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. From which California roads are neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) and low-speed vehicles restricted?

   1. Roads where the speed limit is greater than 35 mph
   2. Any road with more than two lanes
   3. All roads outside a residential area
   4. Roads where the speed limit is greater than 25 mph
   Show answer

   Roads where the speed limit is greater than 35 mph. Neighborhood electric vehicles and low-speed vehicles reach a maximum speed of only 25 mph, so the handbook restricts them from roads where the speed limit is greater than 35 mph. The 25 mph choice confuses the vehicle's top speed with the road limit that bars it. Lane count and residential zoning are not the test. When you see NEV USE ONLY or NEV ROUTE signs, expect these slow vehicles nearby, adjust your speed, and leave room, because the gap between their pace and normal traffic is what makes them a hazard.

2. 2. A driver over 21 may be charged with DUI for driving with which BAC?

   1. 0.08% or higher
   2. 0.04% or higher only when not towing
   3. 0.10% or higher after midnight
   4. Any reading only if a crash occurs
   Show answer

   0.08% or higher. For a noncommercial driver over 21, California sets the illegal BAC threshold at 0.08% or higher. The 0.04% figure belongs to commercial driver license vehicles and passenger for hire driving, so using it for every over-21 driver changes who the rule covers. A useful cue is the ordinary adult limit: eight hundredths is the number tied to drivers over 21, while lower numbers apply to probation, underage, or commercial situations.

3. 3. How often may a California driver use traffic violator school to keep a one-point citation from being reported to the insurance company?

   1. Once every 6 months
   2. Once in any 18-month period
   3. Once per year
   4. Once in a lifetime
   Show answer

   Once in any 18-month period. When you are given a one-point traffic violation, the judge may offer the choice to attend a traffic violator school so the citation is not reported to your insurance company, although it stays on your driver record. You can do this once in any 18-month period. The school reports completion to the court and you receive a completion receipt. Six months and one year are shorter than the window, and it is not a one-time option.

4. 4. How far before a turn should you begin signaling on a street?

   1. At least 100 feet before turning
   2. Only after entering the intersection
   3. At least 25 feet before turning
   4. Exactly one block before every turn
   Show answer

   At least 100 feet before turning. California tells drivers to start the turn signal at least 100 feet before the turn. Waiting until the intersection gives drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists too little time to understand your movement. The one-block option can be too early or too vague depending on the street. Use the distance cue: begin signaling early enough that nearby traffic can see your plan before you brake or move toward the curb.

5. 5. What is the minimum legal distance for parking near a fire hydrant?

   1. 15 feet from the hydrant
   2. 3 feet from the hydrant
   3. 20 feet from the hydrant
   4. 30 feet from the hydrant
   Show answer

   15 feet from the hydrant. A vehicle may not be parked within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. The 20-foot distance is a tempting number because California uses it near crosswalks, but hydrants and crosswalks have different spacing rules. When scanning for a place to leave the car, look ahead for hydrants and fire station driveways before you pull in. If the hydrant is close enough that firefighters would lose access, keep moving.

6. 6. What does a red painted curb mean?

   1. No stopping, standing, or parking
   2. Passenger loading for three minutes
   3. Disabled parking with a placard
   4. Limited-time parking during posted hours
   Show answer

   No stopping, standing, or parking. A red curb is the strictest colored curb rule: no stopping, standing, or parking. Passenger loading belongs to a white curb, and disabled parking is marked by blue. The exception is a bus stopping in a red zone marked only for buses. Your cue is the red paint itself. Treat it like a prohibition zone and do not pause there for errands, pickups, or waiting.

7. 7. What is allowed at a white painted curb?

   1. Stopping briefly to pick up or drop off passengers
   2. Parking all day if no sign gives a time limit
   3. Loading freight while the driver leaves
   4. Parking only with a disabled placard
   Show answer

   Stopping briefly to pick up or drop off passengers. A white curb permits only a short stop for passenger pickup or dropoff. It is not an all-day parking area, and freight loading is tied to yellow curb rules. Use the curb color as the cue: white means passenger activity, not leaving the vehicle for a long errand. Finish the boarding or unloading task promptly, then clear the space for the next driver.

8. 8. A school bus on an undivided road is flashing red lights. What must drivers do?

   1. Stop from either direction until the lights stop flashing
   2. Slow to 15 mph and pass with extra room
   3. Stop only if traveling behind the bus
   4. Proceed once children have left your lane
   Show answer

   Stop from either direction until the lights stop flashing. When a school bus flashes red lights on an undivided road, traffic from both directions must stop and remain stopped until the flashing ends and children are safely across. Slowing to 15 mph is not enough; the manual requires a stop. The divided or multilane highway exception applies only when the bus is across a divided highway or a road with at least two lanes in each direction. Watch the top front and rear red lights as your cue.

9. 9. What following distance rule does California recommend to avoid tailgating?

   1. Use a three-second gap behind the vehicle ahead
   2. Stay one car length back at any speed
   3. Keep two seconds only on freeways
   4. Follow closely so others cannot merge
   Show answer

   Use a three-second gap behind the vehicle ahead. California recommends the three-second rule as the basic following distance for normal driving. One car length at any speed is unreliable because stopping distance grows as speed rises. A close following position also blocks your view and removes reaction time if the driver ahead brakes hard. Pick a roadside marker, count after the vehicle ahead passes it, and adjust until at least three seconds separate your vehicles.

10. 10. When rain or snow makes you use windshield wipers, what else must you do?

    1. Turn on low-beam headlights
    2. Switch to high beams
    3. Drive with parking lights only
    4. Turn off all exterior lights
    Show answer

    Turn on low-beam headlights. California requires low-beam headlights when wipers are needed because of fog, rain, or snow. High beams can reflect glare in bad weather, and parking lights alone are illegal for driving. The cue is simple: if the windshield needs wipers to keep visibility, the car needs low beams so others can see it. Do this even in daytime storms or light snow.

11. 11. At an uncontrolled intersection, you and another vehicle arrive at the same time. Who should yield?

    1. Yield to the vehicle on your right
    2. The larger vehicle must always yield
    3. Yield to the vehicle on your left
    4. The vehicle going straight must stop first
    Show answer

    Yield to the vehicle on your right. At an uncontrolled intersection, simultaneous arrivals require you to give way to the vehicle, pedestrian, or bicyclist on your right. The left-side option reverses the California rule. Vehicle size does not decide priority, and going straight does not cancel the right-side rule. Your cue is arrival timing: first to the intersection goes first, but a tie is resolved by yielding to the road user on your right.

12. 12. What is the usual speed limit within 500 feet of a school while children are outside or crossing?

    1. 25 mph in the school zone condition
    2. 35 mph
    3. 15 mph at every school
    4. 45 mph unless a guard is present
    Show answer

    25 mph in the school zone condition. The usual California school-zone limit is 25 mph within 500 feet while children are outside or crossing. Some zones can be posted as low as 15 mph, so 15 mph is not the universal answer unless signs or local conditions require it. The cue is children near the school. Reduce speed, watch for crossing guards and buses, and be ready to stop when children may enter the roadway.

13. 13. Before changing lanes, what check must you make after signaling and checking mirrors?

    1. Look over your shoulder toward the lane you plan to enter
    2. Tap the brakes until nearby drivers slow
    3. Lean across the car and turn your whole body
    4. Speed up first so the blind spot clears itself
    Show answer

    Look over your shoulder toward the lane you plan to enter. Before a lane change, California expects a shoulder check in the direction you intend to move. Mirrors alone can miss vehicles in blind spots, especially motorcycles and bicyclists. Turning your whole body or steering wheel while checking can pull the vehicle out of its lane. The cue is the final glance through the side window: turn only your head, confirm the lane is open, then move smoothly.

14. 14. When can pavement be especially slippery during rain?

    1. When rain first starts after dry, hot weather
    2. Only after a full hour of heavy rain
    3. Only when the temperature is below freezing
    4. After the road has completely dried
    Show answer

    When rain first starts after dry, hot weather. Pavement can be very slippery when rain first begins, especially after a dry, hot spell has left oil and dust on the surface. Waiting for heavy rain to last an hour is the risky choice because the first drizzle may create the slickest coating. The cue is the first sign of rain, drizzle, or snow. Ease off the speed early and add following distance before traction disappears.

15. 15. When a crossing device warns that a train is coming, how far from the nearest track must you stop?

    1. At least 15 feet away
    2. At least 5 feet away
    3. Exactly 100 feet away
    4. Only behind the vehicle ahead
    Show answer

    At least 15 feet away. When warning devices or a person indicate a train is coming, stop at least 15 feet from the nearest track. Stopping five feet away places the vehicle too close to the rail area, and 100 feet is a speed-limit visibility condition, not the stopping distance. The cue is an active warning: flashing red railroad lights, gates, bells, or a flagger mean stop well before the track and wait.

16. 16. How may a minor use a cell phone while driving?

    1. Only to make an emergency assistance call
    2. For hands-free calls during daylight
    3. For texting when traffic is stopped
    4. Any time the phone is mounted
    Show answer

    Only to make an emergency assistance call. A minor may use a cell phone while driving only for emergency assistance. The mounted-phone and single-swipe rules are adult hands-free rules, not permission for minors to talk or text. Stopped traffic is still driving for this restriction. The cue is the driver's age: if the driver is under 18, calls, answering, sending, and responding are off limits unless the call is for an emergency.

17. 17. A child is under 2 years old, under 40 pounds, and under 3 feet 4 inches tall. How must the child ride?

    1. In a rear-facing child passenger restraint system
    2. In a booster seat in the front seat
    3. With only a lap belt in any rear seat
    4. In a forward-facing seat if an adult is beside them
    Show answer

    In a rear-facing child passenger restraint system. For a child under 2 who is also under 40 pounds and under 3 feet 4 inches tall, California requires a rear-facing child passenger restraint system. A booster or regular belt is for older or larger children, so those choices ignore the age, weight, and height combination. The cue is all three measurements together. If the child fits those limits, use rear facing and keep the restraint out of an airbag-equipped front seat.

18. 18. A pedestrian is crossing at an unmarked crosswalk. What must you remember?

    1. Pedestrians have the right-of-way there
    2. Drivers may proceed if no white lines are painted
    3. Only school crosswalks create right-of-way
    4. Pedestrians must yield to turning vehicles
    Show answer

    Pedestrians have the right-of-way there. California treats both marked and unmarked crosswalks as places where pedestrians have the right-of-way. The no-white-lines option is wrong because not all crosswalks are painted. At intersections, the crosswalk may exist even when there are no visible lines. The cue is a person crossing where pedestrians are legally expected, especially at an intersection. Slow, stop if needed, and allow enough time for the person to finish crossing safely.

19. 19. When parking uphill next to a curb, which way should you turn the front wheels?

    1. Away from the curb, then let the vehicle roll back slightly
    2. Toward the curb before setting the brake
    3. Straight ahead with the transmission in neutral
    4. Toward the center only if the curb is red
    Show answer

    Away from the curb, then let the vehicle roll back slightly. Uphill parking with a curb calls for turning the front wheels away from the curb and letting the vehicle roll back a few inches until the wheel rests gently against the curb. Turning toward the curb is the downhill rule. The cue is the hill direction: uphill plus curb means wheels left, then parking brake and park or gear. This positions the curb to stop the vehicle if equipment fails.

20. 20. An ambulance behind you is using a siren and red lights. What should you do?

    1. Drive to the right edge of the road and stop
    2. Stop immediately in your lane
    3. Speed up until you reach the next exit
    4. Move left to clear the shoulder
    Show answer

    Drive to the right edge of the road and stop. Emergency vehicles using a siren and red lights have the right-of-way, so you should move to the right edge and stop until they pass. Stopping in the travel lane can block the ambulance, and moving left may place you in its path. The cue is the combination of siren and red lights. Signal if needed, steer right when safe, and stay stopped until the emergency vehicle has cleared your position.