CA Permit Practice Test 20

All 20 questions in test 20

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 applicant under 18 wants an instruction permit. What is the youngest age at which they can apply?

   1. 15
   2. 15 and a half
   3. 16
   4. 14 and a half
   Show answer

   15 and a half. California lets a minor apply for an instruction permit at 15 and a half, provided they also complete a driver education program and a parent or guardian signs the application. Fifteen is six months too early. Sixteen is the minimum age for the provisional driver license itself, which comes after the permit period, so it is the later milestone rather than the permit age. No California permit is issued at 14 and a half. The permit also cannot be used until behind the wheel training begins with an instructor who validates it.

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

2. 2. From a one-way street onto another one-way street, where should you start a left turn?

   1. From the far-left lane
   2. From the far-right lane
   3. From any open lane without signaling
   4. From the center lane only
   Show answer

   From the far-left lane. A left turn from one one-way street onto another starts from the far-left lane. The far-right lane is used for a right turn, so choosing it would swing across traffic. Your cue is the one-way to one-way setup. Move to the left lane in advance, signal, and check for pedestrians and bicyclists, who can legally use the left turn lane for their own left turns. If there are three or more lanes in your direction of travel, you may end the turn in any lane that is open.

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

3. 3. Can impairment lead to a DUI conviction without a BAC measurement?

   1. No, a conviction needs a chemical test result
   2. Yes, depending on how badly the driver is impaired
   3. Yes, but the driver must admit to drinking
   4. Only after a collision causes an injury
   Show answer

   Yes, depending on how badly the driver is impaired. A measured BAC is not the only way impairment can lead to DUI consequences. The handbook says the degree of impairment can support arrest and conviction even without that measurement. Do not confuse a missing test number with permission to drive after alcohol or drugs affect your abilities. A driver struggling to control a vehicle or respond safely can face consequences without first causing an injury collision.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DUI

4. 4. Can a California school zone have a speed limit lower than 25 mph?

   1. No, 25 mph is always the lowest school zone limit
   2. Yes, but the lowest school zone limit is 20 mph
   3. Yes, some school zones may be posted as low as 15 mph
   4. Yes, but the limit drops when a crossing guard steps out
   Show answer

   Yes, some school zones may be posted as low as 15 mph. The usual California school zone limit is 25 mph within 500 feet of a school while children are outside or crossing. The handbook adds that some school zones may have speed limits as low as 15 mph, so read the posted sign rather than assuming 25 is the floor. There is no 20 mph floor, and the limit does not change just because a crossing guard steps out. Near schools, also watch for bicyclists, pedestrians, safety patrols and stopped school buses.

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

5. 5. You reach a flooded stretch of road and cannot tell how deep the water is. What is the handbook's first advice?

   1. Find another route
   2. Drive through quickly in a low gear
   3. Follow the vehicle ahead closely through the water
   4. Stop in the middle and check the depth on foot
   Show answer

   Find another route. Floodwater hides its depth along with washed-out pavement, debris, and live electrical hazards, so guessing wrong can float or stall a vehicle in seconds. The handbook puts avoidance first: take another route rather than gambling on an unknown crossing. Driving through slowly is only the fallback when no other option exists, and even then it stays risky. Speeding through can hydroplane the car or flood the engine, following another vehicle closely doubles the danger, and wading out on foot exposes you to currents and hidden drop-offs. Turn around whenever a detour exists.

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

6. 6. At a multilane roundabout, which lane may you choose to travel straight through?

   1. The right lane, and exit from the left lane
   2. The left lane, and exit from the right lane
   3. Either lane, exiting in the lane you entered
   4. Enter either lane, then always cut across to the other
   Show answer

   Either lane, exiting in the lane you entered. The handbook’s multilane roundabout example allows either entry lane for going straight, with the vehicle exiting in the same lane it entered. It does not require a last-second move across the other lane. Decide your path before entry and follow the signs and markings at the actual roundabout. Maintaining the intended lane makes your movement more predictable for drivers circulating alongside you.

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

7. 7. A railroad gate rises, but the red warning lights are still flashing. What should you do?

   1. Follow the first car through
   2. Cross as soon as the gate clears your roof
   3. Wait until the red lights stop flashing
   4. Cross if you cannot see a train
   Show answer

   Wait until the red lights stop flashing. Flashing red railroad lights continue to require waiting even after the gate begins to rise. The gate position alone is not permission to cross. A driver ahead may move too soon, so do not use that vehicle as your signal. Keep watching the crossing lights and remain clear of the tracks until they stop flashing and you can make the crossing safely without becoming trapped on the rails.

   Study this in the handbook: School buses and railroad crossings

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

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

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

9. 9. A safety zone is marked in the roadway for people waiting for a streetcar. May you drive through it?

   1. Yes, if the streetcar has already left
   2. Yes, when no pedestrians are standing in it
   3. Yes, at 10 mph or less
   4. No, never, under any condition
   Show answer

   No, never, under any condition. Safety zones are spaces set aside for pedestrians waiting for buses, streetcars, and trolleys, and they are marked by raised buttons or markers on the road. The handbook says not to drive through a safety zone under any condition, so an empty zone or a departed streetcar does not open it to traffic. The 10 mph figure is the limit for passing a bus or streetcar stopped at a safety zone, not permission to enter the zone itself. Treat the raised markers as a curb you cannot cross.

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

10. 10. When may you turn right at a solid red light in California?

    1. After slowing, if the cross street is clear.
    2. Only from a one-way street onto another one-way street.
    3. After stopping, unless a NO TURN ON RED sign is posted, and yielding as required.
    4. Only when a green arrow is also displayed.
    Show answer

    After stopping, unless a NO TURN ON RED sign is posted, and yielding as required.. A solid red light requires a stop, but California allows a right turn after the stop when no NO TURN ON RED sign forbids it. You still have to stop at the proper line and yield to pedestrians and traffic before turning. The slow-and-go option skips the complete stop, which changes the rule. Use the posted sign and stop line as cues: no prohibiting sign plus a full stop can make the right turn legal.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and pedestrian signals

11. 11. What may happen if you receive another DUI while a prior DUI remains on your record?

    1. The new DUI replaces all earlier consequences
    2. The older DUI is automatically erased
    3. Only the newest conviction can be considered
    4. The court or DMV may impose an additional penalty
    Show answer

    The court or DMV may impose an additional penalty. A later DUI during the period a prior conviction remains on the record can bring an additional penalty from the court or DMV. The new incident does not erase or replace the older one. This is a consequence of repeat offenses, separate from simply knowing how long a conviction remains recorded. Do not assume that completing requirements for an earlier DUI prevents that history from affecting a later case.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DUI

12. 12. Your wheels drift off the pavement onto the shoulder. Which recovery action comes first?

    1. Grip the steering wheel firmly.
    2. Turn sharply back onto the pavement.
    3. Brake hard until the vehicle stops.
    4. Accelerate to match traffic speed.
    Show answer

    Grip the steering wheel firmly.. When wheels leave the pavement, the first step is to keep control by gripping the steering wheel firmly. California then advises easing off the accelerator, braking gently, checking behind, and steering back carefully. The sharp-turn option is dangerous because too much force can send the vehicle into oncoming traffic. Your cue is the drop from pavement to shoulder: stabilize the vehicle before trying to return to the lane.

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

13. 13. What is the maximum speed for a passenger vehicle towing a trailer on a California highway, even when the general posted limit is higher?

    1. 55 mph.
    2. 60 mph.
    3. 65 mph.
    4. 70 mph when traffic is light.
    Show answer

    55 mph.. The handbook sets 55 mph as the limit for vehicles towing trailers, the same figure used on a two-lane undivided highway, while most other highways allow 65 mph. A higher general posted limit does not raise this towing maximum. Obey a lower posted limit and slow further when conditions require. A passenger vehicle pulling a trailer must follow this vehicle-specific cap rather than the higher speed allowed for ordinary cars on the same road. Leave additional room to slow and stop with the trailer.

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

14. 14. How close to a sidewalk ramp for disabled persons may you park in California?

    1. Right up to its edge
    2. No closer than 15 feet
    3. No closer than three feet
    4. No closer than 20 feet
    Show answer

    No closer than three feet. California bars parking within three feet of a sidewalk ramp for disabled persons, and parking in front of or on a curb that provides wheelchair access is also forbidden. Parking right up to the ramp would block it. Fifteen feet is the fire hydrant distance, and 20 feet is the crosswalk distance, so both belong to other rules. The crosshatched area next to a disabled parking space is also off limits, whatever the gap.

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

15. 15. When does darkness require your headlights?

    1. When it is too dark to see 500 feet away
    2. When it is too dark to see 1,000 feet away
    3. Only in tunnels
    4. From 9 p.m. until sunrise the next morning
    Show answer

    When it is too dark to see 1,000 feet away. The thousand-foot visibility test sets an objective trigger: if darkness hides things that far out, headlights go on whether or not the sun has set. Storms, smoke, and dusk all trip the rule before true nightfall. California pairs it with the wipers-on rule so rain driving always runs lit. Storms and smoke trip the headlight rule well before true nightfall arrives.

    Study this in the handbook: Turn signals, horn and headlights

16. 16. You signed a citation promising to appear in traffic court, then missed the date. What can DMV do?

    1. Nothing, because court attendance is not a DMV matter
    2. Cancel the citation after a waiting period
    3. Convert the charge into a written warning
    4. Suspend your driving privilege until you appear
    Show answer

    Suspend your driving privilege until you appear. Signing a ticket is a promise to appear, and breaking it lets DMV suspend your driving privilege until you do appear. The failure to appear also goes onto your driver record, so ignoring the date makes the situation worse rather than letting it lapse. The charge is not downgraded to a warning, and the citation does not expire on its own. The suspension follows from the missed promise, not the original violation, and any conviction that follows is also reported by the court to DMV.

    Study this in the handbook: Tickets, points and suspensions

17. 17. 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.

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

18. 18. You see this WRONG WAY sign facing you. What should you do when safe?

    
    1. Continue slowly until the next exit
    2. Back out or turn around
    3. Move to the left lane and keep going
    4. Stop in the lane and wait for a tow
    Show answer

    Back out or turn around. A WRONG WAY sign means you have entered a roadway against traffic. When it is safe, back out or turn around to leave the wrong-direction path. Continuing slowly is not acceptable because it keeps you exposed to head-on traffic. A night cue is red road reflectors shining in your headlights. If you see the sign or red reflectors, stop compounding the error and get out of that direction safely.

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

19. 19. What insurance proof must you have when you drive and during a drive test?

    1. A dealership sales contract
    2. Proof of financial responsibility
    3. A DMV knowledge test receipt
    4. A maintenance log for the vehicle
    Show answer

    Proof of financial responsibility. California requires proof of financial responsibility, commonly insurance, when you drive and for a drive test. A sales contract or maintenance record does not show liability coverage. The cue is any time you operate the vehicle or arrive for the behind-the-wheel test: be ready to show valid insurance proof. After a collision, the same proof must be shown to other involved drivers.

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

20. 20. Where must you not park on a two-way street?

    1. Within a marked legal space beside the right curb
    2. On a level street after setting the parking brake
    3. In a time-limited green curb space during posted hours
    4. On the wrong side of the street
    Show answer

    On the wrong side of the street. Parking on the wrong side of the street is prohibited, so on a two-way street you park with traffic on the right side unless a lawful exception applies. The green-curb choice can be legal if you obey the posted time limit. The cue is facing against approaching traffic after parking; if your vehicle would point the wrong way for that side, choose a legal space with the flow instead.

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