CA Permit Practice Test 7

All 20 questions in test 7

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. This round yellow sign warns of a railroad crossing ahead. If the crossing has several tracks, what should you expect?

   
   1. Trains only on the track nearest you
   2. Trains only during posted hours
   3. A train on any track, at any time, traveling in either direction
   4. No train once one has just passed
   Show answer

   A train on any track, at any time, traveling in either direction. The handbook tells drivers to expect a train on any track, at any time, traveling in either direction. Many crossings have multiple tracks, so look in both directions and cross only when it is safe, and never stop on the tracks. A train that has just passed can hide a second one coming the other way on another track. If gates stay down with no train visible, call the posted railroad emergency number or 911.

   Study this in the handbook: School buses and railroad crossings

2. 2. A California driver under 21 is caught with alcohol in the vehicle. How long can law enforcement impound the vehicle?

   1. Up to 30 days
   2. Up to 7 days
   3. Up to 6 months
   4. It cannot be impounded
   Show answer

   Up to 30 days. When a driver under 21 is caught with alcohol in the vehicle, law enforcement can impound the vehicle for up to 30 days. Seven days understates the limit and six months overstates it. Saying the vehicle cannot be impounded ignores the rule. The court may also fine the driver and suspend the license for one year, and if the young person has no license yet, the court may ask DMV to delay the first license for up to one year.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DUI

3. 3. Why must you never move in front of a large truck and suddenly slow down or stop?

   1. The truck cannot stop fast enough to avoid crashing into you
   2. The truck driver cannot see your brake lights
   3. Trucks are exempt from following-distance rules
   4. The truck will automatically change lanes
   Show answer

   The truck cannot stop fast enough to avoid crashing into you. A loaded truck needs far more stopping distance than a car, and that gap shrinks to nothing when a smaller vehicle cuts in and brakes without warning. The truck's momentum makes a rear-end crash unavoidable no matter how alert or skilled its driver is, and the car always loses that exchange. The handbook's rule protects both vehicles by keeping a full cushion ahead of large trucks: never move in front of one and suddenly slow down or stop.

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

4. 4. How far ahead should a hill or curve be before you begin passing on a California two lane road?

   1. At least 100 feet
   2. At least one third of a mile
   3. At least 500 feet
   4. Any distance, if you speed up
   Show answer

   At least one third of a mile. To pass safely, the hill or curve ahead should be at least one third of a mile away. A hill or curve can hide oncoming traffic, so you need that much clear road to finish the pass. One hundred feet is the no passing distance near intersections, bridges, tunnels, and railroad crossings, not the hill or curve distance. Five hundred feet is the high beam dimming distance. Speeding up does not replace the sight distance you need.

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

5. 5. Many railroad crossings have a blue and white sign. What is it for?

   1. It marks a crossing where trains never stop
   2. It shows the speed limit for crossing the tracks
   3. It warns that the crossing has no warning lights
   4. It tells you what to do in a track emergency or if your vehicle stalls on the tracks
   Show answer

   It tells you what to do in a track emergency or if your vehicle stalls on the tracks. The blue and white sign posted at many crossings is an emergency information sign, not a speed or warning sign. It tells drivers what to do when there is an emergency on or near the tracks, including the critical case of a vehicle stalled on the rails. Knowing to look for it before crossing can save the seconds needed to call for help.

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

6. 6. When turning right from one one-way street onto another, where may you finish the turn if it is safe?

   1. In a lane carrying opposing traffic
   2. Only in the far-left lane
   3. Only in the lane nearest the right curb
   4. In any lane on the destination street
   Show answer

   In any lane on the destination street. A right turn from a one-way street onto another one-way street starts from the far-right lane, but it may finish in any lane if safe. Requiring the nearest right lane in every case overlooks this particular example in the handbook. Before turning, check the receiving street and any lane instructions. The destination must actually be one-way; this permission is not a reason to swing into opposing traffic on another kind of road.

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

7. 7. Cones mark a lane closure ahead. How should you merge through the work zone?

   1. Merge when safe without crossing the cones
   2. Drive between cones to reach an empty lane
   3. Wait until your bumper reaches the barrier
   4. Use the closed shoulder to bypass the line
   Show answer

   Merge when safe without crossing the cones. Cones and drums outline the route available to traffic through a work zone. Merge as soon as a safe opening appears and stay outside the area they close. Driving between cones because a lane looks empty can put you beside workers or equipment. Watch the temporary path ahead, use an actual traffic gap instead of treating the barrier spacing as an invitation to pass through.

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

8. 8. How should you enter a roundabout?

   1. Enter heading left to save time
   2. Enter heading right when a big enough gap lets you merge safely
   3. Stop inside the circle to check traffic
   4. Enter at full speed without looking
   Show answer

   Enter heading right when a big enough gap lets you merge safely. Roundabouts replace stop-and-go with slow-and-merge: approach slowly, yield to everyone already circling, then slip right into the first safe gap. Traffic orbits one way around the central island, so entering left would mean head-on conflict. Once inside, keep moving with the flow, signal your exit, and watch for pedestrians at the crosswalks. Yield lines of white triangles often mark the exact spot where entering cars must give way.

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

9. 9. Your cell phone rings while you are driving in California. What should you do?

   1. Answer quickly and keep the call under a minute
   2. Let it go to voicemail, and pull safely off the road if you must call back
   3. Answer on speaker while holding the phone low
   4. Text the caller that you are driving
   Show answer

   Let it go to voicemail, and pull safely off the road if you must call back. The ringing phone is a test of whether the call or the road gets your attention first, and the handbook's answer is the road. Let the call roll to voicemail; a message waits patiently in a way traffic never does. If the call genuinely cannot wait, the legal and safe move is to pull completely and safely off the road before returning or making it. Answering fast, even on speaker while gripping the handset, keeps one hand and part of your mind off driving, and texting a reply trades a voice distraction for an eyes-off-road one.

   Study this in the handbook: School buses and railroad crossings

10. 10. A school bus on an undivided road is flashing red lights. What must drivers do?

    
    1. Stop only if traveling behind the bus
    2. Slow to 15 mph and pass with extra room
    3. Stop from either direction until the lights stop flashing
    4. Proceed once children have left your lane
    Show answer

    Stop from either direction until the lights stop flashing. When a school bus flashes red lights on an undivided road, traffic from both directions must stop and remain stopped until the flashing ends and children are safely across. Slowing to 15 mph is not enough; the manual requires a stop. The divided or multilane highway exception applies only when the bus is across a divided highway or a road with at least two lanes in each direction. Watch the top front and rear red lights as your cue.

    Study this in the handbook: School buses and railroad crossings

11. 11. What rear equipment must a bicycle have at night?

    1. A rear red reflector, solid red, or flashing red light visible from 500 feet
    2. Nothing on the rear
    3. A white light facing backward
    4. A blue strobe light
    Show answer

    A rear red reflector, solid red, or flashing red light visible from 500 feet. Rear lighting makes the cyclist visible to overtaking traffic from far enough back to pass safely. Reflectors, steady red lamps, and flashing red lamps all qualify as long as they show 500 feet behind. Pair them with the white front lamp and wheel reflectors for full legal night equipment. The white front lamp and wheel reflectors complete the legal night setup.

12. 12. What does a green curb permit?

    1. Stopping only for passenger loading
    2. Parking for a limited time
    3. Parking only with a disabled placard
    4. No stopping, standing, or parking
    Show answer

    Parking for a limited time. A green curb allows parking, but only for the limited time shown by a sign or curb marking. It is not the same as a white curb, which is for brief passenger loading, or a blue curb, which is reserved for disabled parking privileges. The cue is the color plus a posted or painted time limit. Before leaving the vehicle, read the nearby sign so you know how long the space may be used.

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

13. 13. How should you manage heavy sun glare while driving?

    1. Follow the next vehicle closely so its path guides you
    2. Turn on high beams to make your vehicle more visible
    3. Keep enough space and watch carefully for pedestrians
    4. Drive only by looking at the lane line beside your hood
    Show answer

    Keep enough space and watch carefully for pedestrians. Sun glare can hide pedestrians and brake lights, so keep extra space and scan carefully while using clean glass, sunglasses, and a working visor. The close-following choice is risky because glare also reduces your ability to judge when the vehicle ahead slows. The cue is low sun near sunrise or sunset; create more room and expect people or signals to be harder to see.

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

14. 14. A 19-year-old in California wants to carry a sealed bottle of wine in the car. When is that allowed?

    1. Any time, as long as it stays sealed
    2. Never, under any circumstances
    3. Only on weekends
    4. Only when a person 21 or older is with them and the container is full, sealed, and unopened
    Show answer

    Only when a person 21 or older is with them and the container is full, sealed, and unopened. A driver under 21 may not carry any alcoholic beverage in a vehicle unless someone 21 or older is present, and the container must be full, sealed, and unopened. Being sealed alone is not enough without the adult. Never is too strong: the adult exception exists, and so does one for young people working for someone with an off site liquor sales license. Weekends have nothing to do with the rule. An opened container must go in the trunk or where passengers do not sit.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DUI

15. 15. How long do traffic convictions and collisions stay on a California driver record?

    1. 12 months, then they are erased
    2. 18 months for most violations
    3. 36 months or longer, depending on the type of conviction
    4. Until the license is next renewed
    Show answer

    36 months or longer, depending on the type of conviction. Each time a court convicts you of a moving violation, it notifies DMV, and the conviction goes on your record. The handbook says traffic convictions and collisions stay there for 36 months or longer, depending on the type of conviction; a DUI, for example, stays for 10 years. That is why the adult point limits are measured over 12, 24 and 36 months. Twelve and 18 months are too short, and renewing your license does not clear anything from your record.

    Study this in the handbook: Tickets, points and suspensions

16. 16. You are looking for a parallel parking space in California. How long should the space be?

    1. Exactly the length of your vehicle
    2. At least one foot longer than your vehicle
    3. At least three feet longer than your vehicle
    4. At least two full car lengths
    Show answer

    At least three feet longer than your vehicle. The first step of the handbook's parallel parking method is to find a space at least three feet longer than your vehicle, then signal to show you plan to park. That extra room lets you back in at an angle and straighten out without touching the cars in front and behind. A space that only matches your car's length, or is just a foot longer, leaves no margin for the maneuver. Two full car lengths is far more than the handbook asks for.

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

17. 17. How should you adjust for a wet road?

    1. Drive at the posted limit but flash your lights
    2. Drive more slowly than on a dry road and allow more space ahead
    3. Brake firmly every few seconds to test grip
    4. Follow the vehicle ahead more closely for guidance
    Show answer

    Drive more slowly than on a dry road and allow more space ahead. Water lifts tires off the pavement and stretches stopping distances, so the handbook prescribes two linked changes: lower speed plus a bigger gap to the vehicle ahead. The posted limit assumes dry pavement and full traction, which a wet road no longer offers. Flashing lights warns nobody of your reduced grip, rhythmic hard braking invites skids, and tailgating removes the margin a longer stop needs. Add extra caution for the first minutes of rain, when oil and water mix into the slickest surface of the storm.

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

18. 18. What space rule limits every passing maneuver?

    1. Pass only with enough space to return to your lane
    2. Pass whenever the car ahead is slow
    3. Pass even if you must run off the road
    4. Pass on any hill or curve
    Show answer

    Pass only with enough space to return to your lane. Every pass ends with a merge back, and without a guaranteed gap the maneuver strands you head-on against oncoming traffic. The handbook lists this space rule alongside bans on passing at hills, curves, intersections, crossroads, and driveways. Judge the gap before leaving your lane, not while committed to the wrong side of the road. Patience here prevents the head-on crashes that make passing the deadliest maneuver.

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

19. 19. Is slowing down automatically required before every lane change?

    1. Yes, brake sharply to warn the next lane
    2. Yes, reduce speed by half before every move
    3. Yes, stop first whenever traffic is heavy
    4. No, slowing is not necessary just because you are changing lanes
    Show answer

    No, slowing is not necessary just because you are changing lanes. A lane change does not automatically require reducing speed. The handbook instead emphasizes checking the lane and having enough space for the vehicle. Braking sharply simply because you intend to move sideways can surprise following drivers. Judge the actual traffic and road conditions, then make a smooth move when the gap is suitable. If conditions require slowing, respond to those conditions rather than applying an arbitrary rule to every lane change.

    Study this in the handbook: Lane markings and special lanes

20. 20. You fail the DMV vision test. What happens next?

    1. Buy glasses without an exam
    2. Retake the test immediately
    3. Give up driving forever
    4. Have an eye doctor complete a Report of Vision Examination (DL 62)
    Show answer

    Have an eye doctor complete a Report of Vision Examination (DL 62). Failing the DMV vision screening routes drivers to professional eye care: the DL 62 form lets an optometrist or ophthalmologist document correctable vision and any lens restriction. Passing with glasses earns a corrective-lenses restriction on the license. Uncorrectable failures can limit or end driving privileges for everyone's safety. Corrective-lens restrictions then print on the license for all future driving. Uncorrectable vision loss can limit or end driving privileges entirely.

    Study this in the handbook: Knowledge test, drive test and vehicle check