California DMV Permit Practice Test 7
Test 7 of 10. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 30 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real California test.
- Questions36
- Correct to pass30
- Passing score83%
- Minimum age15 years 6 months
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1. A sign at the signal reads LEFT TURN ON GREEN ARROW ONLY. The ball turns green but no arrow appears. What may you do?
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Answer C: Wait, because your turn is allowed only while the arrow is showing
The sign removes the permissive turn, so the left is legal only during the green arrow and you must wait behind the line until it appears.
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2. Why does safety guidance say a child should ride in the back seat rather than in front of an active passenger airbag?
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Answer D: Because the airbag inflates with enough force to injure a small child badly
Airbags deploy at very high speed and are sized for adults, so a child seated close to one can be badly hurt by the bag itself, which is why the back seat is recommended for children.
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3. A truck ahead of you is spreading salt or grit on the road. What should you do?
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Answer B: Drop back so the material does not reach your car
Spreaders throw material backward and sideways, and following close means stone chips and a screen full of spray, so leave extra distance.
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4. There is a driveway and a side street between you and the corner where you will turn right. When should you signal?
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Answer C: After passing the openings, so nobody pulls out in front of you
A signal switched on before an opening tells drivers waiting there that you are turning in, and they may pull out into your path.
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5. Who must wear a bicycle helmet in California, and on what?
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Answer D: Riders under 18, on a bicycle, nonmotorized scooter, skateboard or skates
Section 21212 requires a person under 18 to wear a properly fitted and fastened helmet when operating or riding on a bicycle, a nonmotorized scooter or a skateboard, or when wearing in-line or roller skates.
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6. What penalty does California impose for a first violation of the provisional license restrictions?
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Answer D: Eight to 16 hours of community service or a fine of not more than $35
Section 12814.6 punishes a first violation of the provisional restrictions with 8 to 16 hours of community service or a fine of not more than $35.
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7. A deer has just crossed in front of you on a stretch signed for animal crossings. What is the best assumption?
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Answer B: More animals are likely to follow the first one
Deer travel in groups, so one animal crossing usually means others are about to follow, and a driver should slow and keep scanning both shoulders.
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8. Which vehicles require a California driver to move over and slow down?
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Answer D: Stationary emergency vehicles or tow trucks with flashing amber warning lights and stopped road work vehicles
California requires drivers to move over and slow down for stationary emergency vehicles or tow trucks displaying flashing amber warning lights and for stopped road work vehicles with emergency or amber lights.
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9. What is the minimum age at which a California applicant under 18 may be issued a provisional driver license?
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Answer C: 16 years old
California issues the provisional driver license at 16, once the applicant has held the instruction permit for six months and finished driver education and driver training.
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10. Why is it useful to watch the vehicle two or three places ahead of you?
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Answer C: You get an earlier warning of slowing traffic than brake lights give
Trouble travels back through a line of traffic, so seeing it start several vehicles ahead gives you a head start on braking.
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11. When may a California driver drive a car in a marked bicycle lane?
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Answer C: To park where permitted, enter or leave the road, or turn within 200 feet
The California Driver's Handbook allows driving in a bicycle lane only to park where permitted, to enter or leave the road, or to turn within 200 feet of an intersection.
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12. The traffic around you is moving well above the limit on a wide highway. What should you do?
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Answer D: Keep to the limit and stay to the right, letting faster traffic pass
The limit is a legal maximum, and the safe way to differ from the traffic around you is to keep right and let it go by.
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13. You are about to pass a long tractor-trailer on a two-lane road. What should you expect?
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Answer B: You will need more clear road, since the vehicle is much longer
A tractor-trailer can be 70 feet long, so passing it takes more distance and more time than passing a car at the same speed difference.
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14. Which driver may use a handheld wireless device in California while the hands-free rules bind everyone else?
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Answer A: An on-duty emergency services professional in an authorized emergency vehicle
Section 23123.5 exempts an emergency services professional using the device while operating an authorized emergency vehicle in the course of employment.
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15. You are in a marked passing zone but a steady stream of oncoming traffic is coming toward you. What does the broken center line allow?
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Answer C: A pass only when the road is clear, so you have to stay behind
A passing zone marks where the sight distance is adequate, but it never gives permission to enter a lane that another vehicle is occupying.
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16. Where is a U-turn most clearly unsafe and generally prohibited?
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Answer D: On a curve or near a hill crest, where other drivers cannot see you
U-turns are barred where approaching drivers cannot see you in time, such as on a curve or near the top of a hill.
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17. What is the what if habit of a defensive driver?
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Answer C: Thinking through what you would do if a hazard ahead of you turned bad
Rehearsing an answer before the hazard develops means you act at once instead of spending time deciding.
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18. A notification appears on your smart watch while you are driving. What should you do?
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Answer B: Treat it as you would a phone and leave it
A watch screen demands the same eyes and the same attention as a phone, and a wrist is no safer a place to read a message than a dashboard.
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19. How far ahead should you normally be looking while driving?
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Answer D: About 12 to 15 seconds of travel ahead
Looking that far ahead, roughly a block in town and much farther on a highway, gives you time to see a problem developing and adjust before it becomes an emergency.
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20. Which clue tells you that a parked vehicle is about to pull into traffic?
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Answer D: Exhaust smoke, brake lights, front wheels turned out or a driver in the seat
A running engine, lit brake lights, turned wheels or a person behind the wheel all mean the vehicle may move. Slow down and give it room.
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21. Two vehicles reach a four-way stop at the same moment from adjacent roads. Who should go first?
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Answer A: The driver on the right
When two drivers stop at a four-way stop at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
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22. How far may a California driver travel in a two-way center left turn lane before turning?
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Answer B: 200 feet
The California Driver's Handbook states that a driver may only drive 200 feet in the center left turn lane, and may enter it no more than 200 feet before the turn.
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23. Who may supervise a California instruction permit holder while that person practices driving?
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Answer B: A California-licensed driver aged 18 or older with a license of the appropriate class
Section 12509 requires the permit holder to be accompanied by, and under the immediate supervision of, a California-licensed driver 18 or older who holds a license of the appropriate class and sits where they can help control the vehicle.
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24. How long does California suspend the driving privilege for a first refusal of a chemical test?
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Answer C: One year
Section 23612 provides for an administrative suspension of one year for a first refusal to submit to or complete chemical testing.
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25. A wasp flies in through the open window while you are driving. What is the safest reaction?
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Answer B: Stay calm, slow down and stop somewhere safe
Far more crashes come from the driver's reaction to an insect than from the insect, so keep your eyes forward, slow down and deal with it stopped.
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26. Travelling at about 55 mph on dry pavement, roughly how much room does an average car need to perceive, react and stop?
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Answer D: About 300 feet, close to the length of a football field
Reaction distance plus braking distance at 55 mph comes to roughly 300 feet on good dry pavement, and considerably more on a wet or loose surface.
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27. You are approaching a narrow bridge where the road has one lane in each direction and no shoulder. What should you do about passing?
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Answer B: Do not pass on or near the bridge
A narrow bridge gives neither vehicle anywhere to go, so passing is prohibited there in the same way as on a hill or in a tunnel.
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28. What is the safest way to pass a bicyclist on a road with two lanes going your way?
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Answer D: Change lanes completely, as you would for a car
A bicycle is entitled to the room a vehicle needs, and moving into the next lane gives the rider space to swerve around a drain or a pothole.
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29. From which lane should a permitted U-turn be started?
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Answer A: The lane nearest the center line, the same one used for a left turn
A U-turn is begun from the far left lane for your direction, the same position used for a left turn, so you do not cut across traffic beside you.
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30. Where does California allow a seven-inch square mounting area on the windshield for a portable device?
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Answer B: In the lower corner of the windshield farthest from the driver
Section 26708 permits a seven-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield farthest removed from the driver, while the corner nearest the driver is limited to a five-inch square.
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31. A vehicle in the lane beside you has stopped at a crosswalk. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stop as well, because that driver may be yielding to a pedestrian you cannot see
The stopped vehicle hides the crosswalk from you, and passing it is a leading cause of collisions with pedestrians who are already crossing.
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32. The accelerator sticks open while you are driving. What is the first thing to do?
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Answer A: Shift into neutral and brake while steering off the road
Neutral disconnects the engine from the wheels so the vehicle can be braked normally, while shutting off the ignition may lock the steering and remove power assistance.
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33. In California, when must you turn on your headlights relative to sunset and sunrise?
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Answer B: Beginning 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise
California requires headlights from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise, and whenever conditions such as rain, fog or smoke reduce visibility.
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34. You see an open curb space on the opposite side of a two-way street. What should you do?
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Answer B: Drive on, turn around, and come back on that side
You must park on the right, facing the direction of travel, so reaching a space on the other side means going around rather than crossing into it.
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35. You have stopped on the shoulder of a busy freeway with a flat tire that you cannot change safely. Where should you and your passengers wait?
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Answer A: Well away from the traffic side, behind a barrier or up the bank if there is one
People struck on the shoulder are a common cause of roadside deaths, so wait away from the traffic side and behind any barrier.
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36. A yellow diamond shows a horse with a rider. Besides slowing down, what else should a driver do?
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Answer C: Avoid using the horn or revving the engine
The equestrian crossing sign warns of horses on or across the road, and a sudden noise can startle an animal into the traffic lane.