NY Permit Practice Test 2

All 20 questions in test 2

Every question below comes from the New York 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. What does a double solid yellow center line mean on a New York two-way road?

   1. Passing is prohibited in both directions
   2. Passing is allowed when traffic is light
   3. Only trucks may cross to pass
   4. Passing is permitted from the side with the wider shoulder
   Show answer

   Passing is prohibited in both directions. A double solid yellow line separates opposing traffic where passing is prohibited in both directions. Light traffic, vehicle type, or shoulder width does not create an exception to the marking. A driver should remain in the proper lane and wait for a permitted passing zone rather than crossing the center lines. The visual cue is two continuous yellow lines, not a broken line paired with a solid line. Treat the center as a no-passing boundary until the pavement marking changes.

2. 2. How should a New York driver approach an intersection controlled by a flashing yellow signal?

   1. Stop and wait for a green signal
   2. Treat it as a solid red light
   3. Slow down and proceed with caution
   4. Accelerate before cross traffic arrives
   Show answer

   Slow down and proceed with caution. A flashing yellow signal tells the driver to slow down and proceed with caution. It does not require the automatic stop associated with a red signal, but it also does not invite acceleration. Waiting for green would misread the signal, while treating it as solid red would apply the wrong control. Scan for cross traffic, pedestrians, and turning vehicles, then enter only when the intersection is clear. The yellow flash is a warning to reduce speed and be ready to yield.

3. 3. What does a steady yellow traffic signal mean in New York?

   1. The light is about to turn red; stop if safe
   2. Traffic has priority and should accelerate
   3. The signal is broken and may be ignored
   4. Stop only if a police officer is present
   Show answer

   The light is about to turn red; stop if safe. A steady yellow signal warns that the light is about to turn red. The driver should stop if a safe stop can be made, rather than accelerate to beat the change. A yellow signal is not permission to ignore the intersection or wait for an officer. If the vehicle is too close to stop safely, proceed through cautiously while watching for people and cross traffic. The cue is timing: yellow means the green phase is ending and a red phase is next.

4. 4. What type of warning does a five-sided pentagon sign provide in New York?

   1. A railroad crossing
   2. A hospital service area
   3. A school zone or school crossing
   4. A speed limit change
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   A school zone or school crossing. The pentagon shape identifies a school zone or school crossing warning. A railroad crossing uses a yellow circular warning sign with an X and RR, while a hospital is a service destination and a speed limit is a regulatory message. Shape recognition helps when lettering is distant or obscured. When the five-sided sign appears, reduce speed, scan for children, and expect crossing activity or school traffic. The shape is the key cue, not the sign's background alone.

5. 5. What information does a yellow diamond-shaped New York traffic sign normally provide?

   1. A mandatory parking restriction
   2. A destination name and distance
   3. A motorist service location
   4. A warning about conditions or hazards ahead
   Show answer

   A warning about conditions or hazards ahead. Yellow diamond-shaped signs are warning signs that alert drivers to special hazards or changing road conditions ahead. A parking restriction is normally regulatory, a destination sign is green, and a service sign is blue. The warning does not by itself set a new speed limit, but it tells the driver to become more attentive and adjust speed for the condition shown. Use the diamond as an early cue to look farther ahead and prepare for the roadway feature.

6. 6. A New York driver approaches a red octagonal STOP sign with no other traffic visible. What is required?

   1. Slow to walking speed and continue without stopping
   2. Make a complete stop, then proceed when safe
   3. Stop only if a pedestrian is waiting
   4. Yield to traffic but keep rolling through the sign
   Show answer

   Make a complete stop, then proceed when safe. A STOP sign requires a full stop even when the intersection appears empty. Stopping at the marked line, crosswalk, or before entering the intersection gives the driver a chance to check both directions and identify a late-arriving vehicle or pedestrian. The choice saying to slow to walking speed still permits movement and therefore misses the rule. Use the sign shape as the cue: the red eight-sided sign means stop first, scan, yield as needed, and enter only after the way is safe.

7. 7. What action does a New York driver associate with a red-and-white triangular YIELD sign?

   1. Slow down and give the right-of-way when necessary
   2. Stop for exactly five seconds before every entry
   3. Accelerate so cross traffic can pass behind
   4. Enter first because the sign protects the driver
   Show answer

   Slow down and give the right-of-way when necessary. A YIELD sign tells the driver to reduce speed and give the right-of-way to vehicles or pedestrians that have priority. A full stop may be needed, but the sign does not impose a five-second wait when the road is clear. Accelerating through the approach defeats the warning, and the sign gives no permission to claim priority. The visual reminder is the downward-pointing triangle: ease toward the conflict, look for road users, and stop if yielding cannot be done safely while moving.

8. 8. You have a green light and want to turn left in New York. What must you do before turning?

   1. Turn immediately because green gives absolute priority
   2. Yield only to vehicles displaying a left-turn signal
   3. Yield to oncoming vehicles going straight or turning right
   4. Wait for the vehicle behind you to pass first
   Show answer

   Yield to oncoming vehicles going straight or turning right. A green signal permits movement but does not give a left-turning driver an unrestricted path across opposing traffic. The turner must yield to oncoming vehicles traveling straight or turning right. A vehicle without a signal may still continue through the intersection, so waiting for a turn indicator is unsafe. The visual cue is the opposing lane: keep the wheels straight while waiting, watch for gaps, and turn only after the conflict is gone.

9. 9. At a New York crosswalk without a traffic signal, what must an approaching driver do when a pedestrian is crossing?

   1. Yield and stop when necessary for the pedestrian
   2. Continue because vehicles always have priority without a signal
   3. Sound the horn so the pedestrian clears the lane
   4. Pass another stopped vehicle before reaching the crossing
   Show answer

   Yield and stop when necessary for the pedestrian. New York requires every driver approaching an intersection or crosswalk to yield to a pedestrian in the crosswalk or when danger to the pedestrian is present. A missing signal does not cancel that protection. Honking is not a substitute for yielding, and passing a stopped vehicle can conceal someone crossing. The concrete cue is the crosswalk boundary: slow early, stop well back, and leave sight lines open for other drivers.

10. 10. A vehicle is already in a New York intersection when another driver approaches from a side street. Who has priority?

    1. The vehicle approaching from the side street
    2. The larger vehicle, regardless of position
    3. The vehicle already in the intersection
    4. Neither vehicle until both drivers stop
    Show answer

    The vehicle already in the intersection. A driver who has already entered the intersection has priority over a driver who is just approaching it. The approaching motorist must wait rather than force the vehicle already crossing to stop in the intersection. Vehicle size does not change this sequence, and requiring both drivers to stop could create a new obstruction. Look ahead before entering, identify traffic already committed to the crossing, and yield to that vehicle when necessary.

11. 11. Which subjects are examined on New York's written test for a Class D, M, DJ, MJ or E license?

    1. Only vehicle maintenance and commercial cargo rules
    2. Rules of the road, safe driving techniques, road signs, and alcohol and drug laws
    3. County route maps and emergency vehicle mechanics
    4. Federal tax rules and automobile insurance pricing
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    Rules of the road, safe driving techniques, road signs, and alcohol and drug laws. New York's written test covers four study areas: rules of the road, safe driving techniques, road signs, and laws about alcohol and drug use while driving. The commercial cargo choice belongs to a different licensing track, while county maps and insurance pricing are not listed as test subjects. Use the four areas as a study checklist, then pay special attention to road signs because the permit test includes a separate sign requirement. This approach connects the license class to the material the state actually examines.

12. 12. A New York driver turns across a two-way cycle track beside the roadway. Which cyclist movement must the driver anticipate?

    1. Only bicycles traveling in the same direction as nearby cars
    2. No bicycles, because the track is a pedestrian sidewalk
    3. Bicycles only when a painted arrow points toward the turn
    4. Bicycles traveling in either direction along the track
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    Bicycles traveling in either direction along the track. A two-way cycle track is a marked bicycle lane that permits travel in both directions, so a turning driver must check for a cyclist approaching from either side of the roadway alignment. The same-direction-only choice overlooks a rider coming against the nearby vehicle flow. It is also not a decorative sidewalk and does not depend on a special arrow being visible. Before crossing the track, slow, signal, look both ways, and yield to a cyclist already using the designated space.

13. 13. On a slippery or fogged-in expressway, how should the driver's actual speed compare with the posted limit?

    1. It should always equal the posted limit
    2. It should be much lower than the posted limit when conditions make that necessary
    3. It may exceed the posted limit if traffic is moving quickly
    4. It should stay at the limit until visibility becomes zero
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    It should be much lower than the posted limit when conditions make that necessary. A posted limit sets a legal maximum, but it may still be unsafe in slippery or fogged-in conditions. The manual gives an expressway example where the legal limit can be 55 or 65 mph while the safe speed is much lower. The choice that keeps speed at the limit ignores the hazard, and exceeding the limit is never justified by fast traffic. Watch the pavement and sight distance, ease off early, and choose a pace that leaves room to react.

14. 14. After a New York crash involving only property damage, what must the drivers do at the scene?

    1. Leave immediately if both vehicles can still be driven
    2. Exchange names only and report the rest after repairs
    3. Wait for a tow truck before stopping or speaking with the other driver
    4. Stop and exchange identifying, registration, and insurance information
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    Stop and exchange identifying, registration, and insurance information. New York requires drivers involved in a crash to stop, even when no one appears injured and the damage is limited to vehicles. They must exchange names, addresses, driver license numbers, vehicle registration details, and insurance information. The leave-immediately option abandons the legal duty created by the collision, while names alone omit required records. If conditions permit, move the vehicles out of traffic after stopping, protect the scene, and then share the complete information safely.

15. 15. In New York, what can support a charge for driving while ability impaired besides alcohol?

    1. Only an illegal street drug found in the vehicle
    2. Only cannabis, never a prescription or over-the-counter medicine
    3. A drug that impairs the driver's ability, including some prescription medicines
    4. A medication only when it causes a visible traffic violation
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    A drug that impairs the driver's ability, including some prescription medicines. New York warns that any drug can affect driving ability, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines. The substance does not need to be an illegal street drug, and the rule is not limited to cannabis. A visible traffic violation is not the only trigger for concern; impairment itself is the safety issue. Read medicine labels, ask a health professional about effects, and never assume a legal prescription makes driving safe.

16. 16. When no speed limit is posted in New York, what is the statutory maximum speed?

    1. 45 mph
    2. 65 mph
    3. 35 mph
    4. 55 mph
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    55 mph. New York's general statutory maximum is 55 miles per hour where no other speed limit is posted. That number is a ceiling, not a guarantee that 55 is safe for rain, congestion, darkness, or a work area. The 45, 65, and 35 mph choices belong to other road classifications or special postings. First check for a sign; if none applies, use 55 as the legal default and still adjust for conditions.

17. 17. Unless a different sign is posted, what is the speed limit in New York City?

    1. 30 mph
    2. 25 mph
    3. 35 mph
    4. 55 mph
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    25 mph. New York City has a 25 mph speed limit unless another limit is posted. The statewide 55 mph default does not override this city rule, and 30 or 35 mph may apply only where a different sign establishes it. Look for the posted limit on the specific street and then account for pedestrians, traffic, and visibility. The short exam cue is city streets default to 25, subject to signs.

18. 18. To what speed are New York roundabouts designed to limit vehicles inside the circle?

    1. 45 mph or less
    2. 55 mph or less
    3. 10 mph or less in every roundabout
    4. 30 mph or less
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    30 mph or less. New York describes roundabouts as designed to restrict vehicle speed within the circle to 30 mph or less. The design encourages a controlled, continuous flow, but drivers must still obey any posted lower limit and yield as required at entry. Forty-five or 55 mph is too fast for the stated design, while 10 mph is not a universal requirement. Approach slowly enough to read signs, yield, and merge into the circulating lane safely.

19. 19. How old must a supervising driver be for a New York learner permit holder?

    1. At least 18, with any valid driver license
    2. At least 21, with a license valid for the vehicle
    3. At least 25, even without a license for that vehicle
    4. At least 16, if seated in the rear seat
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    At least 21, with a license valid for the vehicle. A learner permit holder must practice with a supervising driver who is at least 21 years old and licensed for the type of vehicle being driven. Age alone is insufficient if the license does not cover that vehicle, and an 18-year-old supervisor does not meet the rule. The supervisor must sit in the front seat. Before practice begins, verify both requirements: the person's age and the vehicle-specific license.

20. 20. When practicing with a New York learner permit, how old must the supervising licensed driver be at minimum?

    1. At least 21 years old
    2. At least 18 years old
    3. At least 16 years old
    4. At least 25 years old
    Show answer

    At least 21 years old. A learner permit driver must practice with a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old. The supervisor also needs a license valid for the type of vehicle being driven and must sit in the front seat. The 18-year-old choice is too low, even though some license classes have lower minimum ages. A 16-year-old cannot satisfy the general supervision rule, and 25 adds an age requirement the manual does not state. Before practice begins, check both the supervisor's age and the vehicle-class license. The practical cue is front-seat supervision by a properly licensed adult aged 21 or older.