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. What does a solid yellow traffic signal light mean?

   1. Speed up to clear the intersection
   2. Stop immediately even in the intersection
   3. Prepare to turn; through traffic must stop
   4. Caution: the light is about to turn red; stop if you can do so safely
   Show answer

   Caution: the light is about to turn red; stop if you can do so safely. Yellow is the transition warning between green and red, giving drivers already close a moment to clear while telling everyone farther back to stop. The rule turns on whether a safe stop is possible: brake smoothly when distance allows, but continue cautiously through when stopping would mean slamming the brakes or halting inside the intersection. Speeding up to beat the red gambles against cross traffic already preparing to move, and yellow commands nothing about turning. Treat every yellow as a stop decision first, and only proceed when stopping itself would be unsafe.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and pedestrian signals

2. 2. 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.

   Study this in the handbook: School buses and railroad crossings

3. 3. BAC estimates are based on which factors?

   1. Number of drinks, gender, and body weight
   2. Height and eye color
   3. Time of day and weather
   4. Type of vehicle driven
   Show answer

   Number of drinks, gender, and body weight. Alcohol distributes through the body's water, so the same number of drinks produces a higher BAC in smaller people and, on average, in women than in men. Drink count sets the total alcohol load that must be absorbed. That is why the handbook's BAC tables are organized by drinks, sex, and weight together, and why food, drinking pace, and individual variation make personal BAC guesses dangerously unreliable.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DUI

4. 4. You approach a crosswalk with flashing warning lights. What must you do?

   1. Flash your headlights continuously
   2. Honk until they cross
   3. Look for pedestrians and be prepared to stop, lights or not
   4. Speed up to clear the crosswalk fast
   Show answer

   Look for pedestrians and be prepared to stop, lights or not. Flashing crosswalk lights are advisory beacons, not traffic signals: they warn you pedestrians may be present, but their absence never cancels your duty to look. Some pedestrians cross without pressing the button, and children may not know the lights exist. Slow on approach, scan both curbs and the refuge islands, and stop for anyone in or entering your half of the roadway.

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

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

   1. Stop on the tracks until the train operator waves you through
   2. Turn as soon as your vehicle has a green light, without checking the tracks
   3. Check for approaching light rail vehicles and turn only when the signal allows it
   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.

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

6. 6. 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.

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

7. 7. You miss your intended turn after entering an intersection. What should you do?

   1. Stop in the intersection and back up to the lane you wanted
   2. Keep driving until you can turn around safely and legally
   3. Make an immediate U-turn from any lane
   4. Signal and reverse only if no vehicle is directly behind you
   Show answer

   Keep driving until you can turn around safely and legally. Once you are moving through an intersection, continue and recover by turning around later where it is safe and legal. The backing-up choice creates a sudden conflict in a place drivers and pedestrians expect forward movement. The cue is realizing the mistake after you have already committed; abandon the missed turn, continue with traffic, and choose a lawful place to correct your route.

   Study this in the handbook: Lane markings and special lanes

8. 8. After a California DUI arrest, how long does the driver have to request a DMV administrative hearing?

   1. 10 days from the date of the arrest
   2. 30 days from the date of the arrest
   3. Until the criminal trial ends
   4. One year
   Show answer

   10 days from the date of the arrest. The deadline to request a DMV administrative hearing after a DUI arrest is 10 days from the date of the arrest. Thirty days is the life of the temporary license, not the hearing deadline, so waiting that long loses the hearing. The DMV action runs separately from the criminal case, so the end of a trial is not the clock. One year is the length of a DUI conviction suspension, not a filing window. If the window passes, the chance for that hearing is gone.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DUI

9. 9. Can DMV register an out-of-state vehicle that fails California emission requirements?

   1. No, it must qualify under California requirements
   2. Yes, if its prior registration is current
   3. Yes, if it is a family gift
   4. Yes, if it is driven only on weekends
   Show answer

   No, it must qualify under California requirements. California registration requires a vehicle to qualify under the state’s requirements, including emission controls. Current registration elsewhere does not by itself establish eligibility here. Check the vehicle’s compliance before assuming it can be registered after a move or purchase. A gift and occasional weekend use do not create the exceptions suggested by the other choices; the handbook says DMV cannot register a vehicle that does not qualify.

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

10. 10. Besides turning the wheels correctly on a hill, what should you do before leaving the vehicle?

    1. Release the parking brake after checking mirrors
    2. Leave the transmission in neutral so the curb stops it
    3. Keep the engine running until the wheels touch the curb
    4. Set the parking brake and leave the vehicle in park or in gear
    Show answer

    Set the parking brake and leave the vehicle in park or in gear. Hill parking requires more than wheel direction. California says to set the parking brake and leave an automatic in park, or a manual transmission in gear. Neutral is wrong because it removes a layer of protection if the brake or curb hold fails. The cue is the slope itself. Once positioned, secure the drivetrain and brake before you exit so the vehicle cannot roll into traffic.

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

11. 11. This sign appears before a work zone. What must you do?

    
    1. Speed up past the work zone
    2. Obey the flagger and special work-zone signs
    3. Ignore workers and follow normal signs
    4. Stop and wait for an escort
    Show answer

    Obey the flagger and special work-zone signs. Flaggers control live lanes where crews work steps from traffic, and their stop and slow paddles carry the force of traffic signals. Special work-zone signs may rewrite lane lines and speed limits daily. Disobeying a flagger endangers workers directly and draws doubled fines where workers are present. Doubled fines apply in work zones where workers are present on the road.

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

12. 12. You sell your car to a private buyer in California. How soon must you notify DMV?

    1. Within 30 days
    2. Within 10 days
    3. Within 20 days
    4. Within five days
    Show answer

    Within five days. A seller must notify DMV within five days by completing a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability, which can be done online. Filing it promptly protects you if the buyer gets a ticket or has a collision before the title changes hands. The 10 day period belongs to the buyer, who has 10 days to transfer ownership. Twenty days is how long a new resident has to register an out of state vehicle, and 30 days is not a deadline the handbook gives for a sale.

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

13. 13. May you park directly on an unmarked crosswalk?

    1. Yes, if the car has hazard lights on
    2. Yes, if no paint is visible
    3. Yes, if you leave the engine running
    4. No, crosswalk parking is prohibited even without painted lines
    Show answer

    No, crosswalk parking is prohibited even without painted lines. The parking prohibition applies to both marked and unmarked crosswalks. Missing paint does not turn the pedestrian crossing area into a parking space. Leaving the engine running or switching on hazard lights also does not remove the obstruction. Before stopping to leave a vehicle, consider where pedestrians cross at the intersection, rather than looking only for stripes or a separate sign naming the location.

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

14. 14. 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.

15. 15. Where must you pull over for a law enforcement stop?

    1. Stop in the carpool lane where you are
    2. Pull onto the left shoulder
    3. Move fully onto the right shoulder, even from the carpool lane
    4. Drive to the nearest parking lot
    Show answer

    Move fully onto the right shoulder, even from the carpool lane. The right shoulder removes both cars from traffic flow and gives the officer a safe working space on the passenger side. The handbook stresses leaving the carpool lane because stopping there blocks buses and carpools at full speed. Pick a well-lit stretch when possible, stop fully clear of the lane, and remain belted inside until the officer reaches you. Turn off the radio and stay belted inside until the officer reaches your window.

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

16. 16. What conditions do pedestrian, bicycle, and school warning signs cover?

    1. Highway construction zones and lane closures
    2. Pedestrians, bicycles, schools, playgrounds, and buses
    3. Railroad crossings and train signals
    4. Only parking restrictions
    Show answer

    Pedestrians, bicycles, schools, playgrounds, and buses. This warning family guards the most vulnerable road users: children around schools and playgrounds, cyclists in the lane, and riders boarding buses. Their fluorescent yellow-green faces stand out from ordinary yellow warnings precisely so drivers slow down early. Treat every sign in this group as a cue to cover the brake and scan the sidewalks, not just the pavement. Slow early for this family of signs, since children and cyclists move unpredictably near them.

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

17. 17. 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.

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

18. 18. Your vehicle starts skidding sideways. What should you do?

    1. Keep braking hard through the skid
    2. Turn away from the skid sharply
    3. Accelerate to power out of it
    4. Stop braking and steer into the direction of the skid
    Show answer

    Stop braking and steer into the direction of the skid. A skid means the tires have lost grip, and braking harder only extends the slide. Releasing the brakes lets the wheels roll and grip again, while steering into the skid points the tires along the slide so they can recover traction. Once grip returns, straighten the wheel smoothly; jerking it the other way starts a second skid in the opposite direction.

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

19. 19. When turning left from a two-way street, which lane should you finish in to reduce collision risk?

    1. The right lane closest to the curb.
    2. Any open lane on the new road.
    3. The left lane closest to the middle of the street in your direction.
    4. The center lane until traffic clears.
    Show answer

    The left lane closest to the middle of the street in your direction.. For a left turn from a two-way street, California shows drivers ending in the left lane closest to the middle of the street going in their direction. The any-open-lane option belongs to certain turns onto one-way streets with three or more lanes, not this basic two-way-to-two-way turn. The cue is the street type you are leaving: from a two-way street, start near the center and finish near the center on the new roadway.

20. 20. May you overtake and pass a light rail vehicle or streetcar on its left side in California?

    1. Yes, whenever it is standing still
    2. No, whether it is moving or standing, except in a few listed cases
    3. Yes, if you can complete the pass at 10 mph
    4. Only when its doors are open
    Show answer

    No, whether it is moving or standing, except in a few listed cases. The handbook prohibits overtaking and passing a light rail vehicle or streetcar on the left side, whether it is moving or standing. The listed exceptions are narrow: the tracks are so close to the right side that a passenger vehicle cannot pass on the right, you are on a one-way street, or a traffic officer directs you to pass on the left. Standing still and open doors do not create an exception, and the 10 mph figure belongs to passing a bus, streetcar, or trolley stopped at a safety zone or traffic light.

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