CA Permit Practice Test 1

All 20 questions in test 1

Every question below comes from the California 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. A 35-year-old California driver is on probation for a prior DUI. At what BAC is it illegal for this driver to drive?

   1. 0.08% or higher, like any adult
   2. 0.01% or higher
   3. 0.10% or higher
   4. 0.04% or higher
   Show answer

   0.01% or higher. A driver on DUI probation is held to a 0.01% BAC limit at any age, so a 35-year-old on probation cannot use the ordinary adult 0.08% limit. The 0.04% level belongs to commercial drivers and passenger for hire drivers, not to probation. The handbook lists no 0.10% threshold for any driver; its limits are 0.08%, 0.04%, and 0.01%. Every DUI conviction stays on the driver record for 10 years, where a later DUI can draw added penalties.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DUI

2. 2. What does a green arrow mean at a traffic signal?

   1. Go in the direction of the arrow for a protected turn.
   2. Proceed straight only after yielding to all traffic.
   3. Turn only after stopping at the limit line.
   4. The protected turn has ended and the light will change.
   Show answer

   Go in the direction of the arrow for a protected turn.. A green arrow means go in the direction the arrow points, and California describes that movement as a protected turn because oncoming vehicles are stopped by a red signal. The protected-turn-ended option describes a yellow arrow, not a green one. Even with the arrow, stay alert for pedestrians or hazards. The cue is arrow color: green grants the indicated protected movement, while yellow warns that the protected time is ending.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and pedestrian signals

3. 3. You are already in the intersection when the signal turns yellow. What should you do?

   1. Stop in the intersection and wait
   2. Back up to the limit line
   3. Turn off your engine
   4. Cautiously complete your turn and watch the next signal
   Show answer

   Cautiously complete your turn and watch the next signal. Once you have lawfully entered on yellow, the intersection is yours to clear: stopping inside blocks cross traffic and leaves you exposed when their light turns green. Finish the turn carefully, scanning for late pedestrians and red-light runners, then note the next signal, which may be a red ball or red arrow. Never back up in an intersection to undo the entry.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and pedestrian signals

4. 4. Will law enforcement file your required DMV collision report for you?

   1. No, you or your representative must file it
   2. Yes, whenever an officer responds
   3. Yes, if you were not at fault
   4. Yes, when the collision happens on public property
   Show answer

   No, you or your representative must file it. A police response does not replace your responsibility to submit the required collision report to DMV. You or your representative must handle that filing. Assuming an officer will take care of it can leave the report missing and lead to suspension of your driving privilege. After a reportable crash, treat the police investigation and your DMV paperwork as separate tasks, even if an officer collected everyone’s information at the scene.

   Study this in the handbook: Insurance, collisions and paperwork deadlines

5. 5. What does a five-sided school sign require you to expect?

   
   1. A park entrance where vehicles may stop in the travel lane
   2. A playground where only bicycles must yield
   3. A hospital driveway with emergency vehicles entering traffic
   4. A school area, with children who may be in or near the crosswalk
   Show answer

   A school area, with children who may be in or near the crosswalk. A five-sided sign points to a school area, so slow before reaching it and watch the crosswalks and curb. The park entrance choice misses the school-specific warning and would leave you looking for parked cars instead of children. The practical cue is the pentagon shape with walking figures, which should make you cover the brake, obey crossing guards, and stop if children enter or wait at the crossing.

   Study this in the handbook: Road sign shapes, colors and meanings

6. 6. What must each driver file with DMV after a reportable collision?

   1. A thank-you note to the other driver
   2. A Report of Traffic Accident (SR 1) filed with DMV
   3. A letter to the governor
   4. Nothing if damage looks minor
   Show answer

   A Report of Traffic Accident (SR 1) filed with DMV. The SR 1 form creates the official DMV record of qualifying crashes, separate from police reports and insurance claims. Every involved driver must file it after a reportable collision, and the handbook gives the online filing address. Failing to file can suspend the driving privilege even when the crash itself drew no citation. Missing the filing deadline can suspend your privilege even without any citation.

   Study this in the handbook: Insurance, collisions and paperwork deadlines

7. 7. A lane-ends warning sign means which action is needed?

   
   1. Stay beside another vehicle until the lane disappears
   2. Use the ending lane as a passing lane through the merge
   3. Stop at the sign and wait for a driver to wave you over
   4. Merge into the continuing lane when a safe gap is available
   Show answer

   Merge into the continuing lane when a safe gap is available. A lane-ends sign means the lane you are using will run out, so signal, check beside you, and merge into a lane that continues. Using the ending lane to pass turns the warning into a last-second squeeze and increases conflict at the taper. The visual cue is the narrowing lane line on yellow; respond early enough that your speed and position do not surprise traffic already in the through lane.

   Study this in the handbook: Lane markings and special lanes

8. 8. Your vehicle stalls on train tracks and a train is approaching. Which direction should you run?

   1. Straight down the tracks away from the train
   2. Toward the nearest crossing gate
   3. Diagonally away from the tracks toward the direction the train is coming from
   4. Behind your vehicle so it shields you from debris
   Show answer

   Diagonally away from the tracks toward the direction the train is coming from. Leave the vehicle immediately and run diagonally away from the tracks in the direction the train is coming from. That path helps avoid debris pushed forward from the collision area. Running straight down the tracks keeps you in the danger path, and standing behind the vehicle is also unsafe. The cue is an approaching train with warning lights: get out first, move diagonally away, then call 911.

   Study this in the handbook: School buses and railroad crossings

9. 9. After driving through deep water, your brakes feel weak. How does the handbook say to dry them?

   1. Pump the brake pedal hard repeatedly
   2. Keep driving normally until they recover on their own
   3. Lightly press the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time until the brakes dry
   4. Shift into neutral and coast until they grip again
   Show answer

   Lightly press the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time until the brakes dry. Water on the brake drums or pads lowers friction, so the pedal can feel soft and stopping distances grow. The handbook's fix is to dry the brakes while rolling: press the accelerator and the brake pedal lightly together, just until braking feels normal again. Pumping hard is the response to a sinking pedal from a hydraulic problem, not wet brakes, and coasting in neutral gives up engine braking without drying anything. Test the brakes gently afterward and keep extra following distance until full stopping power returns.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed limits and the Basic Speed Law

10. 10. A car is left standing on a California freeway. After how long may it be removed?

    1. After one hour
    2. After more than four hours
    3. After 24 hours
    4. After 72 hours
    Show answer

    After more than four hours. A vehicle stopped, parked, or left standing on a freeway for more than four hours may be removed. One hour is too short. The 24 and 72 hour figures are not the freeway rule in the handbook. If you must stop on a freeway, park completely off the pavement and stay in the vehicle with the doors locked until help arrives. Stopping on a freeway is allowed only in an emergency, when an officer requires it, or where a stop is specifically permitted.

    Study this in the handbook: Parallel parking, hills and colored curbs

11. 11. You are towing a trailer on a California highway. Which lane must you use?

    1. Any lane, since trailers follow the car
    2. The far-left lane to stay clear of merging traffic
    3. The far-right lane or a lane marked for slower vehicles
    4. The center lanes to avoid all merging traffic
    Show answer

    The far-right lane or a lane marked for slower vehicles. Towing combinations accelerate, climb hills, and stop far more slowly than solo cars, so the handbook keeps them with other slow traffic on the right where faster vehicles can pass safely. The same lane rule covers trucks with three or more axles. On unmarked roads with four or more lanes in your direction, these heavier vehicles may use only the two lanes nearest the right edge of the road.

    Study this in the handbook: Trucks, emergency vehicles, bicycles and work zones

12. 12. A driver uses their car to run from officers who are performing their duties. How does California classify that?

    1. A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail
    2. An infraction carrying a fine only
    3. A civil penalty assessed by DMV
    4. No offense unless a collision results
    Show answer

    A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail. Using a motor vehicle to flee or to try to evade law enforcement on duty is a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a year or less. It is a criminal matter, not a fine or an administrative penalty handled by DMV, and no collision is needed for the offense to be complete. The exposure grows sharply if the pursuit hurts someone: up to seven years in state prison for serious bodily injury. If an officer signals you to stop, turn on your right turn signal, move to the right shoulder, and stop.

    Study this in the handbook: Tickets, points and suspensions

13. 13. What does a flashing yellow traffic signal light mean?

    1. Turn only if a police officer gives a hand signal
    2. Stop and remain stopped until a green light appears
    3. Treat the intersection as closed in all directions
    4. Slow down, stay alert, and proceed with caution
    Show answer

    Slow down, stay alert, and proceed with caution. A flashing yellow signal is a caution warning. California says to slow down, remain alert, and continue carefully without making a required full stop. The remain stopped choice describes a red arrow or other stop condition, not a flashing yellow light. The cue is the yellow light blinking rather than steady, which should make you scan cross traffic, pedestrians, and turning vehicles while keeping enough speed control to stop if conditions change.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and pedestrian signals

14. 14. What is the first listed action if your vehicle starts to skid?

    1. Brake hard until the wheels lock
    2. Slowly remove your foot from the accelerator
    3. Turn sharply away from the skid
    4. Shift immediately into park
    Show answer

    Slowly remove your foot from the accelerator. When a skid starts on a slippery surface, California's first listed step is to slowly remove your foot from the accelerator. The next steps are not to use the brakes, to turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skid, and to try to get a wheel on dry pavement. Braking hard and turning sharply away from the skid go against those steps, and shifting into park is not on the list. To prevent skids, slow down before intersections and curves and avoid fast turns and quick stops.

    Study this in the handbook: Scanning, following distance and skids

15. 15. An officer suspects a driver under 21 has consumed alcohol. What testing may the officer require?

    1. A handheld breath test, PAS, or another chemical test
    2. Only a written questionnaire
    3. No testing until the driver turns 21
    4. Only a vision screening
    Show answer

    A handheld breath test, PAS, or another chemical test. For drivers under 21, suspected alcohol consumption can lead to a required handheld breath test, preliminary alcohol screening, or another chemical test. The driver does not need to reach adulthood before this testing rule applies. A questionnaire or vision screening is not the alcohol testing described. The important condition is the officer’s suspicion of consumption, rather than waiting for a preliminary result before any test can be required.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DUI

16. 16. Another driver waves you forward. What should you remember about right-of-way?

    1. You may go only if the maneuver is still safe after your own checks
    2. A hand wave transfers all legal responsibility to that driver
    3. You must always refuse because right-of-way cannot be yielded
    4. The nearest vehicle automatically loses priority
    Show answer

    You may go only if the maneuver is still safe after your own checks. Never assume another driver will give you the right-of-way or that a wave makes the movement safe. The transfer-all-responsibility choice is wrong because you still must check for pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles that the waving driver may not see. The cue is any invitation from another road user; treat it as courtesy only, then make your own left, right, and ahead scan before moving.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way: who goes first

17. 17. Your light turns green, but cars are still blocking the intersection. What should you do?

    1. Enter slowly because green gives you priority.
    2. Wait until there is enough space to get completely across.
    3. Move into the crosswalk and stop there.
    4. Sound your horn and proceed around the cars.
    Show answer

    Wait until there is enough space to get completely across.. A green light does not allow you to block an intersection. California says not to enter unless you can get completely across before the signal turns red and without creating danger. The priority option overstates what green means; you must still account for vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians already in the intersection. The cue is blocked space beyond the crosswalk. If your vehicle cannot clear the intersection, stay behind the line and wait.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and pedestrian signals

18. 18. If you cannot see a truck's side mirrors, what should you assume?

    1. You are safely outside every blind spot
    2. The truck is about to stop
    3. The truck driver cannot see you
    4. The truck must change lanes first
    Show answer

    The truck driver cannot see you. Large trucks have No Zones where a smaller vehicle can disappear from the driver's view. If you cannot see the truck's side mirrors, assume the truck driver cannot see you either. The about-to-stop choice invents a signal the mirror rule does not provide. The cue is mirror visibility: stay out of those blind areas, avoid lingering alongside, and pass on the left when you can do so safely.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way: who goes first

19. 19. What pedal reflectors must a bicycle have for night riding?

    1. No pedal reflectors are needed
    2. Only the left pedal needs one
    3. White or yellow reflectors on pedals, shoes, or ankles, visible from 200 feet
    4. Any color reflector works
    Show answer

    White or yellow reflectors on pedals, shoes, or ankles, visible from 200 feet. Pedaling feet move up and down in drivers' headlights, and reflectors on that motion catch the eye from 200 feet away. Shoes or ankle bands with reflective material satisfy the rule as well as pedal reflectors. Colors are restricted to white or yellow so the signal stays consistent for drivers. Reflective shoes or ankle bands satisfy the rule as well as pedal reflectors.

20. 20. How do a turning vehicle’s rear wheels track compared with its front wheels?

    1. They move straight regardless of steering
    2. They follow a wider path
    3. They follow the same path as the front wheels
    4. They follow a shorter path
    Show answer

    They follow a shorter path. The rear wheels trace a shorter path than the front wheels during a turn. The difference grows with vehicle length, which helps explain why a long vehicle may need more turning space. Do not assume that clearing an obstacle with the front corner means the rear wheels will clear it too. Watch the inside of the turn and allow room for the rear of the vehicle to follow.

    Study this in the handbook: Trucks, emergency vehicles, bicycles and work zones