AZ Permit Practice Test 1

All 20 questions in test 1

Every question below comes from the Arizona 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. You miss your exit on an Arizona freeway. What must you do?

   1. Back up on the shoulder to the exit
   2. Continue to the next exit
   3. Make a U turn through the median
   4. Stop and wait for a gap to reverse
   Show answer

   Continue to the next exit. Never back up if you miss an exit; you must go on to the next exit. Backing on a freeway puts a slow or stopped vehicle in the path of traffic moving at highway speed, and U turns through the median are illegal. Losing a few minutes to the next interchange is far safer than either. Plan lane changes early so you are in the exit lane in time.

2. 2. What does Arizona require of a vehicle's muffler?

   1. It may be removed for racing
   2. It is optional on vehicles older than 1967
   3. It must be replaced every year
   4. It must be in good working condition and in constant operation to prevent excessive pollution or unusual noise
   Show answer

   It must be in good working condition and in constant operation to prevent excessive pollution or unusual noise. Every motor vehicle must have a muffler in good working condition and in constant operation to prevent excessive pollution or unusual noise. Cutouts and bypasses that let exhaust skip the muffler are illegal on public roads. Vehicles of the 1967 model year and newer must also have an exhaust emissions system, and the vehicle needs a windshield without cracks and working wipers.

3. 3. At a steady red light, when may you make a right turn where signs do not prohibit it?

   1. After slowing without stopping if no car is visible
   2. After a complete stop, when motor and pedestrian traffic are clear
   3. Immediately if the cross street is empty
   4. Only after the light changes to yellow
   Show answer

   After a complete stop, when motor and pedestrian traffic are clear. A steady red signal requires a complete stop before the intersection, stop line, or crosswalk. If a sign does not prohibit the movement, a right turn may follow that stop only when motor traffic and pedestrians are clear. Slowing without stopping does not satisfy the signal, and an empty-looking cross street does not remove the required stop. Waiting for yellow is unnecessary and may create a new conflict. Stop first, scan for people and vehicles, then turn only when the intersection is open and the movement is allowed.

4. 4. What must you do at a flashing red traffic signal before proceeding?

   1. Slow only and continue without stopping
   2. Wait for a green arrow in every case
   3. Come to a full stop, then proceed cautiously when clear
   4. Yield without making a complete stop
   Show answer

   Come to a full stop, then proceed cautiously when clear. A flashing red light has the same meaning as a stop sign. Come to a full stop, then proceed with caution only after the roadway is clear. Merely slowing leaves the stop requirement unmet, and a green arrow is not required for every movement after the stop. Treating the signal like a yield sign also understates the rule. Use the stop line or crosswalk as the stopping reference, look for conflicting traffic and pedestrians, and then continue when the intersection offers a safe opening.

5. 5. At a controlled intersection in Arizona, what should a driver do before proceeding on a green indication?

   1. Check for traffic and pedestrians
   2. Wait for a police officer at every signal
   3. Proceed without looking because the signal grants absolute priority
   4. Yield only to vehicles approaching from the left
   Show answer

   Check for traffic and pedestrians. A green indication does not remove the need to check for traffic and pedestrians. Arizona's manual says drivers must obey signals and signs, yield as directed, and avoid assuming that it is safe to proceed merely because they have the right-of-way. The no-look option is therefore unsafe, and neither a police officer nor a left-side-only check is required by this passage. Scan the intersection before moving, especially for people or vehicles already within it.

6. 6. When an Arizona dust storm reduces visibility, what should a driver do first?

   1. Check surrounding traffic and begin slowing down
   2. Stop immediately in the travel lane
   3. Turn on high beams and maintain speed
   4. Accelerate until the storm is behind the vehicle
   Show answer

   Check surrounding traffic and begin slowing down. The dust-storm procedure begins with checking traffic around the vehicle and immediately slowing down. The manual warns drivers not to wait until poor visibility makes pulling off difficult, so acceleration and maintaining speed move in the wrong direction. Stopping in the travel lane creates a hazard for approaching traffic. The practical cue is early action: scan first, reduce speed, and look for a safe way off the roadway before the dust becomes opaque. This is the opening step before the separate severe-storm parking instructions.

7. 7. What do rectangular traffic signs regulate and direct?

   
   1. Only the color of pavement markings
   2. Whether a vehicle must carry passengers
   3. The hours when railroad gates are lowered
   4. Traffic and the driver's speed and direction
   Show answer

   Traffic and the driver's speed and direction. Arizona classifies rectangular signs as regulatory signs. They regulate traffic and direct a driver's speed and direction, which includes instructions such as keeping to a particular side of an obstruction. The pavement choice concerns roadway markings, while railroad gates and passenger capacity are unrelated subjects. A rectangular sign may communicate a specific movement, speed, or lane instruction, so read its wording or symbol and follow the direction shown. Near a divider or obstruction, use the sign as an early positioning cue and check the roadway before moving around it.

8. 8. For a second standard DUI in Arizona, what fine and license action does the manual list?

   1. A fine of at least $3,000 and a 12-month revocation
   2. A fine of at least $1,250 and a 90-day suspension
   3. A fine of at least $500 and no license action
   4. A fine of at least $3,250 and a 6-month suspension
   Show answer

   A fine of at least $3,000 and a 12-month revocation. Second and later standard DUI offenses bring at least 90 days in jail, a fine of at least $3,000, and a 12-month license revocation. A $1,250 fine with a 90-day suspension describes a first offense. The $3,250 figure is the repeat extreme DUI fine, and six months is not the period. A $500 fine with no license action badly understates the penalty.

9. 9. What additional information may appear below a turn or curve warning?

   
   1. A white rectangle changing the legal maximum everywhere
   2. A circular railroad symbol showing the crossing location
   3. A pentagon indicating that children may cross
   4. A small yellow square showing a safe speed for the curve
   Show answer

   A small yellow square showing a safe speed for the curve. Arizona says that small yellow square signs may appear below turn, curve, and winding-road warnings to indicate the safe speed for driving through the curve. That advisory value helps the driver choose a controlled speed for the roadway shape, but it is not the same as a new legal maximum everywhere. The railroad circle and school pentagon are distinct sign forms with different meanings. A useful cue is the pairing: the arrow warns about the geometry, and the small yellow square gives a recommended speed for handling that geometry safely.

10. 10. An Arizona driver under 18 with a graduated license is convicted of a first traffic violation. What is the penalty?

    1. A 3-month suspension
    2. A 6-month suspension
    3. No penalty for a first violation
    4. Traffic Survival School, and the violation goes on the record
    Show answer

    Traffic Survival School, and the violation goes on the record. For a graduated license holder under 18, the first traffic conviction means mandatory Traffic Survival School and a violation on the driving record. A second conviction brings a 3-month suspension, and a third brings a 6-month suspension, so those belong to later steps. There is no free first violation. Curfew and passenger violations carry extra penalties on top of these. The ladder applies to drivers under 18 who hold a graduated license and are convicted of a traffic violation.

11. 11. How many points does Arizona assess for a DUI conviction?

    1. 8 points
    2. 2 points
    3. 4 points
    4. 6 points
    Show answer

    8 points. The Arizona point list gives 8 points each for DUI, extreme DUI, reckless driving, racing, aggressive driving and aggravated DUI. Leaving the scene of a crash is 6 points, so six belongs to a different offense. Two points apply to most other moving violations, and four is not the DUI value. Since 8 points in 12 months triggers Traffic Survival School, one DUI reaches that threshold by itself.

12. 12. If your vehicle catches fire, what should you do first?

    1. Open the hood and pour water onto burning gasoline
    2. Keep driving until you reach a service station
    3. Remain inside while the smoke clears
    4. Pull quickly off the road, shut off the ignition, and get all passengers away
    Show answer

    Pull quickly off the road, shut off the ignition, and get all passengers away. A vehicle fire demands immediate separation from both traffic and the flames. The manual directs the driver to pull quickly off the road, shut off the ignition to cut electrical power, and get every passenger away from the car. Pouring water on burning gasoline can spread the fire, and opening the hood can expose someone to heat. Continuing to drive keeps occupants beside the hazard. Move away promptly, call 911, and stay clear if the fire may be beyond control.

13. 13. If you cannot safely move over beside a vehicle with flashing lights, what must you do?

    1. Keep the posted speed without changing lanes
    2. Slow down and use caution
    3. Stop beside the vehicle
    4. Sound the horn and accelerate
    Show answer

    Slow down and use caution. Arizona's Move Over Law pairs a lane change with a fallback when changing lanes is unsafe or impossible. In that circumstance, slow down and pass with caution. Maintaining the posted speed does not provide the added margin needed near a stopped vehicle, and stopping beside it exposes both vehicles to traffic. Scan early for a safe lane, but if that opening is unavailable, reduce speed before reaching the flashing lights and give the roadside activity room.

14. 14. According to the Arizona manual, how long does it take an average person to perceive a threat and react to it?

    1. About 0.25 seconds
    2. About 4 seconds
    3. About 1.5 seconds
    4. About 10 seconds
    Show answer

    About 1.5 seconds. It takes an average of 1.5 seconds for a person to perceive a threat in the roadway and react to that threat. That covers seeing the hazard, recognizing it and moving your foot to the brake, before any braking distance is added. At 60 mph a car travels roughly 130 feet in that time, which is why following distance and scanning far ahead matter so much.

15. 15. What is the minimum age for an Arizona graduated driver license?

    1. 15 years and 6 months
    2. 17 years
    3. 18 years
    4. 16 years
    Show answer

    16 years. A Class G graduated license begins at age 16, provided the applicant meets the other requirements. The 15 years and 6 months choice is the threshold for an instruction permit, not the license itself. Seventeen is not the minimum, and 18 is the upper edge of the manual's stated graduated-license age range rather than the starting point. Remember the sequence as permit first, supervised experience next, and Class G eligibility at 16. The manual also says an applicant for a graduated license must have held an Arizona instruction permit for at least six months.

16. 16. What does a yellow, diamond-shaped traffic sign warn a driver about?

    
    1. A possible danger ahead
    2. The exact location of a railroad crossing
    3. The end of every passing restriction
    4. A mandatory stop at every intersection
    Show answer

    A possible danger ahead. Yellow diamond-shaped signs are advance warnings of a possible danger ahead. A merge symbol can therefore tell a driver to expect changing traffic movement, but the sign itself is a warning rather than a command to stop everywhere. Railroad crossings have their own signs, and a yellow diamond does not announce that passing restrictions have ended. Reduce speed when needed, scan the lanes and shoulders, and prepare for the hazard before reaching it. The diamond shape and yellow color are the useful visual cues when the symbol is first seen at a distance.

17. 17. What shape are most signs used in highway and street work areas?

    1. Circle
    2. Octagon
    3. Diamond
    4. Pentagon
    Show answer

    Diamond. Arizona describes most construction and maintenance signs as diamond-shaped. This shape gives advance notice of a work area, where lanes, pavement, or traffic movement may change. An octagon is reserved for stop signs, while a circle warns that a railroad crossing is approaching. The pentagon identifies a school crossing and is unrelated to roadway repairs. When a diamond appears near workers or equipment, scan for changing conditions, reduce speed, and follow the temporary directions instead of assuming the normal lane will continue unchanged.

18. 18. If the broken yellow line is on your side beside a solid yellow line, when may you pass?

    
    1. Never, under any roadway condition
    2. When the roadway ahead is clear
    3. Only by driving on the shoulder
    4. Only while traveling over the speed limit
    Show answer

    When the roadway ahead is clear. A broken yellow line on the driver's side indicates that passing may occur when the roadway ahead is clear. The solid line on the opposite side applies to traffic traveling in that direction, so the markings are read from each driver's position. Passing is never permission to speed or use the shoulder. Check sight distance, oncoming traffic, and the space needed to return before moving left, and abandon the maneuver if any part of the path is uncertain.

19. 19. How close to a crosswalk at an intersection may an Arizona driver park?

    1. No closer than 5 feet
    2. No closer than 20 feet
    3. No closer than 15 feet
    4. No closer than 50 feet
    Show answer

    No closer than 20 feet. Arizona bans parking on a crosswalk or within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection. Fifteen feet is the hydrant distance and 50 feet is the railroad crossing distance, so those belong to other items. Five feet leaves pedestrians hidden from turning drivers. Parking inside the boundaries of an intersection or in front of a driveway is also prohibited.

20. 20. What is the safest adjustment when strong crosswinds make your vehicle harder to control?

    1. Increase speed to reduce the time in the wind
    2. Release the steering wheel so the vehicle can center itself
    3. Slow down and prepare for steering corrections
    4. Drive close beside a large truck for shelter
    Show answer

    Slow down and prepare for steering corrections. Strong crosswinds reduce vehicle control, especially when a driver moves from a protected area into an open space. Slowing down gives the tires and driver more time to manage a sideways push. Releasing the wheel removes control, and speeding up reduces reaction time. A large truck can create additional air movement rather than dependable shelter. Keep both hands ready, watch the lane edges, and make smooth steering corrections as gusts change.