I just remembered, that while I got my permit and license at the same time everyone else did, it's worth noting that I did barely pass the academic portion of driver's ed. It was uncharacteristically poor performance for me, and the only time I can really think of that I truly thought I was giving the right answers, but apparently wasn't. Fortunately, the state I lived in at the time is pretty much the easiest state to get a license in. If you pass driver's ed, you get a permit 2 months before your 16th birthday. In 6 months, that permit becomes a full-fledged driver's license without you ever having to do anything.