CA Permit Practice Test 18

All 20 questions in test 18

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. What does this DO NOT ENTER sign tell you?

   
   1. The road may be entered after stopping
   2. Only trucks are barred from the ramp
   3. Do not enter the road or ramp where it is posted
   4. The lane is closed only during rush hour
   Show answer

   Do not enter the road or ramp where it is posted. A DO NOT ENTER sign is a regulatory sign that bars entry to the road or ramp where it stands. Stopping first does not make entry legal. The trucks-only choice adds a limitation the sign does not contain. A cue is the red-and-white sign facing you at a ramp or roadway entrance. Treat it as a hard prohibition and choose another legal route before reaching opposing traffic.

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

2. 2. May you drive with an unsecured load?

   1. Never drive with an unsecured load that is a safety hazard
   2. Unsecured loads are fine on short trips
   3. Only tie down loads on freeways
   4. Ropes are optional for heavy items
   Show answer

   Never drive with an unsecured load that is a safety hazard. Flying mattresses, ladders, and furniture kill motorists every year when tie-downs fail or were never used. The handbook bans driving with any unsecured load amounting to a hazard, whatever the road or distance. Net, rope, or strap every item, tug-test the work, and recheck after the first miles. Recheck every tie-down after the first few miles of any loaded trip.

   Study this in the handbook: School buses and railroad crossings

3. 3. You cannot see 200 feet in each direction. May you U-turn?

   1. Never make a U-turn there
   2. U-turns are always allowed
   3. Only motorcycles may U-turn
   4. Honk first, then U-turn
   Show answer

   Never make a U-turn there. The 200-foot sight rule guarantees approaching drivers time to see and react to a slow-turning car blocking lanes. Hills, curves, and parked cars that cut sight lines below that distance make the maneuver illegal on the spot. Find an intersection or driveway with full visibility instead of gambling blind. Hills and parked cars that cut visibility make the maneuver illegal immediately.

   Study this in the handbook: Turns, U-turns, merging and passing

4. 4. What does California's blood alcohol chart say about the values it lists?

   1. Every driver will have exactly the level shown
   2. About half of the people charted will exceed them
   3. Fewer than 5 persons out of 100 will exceed them
   4. They apply only to drivers under age 21
   Show answer

   Fewer than 5 persons out of 100 will exceed them. California's chart estimates blood alcohol concentration from body weight and the number of drinks. The handbook notes that fewer than 5 persons out of 100 will exceed these values, which means the chart is a guide and not an exact measurement. It also tells readers to subtract 0.01 percent for each 40 minutes between drinks and defines one drink as 1.5 ounces of 80 proof liquor, 12 ounces of 5 percent beer, or 5 ounces of 12 percent wine. Because individuals differ, the only sure way to stay legal is not to drink and drive.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DUI

5. 5. How many practice driving hours must a California minor complete before the drive test, and how many at night?

   1. At least 50 hours, with 10 at night
   2. At least 40 hours, with none required at night
   3. At least 100 hours, with 20 at night
   4. At least 30 hours, with 5 at night
   Show answer

   At least 50 hours, with 10 at night. Applicants under 18 must practice driving for at least 50 hours with a California-licensed driver who is at least 25 years old, and ten of those hours must be at night. The practice comes on top of driver education and driver training and the six month permit holding period. Forty, 100, and 30 hour totals do not appear in the California handbook, and none of them carries the right night count. The Parent Teen Driving Contract and full requirements are on the DMV teen driver page.

   Study this in the handbook: Instruction permit and provisional license rules

6. 6. May you leave the paved or main-traveled part of a road to pass a slower vehicle?

   1. Yes, if you return within 100 feet
   2. Yes, if the shoulder is clear
   3. Yes, if the slower vehicle is a truck
   4. No, remain on the paved or main-traveled roadway
   Show answer

   No, remain on the paved or main-traveled roadway. Passing does not justify leaving the paved or main-traveled roadway. A clear-looking shoulder may contain debris, soft ground, or space needed by stopped vehicles. The kind of vehicle ahead does not change the rule, and there is no short-distance exception in this instruction. If the available road does not offer a lawful passing path, stay behind the slower vehicle until a suitable opportunity appears.

   Study this in the handbook: Turns, U-turns, merging and passing

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

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

   Study this in the handbook: Turns, U-turns, merging and passing

8. 8. You found a parallel parking space. What should you do first?

   1. Stop in the lane without signaling
   2. Honk to claim the space
   3. Turn on your signal to show you plan on parking
   4. Flash your high beams
   Show answer

   Turn on your signal to show you plan on parking. The signal converts your slowdown from a mystery into a clear message, telling followers you are parking rather than turning or stalling. After signaling, pull alongside the car ahead of the space, verify the gap, check over your shoulder, and back in at 45 degrees. Unsignaled stops invite rear-end crashes from drivers who cannot read your intent. Pull alongside the car ahead of the space before starting to back in.

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

9. 9. Your vehicle stalls on railroad tracks. No train is coming and the warning lights are not flashing. After exiting, what should you do?

   1. Stay inside with your seatbelt fastened
   2. Try to restart the engine until it moves
   3. Push the vehicle off the tracks alone
   4. Exit, then dial the number on the crossing posts or control box
   Show answer

   Exit, then dial the number on the crossing posts or control box. With no train coming and no lights flashing, there is time to call the railroad's emergency number posted at the crossing so trains can be stopped. Staying belted inside a vehicle on live tracks gambles everything on restarting in time. If a train does appear, the rule changes: abandon the vehicle and run diagonally away from the tracks in the direction the train is coming from.

   Study this in the handbook: School buses and railroad crossings

10. 10. What do large broken lines usually mean on a freeway or street lane?

    1. Traffic in the lane must stop immediately
    2. The lane is only for bicycles
    3. Drivers may ignore all merge signs
    4. The lane is ending or becoming an exit lane
    Show answer

    The lane is ending or becoming an exit lane. Large broken lines tell drivers that a freeway or street lane is usually ending or marked for an exit. The bicycle lane choice confuses this marking with a bike lane, which is typically marked by a solid white line and signs. The cue is seeing noticeably longer broken lane lines ahead; begin checking signs, mirrors, and gaps so you can exit or merge without a last second movement.

    Study this in the handbook: Lane markings and special lanes

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

    1. Bicycles must leave the roadway at the next corner
    2. Bicyclists can occupy the lane
    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.

    Study this in the handbook: Lane markings and special lanes

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

    1. Only the driver receives a warning letter
    2. The vehicle must be sold at auction immediately
    3. The vehicle may be impounded for 30 days
    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.

    Study this in the handbook: Tickets, points and suspensions

13. 13. When may you pass another vehicle on the right?

    1. Whenever the shoulder is wide enough for your vehicle
    2. When an open highway has two or more lanes in your direction
    3. Only when the road is wet and left passing is risky
    4. Never, because California allows passing only on the left
    Show answer

    When an open highway has two or more lanes in your direction. Passing on the right is allowed on an open highway with two or more lanes going your direction, and in other listed situations, but not by leaving the paved or main-traveled road. The shoulder choice is the dangerous trap because the handbook expressly bars driving off the main roadway to pass. The cue is whether there is a lawful traffic lane to your right, not merely extra pavement.

    Study this in the handbook: Turns, U-turns, merging and passing

14. 14. What can DMV do if you refuse a requested blood or urine test during a DUI investigation?

    1. Require a new knowledge test only
    2. Suspend or revoke your driving privilege for one year
    3. Issue a warning if your BAC is unknown
    4. Delay action until a second refusal
    Show answer

    Suspend or revoke your driving privilege for one year. When an officer has reason to believe you are driving under the influence and requests a blood or urine test, refusing carries a one-year DMV suspension or revocation. The warning choice understates the consequence; the handbook ties refusal itself to the licensing penalty. A concrete cue is the request for a chemical test during a DUI stop, not whether a BAC number has already been measured.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DUI

15. 15. Before opening your driver-side door next to traffic, what should you check for?

    1. Passing vehicles, bicycles, and motorcycles
    2. Only whether the parking brake is set
    3. Whether the curb is painted green
    4. Only vehicles coming from the front
    Show answer

    Passing vehicles, bicycles, and motorcycles. Before exiting a parked vehicle, look carefully for traffic that could strike the door, including bicycles and motorcycles. Checking only the parking brake does not protect someone riding beside the parked cars. A cue is any door opening toward a travel lane or bike lane: use mirrors and a shoulder glance, wait for a safe gap, then open the door only as much as needed.

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

16. 16. What is the striped crosshatched area next to a disabled parking space for?

    1. It must be kept clear; parking there is prohibited
    2. It is extra parking for compact cars
    3. Motorcycles may park there
    4. It marks a loading zone
    Show answer

    It must be kept clear; parking there is prohibited. The diagonal-striped access aisle gives wheelchair users and lift-equipped vans the side room to deploy ramps and transfer safely. Parking in it, even partially or on a motorcycle, seals off the adjacent accessible stall and strands someone who cannot simply squeeze through. It is never overflow parking for small vehicles and never a loading zone. Keep the entire striped area empty, leave the accessible stall itself for placard holders, and report violators rather than squeezing your own vehicle into leftover striped inches.

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

17. 17. At a T intersection from a one-way street onto a two-way street, what turns may be made from the center lane?

    1. Only a U-turn
    2. Either right or left
    3. Only right
    4. No turn in either direction
    Show answer

    Either right or left. The handbook’s T-intersection example shows a one-way street meeting a two-way street, with either a right or left turn available from the center lane. This is a specific layout, not a general permission to turn from a center lane anywhere. Identify the one-way approach and follow any actual lane signs or arrows. Traffic continuing along the through road retains priority as you prepare the permitted turn.

    Study this in the handbook: Turns, U-turns, merging and passing

18. 18. If a tire blows out, what should you do with the accelerator?

    1. Press it hard to keep the vehicle straight
    2. Abruptly remove your foot from it
    3. Gradually release it while keeping control
    4. Alternate quickly between accelerator and brake
    Show answer

    Gradually release it while keeping control. During a tire blowout, hold the wheel, keep control, and gradually release the accelerator after the vehicle stabilizes enough to slow safely. Abruptly lifting off is a trap because the handbook warns that sudden braking or sudden accelerator release can cause loss of control. The cue is a bang, pull, or vibration from a tire; resist panic inputs and steer where you want the vehicle to go.

    Study this in the handbook: Blowouts, breakdowns and brake failure

19. 19. How should you use signals when pulling to the curb to back up?

    1. Leave it blinking after parking
    2. Never signal when backing
    3. Signal before pulling to the curb, then cancel when done
    4. Signal only once parked
    Show answer

    Signal before pulling to the curb, then cancel when done. The signal tells followers your slowdown means parking rather than turning or stalling, and canceling afterward keeps the next driver from misreading a stale blinker. This on-then-off discipline applies to every maneuver: signal intent before moving, complete the move, then cancel. Modern self-canceling stalks help, but shallow turns often leave them on. Stale blinkers after shallow turns fool drivers into expecting another move.

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

20. 20. A pedestrian at the curb makes eye contact with you. What should you understand?

    1. They have given up the right to cross
    2. They have promised to wait for you
    3. They are asking you to honk
    4. They are ready to cross, so yield
    Show answer

    They are ready to cross, so yield. The handbook treats eye contact from a pedestrian as a cue that the person is ready to cross. Yield instead of interpreting the look as permission to keep going. A person may be checking that you have noticed them before stepping out. Respond with a controlled approach that leaves the crossing available, rather than using the horn or assuming the pedestrian has agreed to wait.

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