What's the Passing Score on South Dakota's Motorcycle Permit Test?

South Dakota's motorcycle exam matches the car permit test in both length and passing percentage — 25 questions, 80% — a rare case where the two tracks line up exactly.

That doesn't mean the material overlaps, though: expect motorcycle-specific content on protective gear, braking technique, and cornering that a car permit test never touches.

Aim to consistently clear 90% in practice rather than treating 80% as a target to just barely reach, since real testing conditions tend to shave a few points off whatever you're hitting in relaxed home practice.

Checking your results broken down by topic, not just as one overall percentage, catches a specific weak spot an aggregate score would otherwise hide until it costs you on the real attempt.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally brings a massive seasonal surge in motorcycle traffic across South Dakota every August, a genuine road-hazard topic covered in the state's own manual.

A rider who only studies national riding fundamentals and skips this state-specific material risks losing points on a section that's easy to prepare for in advance.