KY Permit Practice Test 19

All 20 questions in test 19

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. After a young driver finishes the graduated process and the regional office issues the full unrestricted license, what arrives first for immediate use?

   1. A temporary license printed on paper until the card arrives by mail
   2. Only a mailed card, with nothing to carry meanwhile
   3. A sticker placed on the old intermediate permit
   4. A verbal approval with no document
   Show answer

   A temporary license printed on paper until the card arrives by mail. The regional office issues a temporary license printed on paper to use until the license card arrives by U.S. mail. Receiving only a mailed card with nothing to carry ignores the paper temporary issued at the office. A sticker on the old intermediate permit belongs to the intermediate phase, and verbal approval alone is not the document described. The paper copy covers the wait while the card travels by mail.

   Study this in the handbook: The intermediate license and full license

2. 2. What windshield cleaning equipment does Kentucky require on the driver side of the windshield?

   1. A wiper is required on the driver's side
   2. Only a washer fluid reservoir is required
   3. A rear window defroster may substitute
   4. No equipment is required if rain is light
   Show answer

   A wiper is required on the driver's side. A windshield wiper is required on the driver’s side. The windshield must have a device for cleaning rain, snow, or other moisture from it. A washer fluid reservoir alone does not satisfy the driver side wiper requirement, and a rear window defroster may not substitute for front windshield cleaning equipment. Light rain does not remove the mandatory wiper duty on the driver side.

   Study this in the handbook: Required equipment, safety belts, air bags and child seats

3. 3. Using the counting method, how do you know you are following too closely?

   1. You pass the stationary point after counting to one thousand six
   2. You cannot see the vehicle ahead's bumper
   3. You reach the point at exactly one thousand four
   4. You pass the stationary point before counting to one thousand four
   Show answer

   You pass the stationary point before counting to one thousand four. Watch the rear of the vehicle ahead pass a stationary point, then count the seconds until you reach that point. If you pass it before counting to one thousand four, you are following too closely. Reduce speed and count again until the gap is at least four seconds. Increase the gap in the situations listed in the manual, including slippery roads, large vehicles, night driving, fog, and bad weather.

   Study this in the handbook: Looking ahead, stopping distance and following distance

4. 4. Your vehicle lacks anti-lock brakes and begins to skid in a straight line. How should you brake?

   1. Brake as hard as possible and hold
   2. Accelerate until the skid ends
   3. Use the parking brake at full force
   4. Do not brake hard; slow the vehicle by pumping the brakes gently
   Show answer

   Do not brake hard; slow the vehicle by pumping the brakes gently. If you do not have anti-lock brakes, do not brake hard during a skid: this locks the wheels and makes the skid worse. Slow the vehicle by pumping the brakes gently. Sustained hard braking without anti-lock locks wheels and worsens the skid. Full parking brake force can lock the rear wheels into a slide. The manual directs you to slow the vehicle by pumping the brakes gently.

   Study this in the handbook: Skids, pavement drop offs and collisions

5. 5. What lights must a bicycle show when riding at night?

   1. A red light in front and a white reflector behind
   2. A white light visible from the front and a red reflector or light visible from the rear
   3. No lights if street lighting is present
   4. Flashing blue lights front and rear
   Show answer

   A white light visible from the front and a red reflector or light visible from the rear. At night, a bicycle must have a white light visible from the front and a red reflector or light visible from the rear. A red light in front with a white reflector behind reverses the required colors. Street lighting does not remove the night equipment duty, and flashing blue lights front and rear do not meet the white front and red rear requirement.

   Study this in the handbook: Sharing the road with bicycles, motorcycles and trucks

6. 6. At the initial vision screening, what minimum visual acuity must a first-time Kentucky applicant have before moving on to the written test?

   1. 20/60, without corrective lenses
   2. 20/80, corrected only
   3. 20/40, corrected or uncorrected
   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.

   Study this in the handbook: License classes and the tests

7. 7. How does a vehicle behave when a front tire blows out?

   1. It wobbles and shakes with a mild pull
   2. It continues straight with no pull
   3. It pulls toward the opposite side of the blowout
   4. It pulls sharply in the direction of the blowout
   Show answer

   It pulls sharply in the direction of the blowout. If a front tire blows out, the vehicle will pull sharply in the direction of the blowout. A rear tire blowout instead makes the vehicle wobble, shake, and pull some in that direction, which is milder than the sharp pull of a front tire blowout. No pull at all, or a pull away from the failed tire, contradicts the rapid deflation mechanics. The response is to grip the wheel firmly, keep the vehicle straight, slow gradually off the accelerator, and avoid braking while the vehicle slows.

   Study this in the handbook: Brake failure, blowouts and other vehicle failures

8. 8. Before opening a vehicle door when parked on the street, what must the driver check?

   1. Only the rearview mirror for cars
   2. The sides and rear for bicyclists
   3. Whether the parking brake is set
   4. Only whether a passenger is ready to exit
   Show answer

   The sides and rear for bicyclists. When parked on the street, the driver should check to the sides and rear for bicyclists before opening the vehicle door. A mirror glance aimed at cars alone can miss a rider approaching in the door's swing path, and bicyclists may be riding anywhere on the roadway. Parking brake and passenger readiness do not scan for that traffic. The same alertness applies before backing near schools and residential areas. Cue: a door opens into a travel path, so sweep the sides and rear for riders first.

   Study this in the handbook: Sharing the road with bicycles, motorcycles and trucks

9. 9. When may a Kentucky licensed driver sign up as an organ donor?

   1. Only when a vehicle is first registered
   2. Only when replacing a lost license
   3. Only at a hospital after turning 21
   4. When the initial license is issued or when the license is renewed
   Show answer

   When the initial license is issued or when the license is renewed. Licensed drivers in Kentucky can sign up as organ donors when their initial driver's license is issued or when the license is renewed. These are the licensing events named in the manual's organ-donation section; the other choices do not state that guidance. Vehicle registration is handled separately; donor signup occurs at license issuance or renewal. No hospital visit or age 21 condition is stated; signup occurs at issuance or renewal.

10. 10. A driver transfers to Kentucky with a license that expired more than one year ago. What record must that driver obtain from the previous state?

    1. A full, certified Driver History Record or clearance letter
    2. A copy of the old vehicle registration
    3. A letter from the previous employer
    4. A certified copy of a birth certificate only
    Show answer

    A full, certified Driver History Record or clearance letter. If an out-of-state license has been expired for more than one year at transfer, the driver must obtain a full, certified Driver History Record or clearance letter from the previous state. The driver must also take the written and eye exams. The other listed documents do not replace the required record or clearance letter. A registration document covers the vehicle, not the transfer record required after a license expired over one year ago.

    Study this in the handbook: License classes and the tests

11. 11. Which phrase does the manual use alongside 'operate' in its DUI prohibition for a person with an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or above?

    1. Riding as a front seat passenger
    2. Owning a motor vehicle registered in Kentucky
    3. Being in physical control of a motor vehicle
    4. Standing beside a parked vehicle with the engine off
    Show answer

    Being in physical control of a motor vehicle. The manual states that a person shall not operate or be in physical control of a motor vehicle while having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or above. It also prohibits doing so while under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance, or another substance that impairs driving ability. The phrase used alongside 'operate' is 'be in physical control of a motor vehicle.'. The phrase used alongside 'operate' is 'be in physical control of a motor vehicle.'.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, other drugs and the BAC limits

12. 12. What vehicle condition can cause a road test vehicle to be rejected before driving begins?

    1. A radio preset to a news station
    2. A fuel tank below three quarters full
    3. Aftermarket floor mats of any kind
    4. A passenger compartment, seat, or floor area that is not clean
    Show answer

    A passenger compartment, seat, or floor area that is not clean. The passenger compartment, seat, and floor area must be clean or the vehicle may be rejected. Both driver and examiner must wear seat belts if the vehicle was factory equipped with them, and the belts must be clean and working. The manual specifically lists an unclean passenger compartment, seat, or floor area as a reason for rejection; it does not specify a three-quarter-full fuel requirement.

    Study this in the handbook: License classes and the tests

13. 13. A driver behind you wants to pass and needs room to move in front of you. How should you assist?

    1. Speed up to close the gap
    2. Ease up on the accelerator to assist, slowing if needed for space in front
    3. Flash your headlights repeatedly
    4. Move toward the center line
    Show answer

    Ease up on the accelerator to assist, slowing if needed for space in front. When a driver behind you wants to pass, ease up on the accelerator to assist. You may need to slow down to leave enough room in front for the passing driver to move in safely. Speeding up closes the gap the passer needs, and flashing headlights repeatedly creates no room in front of your vehicle. Moving toward the center line crowds the passing driver instead of assisting the move into that space.

    Study this in the handbook: Looking ahead, stopping distance and following distance

14. 14. A Kentucky credential has been expired for three years. What must the driver do about testing to renew it?

    1. Retake both the written and vision tests
    2. Take only a road test with an examiner
    3. No testing is required, because credentials expired less than 5 years need none
    4. Start over as a new driver
    Show answer

    No testing is required, because credentials expired less than 5 years need none. Three years sits inside the five year line, and no testing is required for a person with credentials expired less than 5 years. Retaking both written and vision tests describes a heavier burden than this renewal carries. A road test alone is not the stated path either. Starting over as a new driver applies only once a credential has been expired more than 5 years, which this driver has not reached. Counting the years since expiration before booking any test saves a needless trip and keeps the renewal simple.

    Study this in the handbook: Renewal, registration and insurance

15. 15. What is the stated starting sequence before turning the ignition to on?

    1. Shift to neutral and release the brake
    2. Place the right foot on the brake pedal and check the gear selector for park
    3. Press the accelerator lightly and turn the key
    4. Check mirrors first, then start in drive
    Show answer

    Place the right foot on the brake pedal and check the gear selector for park. Check the vehicle owner’s manual for starting instructions. The manual’s stated sequence is to put your right foot on the brake pedal, check that the gear selector is in park, place the key in the ignition, turn it to on, and check the indicator lights and gauges. The stated sequence uses the brake pedal and checks for park, not neutral with the brake released.

16. 16. When checking tire pressure with a gauge, at what tire condition should the check be made?

    1. When the tires are cold
    2. After driving at least 20 miles to warm the tires
    3. Only after rotating the tires
    4. Only when a warning light appears
    Show answer

    When the tires are cold. Check tire pressure with a pressure gauge monthly, when the tires are cold. Compare the reading with the PSI number on the sticker inside the door jamb. If the reading is too high, let air out; if too low, inflate the tires until the numbers match. Driving first warms the tires; the check is made when tires are cold. Rotation is separate maintenance; pressure is checked monthly when tires are cold.

17. 17. How should the lap belt be adjusted after fastening?

    1. Loose across the stomach so breathing is easy
    2. High across the ribs under the shoulder harness
    3. Snug and low across the hips
    4. Behind the back when a shoulder harness is used
    Show answer

    Snug and low across the hips. After fastening, adjust the lap belt so it is snug and low across the hips. Otherwise, the manual warns that you could slide out of the belt in a crash, resulting in injury or death. Wear the shoulder harness across the shoulder and chest with minimal slack, not under the arm or behind the back. The lap belt should be snug and low across the hips; otherwise, the occupant could slide out in a crash.

    Study this in the handbook: Required equipment, safety belts, air bags and child seats

18. 18. Near railroad tracks, the cross buck sign carries the same meaning as which other sign?

    1. A stop sign
    2. A speed limit sign
    3. A yield sign
    4. A guide sign
    Show answer

    A yield sign. The crossbuck near railroad tracks is a regulatory sign with the same meaning as a yield sign. At two flashing red lights, stop and proceed only after the lights stop flashing and you determine no train is approaching. A round yellow advance warning sign cautions drivers to slow down, look and listen, and be prepared to stop for an approaching train.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and arrows

19. 19. A driver entering a public highway from a driveway or private road must yield to whom?

    1. Drivers already on the public highway
    2. No one, if the driveway driver arrives first
    3. Only commercial vehicles on the highway
    4. Pedestrians on the private road only
    Show answer

    Drivers already on the public highway. When entering a public highway from a driveway or private road, yield to drivers already on the public highway. The manual does not limit this rule to commercial vehicles or make it depend on who first reached the driveway's edge. First arrival at the driveway edge does not override the duty to yield to highway traffic. Highway drivers generally must be yielded to, not only commercial vehicles.

    Study this in the handbook: Yielding the right of way

20. 20. How should a driver use the acceleration lane when entering a multi lane highway?

    1. Stop at the end and wait for a large gap
    2. Reach the speed of other vehicles before pulling onto the roadway
    3. Enter slowly and let highway traffic adjust
    4. Merge first, then accelerate to traffic speed
    Show answer

    Reach the speed of other vehicles before pulling onto the roadway. Use the acceleration lane to reach the speed of other vehicles before pulling onto the roadway. Identify a gap and merge with the traffic flow, then cancel your turn signal. Existing traffic has the right of way, so make sure it is clear before merging. The manual directs you to use the acceleration lane to reach traffic speed before pulling onto the roadway. Highway traffic has the right of way; the entering driver matches speed first.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings, crosswalks and lane use