CA Permit Practice Test 5

All 20 questions in test 5

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. An average passenger vehicle at 55 mph can stop within about 300 feet. How far can a large truck take at the same speed?

   1. About 150 feet
   2. The same 300 feet
   3. About 200 feet
   4. Up to 400 feet
   Show answer

   Up to 400 feet. California's handbook compares the two directly: at 55 mph an average passenger vehicle can stop within 300 feet, while a large vehicle can take up to 400 feet. Heavier, faster vehicles need more room, so the truck cannot stop in the same distance and certainly not in less. That is why cutting in front of a truck and then slowing is so dangerous. A loaded truck needs even more distance than an empty one.

2. 2. At what age must a California driver renew in person and pass a vision test?

   1. 65 or older
   2. 62 or older
   3. 80 or older
   4. 70 or older at the time the license expires
   Show answer

   70 or older at the time the license expires. Drivers who are 70 or older when the license expires must renew in person and pass a vision test, and other exams may be required. Sixty five is a common guess but not California's number. Sixty two is not an age the handbook ties to renewal. Eighty is not the threshold. DMV mails a renewal notice about 90 days before the license expires, and eligible drivers may choose eLearning if a knowledge test is required.

3. 3. A tire blows out while you are moving fast. What should you avoid doing suddenly?

   1. Braking or abruptly lifting off the accelerator
   2. Looking where you want the vehicle to go
   3. Holding the steering wheel with both hands
   4. Correcting the steering as needed
   Show answer

   Braking or abruptly lifting off the accelerator. During a blowout, a sudden brake application or abrupt release of the accelerator can upset the vehicle and cost you control. Hold the wheel, keep the vehicle stable if possible, then release the accelerator gradually and steer where you want to go. The two-hands choice is actually part of the safe response. A cue is the loud pop and pulling sensation: steady the car first, then slow and leave the roadway when safe.

4. 4. You are on DUI probation. What blood alcohol concentration is illegal for you?

   1. 0.08% or higher, the same as other adults
   2. 0.01% or higher, at any age
   3. 0.04% or higher, like commercial drivers
   4. Any measurable amount above 0.00%
   Show answer

   0.01% or higher, at any age. DUI probation carries its own zero-tolerance rule that overrides the normal adult limit entirely: even a trace of alcohol at 0.01% violates the law and the probation terms. The same strict 0.01% line applies to every driver under 21 years old. Probationers who drink anything at all, even a single sip, must not get behind the wheel until fully sober.

5. 5. You are driving in thick fog. What rule governs your speed?

   1. Drive at the posted limit to keep traffic moving
   2. Follow the taillights ahead as closely as possible
   3. Use high beams to see farther through the fog
   4. Slow until you can stop within the space you can see ahead
   Show answer

   Slow until you can stop within the space you can see ahead. Fog shrinks sight distance to a few car lengths, so speed must shrink with it: if a stopped car or curve appears at the edge of visibility, you must already be slow enough to stop. Tailgating the taillights ahead and switching to high beams both make fog driving worse, since high beams reflect back as blinding glare. The handbook also says to increase your following distance, use wipers and defroster, and avoid crossing lanes or passing unless absolutely necessary.

6. 6. What is the speed limit in California business or residential districts, unless otherwise posted?

   1. 25 mph
   2. 15 mph
   3. 35 mph
   4. 30 mph
   Show answer

   25 mph. Streets lined with shops, homes, driveways, and parked cars hide pedestrians, cyclists, and pulling-out vehicles behind every obstacle, so California defaults these districts to 25 mph. Fifteen applies to alleys, blind intersections, and railroad approaches, a much narrower set of places. Thirty and 35 belong to wider arterials with explicit signs. Because driveways and cross streets appear constantly in these districts, scan ahead, cover the brake near parked cars, and treat 25 as the ceiling rather than a target.

7. 7. What do white rectangular signs communicate?

   1. Distances to upcoming cities
   2. Many important rules you must obey
   3. Recreation and historic sites
   4. Construction zone detours
   Show answer

   Many important rules you must obey. White rectangles are the workhorses of regulation: speed limits, lane rules, parking restrictions, and similar must-obey orders all wear this shape and color. Green signs handle distance and direction guidance, brown covers parks and historic points, and orange warns of construction zones. Because white rectangular signs state law rather than advice, ignoring one is a citable violation, not a suggestion missed. Read every word on them, since limits and exceptions are often printed in smaller text beneath the headline rule.

8. 8. Your signal is solid green. Must you still yield to traffic in the intersection?

   1. No, green means all others must yield to you
   2. No, unless an emergency vehicle is behind you
   3. Only if pedestrians are running
   4. Yes, you must still stop for anyone already in the intersection
   Show answer

   Yes, you must still stop for anyone already in the intersection. Green grants permission to go, not ownership of the intersection. Vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians caught inside when your light changes still need time to clear, and entering without room ahead traps you across the crosswalk or in cross traffic. The handbook adds a second condition: proceed only with enough space to clear without creating danger for anyone. Blocking the box on a stale green draws a citation and strands you across the crosswalk.

9. 9. 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.

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

    1. $500
    2. $2,000
    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. 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.

12. 12. Cargo extends far past your rear bumper at night. How must you mark it?

    1. A white flag in daylight
    2. Two red lights at night
    3. Nothing at night
    4. A single blinking amber light
    Show answer

    Two red lights at night. Long loads turn deadly after dark when following drivers cannot judge where the cargo ends. Two red lights bracket the overhang's edges so others can see its full width and length. By day, the same load needs a 12-inch red or fluorescent orange flag instead. Daytime overhangs instead need a large red or fluorescent orange warning flag. Red lights bracket the overhang so followers can judge its full width.

13. 13. A California driver is carrying passengers for hire. At what BAC is it illegal for this driver to drive?

    1. 0.08% or higher, the same as other adults
    2. 0.10% or higher
    3. 0.04% or higher
    4. Any BAC above 0.00%
    Show answer

    0.04% or higher. California sets a lower BAC limit for drivers with extra responsibility. It is illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.04% or higher when driving a passenger for hire, and the same 0.04% limit applies to anyone driving a vehicle that requires a commercial license. The 0.08% limit applies to ordinary drivers 21 and older, 0.10% is not a California limit, and the 0.01% limit applies to drivers under 21 or on DUI probation rather than to every driver carrying paying passengers.

14. 14. What does a curb painted green allow?

    1. Stop only to load passengers, then leave
    2. Park without any time limit
    3. Park for a limited time shown on signs or the curb
    4. Load freight at any hour
    Show answer

    Park for a limited time shown on signs or the curb. Green curbs encourage turnover in busy commercial areas by capping how long each parked car may stay, keeping spaces rotating for shoppers and clients. The exact limit is posted on nearby signs or painted directly on the curb, so always read it before walking away from your car. Passenger-only stops belong to white curbs, freight loading to yellow, and neither rule transfers to green.

15. 15. You are in a dedicated right-turn lane and through traffic faces a red light. What may you do?

    1. Make the right turn without stopping, since the lane does not merge
    2. Wait for a green light because all turns need one
    3. Merge left into through traffic before turning
    4. Stop and wait for a gap in cross traffic
    Show answer

    Make the right turn without stopping, since the lane does not merge. A dedicated right-turn lane is engineered as its own channel: it bypasses the through lanes entirely, so no merge and no stop are needed before turning. The handbook confirms you may complete the turn even while through traffic faces a red light. You must still watch for pedestrians in the crosswalk and yield to anyone lawfully in your path, and never swing wide into another lane.

16. 16. Another vehicle is passing you. What should you do?

    1. Speed up so they cannot pass
    2. Move left to block them
    3. Allow the pass and hold your lane and speed
    4. Brake suddenly to warn them off
    Show answer

    Allow the pass and hold your lane and speed. A predictable car is a passable car: holding steady speed and position lets the passing driver judge the gap and return safely. Speeding up, drifting left, or brake-checking turns a routine pass into a head-on gamble. If the passer misjudges and faces oncoming traffic, ease right and slow to open an escape gap back into your lane. Never punish a passer by closing the gap; the crash would involve you too.

17. 17. What is a pedestrian push button for?

    1. Press it to activate the WALK signal
    2. Ignore it; signals change automatically
    3. Hold it down for one minute
    4. Press it only at night
    Show answer

    Press it to activate the WALK signal. Push buttons tell the signal controller a pedestrian is waiting, which is the only way some actuated crossings grant a WALK phase. Press once, then wait on the sidewalk for the walking-person display. Ignoring the button at an actuated signal can leave you standing through multiple cycles that never serve pedestrians. At vehicle-actuated signals the button is the only way to request a walk phase.

18. 18. 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.

19. 19. If oncoming headlights are too bright at night, where should you look?

    1. Directly into the headlights until your eyes adjust
    2. At your rearview mirror to avoid the glare
    3. Toward the right edge of your lane
    4. At the centerline between the vehicles
    Show answer

    Toward the right edge of your lane. When oncoming lights are too bright, avoid staring into them and guide your path by looking toward the right edge of your lane. The centerline choice keeps your eyes near the glare source and may draw you toward oncoming traffic. The cue is discomfort or reduced vision from headlights; shift your gaze right while keeping the approaching vehicle in peripheral vision.

20. 20. A yellow curved-arrow sign warns you about what ahead?

    
    1. A required right turn at the next intersection
    2. A gradual curve where you should reduce speed before entering
    3. A T intersection with cross traffic only from one side
    4. A detour route marked for construction equipment
    Show answer

    A gradual curve where you should reduce speed before entering. A curve warning tells you the road bends ahead, so set a safe speed before reaching the curve and keep steady control through it. The required-turn choice confuses a warning with a regulatory direction; this sign alerts you to roadway shape rather than ordering a turn. The cue is the smooth curved arrow on yellow, which means look through the bend and avoid hard braking in the middle.