AK Permit Practice Test

How to use this AK practice test

1. Take the 20 question exam-length practice test above once, untimed, to find your weak topics.
2. Work through the numbered 20 question sets below. Each one is fixed, so a second attempt is a fair comparison.
3. Read the explanation on every miss. The wording comes from the Alaska Driver Manual, which is what the examiners use.
4. When you pass three sets in a row at 80 percent or better, book the real test.

AK practice tests, 20 questions each

Fixed sets in a fixed order so you can retake one and compare your score.

1. Test 1
2. Test 2
3. Test 3
4. Test 4
5. Test 5
6. Test 6
7. Test 7
8. Test 8
9. Test 9
10. Test 10

Printable AK practice test with answer key

All 20 questions, AK exam length

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. On a four-lane road, how should you pass a stationary emergency vehicle with overhead flashing lights when safe?

   
   1. Stop directly behind it in the travel lane
   2. Stay beside it in the nearest lane
   3. Pull into the lane opposite the emergency vehicle
   4. Use the shoulder at full speed
   Show answer

   Pull into the lane opposite the emergency vehicle. When a stationary emergency vehicle or tow truck has overhead flashing lights on a four-lane road, drivers must pull into the lane opposite Full explanation in Test 1

2. 2. When approaching a YIELD sign, what must you be prepared to do?

   
   1. Accelerate through before vehicles on the protected street arrive
   2. Slow down, check both directions, and yield to traffic and pedestrians
   3. Stop every time, even when no one could be affected
   4. Yield only to vehicles approaching from the left
   Show answer

   Slow down, check both directions, and yield to traffic and pedestrians. A YIELD sign calls for a reduced approach speed and an active check to the left and right. Full explanation in Test 2

3. 3. Why are good windshield wipers important during rainy nighttime driving?

   1. They make bald tires safe on wet pavement
   2. They allow a driver to ignore standing water
   3. They eliminate the need for headlights
   4. Streaking and skipping wipers are especially hazardous
   Show answer

   Streaking and skipping wipers are especially hazardous. The manual warns that windshield wipers which streak and skip are especially hazardous on a rainy night. Full explanation in Test 3

4. 4. A 19-year-old in Alaska uses a fake driver's license to buy alcohol for the first time. What can DMV do?

   1. Revoke the driving privilege for 60 days
   2. Nothing, it is only a store matter
   3. Revoke for 5 years
   4. Issue a warning letter
   Show answer

   Revoke the driving privilege for 60 days. Alaska law allows DMV to revoke the driving privilege of a person who uses a false or fraudulent driver's license to obtain alcohol. Full explanation in Test 4

5. 5. What minimum tread depth does the Alaska manual require, and how can a penny check it?

   1. At least 2/32 inch, the distance from a penny's edge to the top of Lincoln's head
   2. At least 6/32 inch
   3. At least 1/32 inch
   4. Any visible tread
   Show answer

   At least 2/32 inch, the distance from a penny's edge to the top of Lincoln's head. Tires must have at least 2/32 inch of tread depth, and the distance between the edge of a penny and the top of Lincoln's head is about 2/32 Full explanation in Test 5

6. 6. What alcohol concentration triggers Alaska's administrative action threshold for a person operating a commercial motor vehicle?

   1. .10 or higher
   2. .08 or higher only
   3. .04 or higher
   4. .01 or higher for every driver
   Show answer

   .04 or higher. The Alaska revocation list uses a lower threshold for a person operating a commercial motor vehicle: . Full explanation in Test 6

7. 7. How many points does an Alaska reckless driving conviction add?

   1. 2
   2. 4
   3. 6
   4. 10
   Show answer

   10. Alaska assigns 10 points for reckless driving, the top of the 2 to 10 point range, the same as DUI, driving while suspended, refusing a brea Full explanation in Test 7

8. 8. What speed principle applies when an Alaska driver cannot stop within the clear distance ahead?

   1. The driver must not drive faster than allows a stop within that distance
   2. The driver may continue if the headlights reach the next hill
   3. The driver may exceed the limit until another vehicle appears
   4. The driver should close the gap to the vehicle ahead
   Show answer

   The driver must not drive faster than allows a stop within that distance. Alaska's assured-clear-distance rule ties speed to the space the driver can see and safely use for stopping. Full explanation in Test 8

9. 9. When must an Alaska crash generally be reported to the DMV?

   1. Only at the next license renewal
   2. Within 24 hours in every case
   3. Within 30 days only if a vehicle was towed
   4. Within 10 days, unless police investigated it
   Show answer

   Within 10 days, unless police investigated it. The manual says to report a crash to the Division of Motor Vehicles within 10 days, but the report is not required if a police officer inves Full explanation in Test 9

10. 10. What is one purpose of Alaska traffic signs?

    1. They guarantee that a road is free of hazards
    2. They warn of conditions ahead requiring caution
    3. They replace the driver's duty to control the vehicle
    4. They authorize every maneuver a driver wants to make
    Show answer

    They warn of conditions ahead requiring caution. Traffic signs warn drivers about conditions ahead that require caution or extra alertness, and they also help identify routes. Full explanation in Test 10

11. 11. Which vehicles are exempt from Alaska's seat belt law because of their age?

    1. Vehicles built before 1965 without belts as original equipment that are not custom collector vehicles
    2. Pickup trucks of any year
    3. Any vehicle over 20 years old
    4. No vehicles are exempt
    Show answer

    Vehicles built before 1965 without belts as original equipment that are not custom collector vehicles. Alaska law requires everyone in a motor vehicle to use a safety belt, with exceptions including vehicles built prior to 1965 that did not ha Full explanation in Test 1

12. 12. 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. Full explanation in Test 2

13. 13. What court penalty applies in Alaska when a minor is convicted of operating after consuming alcohol?

    1. Mandatory jail
    2. The court must order community service and/or a fine up to $1,000
    3. No court penalty, only DMV action
    4. A $5,000 fine
    Show answer

    The court must order community service and/or a fine up to $1,000. A minor operating a vehicle after consuming alcohol, or a minor refusing chemical testing, is an infraction. Full explanation in Test 3

14. 14. What kinds of services may be shown by white-on-blue service signs?

    1. School areas and school crosswalks
    2. Gas, phone, food, lodging, rest areas, or campgrounds
    3. Route restrictions backed by traffic law
    4. Temporary work zones and lane shifts
    Show answer

    Gas, phone, food, lodging, rest areas, or campgrounds. White-on-blue service signs mark conveniences such as gas, phone, food, lodging, rest areas, campgrounds, and litter barrels. Full explanation in Test 4

15. 15. 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. Full explanation in Test 5

16. 16. 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. Full explanation in Test 6

17. 17. What do regulatory signs tell a driver?

    1. An instruction that must be understood and obeyed
    2. Only the distance to the next town
    3. A possible wildlife hazard ahead
    4. The color of the pavement surface
    Show answer

    An instruction that must be understood and obeyed. Regulatory signs communicate an instruction backed by statute, regulation, or local ordinance, so the driver must understand and obey it. Full explanation in Test 7

18. 18. After a full stop at a red traffic signal, when may a driver make a right turn?

    1. Whenever the vehicle reaches the crosswalk
    2. When the turn is safe and no No turn on red sign restricts it
    3. Only after waiting for three light cycles
    4. Even if pedestrians or cross traffic make it unsafe
    Show answer

    When the turn is safe and no No turn on red sign restricts it. A right turn on red is permitted only after a full stop, when the turn can be made safely, and when no No turn on red sign prohibits it. Full explanation in Test 8

19. 19. What following interval does Alaska recommend when towing a trailer or driving on a wet or slippery road?

    1. One second, because the trailer slows the vehicle
    2. Six seconds or more
    3. Two seconds in every condition
    4. Four seconds only when traffic is stopped
    Show answer

    Six seconds or more. The four-second method becomes six seconds or more when a driver is towing a trailer or the road surface is wet or slippery. Full explanation in Test 9

20. 20. What principle does the Alaska manual give about controlling a vehicle?

    1. Control yourself before attempting to control the vehicle
    2. Let anger determine how firmly to steer
    3. Use speed to force other drivers to react
    4. Focus on the vehicle and ignore your own condition
    Show answer

    Control yourself before attempting to control the vehicle. The manual links vehicle control to personal self-control: a driver must manage their own state before trying to manage the vehicle. Full explanation in Test 10