KY Permit Practice Test 23

All 20 questions in test 23

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. Which distraction category covers the mental workload of thinking about something other than driving?

   1. Visual distraction
   2. Cognitive distraction
   3. Manual distraction
   4. Mechanical distraction
   Show answer

   Cognitive distraction. Cognitive distraction covers tasks defined as the mental workload associated with thinking about something other than the driving task. Visual distraction instead requires looking away from the roadway for information, and manual distraction requires taking hands off the wheel to manipulate a control or device. Mechanical distraction is not one of the three categories used here. A conversation that pulls your mind elsewhere fits the cognitive label even when your eyes stay forward and both hands stay on the wheel.

   Study this in the handbook: Fatigue, distraction and emotions

2. 2. A student from another state attends college in Kentucky. What must that student keep to use home state registration and insurance while driving here?

   1. A Kentucky parking permit
   2. Proof of a Kentucky dormitory address
   3. A letter from the home state licensing office
   4. A current student identification card from a Kentucky college, university, or technical college
   Show answer

   A current student identification card from a Kentucky college, university, or technical college. Students may use home-state registration and insurance in Kentucky if they keep a current student identification card from a Kentucky college, university, or technical college. The manual names that current school ID, not a parking permit, a letter from the home-state licensing office, or proof of a dormitory address. The manual requires a current student identification card from a Kentucky college, university, or technical college, not a parking permit.

   Study this in the handbook: Renewal, registration and insurance

3. 3. What must you do before turning right on red where no sign prohibits the turn?

   1. Slow down and turn if no vehicle is immediately ahead
   2. Stop, then turn even if a pedestrian is crossing
   3. Stop first, then turn only when the roadway is clear of vehicles and pedestrians
   4. Wait for green at every intersection
   Show answer

   Stop first, then turn only when the roadway is clear of vehicles and pedestrians. A right turn on red begins with a complete stop. You must be in the proper lane, have no sign prohibiting the turn, and wait for the roadway to be clear of vehicle and pedestrian traffic. A slow rolling turn skips the required stop. Stopping alone also does not give permission to turn across someone crossing your path. Check both the posted restriction and the traffic before making the movement.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights and arrows

4. 4. A Kentucky vehicle registration is about to expire. How much grace period does the owner have to renew it?

   1. A 10 day grace period
   2. There is no grace period
   3. A 30 day grace period
   4. A 45 day grace period
   Show answer

   There is no grace period. There is no grace period for renewing a Kentucky vehicle registration. Renew on or before the certificate's expiration date. The owner shall be notified by mail at least 45 days before expiration, and not receiving the notice is not a defense for failing to register on time. Ten days is not provided; the registration must be renewed by the expiration date. Thirty days is not provided; there is no grace period for renewal.

   Study this in the handbook: Renewal, registration and insurance

5. 5. How may Kentucky drivers carry written proof of minimum liability coverage in the vehicle?

   1. Only as a paper card kept in the glove box
   2. As a paper insurance card or on a portable electronic device
   3. Only through the county clerk's website
   4. Written proof is not required in the vehicle
   Show answer

   As a paper insurance card or on a portable electronic device. Written proof of minimum liability coverage must be maintained in the vehicle, and it can be a paper insurance card or a portable electronic device used to download the insurance card. Paper is accepted but is not the only form, which rules out the glove box only choice. The county clerk's website is not the stated method of carrying proof. Skipping proof altogether contradicts the requirement. Cue: the proof travels with the vehicle, on paper or on a device.

   Study this in the handbook: Renewal, registration and insurance

6. 6. A driver changes names and wants the new name on the Kentucky license. Which document is not acceptable as proof of the name change by itself?

   1. A name change court order
   2. A marriage license
   3. A divorce decree
   4. A Social Security card
   Show answer

   A Social Security card. A Social Security card is not acceptable as proof of a name change. The driver still must show a new Social Security card with the new name to prove the name was updated with the Social Security Administration, but the change itself needs a document such as a marriage license, divorce decree, or court order. The three legal documents each record the change directly. Cue: the card proves the update was filed, while the court or marriage record proves the change happened.

   Study this in the handbook: Renewal, registration and insurance

7. 7. Your vehicle is disabled on a highway. Where should emergency flares be placed?

   1. 50 to 100 feet behind the vehicle
   2. About 200 to 300 feet behind the vehicle
   3. Immediately beside the rear bumper
   4. One mile behind the vehicle
   Show answer

   About 200 to 300 feet behind the vehicle. Place emergency flares about 200 to 300 feet behind the disabled vehicle to give other drivers time to change lanes if necessary. Turn on the emergency flashers and lift the hood to show that you need assistance. The manual specifies about 200 to 300 feet behind the vehicle, farther than 50 to 100 feet. The specified placement is about 200 to 300 feet behind the vehicle, not immediately beside the bumper.

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

8. 8. Which specialists make up Kentucky's Medical Review Board?

   1. Highway engineers, examiners, clerks, and troopers
   2. Family physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and opticians
   3. Surgeons, cardiologists, pediatricians, and nurses
   4. Ophthalmologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, and rehabilitation specialists
   Show answer

   Ophthalmologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, and rehabilitation specialists. The Medical Review Board consists of ophthalmologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, and rehabilitation specialists. Members provide medical advice to the Division of Driver Licensing about applicants and licensees reported to the Board. The other choices do not give the listed composition. Dentists, pharmacists, and opticians are not listed as board members. Surgeons, cardiologists, and pediatricians are not the listed board composition. Licensing staff and troopers are not the medical specialists who make up the board.

9. 9. Which child must be secured in a child booster seat in Kentucky?

   1. A child age 6 who is 45 inches tall
   2. A child of any age taller than 57 inches
   3. A child age 10 who is 50 inches tall
   4. A child 40 inches or less in a booster instead of a restraint system
   Show answer

   A child age 6 who is 45 inches tall. A 6-year-old who is 45 inches tall falls within the manual's booster-seat requirement for children under age 8 who are between 40 and 57 inches tall. A child of any age taller than 57 inches is not required to use a booster. For a child 40 inches tall or less, the manual requires a child restraint system meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards.

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

10. 10. A collision causes property damage over $500 and no law enforcement officer investigates. What must an involved person file, and by when?

    1. An oral report with the county clerk within 30 days
    2. A written report with the Kentucky State Police within 10 days of the collision
    3. A written report only if injuries later appear
    4. No report, since no officer investigated
    Show answer

    A written report with the Kentucky State Police within 10 days of the collision. A person involved in a collision resulting in property damage exceeding $500, where no law enforcement officer conducted an investigation, must file a written report of the accident with the Kentucky State Police within ten days of the collision. An oral county clerk report uses the wrong office, form, and deadline. Later injuries do not create the duty; the damage threshold and missing investigation do. The absence of an officer is precisely what triggers the filing, and a civilian report should not be completed when an officer did investigate.

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

11. 11. By when must you complete a pass as an oncoming vehicle approaches?

    1. Before coming within 200 feet of an oncoming vehicle
    2. Before coming within 100 feet of an oncoming vehicle
    3. Before coming within 300 feet of an oncoming vehicle
    4. Before the passed vehicle sounds its horn
    Show answer

    Before coming within 200 feet of an oncoming vehicle. Kentucky law requires that a pass be completed before reaching the beginning of a no passing zone, and that a pass be completed before coming within two hundred feet of an oncoming vehicle, so lingering in the left lane into either boundary violates the law. One hundred feet halves the safety margin the statute demands. Three hundred feet adds a cushion the text does not require. A horn from the passed vehicle sets no legal deadline. Two landmarks end every pass: zone start and 200 feet.

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

12. 12. How far may an average freight train traveling at 55 mph need to stop?

    1. A mile or more
    2. About half a mile
    3. About 300 feet
    4. About 1,000 feet
    Show answer

    A mile or more. An average freight train traveling at 55 mph may need a mile or more to stop. The manual emphasizes that trains cannot stop quickly. Do not attempt to cross until there is enough space to get completely across and off the tracks. If stopped at a crossing with more than one track, wait for a clear view in both directions before starting across.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossings

13. 13. When should you change lanes if you need a different lane after turning onto another street?

    1. Halfway through the turn before straightening
    2. As soon as your front wheels enter the new street
    3. After completing the turn and when traffic is clear
    4. Before checking traffic so following cars can react
    Show answer

    After completing the turn and when traffic is clear. Complete the turn into the nearest lane first. If you need a different lane, wait until the turn is finished and traffic is clear before changing. Moving across lanes in the middle of the turn combines two movements that the guidance treats separately. Use your mirrors, check the blind spot, and signal when making the later lane change. The useful cue is that your turning maneuver should already be complete before the next lane movement.

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

14. 14. During the penny tread test, you insert the coin head first into a groove and can see all of Lincoln's head. What does that result mean?

    1. The tread is deep enough for continued use
    2. The tires need rotation only
    3. The tire pressure is too high
    4. The tires are too worn and should be replaced
    Show answer

    The tires are too worn and should be replaced. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head when it is inserted first into the deepest-looking tread groove, the manual says the tires are too worn: do not drive on them and get them replaced. Tire pressure is checked separately with a gauge and compared with the PSI figure on the door-jamb sticker. The manual says seeing all of Lincoln’s head means the tires are too worn and should be replaced.

15. 15. Which side of a parked vehicle is safest to use when getting out?

    1. The curb side
    2. The traffic side whenever your hazard lights are on
    3. Whichever side is closest to your destination
    4. The traffic side if the engine is off
    Show answer

    The curb side. Choose the curb side when leaving your parked vehicle. If you must get out on the street side, check traffic first. Hazard lights or switching off the engine do not replace that traffic check. The parking guidance also calls for securing the vehicle with its parking brake and proper gear. Before opening a door, pay attention to the side and rear, including bicyclists who may be passing your parked vehicle.

16. 16. You are on an entrance ramp approaching an interstate. Who has the right of way?

    1. The entering driver on the ramp
    2. The largest vehicle in either flow
    3. Drivers already on the limited access or interstate highway
    4. The driver who reaches the merge point first
    Show answer

    Drivers already on the limited access or interstate highway. Drivers on an entrance or acceleration ramp must yield to drivers already on a limited-access or interstate highway. Use the acceleration lane to reach traffic speed, identify a gap, and merge when clear. The stated rule gives priority to existing traffic, not to vehicle size or arrival at the merge point. The ramp driver must yield; highway traffic holds the right of way. Vehicle size plays no role in assigning merge priority.

    Study this in the handbook: Yielding the right of way

17. 17. Why should you leave room beside parked vehicles?

    1. Parked vehicles always move toward the center line
    2. Parked cars are usually stopped for a long time and cannot move
    3. A person may step out or a vehicle may pull out suddenly
    4. The gap lets the driver pass parked cars at a higher speed
    Show answer

    A person may step out or a vehicle may pull out suddenly. Space beside parked vehicles gives you room for a door area, a person emerging between cars, or a vehicle beginning to move. Do not assume a silent parked car has no nearby pedestrian. The guidance asks for a space cushion because these movements can occur suddenly. Extra room helps you react, and it does not mean you can pass at a higher speed. Continue searching for people and movement as you pass.

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

18. 18. A train passes at a crossing with more than one track. When may you start across?

    1. Only after waiting until you have a clear view in both directions, in case a second train approaches
    2. Immediately behind the passing train
    3. When the driver behind honks
    4. After counting to three without looking
    Show answer

    Only after waiting until you have a clear view in both directions, in case a second train approaches. Multiple tracks multiply the danger after a train passes. Do not start up as soon as the first train clears. Wait until you have a clear view in both directions before starting across, because a second train could approach from the other direction hidden behind the first. Rolling immediately into the cleared track places you on the neighboring rails unsighted. A honk from behind measures impatience, not rail traffic. Counting without looking substitutes ritual for vision. Expect a train at any track, never cross after warning lights flash or gates descend, and confirm space beyond the far rail before moving.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossings

19. 19. How should the inside rearview mirror and day/night setting be adjusted?

    1. Aimed at the rear seat headrests for passenger checks
    2. Tilted toward the driver's face for grooming checks
    3. Framed on the rear window to show traffic flow behind, with the day/night setting matched to the time of day
    4. Set once at delivery and never changed
    Show answer

    Framed on the rear window to show traffic flow behind, with the day/night setting matched to the time of day. Adjust the inside rearview mirror to frame the rear window so you can see traffic behind you. Set a day/night mirror for the time of day you are driving. Adjust the seat and mirrors before starting to drive. Headrests fill the mirror with cabin instead of following traffic. Personal checks divert the primary rear view from the road. Adjust your seat and mirrors before driving, and set a day/night mirror for the time of day.

20. 20. When should you check directly behind your vehicle for small objects before backing?

    1. Only after shifting into reverse
    2. After starting the engine and fastening the belt
    3. After adjusting the seat and mirrors
    4. Before getting into the vehicle
    Show answer

    Before getting into the vehicle. Check the space behind the vehicle before entering it. A child or small object can be hidden from the driver’s seat, so the check needs to happen before relying on the seated view. Mirrors help during backing but do not show the area immediately behind the vehicle. Waiting until after starting the engine, adjusting the seat, or shifting delays that initial check. Continue looking rearward while backing slowly.