KS Permit Practice Test 1

All 20 questions in test 1

Every question below comes from the Kansas 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 16-year-old applies for a Kansas restricted license. How much supervised driving must the applicant have completed?

   1. 25 hours, including 5 at night
   2. 40 hours, including 10 at night
   3. 65 hours, including 15 at night
   4. 50 hours, including 10 at night
   Show answer

   50 hours, including 10 at night. A 16-year-old applicant needs 50 hours of supervised driving with 10 of those hours at night, and a parent or guardian signs an affidavit attesting to it. Twenty five hours is the smaller figure required of 15-year-old applicants, who must add the remaining 25 hours later. Forty and 65 hours are not supervised driving figures the handbook uses. The night component is 10 hours, not 5 or 15.

2. 2. When conditions are adverse, how should the normal following interval change?

   1. Increase it to the four-second rule
   2. Reduce it because lower visibility makes the gap unnecessary
   3. Keep two seconds because the rule never changes
   4. Replace it with a fixed one-car-length distance
   Show answer

   Increase it to the four-second rule. The handbook distinguishes normal conditions from adverse ones. Two seconds is the baseline under prime conditions, while four seconds is recommended when weather, road surface, or traffic reduces the driver's margin. More time lets you perceive a developing hazard and gives the tires room to slow without abrupt control inputs. Staying with two seconds in rain or other difficult conditions leaves too little recovery space. Pick a roadside reference and count the longer interval before allowing the gap to shrink.

3. 3. At a flashing red traffic light, what must a driver do before entering?

   1. Yield only to vehicles approaching from the left
   2. Slow without stopping if the intersection is clear
   3. Continue because flashing signals have no control effect
   4. Stop completely before proceeding
   Show answer

   Stop completely before proceeding. A flashing red signal is listed among the situations requiring a complete stop. Treat the indication as a stop-controlled approach, checking for vehicles and pedestrians before entering. Merely slowing does not satisfy the rule, even if the intersection appears empty. The signal is not permission to continue through, and priority is not limited to traffic from one side. The practical memory cue is simple: flashing red means stop first, then proceed only when the path is safe.

4. 4. What does a dashed white line between lanes traveling in the same direction permit?

   1. Crossing only to pass on the shoulder
   2. Crossing to change lanes when a safe gap is available
   3. Never crossing under any circumstance
   4. Traveling in opposite directions on either side
   Show answer

   Crossing to change lanes when a safe gap is available. Dashed white lane markings separate traffic moving in the same direction and may be crossed for a lane change when a safe gap exists. The marking does not guarantee that the next lane is clear or that changing is wise at that moment. Check mirrors and the blind spot, signal, judge the speed of nearby traffic, and move only when the lane can accept the vehicle. A solid white line signals a stronger restriction, while yellow markings separate opposing traffic.

5. 5. What fine does the Kansas handbook list for a first DUI conviction?

   1. $100 to $250
   2. $5,000
   3. $750 to $1,000 plus court costs
   4. No fine, only community service
   Show answer

   $750 to $1,000 plus court costs. A first DUI conviction in Kansas brings a fine of $750 to $1,000 plus court costs, a sentence of at least 48 hours in jail or 100 hours of community service, suspension of the license, and a requirement to drive with an ignition interlock device. Second and later convictions carry much worse penalties. The fine is not optional and not a token amount, and community service is an alternative to jail, not to the fine.

6. 6. What shape and color pattern identifies most Kansas warning signs?

   1. White with green lettering, usually circular
   2. Yellow with black lettering or symbols, usually diamond shaped
   3. Blue with white lettering, usually rectangular
   4. Red with white lettering, usually octagonal
   Show answer

   Yellow with black lettering or symbols, usually diamond shaped. Most warning signs use a yellow background with black letters or symbols and a diamond outline. They alert you to a danger, special condition, or change ahead, so the message calls for early speed adjustment and attention rather than an immediate command to stop. A red octagon is reserved for the stop sign, while rectangular blue or green signs generally provide services or route information. When a yellow diamond appears, scan beyond the sign, check traffic around you, and prepare for the condition it announces.

7. 7. How far ahead should a driver search to reduce the chance of a panic stop?

   1. Only to the rear of the vehicle
   2. About one second ahead
   3. At least ten seconds ahead
   4. Exactly one car length ahead
   Show answer

   At least ten seconds ahead. The handbook recommends looking at least ten seconds ahead. That forward search reveals slowdowns, stopped traffic, and other developing problems early enough to reduce speed or change lanes smoothly. A one-second glance or a one-car-length view leaves little time to plan, while checking only behind ignores the hazard developing in front. Make the cue practical by keeping your eyes moving well beyond the vehicle immediately ahead, especially on faster roads where ten seconds covers a substantial distance.

8. 8. What action does the crossed right-arrow sign prohibit?

   
   1. Making a legal left turn from a permitted lane
   2. Driving straight in the marked lane
   3. Stopping for a pedestrian before the corner
   4. Turning right where the sign is posted
   Show answer

   Turning right where the sign is posted. A red circle and slash over the right-turn arrow prohibits the right-turn movement at that location. The sign does not automatically close the lane to straight travel, prevent a required stop for a pedestrian, or ban a separately permitted left turn. The pictured arrow identifies the restricted action. Check for additional controls before proceeding, because a no-right-turn sign does not replace the intersection's signal or right-of-way rules.

9. 9. What does a One-Way sign with an arrow tell drivers?

   
   1. Traffic flows only in the arrow's direction
   2. Vehicles may turn opposite the arrow after stopping
   3. The arrow marks a passing lane for all traffic
   4. The street changes direction at the next block
   Show answer

   Traffic flows only in the arrow's direction. A One-Way sign establishes the permitted direction of traffic shown by its arrow. The handbook warns drivers not to turn opposite that direction and never to drive the wrong way on a one-way street. Stopping does not create an exception, and the arrow is not a passing instruction or a promise that direction changes at the next block. Follow the displayed direction until another lawful control changes it.

10. 10. To prevent a fatigue related crash, which hours does the Kansas handbook say to avoid driving?

    1. Midnight to 6 a.m.
    2. 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.
    3. Noon to 3 p.m.
    4. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
    Show answer

    Midnight to 6 a.m.. The handbook advises trying not to drive late at night between midnight and 6 a.m., when fatigue is most likely to lead to a crash. The morning, afternoon, and early evening windows are not the hours it names. Other advice includes getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep before a trip and taking breaks about every 100 miles or 2 hours.

11. 11. A driver turns left while an opposing vehicle goes straight through the intersection. Who has priority?

    1. The left-turning driver
    2. The vehicle with the larger engine
    3. The opposing vehicle going straight
    4. The vehicle that signals first
    Show answer

    The opposing vehicle going straight. Kansas requires the driver turning left to yield to vehicles approaching from the opposite direction. If both vehicles enter at the same time, the vehicle going straight through has the right-of-way. The left-turn choice reverses the required yield. Vehicle size and engine power have no role in this intersection rule. Signaling communicates an intention but does not give the signaling vehicle priority, so the choice “The vehicle that signals first” is also wrong. Before beginning a left turn, scan the opposing lane and wait for the through vehicle to pass, even if your signal has been on for the entire approach.

12. 12. Unless posted otherwise, what is the Kansas maximum speed on a state or federal highway?

    1. 65 mph
    2. 55 mph
    3. 45 mph
    4. 75 mph
    Show answer

    65 mph. Kansas sets the default maximum at 65 miles per hour on any state or federal highway, unless another limit is posted. The 55 mph choice belongs to county or township roads. The 75 mph figure applies to a separated, multilane highway designated and posted by the Secretary of Transportation, not every state or federal highway. Forty-five mph is not one of the handbook's listed defaults. First identify the road category, then check for a posted change. A state route alone does not turn into the 75 mph category without the separated, multilane designation and posting.

13. 13. Who must sit in the front seat beside a Kansas instruction permit holder while driving?

    1. Any adult, licensed or not
    2. Any licensed driver
    3. A parent only
    4. A licensed adult at least 21 years old with at least one year of driving experience, and no one else
    Show answer

    A licensed adult at least 21 years old with at least one year of driving experience, and no one else. A Kansas instruction permit holder may only drive with a licensed adult in the front seat. That adult must be at least 21 years old and have at least one year of driving experience, and no person other than the supervising adult may occupy the front seat. Use of wireless communication devices is also barred. The permit expires in one year and may be renewed with testing.

14. 14. What following interval should a driver use under adverse conditions?

    1. One second
    2. Two seconds
    3. Three seconds
    4. Four seconds
    Show answer

    Four seconds. Adverse conditions call for the four-second following rule. Rain, poor visibility, traffic, or a slippery surface can make stopping take longer, so the ordinary two-second interval is not enough. One or three seconds also provide less margin than the handbook specifies. Use a fixed roadside reference and count four seconds after the vehicle ahead passes it. If conditions worsen or the vehicle ahead stops often, add even more space instead of trying to maintain a close pace.

15. 15. What does the pedestrian crossing warning sign tell a driver to expect?

    
    1. People may be crossing the roadway ahead
    2. Pedestrians are forbidden from entering the road
    3. A sidewalk repair crew controls the next lane
    4. Only bicycles may cross at the marked location
    Show answer

    People may be crossing the roadway ahead. The walking person identifies a pedestrian crossing warning, so drivers should expect people near or crossing the roadway ahead. Kansas lists pedestrian crossings among warning signs that may use fluorescent yellow, distinguishing them from regulatory signs that impose a prohibition. The sign does not forbid pedestrians, reserve the crossing for bicycles, or announce a work crew. Ease off the accelerator, scan both sides of the road, and prepare to yield as the crossing comes into view. Advance attention gives you time to stop smoothly if someone enters the path.

16. 16. What does an orange road sign indicate?

    1. A warning about an uncontrolled intersection
    2. A driver service such as lodging
    3. A work zone or construction activity ahead
    4. A route direction to a city
    Show answer

    A work zone or construction activity ahead. Orange signs are used for work zones involving construction, maintenance, or emergency operations. Kansas says these signs alert drivers to work zones ahead and warn that people are working on or near the roadway. The color does not identify lodging, city directions, or the ordinary yellow warning category for an uncontrolled intersection. Slow down, watch for workers and equipment, and follow temporary signs, barriers, or flagger instructions. Work zones can change lane paths and pavement conditions, so keep extra space and be ready for a sudden stop.

17. 17. An emergency vehicle is stopped on the shoulder with its emergency lights on. Within what distance of it is passing prohibited?

    1. Within 25 feet of it
    2. Within 100 feet of it
    3. Within 50 feet of it
    4. Within 500 feet of it
    Show answer

    Within 100 feet of it. Kansas lists passing within 100 feet of an emergency vehicle stopped at the side of the roadway with its emergency lights on as a no passing situation. Twenty five and 50 feet understate it. Five hundred feet is the distance to stay behind a moving emergency vehicle after it passes you, a different rule. On a road with two or more lanes in each direction, you also move out of the lane next to the stopped vehicle when you can.

18. 18. Unless another limit is posted, what is the maximum speed on a designated separated, multilane highway outside a town?

    1. 55 miles per hour
    2. 75 miles per hour
    3. 70 miles per hour
    4. 65 miles per hour
    Show answer

    75 miles per hour. The handbook lists 75 miles per hour for a separated, multilane highway designated and posted by the Secretary of Transportation. The 55 and 65 figures apply to other road categories, while 70 is not the listed maximum for this one. The number is a maximum for normal conditions, not a promise that it is always safe. Reduce speed for weather, traffic, roadway condition, or anything else that makes the posted maximum unreasonable.

19. 19. What is the purpose of a shared center left-turn lane?

    
    1. Passing slower vehicles in either direction
    2. Parking during busy traffic periods
    3. Left turns by vehicles traveling in either direction
    4. Through travel when the outside lanes are closed
    Show answer

    Left turns by vehicles traveling in either direction. A shared center left-turn lane is reserved for left turns by traffic traveling in either direction. It is not a passing lane, a parking strip, or a substitute through lane when ordinary lanes are busy. Enter it only as needed for the turn, check opposing traffic, signal, and choose a suitable opening. Staying in the center lane too early increases the chance of meeting another vehicle coming toward you, so timing matters as much as position.

20. 20. How long is a Kansas non-commercial Class C instruction permit valid, and how is it renewed?

    1. One year; it is renewed by passing the written exam again
    2. Six months; it is renewed by mail
    3. Two years; it renews automatically
    4. Until age 18; no renewal is needed
    Show answer

    One year; it is renewed by passing the written exam again. A Class C instruction permit is valid for one year from the date it is issued, and every instruction permit is renewed by retaking and passing the written examination. Six months is the period for non-commercial Class A and B permits, not Class C, and renewal is not handled by mail alone. There is no automatic two year renewal and no permit that lasts until 18.