California DMV Permit Practice Test 8
Test 8 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. You reach an uncontrolled intersection at the same moment as a vehicle approaching from your left. What should you do?
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Answer A: Proceed, but only once you see that driver slowing
You have the right of way over the vehicle on your left, but a right of way is something the other driver has to give, so confirm it before you commit.
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2. A school crossing guard has returned to the curb but two children are still walking across the road. When may you go?
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Answer C: Only after the children have reached the far sidewalk
The guard leaving the road does not end your duty; you stay stopped until every child is clear of the roadway.
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3. Is dictating a message by voice a safe alternative to typing one?
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Answer C: No, it still takes attention from driving
Composing and checking a spoken message loads the mind and usually pulls the eyes to the screen anyway, so research finds it no safer than other phone use.
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4. Smoke and flames appear from the engine compartment after you stop. What should you do?
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Answer A: Get everyone well away from the vehicle first, and then call the fire service
A vehicle fire can spread within seconds, so people come out first and firefighting is left to the fire service.
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5. On a narrow two-lane road a line of vehicles has built up behind you. What is the safe and courteous action?
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Answer D: Pull into a turnout or a safe wide spot and let them go by
A slow vehicle holding up a queue invites risky passing; using a turnout clears the road without anyone having to take a chance.
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6. How should you handle a prescription or over the counter medicine before driving?
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Answer D: Read the label and ask a pharmacist or doctor whether it affects driving
Many common medicines, including allergy and cold remedies, cause drowsiness or slowed reactions, and the label or a pharmacist can tell you whether driving is safe.
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7. What does California require when an authorized emergency vehicle approaches sounding a siren and showing a red lamp?
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Answer B: Pull to the right-hand edge, clear of any intersection, and stop
Section 21806 requires every other driver to yield, drive immediately to the right-hand edge or curb of the highway clear of any intersection, and stop.
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8. Which of these makes you unpredictable to other drivers?
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Answer B: Changing lanes suddenly without signaling, to save a moment
An unsignalled, sudden lane change gives nobody time to react and is a common cause of sideswipe collisions.
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9. The signal ahead turns yellow while you are approaching it. What does the yellow light mean?
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Answer C: The red is coming; stop if you can do so safely
A steady yellow warns that the red is next. Stop if you can do so safely; enter the intersection only when stopping would be dangerous.
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10. You pass into a work zone with a reduced speed limit but you see no workers. What speed applies?
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Answer D: The posted work zone limit, whether or not workers are present
A posted work zone speed limit is a regulatory limit in force at all times, and narrow lanes and uneven surfaces remain dangerous when nobody is working.
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11. Rain is heavy enough that you have your windshield wipers running. What else should you switch on?
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Answer A: Your headlights, so you can see and others can see you
Rain heavy enough to need wipers also cuts how far away you can be seen, so the headlights belong on. Many states write this into law as a wipers on, lights on rule.
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12. What does California forbid within the block where a fire department vehicle has responded to an emergency?
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Answer D: Driving there at all unless an official directs you through
Section 21707 bars operating a vehicle within the block where a fire department vehicle is answering an emergency, unless fire, police, sheriff or CHP personnel direct otherwise, and applies within 300 feet when the nearest intersection is farther away.
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13. You have a green light at a school crossing, but the crossing guard steps out and holds up a stop sign toward you. What must you do?
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Answer A: Stop, because the crossing guard controls this crossing and outranks the signal
Directions from a crossing guard or a police officer take priority over signals and signs.
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14. How long must a California driver keep an ignition interlock device installed after a second conviction of driving under the influence?
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Answer D: 12 months
Section 23575.3 sets a mandatory 12-month interlock term for a second offense, rising to 24 months for a third and 36 months for a fourth.
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15. A stop sign at a busy corner has a stop line and a crosswalk, but buildings block your view of the cross street. What is the correct sequence?
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Answer C: Stop at the line first, then edge forward and stop again to see
The first stop is required at the line or before the crosswalk, and a second stop farther forward is what actually lets you yield safely.
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16. You hold steady pressure on the brake pedal for the whole of a long descent. What is likely to happen?
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Answer B: The brakes overheat and fade, so they slow you less and less
Continuous braking heats the brakes until they fade and lose effectiveness; use a lower gear and short, firm applications instead.
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17. In California, when are you not required to stop for a school bus flashing red lights?
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Answer A: When the bus is on the other side of a divided or multilane highway with two or more lanes in each direction
California exempts drivers when the bus is on the other side of a divided or multilane highway with two or more lanes in each direction; otherwise traffic must stop from either direction.
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18. You reach a T intersection where the cross street has a ONE WAY sign pointing to the right. What may you do?
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Answer B: Turn right only, because the street carries traffic in that direction
The arrow shows the only direction traffic may travel, so the only legal movement from the terminating road is a right turn.
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19. You are following a tractor-trailer so closely that its rear doors fill your windshield. What is the main problem?
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Answer D: You cannot see the road ahead and the truck driver cannot see you
A truck has a deep blind spot directly behind it, and tailgating also hides everything in front of the truck from you. Drop back so you can see and be seen.
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20. A vehicle ahead of you displays a reflective orange triangle on its rear. What does that emblem tell you?
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Answer B: The vehicle is built to travel at 25 mph or less
The orange triangle is the slow moving vehicle emblem used on farm and construction equipment designed for 25 mph or less, warning you that you are closing on it much faster than it appears.
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21. What does California law say about carrying a person in the back of a pickup truck on a highway?
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Answer C: It is prohibited unless the person is properly restrained
Section 23116 bars transporting a person in or on the back of a pickup or flatbed truck unless that person is secured with a restraint system meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards.
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22. What must a California provisional driver carry to use the medical, school, work or family exception to the curfew and passenger rules?
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Answer B: A signed note from a physician, school official, employer or parent
Section 12814.6 allows the exceptions only when the driver carries a signed statement from the physician, school principal, employer or parent that explains the need and states when it is expected to end.
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23. May you exceed the posted speed limit in order to complete a pass?
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Answer C: No, the posted limit applies while you are passing too
The limit does not lift for passing; if you cannot complete the pass within it, there is not enough room and you should stay back.
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24. When may a California driver under 18 first use a new instruction permit to practice?
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Answer A: Only after an instructor validates it at the start of behind-the-wheel training
The California Driver's Handbook explains that a minor's instruction permit cannot be used until a professional instructor validates it when behind-the-wheel driver training begins.
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25. You have parked but your car sits across the line into the next space. What should you do?
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Answer B: Pull out and park again fully inside one space
A car over the line takes a space away from someone else and leaves too little room for the doors of the vehicles beside it.
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26. What is the basic rule for entering a roundabout?
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Answer B: Traffic already circulating goes first, and you wait for a gap
Entering traffic yields to vehicles already going around the circle, which is what keeps a roundabout moving instead of locking up.
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27. How long does a California instruction permit remain valid?
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Answer A: Not more than 24 months from the date of the application
Vehicle Code section 12509 provides that an instruction permit is valid for a period not exceeding 24 months from the date of the application.
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28. Why does a heavier vehicle need more room to stop than a light one from the same speed?
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Answer B: Because there is more mass in motion for the tires to slow down
More mass means more energy at the same speed, and the brakes and tires need more distance to get rid of it.
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29. What jail term and fine does California set for a first conviction of driving under the influence?
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Answer A: 96 hours to six months in jail and a fine of $390 to $1,000
Section 23536 sets not less than 96 hours, at least 48 of them continuous, and not more than six months in county jail, with a fine of $390 to $1,000.
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30. You are driving down a parking aisle and reach the main lane that runs along the front of the store. What is the usual rule?
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Answer C: The main through lane has the right of way over the vehicles leaving the aisles
In a parking lot the wide lane that runs across the ends of the aisles works like a through road, and drivers leaving an aisle yield to it.
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31. You brake hard on a wet road and need to steer around a stalled car. How do antilock brakes help you do that?
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Answer B: They stop the wheels locking, so the tires can still turn the vehicle
Locked wheels slide and cannot change direction. By preventing lockup the system lets you brake at full force and steer at the same time.
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32. A vehicle in front of you has already begun turning left into a driveway when the gap you were waiting for opens up. What should you do?
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Answer B: Wait and let that driver finish the turn
A vehicle that has lawfully started a maneuver keeps the right of way until it is finished.
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33. Which California driver may not attend traffic violator school to mask a violation?
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Answer A: A driver whose violation happened in a commercial motor vehicle
Section 42005 bars traffic violator school when the violation occurred in a commercial motor vehicle, and also for offenses such as driving under the influence, reckless driving and failing to stop after a collision.
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34. You are backing out of a home driveway onto a street with a sidewalk. Who must you yield to?
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Answer D: All traffic on the street and everyone on the sidewalk
A driver entering the roadway from private property yields to everyone already using the sidewalk and the street.
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35. How much supervised practice must a California applicant under 18 complete before the drive test?
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Answer B: 50 hours, of which 10 must be at night, with a licensed driver at least 25 years old
California requires 50 hours of supervised practice, including 10 hours at night, with a California-licensed driver who is at least 25 years old.
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36. Why is parking next to a fire hydrant or in a marked fire lane prohibited?
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Answer D: It would delay firefighters who need immediate access to the hydrant or the building
Fire hydrants and fire lanes must remain clear at all times so emergency crews can connect hoses and reach a building without delay.