CA Permit Practice Test 6

All 20 questions in test 6

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. 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.

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

2. 2. 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.

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

3. 3. What is the usual speed limit within 500 feet of a school while children are outside or crossing?

   1. 15 mph at every school
   2. 35 mph
   3. 25 mph in the school zone condition
   4. 45 mph unless a guard is present
   Show answer

   25 mph in the school zone condition. The usual California school-zone limit is 25 mph within 500 feet while children are outside or crossing. Some zones can be posted as low as 15 mph, so 15 mph is not the universal answer unless signs or local conditions require it. The cue is children near the school. Reduce speed, watch for crossing guards and buses, and be ready to stop when children may enter the roadway.

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

4. 4. 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.

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

5. 5. 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.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and pedestrian signals

6. 6. Which warning signs must you obey?

   1. Only signs with red borders
   2. Every warning sign, whatever its shape or color
   3. Only signs you have seen before
   4. Only signs on highways
   Show answer

   Every warning sign, whatever its shape or color. Warning signs come as diamonds, rectangles, yellow, orange, and fluorescent green, precisely because different hazards need different designs. The handbook's blanket rule removes any excuse to ignore an unfamiliar shape: if it warns, obey it. Regulatory signs such as speed limits and stop signs carry their own must-obey force, but warnings demand the same respect for your own safety. Ignoring a warning you dislike is how drivers meet the exact hazard the sign described.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and pedestrian signals

7. 7. May you stop between a safety zone and the curb?

   1. Yes, to load passengers quickly
   2. Yes, when no streetcar is present
   3. No, never stop between a safety zone and the curb
   4. Yes, for emergency repairs only
   Show answer

   No, never stop between a safety zone and the curb. Safety zones shelter transit passengers while they board and leave streetcars, so a car wedged between the zone and the curb drives through the exact space where people are standing. The handbook lists the maneuver flatly under Illegal Parking alongside double parking. Passenger loading, quick repairs, and waiting must all happen elsewhere, and the ban does not depend on whether a streetcar happens to be present at the moment.

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

8. 8. At what age can a California resident get a no-fee Senior ID card?

   1. 55 or older
   2. 62 or older
   3. 65 or older
   4. 70 or older
   Show answer

   62 or older. California offers a no-fee Senior ID card to anyone 62 years old or older. People of any age who can no longer drive safely because of a physical or mental condition may also be able to trade their license for a no-fee ID card. Fifty five is the age for the Mature Driver Improvement Program, 70 is the age at which renewals must be done in person with a vision test, and 65 is a common guess that the handbook does not use.

9. 9. Why can cough syrup create a DUI risk?

   1. It may contain alcohol that impairs driving
   2. All cough syrup is an illegal drug
   3. Buying it without a prescription makes driving illegal
   4. Its bottle size determines whether driving is legal
   Show answer

   It may contain alcohol that impairs driving. Alcohol can be present in medication such as cough syrup. The handbook includes that form of alcohol in its warning about driving after excessive consumption. A product does not become harmless for driving simply because it is sold as medicine. Check what you take and its effects before getting behind the wheel. The concern is impairment, not whether the bottle is large or the medicine required a prescription.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DUI

10. 10. In a locked-wheel skid, what should a driver with four-wheel ABS do with the brake pedal?

    1. Apply firm pressure
    2. Pump rapidly instead of holding pressure
    3. Release it completely for the entire skid
    4. Press only the accelerator
    Show answer

    Apply firm pressure. For a vehicle equipped with four-wheel ABS, the handbook calls for firm brake-pedal pressure during a locked-wheel skid. Rapid pumping is the separate instruction given for a vehicle without ABS, so the equipment type matters. Check the owner’s manual before an emergency to know what system your vehicle has. Do not transfer the braking method for a different system simply because both situations involve a skid.

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

11. 11. What do double solid yellow centerlines require?

    1. Cross them freely when no traffic is near
    2. Stay right of them and never pass over them, with narrow exceptions
    3. Treat them as a single broken line
    4. Use them as a left-turn lane
    Show answer

    Stay right of them and never pass over them, with narrow exceptions. Double solid yellow centerlines mark roads where passing is too dangerous to allow, so crossing them is banned except for specific cases such as turning into a driveway, making a legal U-turn, or entering a signed HOV lane. Riding on or over the lines to squeeze past traffic is never permitted. Where passing is allowed, the centerline will be broken on your side instead.

    Study this in the handbook: Lane markings and special lanes

12. 12. Which stopped roadside vehicle is covered by California's move over and slow down rule?

    1. Any parked passenger car with no lights on.
    2. A stopped road work vehicle displaying emergency flashing or amber warning lights.
    3. A food truck serving customers from a private lot.
    4. A moving delivery van using a turn signal.
    Show answer

    A stopped road work vehicle displaying emergency flashing or amber warning lights.. California's move over and slow down rule includes stopped road work vehicles displaying emergency flashing or amber warning lights, along with certain emergency vehicles and tow trucks. The parked-car option lacks the warning-light condition described by the handbook. This rule protects people working near traffic. The cue is a stopped work or emergency vehicle with flashing or amber lights: change lanes away from it when safe and reduce speed while passing.

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

13. 13. Where must most children under 8 years old ride when using a child passenger restraint system?

    1. In the front seat if an adult is driving.
    2. In the front passenger seat with the air bag on.
    3. In any seat if the trip is under 10 miles.
    4. In a rear seat.
    Show answer

    In a rear seat.. California requires children under 8, or shorter than 4 feet 9 inches, to be secured in a child passenger restraint system in a rear seat unless a listed exception applies. The front-seat option is too broad; the handbook allows front-seat placement only in limited cases such as no rear seat or medical reasons. The cue is the child's age or height: under 8 or below 4 feet 9 inches points you first to a proper restraint in the back.

    Study this in the handbook: Seat belts, child seats and cell phones

14. 14. Which visible video display can distract a driver and is prohibited?

    1. Vehicle operating information
    2. A movie playing on a monitor visible to the driver
    3. A navigation map
    4. Radio information
    Show answer

    A movie playing on a monitor visible to the driver. The handbook limits what a video monitor visible to the driver may display. Vehicle information, navigation, and media-player or radio information are listed exceptions; watching a movie is not. A moving entertainment picture can draw attention away from traffic even when the screen is mounted neatly. Before driving, arrange screens so a passenger’s video entertainment is not visible to you and keep the permitted display focused on its intended function.

    Study this in the handbook: School buses and railroad crossings

15. 15. Where is parking prohibited near a marked or unmarked crosswalk?

    1. Within 30 feet, but only at school crossings
    2. Within 5 feet, unless the vehicle faces traffic
    3. Within 20 feet, or within 15 feet when a curb extension is present
    4. Within 100 feet whenever the road has two lanes
    Show answer

    Within 20 feet, or within 15 feet when a curb extension is present. California prohibits parking close to crosswalks because a parked vehicle can hide pedestrians from approaching drivers. The ordinary distance is within 20 feet of a marked or unmarked crosswalk, reduced to within 15 feet when a curb extension is present. The 30-foot school-only option invents a different condition. A useful cue is any corner crossing area: leave the approach clear so drivers can see people entering the roadway.

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

16. 16. What does a yellow and black circular or X-shaped railroad sign mean?

    
    1. You must stop only if gates are lowered
    2. A divided highway begins after the tracks
    3. A train has already cleared every track
    4. A railroad crossing is ahead, so look, listen, slow down, and prepare to stop
    Show answer

    A railroad crossing is ahead, so look, listen, slow down, and prepare to stop. A yellow and black circular or X-shaped sign warns that a railroad crossing is ahead. Gates lowered is only one possible active warning; the sign itself calls for looking, listening, slowing, and preparing to stop before any train appears. The cue is the round yellow advance sign or X marking. Reduce speed, scan both directions, and let any trains pass before crossing the tracks.

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

17. 17. An officer has stopped you and has not told you to get out. What should you do?

    1. Get out so the officer can see you clearly
    2. Step out and walk back to meet the patrol car
    3. Leave the vehicle only if it is daylight
    4. Stay inside the vehicle until the officer directs otherwise
    Show answer

    Stay inside the vehicle until the officer directs otherwise. California tells drivers to remain inside the vehicle during a law enforcement stop unless the officer directs them to get out. An officer can legally require the driver and all passengers to exit or to stay inside, and if you are told either one, you must do so. Getting out on your own, walking back to the patrol car, or deciding based on daylight are not what the handbook describes. Turn on your right signal, stop in a well lit area when possible, roll down the window, and keep your hands in clear view.

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

18. 18. May a California bicyclist ride on the sidewalk?

    1. Not unless the city allows it
    2. Yes, anywhere
    3. Only at night
    4. Only when the road has no bike lane
    Show answer

    Not unless the city allows it. Among the rules for bicyclists, the handbook says a bicyclist must not ride on the sidewalk unless allowed by the city. Bicyclists make left and right turns the same way drivers do, using hand signals and turn lanes, and should use a bike lane whenever possible or a through traffic lane. Drivers turning across a sidewalk or driveway should still watch for riders, especially children, who may be on the sidewalk where a city permits it.

19. 19. How should you drive through a road work zone?

    1. Maintain speed to clear the zone quickly
    2. Change lanes frequently to pass equipment
    3. Slow down and allow extra space between vehicles
    4. Stop and wait for a flagger escort
    Show answer

    Slow down and allow extra space between vehicles. Work zones squeeze lanes, shift alignments, and put people on foot beside open traffic, so the handbook's formula is slower speed plus extra following space. Speeding through to clear the zone faster endangers workers and invites doubled fines, while weaving past equipment multiplies conflict points. Full stops for escorts are only for directed situations, not the general rule. Also expect sudden slowdowns, watch for lane-changing drivers, avoid distractions, and let cones, drums, and flaggers guide you through instead of improvising your own path.

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

20. 20. California's alcohol rules extend to which of these?

    1. Boats, jet skis, water skis, and similar vessels
    2. Bicycles on bike paths only
    3. Golf carts on private courses
    4. Horse-drawn carriages
    Show answer

    Boats, jet skis, water skis, and similar vessels. Impairment endangers everyone on the water just as on pavement, so California bans drinking alcohol or taking drugs while operating boats, jet skis, water skis, aquaplanes, and similar vessels. The waterways have their own enforcement and their own serious collision consequences, detailed further in the Harbors and Navigation Code. Bicycles, golf carts, and carriages follow different rules and locations. Anyone heading out on the water should designate a sober operator the same way drivers designate a sober driver for the road home.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DUI