CA Permit Practice Test 8

All 20 questions in test 8

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 large truck signals right but first moves left. What is the safest interpretation?

   1. The truck is probably preparing a wide right turn.
   2. The truck driver is inviting you to pass on the right.
   3. The truck must be changing to the left lane.
   4. The signal should be ignored until the truck slows.
   Show answer

   The truck is probably preparing a wide right turn.. Long vehicles often need extra room because their rear wheels track inside the front wheels during a turn. A truck that signals right and swings left may still be turning right, so passing on the right can place you beside the truck as it closes the turn. The left-lane option treats the swing as the whole maneuver, which misses the signal. Use the combination of size, signal, and wide movement as your cue to stay back.

2. 2. 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 a rear seat.
   3. In any seat if the trip is under 10 miles.
   4. In the front passenger seat with the air bag on.
   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.

3. 3. 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.

4. 4. How does California treat drugs, prescriptions, and over-the-counter medicine under DUI law?

   1. Only illegal street drugs count for DUI.
   2. Doctor-prescribed medicine is exempt from DUI rules.
   3. Any drug that affects safe driving can lead to DUI.
   4. Cannabis counts only if alcohol was also used.
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   Any drug that affects safe driving can lead to DUI.. California DUI law covers alcohol and drugs, including legal medications, whenever they affect the ability to drive safely. A prescription label does not create an exemption, so the doctor-prescribed option is wrong. Over-the-counter medicine can also cause drowsiness or slower reactions. The cue is impairment, not where the substance came from: if the drug changes what you see, hear, decide, or do behind the wheel, do not drive.

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

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

6. 6. In California, when may a driver turn left against a red light?

   1. From any street onto a one-way street after stopping.
   2. From a one-way street onto a one-way street when no sign prohibits it.
   3. From a two-way street onto a divided highway.
   4. From a left turn lane whenever cross traffic has stopped.
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   From a one-way street onto a one-way street when no sign prohibits it.. California's left-on-red permission is narrow: it applies when turning from a one-way street onto a one-way street, with no sign prohibiting the turn, and after yielding to users with a green light. The two-way-street option expands the permission beyond the handbook. Your cue is the pair of one-way streets. If either street is not one-way, or a sign says not to turn, wait for a green signal.

7. 7. Before changing lanes on a freeway, how long should you signal?

   1. At least two seconds.
   2. At least five seconds.
   3. Only while the vehicle is crossing the lane line.
   4. At least 100 feet, the same as every turn.
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   At least five seconds.. For freeway lane changes, California says to signal at least five seconds before moving over. The 100-foot figure is used for turns, but freeway speeds make time a better cue than distance for lane changes. Signaling only while crossing the lane line gives nearby drivers too little warning. Watch for the freeway setting: before moving laterally at highway speed, start the signal early enough for others to see your plan and react.

8. 8. Cargo extends more than 4 feet beyond the rear bumper during the day. What marker is required?

   1. A 12-inch red or fluorescent orange square flag.
   2. One white light visible from 300 feet.
   3. Two amber reflectors on the cargo end.
   4. A blue warning flag at least 6 inches wide.
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   A 12-inch red or fluorescent orange square flag.. California requires a 12-inch red or fluorescent orange square flag when cargo projects more than 4 feet behind the rear bumper. The white-light option borrows lighting language from other visibility rules and does not describe daytime rear cargo marking. At night, the handbook calls for two red lights instead. The cue is the overhang length: once the load extends beyond 4 feet from the back, mark its far end conspicuously.

9. 9. When may a child age 6 or younger be left unattended in a vehicle?

   1. When the windows are partly open.
   2. When supervised by a person at least 12 years old.
   3. When the driver will return within five minutes.
   4. When the vehicle is parked in shade.
   Show answer

   When supervised by a person at least 12 years old.. California makes it illegal to leave a child age 6 or younger unattended in a vehicle unless the child is supervised by someone who is at least 12. Shade, open windows, or a short errand do not replace that supervision. The window option is especially misleading because the handbook warns that heat can rise rapidly even with a window slightly open. Use the child's age as the cue: 6 or younger requires an older responsible person present.

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

    1. Not while it is moving or standing, except in the narrow cases the handbook lists, such as tracks too close to the right side to pass there
    2. Yes, whenever it is standing still
    3. Yes, if you can complete the pass at 10 mph
    4. Only when its doors are open
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    Not while it is moving or standing, except in the narrow cases the handbook lists, such as tracks too close to the right side to pass there. The handbook prohibits overtaking and passing a light rail vehicle or streetcar on the left side, whether it is moving or standing, except in the narrow cases it lists, such as tracks so close to the right side that a passenger vehicle cannot pass on the right. Passing on the left otherwise puts you between the transit vehicle and opposing traffic. Standing still does not create an exception, and the 10 mph figure belongs to passing a stopped bus or trolley at a safety zone, not to passing on the left.

11. 11. What lane space should you give a motorcycle when possible?

    1. Only the left half of the lane.
    2. The full lane.
    3. Enough room to share the lane side by side.
    4. A shoulder path if traffic is slow.
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    The full lane.. California advises drivers to give motorcycles the full lane whenever possible. Motorcycles are smaller and can be harder to see, but they are still entitled to the lane space needed for safety. The side-by-side choice is wrong because the handbook separately warns never to pass a motorcycle in the same lane. Use the cue of a motorcycle ahead or beside you: leave a normal lane cushion instead of trying to squeeze past.

12. 12. Before driving down a steep hill on a slippery road, what should you do?

    1. Shift to low gear before going down.
    2. Coast in neutral to reduce tire spin.
    3. Keep high gear and brake hard as needed.
    4. Turn off traction control before descending.
    Show answer

    Shift to low gear before going down.. For slippery-surface skid prevention, California tells drivers to shift to low gear before going down a steep hill. Low gear helps control speed without relying on abrupt braking. The neutral option removes engine braking and can make speed harder to manage. The cue is the combination of downgrade and poor traction: prepare before the hill begins, slow early, and avoid quick stops or fast turns that can start a skid.

13. 13. Which headset or earplug use is illegal while driving in California?

    1. Wearing a headset or earplugs in both ears.
    2. Using a single hands-free earpiece.
    3. Listening through the vehicle's built-in speakers.
    4. Wearing hearing aids prescribed by a doctor.
    Show answer

    Wearing a headset or earplugs in both ears.. California says hearing helps drivers notice horns, sirens, motorcycles, and screeching tires, and it bars wearing a headset or earplugs in both ears while driving. The single-earpiece option changes the condition: the handbook's stated prohibition is both ears. A useful cue is whether outside warning sounds are blocked on both sides. If both ears are covered by plugs or a headset, do not drive that way.

14. 14. What happens to fines on a California road marked as a Safety Enhanced-Double Fine Zone?

    1. Fines are waived for first offenses
    2. Fines apply only to trucks
    3. Fines are reduced if no crash occurred
    4. Fines are doubled
    Show answer

    Fines are doubled. Certain roads are chosen as Safety Enhanced-Double Fine Zones because of increased collision-related injuries and fatalities, and fines are doubled in these zones. Fines are also doubled in highway construction and maintenance zones, where a violation can already be $1,000 or more, and assaulting a highway worker brings fines up to $2,000 and up to a year in jail. The doubling applies to every driver, not only trucks, and does not depend on a crash.

15. 15. Which adult point total may lead DMV to suspend a California driver license?

    1. 2 points in 12 months.
    2. 4 points in 12 months.
    3. 5 points in 24 months.
    4. 7 points in 36 months.
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    4 points in 12 months.. For adults, California lists possible suspension when the record shows 4 points in 12 months, 6 in 24 months, or 8 in 36 months. The 7-in-36 choice is one point short of the handbook's 36-month total. These numbers matter because convictions and certain collisions remain on the driving record. The cue is the time window: match the point count to 12, 24, or 36 months before deciding whether the negligent-operator threshold is reached.

16. 16. You need to slow or stop suddenly on a California road. How does the handbook say to warn drivers behind you?

    1. Turn on the emergency flashers or lightly tap the brake pedal three or four times
    2. Sound the horn repeatedly
    3. Swerve slightly to draw attention
    4. Turn on the high beams
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    Turn on the emergency flashers or lightly tap the brake pedal three or four times. When you must slow or stop suddenly, the handbook lists three ways to warn drivers behind you: turn on your emergency flashers, lightly tap your brake pedal three or four times, or use a hand signal when slowing and stopping. Flashing brake lights are what following drivers notice first. If you must stop because of vehicle trouble, use the flashers, or the hand signal if the vehicle has none. Horns and high beams warn the wrong direction.

17. 17. Your light turns green, but cars are still blocking the intersection. What should you do?

    1. Enter slowly because green gives you priority.
    2. Wait until there is enough space to get completely across.
    3. Move into the crosswalk and stop there.
    4. Sound your horn and proceed around the cars.
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    Wait until there is enough space to get completely across.. A green light does not allow you to block an intersection. California says not to enter unless you can get completely across before the signal turns red and without creating danger. The priority option overstates what green means; you must still account for vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians already in the intersection. The cue is blocked space beyond the crosswalk. If your vehicle cannot clear the intersection, stay behind the line and wait.

18. 18. Before opening a parked car door next to traffic, what should you check for?

    1. Motorcyclists near the traffic side of the vehicle.
    2. Only vehicles directly in front of you.
    3. Whether the curb is painted green.
    4. Whether your parking brake is released.
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    Motorcyclists near the traffic side of the vehicle.. California specifically tells drivers to check for motorcyclists before opening a door next to traffic. The same habit also protects bicyclists and passing vehicles, but the handbook names motorcyclists in the motorcycle-sharing section. The front-only option is wrong because the danger comes from beside and behind the parked vehicle. Use the cue of any door opening into a lane: look back along the traffic side before the door moves.

19. 19. With a California instruction permit, who must practice driving with you before your license test?

    1. Any licensed driver who has held a license for 6 months.
    2. A California-licensed driver who is at least 18, or 25 for minors.
    3. A parent or guardian only.
    4. A licensed passenger of any age if the route avoids freeways.
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    A California-licensed driver who is at least 18, or 25 for minors.. To get a license after an instruction permit, the handbook says to practice with a California-licensed driver at least 18 years old, with the supervising age rising to 25 for minors. The parent-only choice is too narrow; a qualified licensed adult can supervise, and for minors that adult must meet the higher age requirement. The cue is the permit holder's age. Adults use the 18-year threshold, while minors need the 25-year supervising driver.

20. 20. When may you cross a single set of double yellow lines?

    1. To pass a slow vehicle on a hill.
    2. To enter or exit a driveway or private road when turning left.
    3. To drive in a bicycle lane for more than 200 feet.
    4. To use the shoulder as a temporary lane.
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    To enter or exit a driveway or private road when turning left.. Double solid yellow lines normally mean do not pass over them, but California allows crossing a single set to turn left into or out of a driveway or private road, or to make a U-turn where legal. The passing-on-a-hill option is wrong because the line still prohibits passing. Your cue is purpose: crossing for a left-turn movement to access a driveway is different from crossing to overtake traffic.