Printable NC Permit Practice Test

1. What does the North Carolina handbook say to do before a curve while traveling downhill?

1. Shift to neutral
2. Shift to a lower gear and begin braking earlier
3. Speed up to carry momentum
4. Brake hard in the middle of the curve

2. What maximum speed does the North Carolina handbook list for a school bus?

1. 55 mph
2. 35 mph
3. 45 mph
4. 70 mph

3. A North Carolina driver turning right on red fails to yield to a pedestrian starting to cross in front of stopped traffic. What penalty applies?

1. A warning only, with no penalty
2. A penalty of not less than $100 and not more than $500
3. A flat $25 infraction
4. A penalty of $1,000 to $2,000

4. What testing accommodation is available on request for a North Carolina applicant who has difficulty reading?

1. A waiver of the traffic law examination
2. An audio version of the knowledge test
3. A road test that replaces the knowledge test
4. Automatic passage without answering questions

5. How early may a North Carolina driver renew a license, and how often is online renewal allowed?

1. Up to one year early, online every time
2. Up to six months before expiration, online every other renewal
3. Only in the last 30 days, in person only
4. Any time, online every time

6. Unless a different limit is posted, what speed limit applies in North Carolina cities and towns?

1. 25 mph in cities and towns
2. 35 mph in cities and towns
3. 45 mph in cities and towns
4. 55 mph in cities and towns

7. A 16-year-old North Carolina driver is driving. Whom may the teen call on a cell phone in an emergency?

1. Emergency responders, a hospital or clinic, law enforcement, or a parent, legal guardian, or spouse
2. Anyone, if the call is hands free
3. Only friends in the car
4. No one, even in an emergency

8. Where is very slow driving especially dangerous?

1. Just after the crest of a hill or around a curve
2. In a parking lot
3. On a straight road with no traffic
4. In a school zone during school hours

9. For a driver age 21 or older, which BAC level is the North Carolina per se DWI threshold?

1. A BAC of 0.08 percent or more
2. A BAC of 0.05 percent or more
3. A BAC of 0.10 percent or more
4. A BAC of 0.15 percent or more

10. What does the North Carolina handbook call the safest way to pass a bicyclist?

1. Change lanes
2. Sound the horn and pass closely
3. Pass on the right
4. Squeeze by in the same lane

11. Where does a North Carolina highway work zone begin and end?

1. Only where workers are present on the road
2. From the first cone to the first flagger
3. From the first work zone sign to the last one
4. Within 500 feet of any construction equipment

12. A bicyclist in North Carolina has been drinking. Do the state's DWI laws apply to the rider?

1. Yes, bicycles are vehicles under the law
2. No, DWI rules are written for car drivers
3. Only if the rider is on a highway
4. Only if the bicycle has a motor

13. You are already crossing the tracks when the warning lights begin flashing. What does the North Carolina handbook say to do?

1. Stop right away on the tracks and wait
2. Back up off the tracks as fast as possible
3. Keep moving and finish crossing
4. Stop and get everyone out of the car

14. This sign is posted at an intersection where you wanted to turn around. What does it require?

1. Make a U-turn only after stopping
2. U-turns are allowed for cars, not trucks
3. Turn left only, then make a U-turn
4. Do not make a U-turn here

15. The temperature is just above freezing and the road feels wet but not icy. You are approaching a bridge. What should you expect?

1. Bridges stay warmer than the road
2. Ice forms on bridges only at night
3. The bridge may freeze before the road does
4. Bridges are salted, so they are always safe

16. As you approach a railroad crossing, the flashing lights come on and the gates start to come down. What must you do?

1. Speed up so you clear the tracks before the gates are down
2. Stop before the gates lower across your side of the road
3. Drive around the gate if no train is visible
4. Slow down and cross once the gates finish moving

17. Police are working a crash on your street, and you want to park and wait for a friend. How close to the stopped police car may you park?

1. Right behind it with flashers on
2. No closer than 100 feet
3. No closer than 25 feet
4. Anywhere if you stay in the car

18. Your gas pedal sticks while you are driving. Which response does the North Carolina handbook list?

1. Turn the engine off and steer to the median
2. Pump the brakes rapidly while in drive
3. Pull the parking brake as hard as possible
4. Shift to neutral and brake firmly

19. You are driving beside a tractor-trailer and cannot see the driver's face in the truck's side mirror. What does that tell you?

1. The driver is looking straight ahead
2. You are too far away to matter
3. The truck driver probably cannot see you
4. The truck is about to change lanes

20. What can happen if a vehicle towing a trailer has to brake suddenly?

1. The trailer might jackknife sideways
2. The trailer will stop sooner than a car
3. The towing vehicle gains extra traction
4. Nothing, since trailers have their own brakes

21. You pass a car on a two-lane road, but the driver you passed has to brake to let you back into the lane. What does this mean?

1. The other driver was going too slowly
2. You did not leave enough room to pass safely
3. You passed correctly, since you got back in
4. The other driver broke the law by braking

22. When entering a North Carolina interstate from an on-ramp, how should you use the acceleration lane?

1. Stop at its end and wait for a large gap
2. Use it to match the speed of traffic, then merge
3. Merge right away at the start of the lane
4. Drive slowly so traffic can see you coming

23. A bike lane runs along the right side of the street. When you plan to turn right at an intersection, what crash risk does the handbook point out?

1. A cyclist turning left across your path from ahead
2. A cyclist going straight beside you as you turn
3. A cyclist stopping suddenly in the bike lane
4. A cyclist riding against traffic on the sidewalk

24. On a city street with curbs, you see a parking space that starts 20 feet from the curb line of a cross street. May you park there?

1. Yes, 20 feet is plenty of room
2. No, you must stay at least 25 feet away
3. Yes, if you are on the right side
4. No, you must stay 100 feet away

25. It has not rained for weeks, and a light shower has just started. When is the road likely to be most slippery?

1. After an hour of steady rain
2. Only once puddles have formed
3. Only after the rain stops
4. During the first 10 to 15 minutes

26. What must every vehicle in a North Carolina funeral procession display?

1. Nothing special
2. High beams only
3. A flag on the antenna
4. Headlights on, and hazard warning signals if equipped

27. When leaving a parallel parking space, what should a North Carolina driver do before pulling into traffic?

1. Move out immediately because parked vehicles have priority
2. Use the right turn signal and leave without checking behind
3. Sound the horn while backing into the nearest travel lane
4. Check for approaching traffic and give a left turn signal

28. After a North Carolina crash with no injuries, at what amount of apparent property damage must the driver immediately report it to law enforcement?

1. $100 or more
2. $5,000 or more
3. Only when a vehicle must be towed
4. $1,000 or more

29. What license suspension does North Carolina list for prearranged racing with another vehicle on the highway?

1. A 30-day suspension
2. 90 days
3. 1 year
4. 3 years

30. In which direction do vehicles travel around a traffic circle or roundabout?

1. To the right around the circle in a counterclockwise direction
2. Straight across the center whenever traffic is light
3. In either direction according to the driver’s preferred lane
4. To the left around the circle in a clockwise direction

31. Which headlights does the North Carolina handbook say to use when driving at night in a city?

1. High-beam headlights
2. Parking lights only
3. Low-beam headlights
4. No headlights where streetlights are on

32. How long is the first suspension under North Carolina's point system?

1. 30 days only
2. 60 days
3. 6 months
4. 12 months

33. What does the DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS sign shown remind you to do?

1. Stop on the tracks only if traffic ahead is stopped
2. Stop on the tracks to look for trains
3. Speed up and cross every track without looking
4. Do not stop on the railroad tracks for any reason

34. Before a North Carolina driver under 18 may take the learner permit or license test, what driver education instruction is required?

1. Ten classroom hours and two road hours
2. At least 30 classroom hours and six behind-the-wheel hours
3. Six classroom hours and 30 road hours
4. Twenty classroom hours with no driving instruction

35. In North Carolina, how far to the left must a passing driver pass the vehicle being overtaken?

1. At least two feet
2. At least six inches
3. At least one foot
4. At least ten feet

36. An ambulance with lights and siren approaches from the opposite direction on a four-lane, limited-access highway with a center median. Must you yield?

1. Yes, traffic both ways must pull over and stop
2. Yes, but only if the ambulance uses the left lane
3. No, opposite traffic on that highway need not yield
4. No, ambulances never get the right of way on highways

37. When may a driver use the emergency warning flashers?

1. To show you are driving slowly in the far left lane
2. To warn of danger or a stopped or disabled vehicle
3. To park in a no-parking zone for a short time
4. To drive through a red light in an emergency

38. You have a green light when you hear a siren and see a fire engine with flashing lights coming toward the intersection from the side. Who has the right of way?

1. You, since your green light gives you priority over any vehicle
2. Whoever reaches the crossing first
3. The fire engine, but only if your light turns red
4. The fire engine, even though your light is green

39. When does a motorcycle usually stop more slowly than normal?

1. When it is traveling uphill
2. When carrying a second rider
3. When the rider uses both brakes
4. When the road is dry and smooth

40. Fast-moving water about six inches deep is flowing across the road ahead after a storm. What should you do?

1. Do not drive into it; it can sweep a car away
2. Drive through slowly in a low gear
3. Drive through quickly before it rises
4. Follow the pickup truck ahead through it