KY Permit Practice Test 1

All 20 questions in test 1

Every question below comes from the Kentucky 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. On a main road and a minor road, which driver must yield?

   1. The driver who reaches the center line first
   2. The driver on the main road
   3. The driver traveling below the speed limit
   4. The driver on the minor road
   Show answer

   The driver on the minor road. Kentucky assigns the yield duty to the driver on the minor road when traffic meets a main road. The main-road driver does not lose priority because the other vehicle is larger, faster, or reaches the center line first. Scan for the roadway hierarchy before entering, then slow or stop so the main-road traffic can continue safely. A minor road may be a side street or another less prominent route, so use signs, lane arrangement, and the intersection layout together rather than guessing from vehicle size or arrival speed.

2. 2. After escaping a vehicle stalled on Kentucky railroad tracks, whom does the manual say to call?

   1. Only a tow truck
   2. The railroad's business office
   3. The 800 number posted on or near the crossbuck, or 911
   4. No one until the train has passed
   Show answer

   The 800 number posted on or near the crossbuck, or 911. If your vehicle stalls on the tracks, get out immediately and run away from the track in the direction the train is coming from to avoid flying debris. Once at a safe distance, call the 800 number posted on or near the crossbuck, or call 911, to alert the dispatcher of your stalled vehicle, and do not try to restart the vehicle until a dispatcher says no trains are approaching.

3. 3. A yellow traffic light appears while you are approaching the intersection. What is the proper response?

   1. Continue at the same speed because yellow permits unrestricted entry
   2. Accelerate so the signal cannot turn red before you enter
   3. Stop when stopping can be done safely
   4. Reverse away from the intersection immediately
   Show answer

   Stop when stopping can be done safely. Yellow warns that the signal is about to become red. A driver should stop when a safe stop is possible, checking traffic behind before braking. The tempting acceleration choice treats the interval as extra time to enter, yet the manual specifically directs drivers to stop rather than race the change. If you are already too close for a safe stop, continuing through cautiously is different from deliberately speeding up. A useful cue is to see yellow as a transition toward stop, not as permission to begin another approach through the intersection.

4. 4. At a narrow or single lane bridge in rural Kentucky, which driver generally has the right of way?

   1. The heavier vehicle
   2. The driver who reaches the bridge first
   3. The driver traveling uphill
   4. The vehicle with more passengers
   Show answer

   The driver who reaches the bridge first. At a narrow or single lane bridge, Kentucky's manual advises taking turns and generally gives priority to the first driver who reaches the bridge. Vehicle weight, passenger count, and uphill travel are not the deciding cues in this guidance. Slow before the bridge, look for the warning sign, and make sure the other approach is understood before entering. If another vehicle is already committed to the single lane, wait rather than forcing a meeting in the confined space.

5. 5. What visual acuity does Kentucky's bioptic driving program require with corrective lenses?

   1. Any acuity with the device
   2. 20/40 in each eye
   3. 20/20 in the better eye
   4. 20/200 or better in the better eye, and 20/60 with the bioptic device
   Show answer

   20/200 or better in the better eye, and 20/60 with the bioptic device. The bioptic driving program's minimum standards are distance acuity of 20/200 or better with corrective lenses in the better eye, 20/60 or better using the bioptic telescopic device, and a visual field of 120 degrees horizontally and 80 degrees vertically in the better eye, with no diagnosis suggesting significant deterioration. Applicants who qualify may drive with a bioptic restriction after training.

6. 6. Which of these can get a Kentucky license suspended or revoked?

   1. Renewing your license six months early
   2. Registering a car in another county
   3. Using a driver's license fraudulently to try to buy alcohol
   4. Carrying a paper insurance card
   Show answer

   Using a driver's license fraudulently to try to buy alcohol. Kentucky's list of reasons for suspension or revocation includes fraudulent use of a driver's license to purchase or attempt to purchase alcoholic beverages, along with failing to keep insurance, failing to pay child support, three reckless driving convictions in 12 months, DUI, and refusing a chemical test. Renewing up to six months early is allowed. Registering a car is lawful, and a paper insurance card is valid proof of coverage.

7. 7. The parent who signed a Kentucky minor's application withdraws responsibility. What happens?

   1. Nothing, once a license is issued
   2. The minor pays a fine and keeps driving
   3. The license becomes an intermediate license
   4. The license is canceled, and the minor must wait until 18 unless another application is signed
   Show answer

   The license is canceled, and the minor must wait until 18 unless another application is signed. If you are under 18, the parent or legal guardian who signed your application can withdraw responsibility, which cancels your license. You then have to wait until 18 to get a permit and license, unless another application is signed. The withdrawal form is filed at a Transportation Cabinet Regional Office. An issued license is not protected, a fine does not replace the cancellation, and nothing is converted to another license type.

8. 8. If changing lanes around a stopped emergency vehicle is unsafe, how should you proceed?

   
   1. Keep the posted speed and pass close to the vehicle
   2. Slow down and continue cautiously at a safe speed for conditions
   3. Stop beside the emergency vehicle until traffic disappears
   4. Use the shoulder to avoid the lane beside the vehicle
   Show answer

   Slow down and continue cautiously at a safe speed for conditions. The manual gives a fallback when traffic or safety conditions prevent a lane change: slow down and proceed with caution while maintaining a safe speed for the conditions. Keeping the posted speed may still be too fast near responders. Stopping beside the vehicle can obstruct the scene, and the shoulder may contain personnel or equipment. The key driving cue is to evaluate the lane change first, then reduce speed and pass with ample care when moving over cannot be done safely.

9. 9. After an engine shuts off while driving, what braking method does the Kentucky manual recommend?

   1. Brake hard immediately and keep moving straight
   2. Use steady pressure, slow down, and pull off the roadway
   3. Release the brake completely until the engine restarts
   4. Use repeated sharp steering instead of braking
   Show answer

   Use steady pressure, slow down, and pull off the roadway. A power failure can make steering difficult, but the vehicle can still be guided. The manual says to look for an escape path, avoid hard braking, use steady pressure on the pedal, slow down, and then pull off the roadway. Hard braking may reduce control, while abandoning the brake or replacing it with sharp steering does not bring the disabled vehicle to a safe stop. Keep a strong grip on the wheel, maintain deliberate pedal pressure, and attempt a restart only after reaching a safe stopping location.

10. 10. What practice log is required for eligibility for a Kentucky intermediate license?

    1. At least 60 practice hours, including 10 at night
    2. At least 30 daytime hours
    3. At least 60 nighttime hours
    4. At least 180 hours with no night driving
    Show answer

    At least 60 practice hours, including 10 at night. Before an intermediate license, the manual requires a Practice Driving Log with at least 60 hours of practice, including 10 hours completed at night. The requirement is not limited to 30 daytime hours and does not demand 60 nighttime hours. The 180 figure belongs to the permit holding period, not the practice total. Track the hours in the certified log and make sure the nighttime portion is included rather than assumed.

11. 11. What minimum visual acuity must a first-time Kentucky applicant have before taking the written test?

    1. 20/60, without corrective lenses
    2. 20/40, corrected or uncorrected
    3. 20/80, corrected only
    4. 20/20, with no exceptions
    Show answer

    20/40, corrected or uncorrected. The initial vision screening requires at least 20/40 visual acuity, whether corrected or uncorrected, before the applicant moves to the written test. Choosing 20/60 confuses the later specialist pathway with the initial screening standard. Corrective lenses may satisfy the 20/40 requirement, and their use can become a driving privilege restriction. The practical cue is to remember 20/40 as the first gate, while 20/60 or better appears only after referral to a vision specialist.

12. 12. What does a Kentucky Class C commercial license cover?

    1. Any vehicle over 26,001 pounds
    2. Motorcycles only
    3. Farm trucks within 150 miles
    4. A single vehicle under 26,001 pounds that is placarded for hazardous materials or designed to carry more than 16 people including the driver
    Show answer

    A single vehicle under 26,001 pounds that is placarded for hazardous materials or designed to carry more than 16 people including the driver. Class C covers any single vehicle with a gross combination weight rating of less than 26,001 pounds that is placarded for hazardous materials or designed to transport more than 16 people including the driver. Class B covers single vehicles of 26,001 pounds or more towing no more than 10,000 pounds, and Class A covers heavier combinations. The cargo or passengers, not just weight, decide the class.

13. 13. Should a driver assume another road user will always yield the right of way?

    1. No, the intersection’s situation and circumstances must be considered
    2. Yes, a right-of-way rule guarantees the path is clear
    3. Yes, if the driver reached the intersection first
    4. No, right-of-way rules never apply at intersections
    Show answer

    No, the intersection’s situation and circumstances must be considered. Kentucky presents right-of-way rules as guidance, not a guarantee that other people will behave as expected. Even when a rule appears to favor you, consider the actual intersection, visibility, pedestrians, and other traffic before moving. The first-arrival rule does not make the path automatically safe, and right-of-way rules do apply at intersections. The useful cue is uncertainty: if another driver may not yield, slow or wait rather than assert priority. Avoiding a collision is more important than proving that another person was supposed to stop.

14. 14. How far must Kentucky headlights reveal a person ahead on high beam and on low beam?

    1. 100 feet on high and 50 on low
    2. 350 feet on high beam and 100 feet on low beam
    3. 1,000 feet on high and 500 on low
    4. 500 feet on both
    Show answer

    350 feet on high beam and 100 feet on low beam. Your vehicle must have two headlights and two taillights, and headlights on high beam must be strong enough to reveal a person 350 feet ahead and 100 feet ahead on low beam, without shining a glaring light into the eyes of an oncoming driver. Headlights must be on from one half hour after sunset to one half hour before sunrise. The examiner checks lights before the road test.

15. 15. A flashing yellow arrow tells the driver to:

    1. Turn opposite the arrow to avoid traffic
    2. Stop until a solid green circle appears
    3. Proceed with caution in the arrow’s direction
    4. Treat the signal exactly like a flashing red light
    Show answer

    Proceed with caution in the arrow’s direction. A flashing yellow arrow permits movement in the arrow’s direction, but it requires caution. The indication is not a mandatory stop like a red signal, and it does not direct traffic opposite the arrow. Treating it as flashing red would impose the wrong control. Before moving, confirm that the path and conflict area are clear, then make the indicated turn carefully. The key cue is the combination of yellow and the arrow: movement is allowed in that direction, with attention to other roadway users and changing conditions.

16. 16. After taking the officer's test, what extra test does Kentucky law let the driver have?

    1. A blood test by a qualified person of the driver's choosing, at the driver's expense
    2. A free retest by the same officer
    3. A urine test paid by the state
    4. No additional test is allowed
    Show answer

    A blood test by a qualified person of the driver's choosing, at the driver's expense. If you take the requested test or tests, you have the right to have a blood test performed by a person of your choosing, such as a physician, registered nurse, phlebotomist or medical technologist, within a reasonable time of arrest and at your own expense. The state does not pay for it, and it is not a retest by the officer. Saying no additional test is allowed contradicts KRS 189A.103.

17. 17. How should you respond to the pictured warning sign showing a STOP symbol ahead?

    
    1. Slow down and be prepared to stop at the upcoming STOP sign
    2. Stop immediately beside the warning sign and remain there
    3. Continue at speed because the small symbol is advisory only
    4. Turn around before reaching the intersection
    Show answer

    Slow down and be prepared to stop at the upcoming STOP sign. The pictured sign is a warning about a possible traffic control point ahead. Warning signs tell drivers to slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary, so the driver should approach the upcoming STOP sign under control. Stopping beside the advance warning sign is not the same as obeying the later stop control, and continuing at speed wastes the preparation distance. Turning around is not required. Ease off the accelerator, scan ahead, and stop at the actual line or crosswalk.

18. 18. What do the shape, color, symbols, and words on traffic signs help a driver identify?

    
    1. The weather expected later that day
    2. The mechanical condition of nearby vehicles
    3. The exact arrival time of a traffic signal
    4. The type of information the sign provides
    Show answer

    The type of information the sign provides. The shape, color, symbols, and words on a traffic sign give clues about the type of information it provides. A sign cannot diagnose nearby vehicles, predict the exact signal timing, or forecast later weather. Use those visual features to recognize whether the sign warns, regulates, guides, or identifies a roadway service. Then read the message and adjust speed or position before reaching the condition. The practical cue is to interpret the sign as a communication tool, combining its appearance with its words instead of relying on color alone.

19. 19. What do work zone signs alert drivers to?

    
    1. Work zones ahead and people working on or near the roadway
    2. A guaranteed open lane with no construction activity
    3. A nearby hospital or fuel station
    4. A route that permits passing in every lane
    Show answer

    Work zones ahead and people working on or near the roadway. Work zone signs alert drivers to roadwork ahead and warn that people may be working on or near the roadway. They do not guarantee an open lane, identify a service location, or authorize passing in every lane. When orange signs appear, reduce speed, scan for workers and equipment, and expect lane changes, detours, or rough surfaces. The useful cue is the combination of warning color and changing roadway conditions, which calls for extra space and a controlled approach.

20. 20. What appearance do regulatory signs commonly have?

    1. They are blue triangles used only for services
    2. They are always round and fluorescent yellow
    3. They are square or rectangular, or have a special shape, with white and colored lettering or symbols
    4. They are orange diamonds used only near construction
    Show answer

    They are square or rectangular, or have a special shape, with white and colored lettering or symbols. Regulatory signs are commonly square or rectangular, or they may have a special shape, and they use white with black, red, or green letters or symbols. These visual features distinguish legal instructions from yellow warning signs, blue service signs, and orange work zone signs. Read the words and symbols carefully because the sign communicates a rule that must be obeyed. The cue is a rule-shaped sign with a white field, not merely any colored panel beside the road.