AK Permit Practice Test 1

All 20 questions in test 1

Every question below comes from the Alaska question bank on this page. Open a question to see the correct answer and the explanation. Nothing here is hidden behind a signup.

1. 1. What do yellow pavement markings generally separate?

   1. Only bicycle lanes
   2. Traffic moving in the same direction
   3. Traffic moving in opposite directions
   4. Only parking spaces
   Show answer

   Traffic moving in opposite directions. Yellow pavement markings, including center lines, separate traffic flows traveling in opposite directions. White markings generally separate lanes moving in the same direction, so the choice “Traffic moving in the same direction” reverses the manual's distinction. Bicycle lanes and parking spaces are not the general meaning of yellow center markings. A quick roadway cue is to look at the center of the road: yellow usually identifies the boundary between opposing traffic streams.

   Study this in the handbook: Turn signals and pavement markings

2. 2. On a four lane road, what should you do when passing a stationary emergency vehicle with overhead flashing lights?

   
   1. Pass in the lane closest to it at the posted speed
   2. Use the lane opposite the emergency vehicle if safe
   3. Stop in the travel lane until the lights turn off
   4. Turn around before reaching the scene
   Show answer

   Use the lane opposite the emergency vehicle if safe. On a four lane road, drivers must move to the lane opposite a stationary emergency vehicle or tow truck when that movement is safe. Remaining beside the vehicle leaves responders exposed and ignores the move over requirement. A complete stop is not the default instruction, and turning around is unnecessary. If changing lanes is unsafe, the manual directs a reasonable and prudent speed when passing. First identify whether the road has four lanes, then decide between moving away and slowing safely.

   Study this in the handbook: Emergency vehicles and the Move Over law

3. 3. How long must a 16 or 17 year old hold a valid Alaska instruction permit before receiving a provisional Class D license?

   1. Only until passing the road test
   2. At least 30 days
   3. At least 1 year
   4. At least 6 months
   Show answer

   At least 6 months. Applicants who are 16 or 17 must hold a valid instruction permit for at least six months before the DMV can issue a provisional Class D license. Thirty days is too short, and one year adds a requirement the manual does not state. Passing a road test alone does not replace the holding period. The practical cue is to track the permit issue date, because the six month clock runs before the provisional application.

   Study this in the handbook: Instruction permits and provisional licenses

4. 4. What should a driver do when railroad crossing gates are down?

   1. Drive around the gates if no train is visible
   2. Stay in place and wait until the gates are raised
   3. Cross quickly before the warning lights change
   4. Stop on the tracks to watch for the train
   Show answer

   Stay in place and wait until the gates are raised. Down crossing gates mean the driver must stay in place and not cross the tracks until the gates are raised. Driving around them is against the law, even when a train is not immediately visible. The choice to cross quickly adds the danger of a hidden or second train and leaves no margin for a malfunction or changing signal. Stop before the crossing, keep the vehicle off the tracks, and wait for the complete clearance cue. Never race a train or assume a quiet crossing is safe to enter.

   Study this in the handbook: School buses, passing and railroad crossings

5. 5. What happens to an Alaska driver who was uninsured in a crash or fails to prove insurance within 15 days?

   1. Permanent revocation
   2. A $25 fine
   3. Nothing if no one was hurt
   4. A 90 day suspension for a first occurrence and one year for a second
   Show answer

   A 90 day suspension for a first occurrence and one year for a second. If you were uninsured or fail to provide proof of insurance within 15 days of a crash, your driver's license will be suspended for 90 days for a first occurrence and one year for a second occurrence. A certificate of insurance is required for any crash with property damage of $501 or more and must reach the DMV within 15 days, even if you showed proof to the officer.

   Study this in the handbook: Vision, insurance and the point system

6. 6. What does a lane-ending warning require a driver to anticipate?

   
   1. A new lane will open on the side shown by the sign
   2. The roadway narrows ahead, requiring a safe move into the remaining lane
   3. The right lane becomes a permanent passing lane
   4. All traffic must stop before the lane markings change
   Show answer

   The roadway narrows ahead, requiring a safe move into the remaining lane. A lane-ending warning shows that the roadway will narrow ahead, so the driver must plan a safe move into the lane that remains. Check mirrors and blind spots, signal, and change lanes gradually when a suitable gap is available. The sign does not add a lane, create a permanent passing lane, or require all traffic to stop. Identify the open lane early and avoid waiting until the stripe disappears. The warning gives time to make a controlled transition rather than forcing a sudden lateral move beside other vehicles.

   Study this in the handbook: Road signs by color and shape

7. 7. A red slash over a right-turn arrow prohibits which maneuver?

   
   1. Continuing straight through the junction
   2. Turning right where the sign is posted
   3. Parking on the right side of the street
   4. Yielding to a pedestrian on the right
   Show answer

   Turning right where the sign is posted. The right-turn arrow shows the movement covered by the prohibition, so the driver may not turn right where the sign applies. Straight travel, curbside parking, and yielding to a pedestrian are separate actions and are not identified by this arrow. Check the route before entering the junction and choose a permitted movement. A red slash is not a command to stop every kind of travel. Match the slash to the symbol beneath it, then obey that specific restriction while continuing to watch for people and traffic.

   Study this in the handbook: Road signs by color and shape

8. 8. What does the curved-arrow warning indicate?

   
   1. The road is ending and traffic must detour immediately
   2. A mandatory right turn is posted at the intersection
   3. A curve is ahead, so the driver should take it at the advisory speed
   4. A straight section permits passing in both directions
   Show answer

   A curve is ahead, so the driver should take it at the advisory speed. The curved-arrow warning identifies a bend ahead and gives the driver a cue to adjust speed before reaching it. The advisory speed is a planning reference for taking the curve, not a command to make a turn at a junction. The sign also does not announce a road closure or create a passing zone. Braking and steering should be settled before the bend whenever possible. Reduce speed early, then maintain a controlled path through the curve.

9. 9. About how long does it take the body to cancel the effects of four drinks?

   1. About four hours
   2. About two hours
   3. About one hour
   4. About eight hours
   Show answer

   About four hours. The manual says it takes an average of one hour to cancel the effects of one drink, so about four hours to cancel the intoxicating effects of four drinks. Black coffee, fresh air, food, or a cold shower might wake a person up but will not sober them up; alcohol is burned by the liver and only time helps. One and two hours are too short, and eight hours is not the manual's figure.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, implied consent and under 21 rules

10. 10. What response do most Alaska warning signs imply?

    1. Stop in the travel lane at every warning sign
    2. Ignore the sign unless a police officer is present
    3. Maintain speed because warning signs are regulatory
    4. Decrease speed and adjust driving to the situation
    Show answer

    Decrease speed and adjust driving to the situation. Warning signs identify actual or potentially dangerous conditions ahead. The manual says most imply that the driver should decrease speed, observe extra caution, and adjust driving to the situation. They do not require an officer's presence, and they are not the same as regulatory commands. A full stop at every warning sign would also overstate the instruction. Read the sign as an advance cue to manage speed and attention, then respond to the particular curve, crossing, construction area, or other condition shown.

    Study this in the handbook: Road signs by color and shape

11. 11. An Alaska driver receives a DMV revocation notice after a DUI arrest. How long does the driver have to request an administrative hearing?

    1. Seven days from the Date Issued on the notice
    2. 24 hours
    3. 30 days
    4. 90 days
    Show answer

    Seven days from the Date Issued on the notice. The request for an administrative hearing must be made in writing within seven days of the Date Issued on the notice, unless the driver qualifies for a late hearing due to physical incapacity. A timely request by a driver with a valid license brings a temporary license good until the hearing date, unless the court has revoked the license. Twenty-four hours, 30 days, and 90 days are not the deadline.

    Study this in the handbook: DUI revocations and ignition interlock

12. 12. When entering a protected route at an intersection, to whom must a driver yield?

    1. All traffic, including non-motorized users, traveling on the protected route
    2. Only motor vehicles traveling on the protected route
    3. Traffic approaching from behind the entering vehicle
    4. No one if the entering driver signals
    Show answer

    All traffic, including non-motorized users, traveling on the protected route. Alaska's intersection guidance requires a driver entering a protected route to yield to all traffic using that route, including people traveling without motor vehicles. The protection is broader than a vehicle-only rule, so a bicyclist or other non-motorized user must also be considered. Signaling does not create a right to enter, and traffic behind the driver is not the relevant conflict. Identify the protected route first, scan its full width, and proceed only after every road user with priority has cleared.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists

13. 13. At 50 mph, about how far does a vehicle travel during the three-quarters of a second it takes a driver to react and press the brake?

    1. About 15 feet
    2. About 30 feet
    3. About 55 feet
    4. About 160 feet
    Show answer

    About 55 feet. The manual's React and Step tip says it takes about three-quarters of a second to react and step on the brake. At 50 mph the vehicle covers about 55 feet in that short time, before the brakes do anything. The 160 foot figure is tempting, but that is the extra distance the vehicle may travel after the brakes are applied. Adding both shows why a car at 50 mph can need about 215 feet or more to stop. Small numbers like 15 or 30 feet underestimate how quickly a moving vehicle eats up the road.

    Study this in the handbook: Required equipment and maintenance

14. 14. What must you do at a red traffic signal ball?

    1. Stop before the crosswalk, stop line, or intersection
    2. Continue through if no vehicle is approaching
    3. Turn in any direction without stopping
    4. Stop only when a pedestrian is visible
    Show answer

    Stop before the crosswalk, stop line, or intersection. A red ball requires a stop behind the crosswalk, at the stop line, or, if neither exists, before entering the intersection. The choice permitting movement whenever the roadway looks empty ignores the signal's command. A right turn can be permitted only after a full stop, when safe, and when no No Turn on Red sign restricts it. The useful visual cue is the red circular signal itself: stop at the proper boundary first, then evaluate whether a legally permitted movement remains.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and lane control signals

15. 15. What minimum following interval does Alaska law require, while the manual recommends a longer interval for ordinary driving?

    1. Six seconds only when traffic is light
    2. Exactly four seconds in every condition
    3. One second behind a passenger vehicle
    4. At least two seconds
    Show answer

    At least two seconds. Alaska's rule sets a floor of at least two seconds, but the manual presents four seconds as an easier everyday method for judging space behind another vehicle. Wet or slippery pavement and trailer towing call for six seconds or more. The four-second method is not a license to follow closely when conditions worsen. A driver should count from the moment the vehicle ahead passes a fixed point and increase the interval whenever stopping or visibility becomes harder.

    Study this in the handbook: Following distance and large trucks

16. 16. How long is each Alaska non-commercial instruction permit valid, and how many renewals are allowed?

    1. One year, with unlimited renewals
    2. Two years, with one renewal
    3. Six months, with two renewals
    4. Three years, with no renewal
    Show answer

    Two years, with one renewal. Each type of Alaska non-commercial instruction permit remains valid for two years and may be renewed one time. The renewal limit prevents treating the permit as an indefinitely extendable credential. Six months refers to a separate requirement for a 16 or 17 year old who seeks a provisional Class D license, not the permit's validity period. Study the two numbers together: two years describes duration, and one time describes the permitted renewal count.

    Study this in the handbook: Instruction permits and provisional licenses

17. 17. An Alaska driver is 19. When will the current driver's license expire, and what must be passed to renew it?

    1. On the 21st birthday; a road test
    2. Five years from issue; nothing extra
    3. 90 days after the 21st birthday; an alcohol awareness test
    4. On the 25th birthday; a vision test only
    Show answer

    90 days after the 21st birthday; an alcohol awareness test. A driver's license issued to someone under 21 expires 90 days after the 21st birthday, and an alcohol awareness test must be passed before it can be renewed. The license does not expire exactly on the birthday, no road test is required for this renewal, and the 25th birthday is not part of the rule. The alcohol awareness test can be taken online through the address listed in the manual.

    Study this in the handbook: Instruction permits and provisional licenses

18. 18. What is the penalty for littering in Alaska?

    1. A $25 ticket
    2. A warning
    3. A fine up to $1,000, and the court may also order litter pickup
    4. Community service only
    Show answer

    A fine up to $1,000, and the court may also order litter pickup. Under AS 46.06.080, littering is a violation that can bring a fine of up to $1,000, and the court may also order the person to gather and dispose of litter in an area and for a length of time it sets. A minor littering violation of five pounds or less can be settled by mailing a $50 fine. A $25 ticket, a warning, or community service alone understates the penalty. The same law requires loads to be covered or secured so nothing escapes onto the highway.

19. 19. A warning sign in the Alaska sign chart says a bridge ahead has one-way operation. What does that tell you?

    1. You may need to stop before the bridge
    2. Trucks must use the right lane on the bridge
    3. Passing is allowed once you are on the bridge
    4. The bridge ahead is closed to all traffic
    Show answer

    You may need to stop before the bridge. The chart describes this sign as warning that one-way operation on a bridge may require a stop ahead, so be ready to stop before you reach the bridge. Warning signs alert drivers to actual or potentially dangerous conditions, and most imply that you should decrease your speed. Passing is not an option near it: Alaska prohibits passing within 100 feet of a posted narrow bridge, viaduct, or tunnel. A closed road has its own sign saying the road is closed to all traffic, and the truck lane rule appears on a separate regulatory sign.

    Study this in the handbook: Road signs by color and shape

20. 20. When does the Alaska manual say hard-surface roads are often especially slippery in rain?

    1. After several hours of steady rain
    2. After the rain stops and the road dries
    3. Only when the rain turns to sleet
    4. During the first half hour after a rain
    Show answer

    During the first half hour after a rain. The first half hour after a rain often makes hard-surface roads slippery. Dust and road film have not yet been washed away, and oil, dirt, and tire dust mixing with water form a slippery combination. Many drivers expect the road to get worse only after hours of rain, which is the tempting wrong choice. Sleet and ice are separate hazards, and a drying road is not when the manual gives this warning. When rain begins, slow down, leave more room, and test traction carefully after checking your mirror.

    Study this in the handbook: Vehicle emergencies, skids and stalls on the tracks