Identity Checks Before the Test

DMV wants to know the right person took the course. Its online clinic page says, “You will be required to verify identification throughout the course and prior to taking the final test.”

So ID checks are not optional extras. Every licensed online provider must use them. You will meet them along the way and again at the test.

Your ID matters even before the course starts. DMV’s page on reasons for attending tells you to “Provide a government-issued photo ID.” It also tells you to let the provider know why you are attending.

DMV adds that online students “must be able to work independently and be comfortable with using a computer.”

The Test Is Part of the 8 Hours

The final test is not an add-on after the lessons. Form DIC 551 calls the online clinic “an eight-hour course, including the final test.” DMV’s online page says the course has “at least eight-hours of instruction.”

Put together, the 8 hours you plan for already hold the test. The form also says the course “must be completed in its entirety prior to the issuance of a certificate of completion.” So you cannot skip ahead, pass the test and leave early.

For more on how the online hours work, read our guide to the 8-hour online clinic.

If You Do Not Pass on the First Try

DMV’s rule is plain: one try per business day. If you do not pass, you wait until the next business day to test again.

DMV does not publish a cap on total tries. It also does not publish what a provider does between tries. Ask your provider about its own steps before you enroll.

The bigger risk is time. A DMV order still gives 90 days in total, and a court order sets its own date. A weekend is not a business day, so a miss late in the week can cost more calendar days.

Here is a simple way to think about it:

Test on a Monday and miss: your next try is Tuesday at the earliest.
Test on a Friday and miss: your next try is the next business day, not Saturday or Sunday.
Close to a deadline: each miss uses up at least one business day you may not have.

Taking the Test in Person

You can also take the clinic in a classroom. DMV’s driver improvement clinics page says, “If the clinic is completed in person, the final test must be completed in person.”

An online clinic has an online test with the same provider. A classroom clinic has an in-person test.

You cannot mix the two. DMV says that online, “the course and final test must be completed through a DMV-licensed online driver improvement clinic provider.” Our article on how long the course takes covers timing for both formats.

What DMV Does Not Publish About the Exam

Drivers search for a Virginia driver improvement exam score or question count. On the official pages we read, DMV gives neither. It does not publish:

the number of questions
a passing score
a time limit for the test
a question style, such as multiple choice
a total number of allowed tries

A website that quotes “the Virginia passing score” is not quoting DMV. Ask the provider you choose, and read its terms before you pay.

What the Clinic Teaches Before the Test

DMV says the Driver Improvement Clinic teaches “defensive driving techniques” that “can help you avoid and prevent crashes.” That is the aim of the whole DIC.

Virginia law also lists topics the program must include. Under Code of Virginia § 46.2-490, the instruction covers, but is not limited to:

alcohol and drug abuse
aggressive driving
distracted driving
motorcycle awareness
work zone safety

After the Test: Reporting and Your Certificate

Passing the test finishes the course. Then the provider has two jobs under Form DIC 551, and both carry a 24-hour clock:

Report to DMV. The provider sends your completion to DMV within 24 hours of the completion date.
Send your certificate. You get an electronic certificate, the DIC 552B, within 24 hours of course completion.

DMV’s online page also says, “It is your responsibility to remember or write down the name of the online driver improvement clinic provider.” DMV does not record it until you complete the course. Our certificate guide explains what to do with the DIC 552B.

Steps for the Virginia driver improvement course test online, from photo ID at sign-up to the DIC 552B certificate

How Passing Connects to Points

The test is the gate to the clinic’s benefit. DMV says you “may be awarded 5 safe driving points, once every 24 months.” Code of Virginia § 46.2-498 describes this as five demerit points subtracted from your total.

The benefit depends on why you took the clinic:

Voluntary, or DMV-ordered at 18 or older: safe driving points are awarded.
Court-ordered: the court decides; if it awards points, give the clinic the court’s paper.
Insurance discount only: no safe driving points.
Required for a driver under 18: no safe driving points.

Passing does not take the ticket or the conviction off your record. A driver with 10 demerit points who earns 5 safe driving points has a lower point total, but the conviction stays.

Deadlines That Keep Running

If DMV ordered your clinic, you have 90 days. DMV’s Driver Improvement page says that if you do not finish in time, your driving privilege “will be suspended” until you do. Code of Virginia § 46.2-503 is the law behind that rule.

If a court ordered your clinic, the order sets the date. Code of Virginia § 46.2-505 says you must tell the court whether you finished. Failing to finish may be punished as contempt of court.

In both cases, plan for the test early. Leave room for at least one more business day in case you need a second try.

Common Mistakes With the Final Test

Each item below comes from a DMV page, Form DIC 551 or the Code of Virginia:

Planning extra hours for the test. The 8 hours already include it.
Expecting a paper test online. DMV allows no paper testing.
Testing with a different company. The test must be with the provider you registered with.
Leaving no slack before a deadline. You can try only once per business day.
Forgetting your photo ID. ID is checked during the course and before the test.
Forgetting the provider’s name. DMV says to write it down.
Assuming the court will take an online certificate. DMV says your court may or may not accept it.

What We Found on the DMV Pages

On the DMV pages we checked on October 27, 2026, the online clinic page still listed the same test rules. It named the provider you registered with, banned paper testing and limited the test to once per business day. It also said ID is verified during the course and before the test.

None of the DMV pages we read gave a question count, passing score or time limit. Form DIC 551 still described the course as eight hours including the final test. You can look for licensed online providers with DMV’s Driver Training Schools and Clinics search, using the Online Clinic filter.

Virginia driver improvement exam rules at a glance: provider, paper tests, tries, ID checks and what DMV does not publish

How Requirements Can Vary

Virginia’s point rules, safe driving points and DMV clinic orders come from the Code of Virginia and DMV rules, and they apply statewide. What you must do still depends on whether you take the clinic by choice, because of a DMV notice, or under a court order. A court order sets its own deadline and proof steps.

Laws, fees and court practice can change. Check your DMV notice, your court order and the Virginia DMV website for current rules before you enroll or file anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Virginia driver improvement exam online?

Yes, if you take the clinic online. DMV says the final test must be taken online through the provider you registered with. If you take the clinic in person, the test is in person.

How many times can I take the final test?

DMV says the test may be taken only once per business day. It does not publish a cap on the total number of tries. Ask your provider about its own steps.

What is the passing score?

DMV does not publish a passing score. It also does not publish a question count or a time limit. Any number you see comes from a provider, not from DMV.

Is the test extra time on top of the 8 hours?

No. Form DIC 551 describes the online clinic as an eight-hour course that includes the final test. You must finish the whole course before a certificate is issued.

Can I take a paper test at home?

No. DMV says no paper testing is allowed for the online clinic. The test is taken online with your provider.

Why does the provider check my ID?

DMV requires it. You must verify your identity during the course and before the final test. DMV also says to show a government-issued photo ID when you sign up.

What happens after I pass?

The provider reports your completion to DMV within 24 hours. It also sends you an electronic DIC 552B certificate within 24 hours. If a court ordered the clinic, you must tell the court whether you finished.

Conclusion

The Virginia driver improvement course test follows a few clear DMV rules: same provider, no paper test, once per business day and ID checks first. DMV does not publish a score or question count, so ask your provider about those details.

If a court ordered your clinic, ask the court whether it accepts an online course before you enroll. When you are ready, you can take the Virginia Driver Improvement Course.

Sources

Billy Forte is the owner of Driving Logic, a state-approved driver improvement course provider serving Virginia and other U.S. states.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Virginia DMV rules, court orders, fines and penalties depend on your notice, summons, court and case facts, and they can change. Use official Virginia DMV and court sources, and consult a qualified Virginia attorney for advice about your own case.