Printable IA Permit Practice Test

1. Why should loose objects be secured inside a vehicle?

1. Loose objects become harmless once the vehicle exceeds 45 mph
2. A 20-pound object can exert well over 1,000 pounds of force in a sudden stop at 60 mph
3. Only objects heavier than 100 pounds can injure occupants
4. Securing objects matters only when the vehicle is parked

2. Which visitor may drive in Iowa without an Iowa driver's license?

1. A visitor carrying only a vehicle registration
2. A visitor with a current license from their home state or country
3. A visitor who has never been licensed anywhere
4. A visitor using an expired license from another state

3. Who must have an Iowa permit or driver's license when using public roads?

1. Only Iowa residents who have lived there for one year
2. Only people operating commercial trucks
3. Anyone operating a motor vehicle, motorcycle, or moped
4. Only drivers traveling outside city limits

4. Which farm-equipment trip is listed as an Iowa driver's-license exemption?

1. A daily commute in a passenger car owned by a farm
2. Any farm trip across Iowa without a license
3. Travel from a farm to any city beyond the county
4. Travel between the home farm and nearby farmland within two miles

5. What does the Iowa manual recommend as a defense against other people's aggressive driving?

1. Match their speed to keep pace
2. Use the horn to warn them off
3. Follow closely so they cannot cut in
4. Avoid aggressive and inattentive tendencies yourself and leave plenty of space in front

6. What is ahead when a signal-ahead warning is posted?

1. A railroad crossing with no signal
2. An intersection and a stop light
3. A lane reserved for buses
4. A road that ends without an intersection

7. From what distance must the red tail light on the back of a vehicle be visible under Iowa's equipment rules?

1. At least 100 feet
2. At least 200 feet
3. At least 1,000 feet
4. At least 500 feet

8. What should a driver expect when approaching a typical yellow, diamond-shaped warning sign?

1. A special road hazard that calls for slower speed or extra caution
2. A posted minimum speed that must be maintained
3. A service such as fuel or lodging ahead
4. A legal prohibition against entering the road

9. You stop at an Iowa railroad crossing. How much space should you leave between your vehicle and the nearest rail?

1. At least 15 feet
2. At least 3 feet
3. At least 100 feet
4. At least 50 feet

10. What do Iowa right-of-way laws determine at an intersection?

1. Which vehicle has priority regardless of circumstances
2. Which driver may enter first without slowing
3. Which driver is entitled to ignore other traffic
4. Which driver must yield

11. Your vehicle stalls in floodwater on an Iowa road. What does the manual say to do?

1. Stay inside and wait for help
2. Restart the engine and drive on
3. Abandon the vehicle and move to higher ground
4. Open the windows and wait

12. Which vehicles must have working turn signals under Iowa law?

1. Only trucks over 10,000 pounds
2. All cars, trucks, and trailers wider than 40 inches
3. Only vehicles built after 2000
4. Only vehicles used at night

13. What do shared lane pavement markings, called sharrows, do on Iowa roads?

1. Show where bicycles must ride on the sidewalk
2. Reserve the lane for bicycles only
3. Mark a no passing zone
4. Alert motorists that bicyclists may be present and encourage safe passing, without reserving part of the road for bikes

14. When a driver illegally passes a stopped school bus, what license consequence may Iowa impose?

1. A mandatory suspension of exactly 30 days
2. A warning with no possible license action
3. Permanent revocation for the first violation
4. Suspension for up to 180 days

15. What roadway situation is identified by a pentagon-shaped sign?

1. A railroad crossing ahead
2. A school area or school crossing
3. A no-passing zone
4. A general service area

16. What does an Iowa yield sign tell a driver to do?

1. Slow down and yield to traffic in the intersection or roadway being entered
2. Stop at every yield sign even when no traffic is present
3. Accelerate so cross traffic must wait
4. Enter the roadway without checking for other users

17. How close to an intersection may you pass another vehicle on an Iowa two-lane road?

1. You may not pass within 100 feet of an intersection
2. You may pass anywhere with a broken center line
3. You may pass as close as 50 feet
4. You may not pass within 500 feet

18. Which following-distance rule is the safest and easiest way to judge space behind another vehicle?

1. Keep one car length for every five mph
2. Use the Three-Four Second Rule
3. Stay exactly two seconds behind in all conditions
4. Follow close enough to read the vehicle's plate

19. What does the Iowa manual say about hanging items from the rearview mirror?

1. It is fine if the item is small
2. Only air fresheners are allowed
3. Do not hang things from the mirror or clutter the windshield with decals
4. Items may hang below the dash line

20. When is an Iowa driving test not required according to the manual?

1. Whenever the applicant owns a vehicle
2. When the applicant satisfies the driver education course requirement
3. When the applicant passes the vision screening only
4. Whenever the applicant has driven on private property

21. What information does a white traffic sign generally provide in Iowa?

1. General warnings about road hazards
2. Enforceable laws and ordinances
3. Directions to parks and historic sites
4. Locations of traveler services

22. At what speed do snowplows typically operate on Iowa roads?

1. 55 to 65 mph
2. 5 to 10 mph
3. 25 to 35 mph
4. 45 to 55 mph

23. What should a driver do when approaching a farm vehicle traveling slowly on a rural road?

1. Pass immediately because farm equipment must yield to every car
2. Assume it will move onto the shoulder without signaling
3. Identify it early, slow down, and use extreme caution before attempting to pass
4. Follow closely so no other vehicle can enter the gap

24. What is a safe way to manage a vehicle that is following too closely behind you?

1. Block the passing lane by accelerating hard
2. Tap the brakes repeatedly to punish the driver
3. Signal early and encourage the driver to pass
4. Stop in the travel lane without warning

25. Under Iowa's Steer It Clear It law, what must you do after a crash with no injuries?

1. Leave the vehicles where they stopped until police arrive
2. Push the vehicles onto the median
3. Drive away and report later
4. Move an operable vehicle out of the driving lanes if it can be safely moved

26. If parking beside a curb in Iowa, how close should the vehicle be?

1. Within 3 feet of the curb
2. Within 18 inches of the curb or closer
3. At least 18 inches away from the curb
4. With two wheels resting on the curb

27. Besides fines, what can a distracted driving conviction cost an Iowa driver?

1. Only higher insurance rates
2. Suspension or revocation of the license or permit
3. A mandatory new vision test
4. Nothing more, since it is a minor offense

28. At a roundabout, what must approaching vehicles yield to?

1. Pedestrians in the crosswalk and traffic already in the roundabout
2. Only vehicles entering from the left
3. Vehicles waiting behind the yield line
4. No one when the driver signals a turn

29. A police officer is directing traffic at an intersection where the signal is dark. Which instruction controls your movement?

1. The lane marking nearest the intersection
2. The usual meaning of the dark signal
3. The direction of the largest group of vehicles
4. The officer's direction

30. When passing a large truck, when should the passing driver move back into the original lane?

1. Immediately after pulling alongside the truck
2. As soon as the passing vehicle's front bumper reaches the truck's cab
3. Before the truck appears in the side mirror
4. After seeing the front of the truck being passed in the rearview mirror and clearing it well

31. Under Iowa's Move Over or Slow Down Law, what must a driver do when approaching a stopped vehicle displaying flashing lights?

1. Stop in the lane immediately beside the stopped vehicle
2. Maintain speed because only emergency vehicles receive protection
3. Change lanes when possible, or slow down and be prepared to stop if changing lanes is unsafe
4. Pass on the shoulder to create more room

32. What is Iowa's general speed limit on an unsurfaced (gravel) secondary road after sunset, when no limit is posted?

1. 50 mph
2. 35 mph
3. 60 mph
4. 25 mph

33. What can an Iowa driver face for causing a death while distracted?

1. A $100 fine
2. More than $1,000 in fines, license suspension, and possibly a vehicular homicide charge
3. A warning letter
4. Only civil liability

34. Under Iowa's hands-free law, which phone activity is prohibited while driving?

1. Manually scrolling or typing on the phone
2. Using voice activation to place a call
3. Listening through a hands-free system
4. Receiving a safety-related traffic alert

35. What is the purpose of a solid green bicycle box at a signalized intersection?

1. It provides bicyclists a safe way to turn
2. It marks a lane where cars may park during a red light
3. It identifies a pedestrian-only sidewalk
4. It shows where motorcycles must stop behind trucks

36. What education must an Iowa applicant under 18 show when applying for a license?

1. Two years of unsupervised driving experience
2. Completion of a college defensive-driving seminar
3. A certificate from a vehicle repair school
4. Successful completion of an Iowa-approved driver's education course

37. What do Iowa guide signs show?

1. The location of traveler services only
2. A prohibition on entering a roadway
3. A warning that workers are ahead
4. Directions and distance to various locations

38. Why may a driver need to slow below the posted speed limit on a curve or in other difficult conditions?

1. Posted limits are suggestions that apply only on sunny days
2. Posted speed limits apply to ideal conditions, so the driver must match speed to conditions
3. A driver may exceed the limit when a curve is clearly visible
4. Every curve automatically has a separate lower legal limit

39. Under Iowa's hands-free law, what must a driver do before reading or writing a text message?

1. Slow to under 25 mph
2. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop off the traveled portion of the roadway
3. Stop at a red light
4. Put the phone on speaker

40. What does a pennant-shaped traffic sign warn drivers about?

1. A railroad crossing
2. A no passing zone
3. A school crossing
4. A yield requirement