CA Permit Practice Test 10

All 20 questions in test 10

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 California lane is signed for public transit buses only. When may a car cross it?

   1. Never, for any reason
   2. To make a right turn
   3. Whenever no bus is in sight
   4. To pass slow traffic
   Show answer

   To make a right turn. It is illegal to drive, stop, park or leave a vehicle in an area designated for public transit buses, and signs are posted to show which lanes are bus only. The one exception the handbook gives is that you may cross a bus lane to make a right turn. An empty lane is still a bus lane, and it is never a passing lane. Check for buses before crossing, then complete the turn without traveling along the lane.

2. 2. When driving near bicycles, what does a shared roadway bicycle marking tell drivers?

   1. Bicyclists can occupy the lane
   2. Bicycles must leave the roadway at the next corner
   3. Drivers may pass bicycles in the same lane without changing position
   4. The lane is reserved only for public transit and bicycles
   Show answer

   Bicyclists can occupy the lane. A shared roadway bicycle marking warns that a bicyclist may use the travel lane and helps position the rider away from hazards. The same lane passing choice is risky because California tells drivers to leave space and, when needed, change lanes to pass safely. On the road, treat the marking as a cue to scan farther ahead, expect a bicycle near the middle of the lane, and wait until there is enough room before passing.

3. 3. What can happen if an unlicensed person is caught driving your vehicle in California?

   1. The vehicle may be impounded for 30 days
   2. The vehicle must be sold at auction immediately
   3. Only the driver receives a warning letter
   4. DMV must cancel the owner's registration for one year
   Show answer

   The vehicle may be impounded for 30 days. California warns that a vehicle may be impounded for 30 days when an unlicensed person is caught driving it. The warning letter choice understates the consequence because the handbook names an immediate vehicle penalty, not only a notice to the driver. Before lending a car, the practical cue is to verify that the person has a valid license for that vehicle type and is allowed to drive at that time.

4. 4. After becoming a California resident or getting a job in California, how long do you have to register an out-of-state vehicle?

   1. 20 days
   2. 5 days
   3. 30 days
   4. Until the out-of-state registration expires
   Show answer

   20 days. The handbook gives a 20 day deadline to register a vehicle after you become a California resident or get a job in the state. The five day choice applies to notifying DMV after selling a vehicle, so it is the wrong paperwork event. A concrete cue is the moment residency or California employment starts, since that date begins the registration clock for the out-of-state vehicle.

5. 5. On a two-lane road where passing is unsafe, when must a slow driver use a turnout area or lane?

   1. When five or more vehicles are following
   2. Only after ten vehicles are following for one mile
   3. Whenever any single vehicle catches up
   4. Only if a posted sign orders the driver to turn out
   Show answer

   When five or more vehicles are following. California requires a slow driver to use a turnout area or lane on a two-lane road when passing is unsafe and five or more vehicles are following. The one vehicle choice goes too far because the handbook sets a specific five vehicle threshold. The cue is a line of traffic building behind you on a road where drivers cannot pass, especially in hills or curves where a marked turnout appears.

6. 6. What is the maximum fine listed for dumping or abandoning an animal on a California highway?

   1. Up to $1,000
   2. Up to $250
   3. Exactly $100 with no jail exposure
   4. Only payment for animal shelter costs
   Show answer

   Up to $1,000. The handbook says dumping or abandoning animals on a highway can bring a fine up to $1,000, six months in jail, or both. The shelter costs choice misses that California treats the conduct as a crime with stated penalties. The cue is any attempt to leave an animal beside or on a highway instead of transferring it safely to a person, shelter, or other lawful care.

7. 7. Before turning across light rail tracks, what should you do?

   1. Check for approaching light rail vehicles and turn only when the signal allows it
   2. Turn as soon as your vehicle has a green light, without checking the tracks
   3. Stop on the tracks until the train operator waves you through
   4. Drive beside the train and turn ahead of it if you are faster
   Show answer

   Check for approaching light rail vehicles and turn only when the signal allows it. California tells drivers to look for light rail vehicles before turning across tracks and to finish the turn only when the traffic light permits it. The green light without checking choice is unsafe because light rail can interrupt signals and may be approaching through a blind spot. A useful cue is seeing rails embedded in the street near an intersection, which should trigger an extra track scan before you steer across.

8. 8. At night, red road reflectors shining in your headlights usually warn that you are:

   1. Driving the wrong way
   2. Approaching a carpool lane entrance
   3. Near a railroad crossing
   4. Entering a construction detour
   Show answer

   Driving the wrong way. Red reflectors shining back at night are California's warning that you have entered a roadway against traffic. The railroad crossing choice confuses reflector color with sign shape, since crossings are warned by circular or X-shaped signs and active lights. The cue is seeing red reflected from pavement markers in your headlights where you expected lane guidance, which should make you stop safely and correct direction without continuing forward.

9. 9. If you cannot see farther than 100 feet in heavy rain or snow, what speed does California identify as unsafe to exceed?

   1. 30 mph
   2. 45 mph
   3. 55 mph
   4. The posted limit if traffic is light
   Show answer

   30 mph. When heavy rain or snow limits visibility to 100 feet, California says it is unsafe to drive faster than 30 mph. The posted limit choice ignores that visibility can require a much lower speed than the sign allows. A concrete cue is losing sight of details beyond a short city lot ahead, at which point low beams, wipers, defroster, and a slower pace are needed.

10. 10. A person convicted of assaulting a California highway worker faces a fine of up to what amount?

    1. $2,000
    2. $500
    3. $1,000
    4. $10,000
    Show answer

    $2,000. The work zone penalty listed for assaulting a highway worker is a fine up to $2,000, with possible imprisonment up to one year. The $1,000 choice is tempting because traffic violations in work zones can reach $1,000 or more, but assault has its own higher figure in the handbook. The cue is the conduct: assault against a worker, not ordinary speeding or a lane violation in a construction area.

11. 11. Before entering a bike lane to make a right turn, what should a driver check?

    1. Blind spots for bicyclists
    2. Whether the nearest parked car has expired tags
    3. Only the rearview mirror after starting the turn
    4. The left shoulder, because bicycles may not be on the right
    Show answer

    Blind spots for bicyclists. California allows a driver to enter a bike lane near a turn, but the driver must check for bicyclists in blind spots before doing so. The rearview mirror only choice is incomplete because a bicycle can be alongside the vehicle where mirrors miss it. The cue is the last 200 feet before a right turn, when the bike lane line changes or the curb lane opens and a shoulder check becomes essential.

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

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

13. 13. A flashing raised hand appears while you are waiting at a crosswalk. What should you do?

    1. Do not start crossing
    2. Begin crossing if the countdown shows enough seconds
    3. Cross diagonally only
    4. Step into the street and wait on the centerline
    Show answer

    Do not start crossing. A flashing raised hand means pedestrians should not start across because the traffic signal is about to change. The countdown choice is wrong for someone still waiting, since the number tells how much crossing time remains for people already using the crosswalk. The cue is the hand symbol flashing before you leave the curb: stay out of the roadway and wait for the next walk indication.

14. 14. At a pedestrian signal, what does a steady raised hand mean?

    1. You may not cross the street
    2. You may cross after checking for turning vehicles
    3. You should hurry because the light will change soon
    4. You may cross only in a marked crosswalk
    Show answer

    You may not cross the street. A steady raised hand is the pedestrian signal telling you not to cross the street. The hurry choice belongs more closely to a flashing hand for pedestrians already in the roadway, but a steady hand means do not begin. A practical cue is the solid hand icon at the far side of the intersection; wait at the curb until the walk or walking person signal appears.

15. 15. When entering traffic from a full stop, what should you do before moving into the lane?

    1. Signal and leave enough space to reach traffic speed
    2. Enter slowly so approaching traffic has to brake
    3. Wait only for a gap equal to one car length
    4. Use hazard lights instead of a turn signal
    Show answer

    Signal and leave enough space to reach traffic speed. From a stopped position, California says to signal and leave enough room to accelerate to traffic speed before joining the lane. The one car length choice is too short because the handbook gives larger space examples, such as half a block on city streets. The cue is starting from a driveway, curb, or stopped position where traffic is already moving and needs predictable notice.

16. 16. If another vehicle merges too closely in front of you, what should you do?

    1. Ease off the accelerator to create space
    2. Tap the bumper to warn the other driver
    3. Move onto the shoulder and pass immediately
    4. Flash high beams until the driver speeds up
    Show answer

    Ease off the accelerator to create space. When a vehicle cuts into your following space, California recommends taking your foot off the accelerator to rebuild the gap ahead. Flashing high beams or passing on the shoulder adds conflict and does not create a safe cushion. The cue is a car merging so close that your three second distance disappears; respond by smoothly reducing speed rather than braking sharply or challenging the other driver.

17. 17. How long do DUI convictions remain on a California driver record?

    1. 10 years
    2. 18 months
    3. 3 years
    4. Only until all fines are paid
    Show answer

    10 years. California keeps every DUI conviction on a driver record for 10 years. The three year choice may sound familiar because some traffic convictions and collisions remain for 36 months or longer, but DUI has a specific 10 year record period. The cue is any conviction for driving under the influence, since later DUI penalties can depend on whether another DUI occurred within that decade.

18. 18. In high winds, why should you reduce your speed?

    1. It gives you better control and more time to react to gusts
    2. It lets cruise control steer more accurately
    3. It prevents all debris from reaching your lane
    4. It allows you to drive with parking lights only
    Show answer

    It gives you better control and more time to react to gusts. California advises reducing speed in high winds because slower travel improves control and gives more reaction time if a gust hits. The cruise control choice conflicts with the same section, which tells drivers not to use cruise control in those conditions. The cue is an open bridge, gap between buildings, truck corridor, or blowing debris where a sudden side push could move the vehicle off line.

19. 19. How far before a turn should you start signaling?

    1. About 100 feet before the turn
    2. At least five seconds before every city turn
    3. Only after entering the intersection
    4. About 400 feet before all right turns
    Show answer

    About 100 feet before the turn. For turns, California tells drivers to begin signaling about 100 feet before the turn. The five second choice is a freeway lane change rule, not the standard turn distance. A cue is approaching the block where you plan to turn: activate the signal early enough for pedestrians, bicyclists, and following drivers to understand your path before you slow or enter the turn lane.

20. 20. What should you avoid doing when strong fog makes driving unsafe?

    1. Continuing with only parking or fog lights
    2. Using low-beam headlights
    3. Increasing your following distance
    4. Listening for traffic you cannot see
    Show answer

    Continuing with only parking or fog lights. In heavy fog or smoke, California says to use low beams and never drive using only parking or fog lights. Increasing following distance and listening for unseen traffic are both recommended, so they are not the unsafe action. The cue is fog reflecting light back toward you; low beams reduce glare, while parking lights alone do not give enough forward visibility or make your vehicle clear to others.