NC Permit Practice Test 10

All 20 questions in test 10

Every question below comes from the North Carolina 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. How should a North Carolina driver steer while backing to keep the fullest view behind the vehicle?

   1. Look through the side window while steering with the right hand
   2. Use both mirrors without turning the head
   3. Use the left hand and look over the right shoulder through the back window
   4. Turn around only after the vehicle begins moving
   Show answer

   Use the left hand and look over the right shoulder through the back window. For backing, the handbook directs the driver to steer with the left hand and look over the right shoulder through the back window. Mirrors alone do not provide the full view the instruction seeks, and looking through the side window or waiting until movement begins can hide children or small objects. Before entering the vehicle, the driver should also check behind it. The cue is left hand on the wheel, right shoulder toward the back window, and a slow controlled movement. This technique is specifically tied to maintaining a full view behind the vehicle.

2. 2. How should a North Carolina driver handle a pedestrian in a crosswalk at an unsignalized intersection?

   
   1. Yield because the pedestrian has the right of way
   2. Yield only when the pedestrian is running
   3. Use the horn and continue through the crosswalk
   4. Proceed first if the vehicle arrived first
   Show answer

   Yield because the pedestrian has the right of way. At an intersection without signals, a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk formed by sidewalk lines has priority. Slow and yield so the person can cross safely. Vehicle arrival order does not cancel that protection. A horn may warn someone in limited circumstances, but it does not give permission to drive through the pedestrian's path. The visual cue is the person occupying the crossing area, whether painted lines are present or not.

3. 3. On a highway with only one lane in your direction, how should you proceed when passing a stopped emergency vehicle with warning lights activated?

   1. Stop completely and remain beside the emergency vehicle
   2. Use the opposite lane at full speed to pass quickly
   3. Maintain the posted speed until the vehicle is no longer visible
   4. Slow to a reduced, safe speed until completely past the emergency vehicle
   Show answer

   Slow to a reduced, safe speed until completely past the emergency vehicle. When a highway has only one lane moving in your direction, North Carolina requires a driver to slow down and travel at a reduced, safe speed until completely past the emergency vehicle. A full stop beside the vehicle is not the stated procedure, while maintaining the posted speed may leave too little room for responders. Using the opposite lane at full speed creates a separate collision risk and ignores the required caution. Reduce speed before reaching the scene, keep control of the vehicle, and continue slowly until the emergency vehicle is fully behind you.

4. 4. What do red reflective pavement markers indicate to motorists in North Carolina?

   1. A nearby fire hydrant
   2. A lane reserved for buses
   3. Wrong-way movements
   4. A legal passing area
   Show answer

   Wrong-way movements. Red reflective markers identify wrong-way movements for motorists. Seeing red markers should prompt an immediate correction of direction rather than continued travel. Blue markers have a different purpose: they can show nearby fire hydrants or water supplies. The marker color is therefore an operational warning, not a decoration or a passing guide. If the roadway layout seems reversed, slow down, reassess the signs and lanes, and avoid creating a head-on conflict.

5. 5. What is the mandatory driver license revocation period for a first DWI conviction in North Carolina?

   1. Four years
   2. One year
   3. Six months
   4. Permanent revocation
   Show answer

   One year. The first DWI conviction carries mandatory revocation of the driver license for one year. Four years belongs to a second conviction when the earlier offense occurred within three years, while permanent revocation applies to later circumstances described in the handbook. Six months is not the first conviction period. A good way to separate the stages is one year for the first, four years for the qualifying second, and permanent consequences for specified third or fourth convictions. The question asks only about the initial conviction, so later repeat offender penalties should not be substituted.

6. 6. When a North Carolina traffic light has failed, what stop-sign treatment applies to the intersection?

   1. Treat the signal as a green light for the main road
   2. Approach and proceed as though the intersection is controlled by a stop sign
   3. Follow the vehicle ahead without stopping
   4. Use the shoulder until the signal works
   Show answer

   Approach and proceed as though the intersection is controlled by a stop sign. When a traffic light malfunctions, drivers should approach the intersection and proceed as though it is controlled by a stop sign. This prevents a dark or broken signal from becoming an invitation to continue through without checking the other approaches. The main road does not receive automatic priority, and following another vehicle does not replace an individual stop and observation. Slow down, stop, scan for traffic and pedestrians, and enter only when the intersection is clear and no officer or other device directs a different movement.

7. 7. What should a North Carolina driver do when approaching a school bus displaying flashing red lights?

   
   1. Stop only when traveling behind the bus
   2. Pass slowly if no children are visible
   3. Stop and wait until the lights are off and the bus moves
   4. Change lanes and continue past the bus
   Show answer

   Stop and wait until the lights are off and the bus moves. A school bus using its mechanical stop signal or flashing red lights is receiving or discharging passengers. Other approaching vehicles must stop and remain stopped until the signal is withdrawn, the red lights are off, and the bus has started moving. The absence of visible children does not change the duty. On a divided highway with a median, the opposite-direction rule can differ, but a driver approaching the bus must not pass during the stop.

8. 8. 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
   Show answer

   Shift to a lower gear and begin braking earlier. When you meet a curve while traveling downhill, consider the pull of gravity, shift to a lower gear before moving downhill, and begin to brake earlier and approach the curve more slowly than you would on a level roadway. Gravity adds speed through the curve, so entering slower matters. Neutral removes engine braking, and braking hard inside the curve can break the tires' grip.

9. 9. What does North Carolina require of a person convicted of DWI for the second time?

   1. Only a fine
   2. Only an alcohol class
   3. A written warning
   4. A jail sentence
   Show answer

   A jail sentence. North Carolina's DWI laws require anyone convicted of DWI for the second time to serve a jail sentence. A fine alone, an alcohol class alone, or a warning understate the law. The DWI laws also allow checkpoints, ban drinking while driving and carrying open containers, require alcohol screening for repeat offenders and high BACs, and require a substance abuse assessment before any DWI offender's license is reinstated.

10. 10. When rain requires you to use windshield wipers in North Carolina, which lighting rule also applies?

    1. Use hazard flashers whenever the windshield wipers are operating
    2. Use parking lights only until the roadway becomes completely dry
    3. Use high beams whenever rain continues for more than ten minutes
    4. Use headlights whenever the windshield wipers are operating
    Show answer

    Use headlights whenever the windshield wipers are operating. North Carolina ties the lighting requirement directly to wiper use during inclement weather. If the wipers are operating because of rain, headlights must be on as well. Hazard flashers are not the required companion, and high beams can create glare rather than improve safety. Parking lights alone do not satisfy the rule. A useful roadside cue is simple: wipers moving for weather means headlights on, even when it is daytime and you can still see the lane ahead.

11. 11. At an uncontrolled intersection, which vehicle has priority before the other vehicle enters?

    1. The vehicle already in the intersection
    2. The vehicle traveling faster
    3. The vehicle that flashes its headlights
    4. The vehicle on the wider roadway
    Show answer

    The vehicle already in the intersection. North Carolina gives priority to the vehicle that has already entered an intersection when the other vehicle has not entered yet. The width of either roadway does not change that sequence, and speed cannot create priority. Flashing headlights is a communication signal, not a replacement for yielding. Approach an uncontrolled crossing slowly, identify whether another vehicle is already inside it, and wait until that vehicle clears. The practical cue is location, not vehicle size or driver confidence: a car occupying the intersection goes first, while the approaching car remains outside the shared space.

12. 12. An emergency vehicle approaches from ahead or behind. Until when must a driver remain stopped after moving aside?

    1. Until the driver behind begins moving
    2. Until the emergency vehicle turns off its headlights
    3. For exactly thirty seconds
    4. Until the vehicle passes or a traffic officer directs movement
    Show answer

    Until the vehicle passes or a traffic officer directs movement. After moving to the right-hand curb or edge and stopping, the driver must remain stopped until the emergency vehicle has passed or a traffic officer directs the driver to move. The following driver cannot give permission to proceed, and a fixed thirty-second pause may be too short or unnecessarily long. Headlight use is not the release signal. Watch the responding vehicle and any officer managing the scene. The practical sequence is pull right, stop completely, wait for the vehicle to clear, and then follow lawful directions before reentering traffic.

13. 13. How should the lap belt be positioned according to the North Carolina handbook?

    1. High across the stomach
    2. Under the abdomen and low across the hips
    3. Loose enough to fit a fist underneath
    4. Across the thighs only
    Show answer

    Under the abdomen and low across the hips. The lap belt should be worn under the abdomen and low across the hips, and the shoulder portion should come over the collarbone. A belt worn high across the stomach can cause internal injuries in a crash, and a loose belt lets the body slide. Air bags supplement belts rather than replace them, and everyone in a moving vehicle must be buckled up on every trip.

14. 14. What must an applicant do before taking the North Carolina on the road driving test?

    1. Complete the road test before the vision test
    2. Pass all the other required tests first
    3. Take the road test before attempting traffic signs
    4. Skip every earlier test if the applicant has driven elsewhere
    Show answer

    Pass all the other required tests first. The driving skills examination is the final practical demonstration in the sequence described by the handbook. An applicant must pass the other tests before taking the on the road test. That means the vision, signs, and knowledge requirements cannot simply be postponed or bypassed because someone has previous driving experience. The road test checks actual vehicle control, but it is not a replacement for the earlier examinations. Think of the order as prerequisites first, driving demonstration afterward.

15. 15. Which sign shape is used only for stop signs?

    1. The circular sign
    2. The five-sided pentagon
    3. The eight-sided octagon
    4. The triangular sign
    Show answer

    The eight-sided octagon. The eight-sided shape is reserved for stop signs, making the sign recognizable even when its words or face are difficult to see. A pentagon warns of a school zone or school crossing. A circular sign can provide advance warning of a railroad crossing, and a triangle identifies a yield sign. The shape therefore supplies an important recognition cue before the driver reads the message. When the outline is an octagon, prepare for the full stop required by the stop sign and do not treat it as a warning-only device or a yield instruction.

16. 16. Before passing another vehicle in North Carolina, what should the driver do if the pass appears safe?

    1. Signal the intention to drivers ahead and behind
    2. Turn on hazard flashers and remain beside the vehicle
    3. Sound the horn without checking traffic
    4. Move left without signaling if the road is empty
    Show answer

    Signal the intention to drivers ahead and behind. After looking ahead and behind, a driver who determines that passing is safe should signal the intention so drivers ahead and behind can plan their movements. A horn may be used as an additional communication step, but it does not replace the required check and signal. Hazard flashers are not the passing signal, and an empty-looking road does not remove the duty to communicate. Scan, signal, then complete the maneuver with room to return safely.

17. 17. Without supervision or any immediate-family or household passengers aboard, how many outside passengers under 21 may a North Carolina Level Two driver carry?

    1. No more than one
    2. Two unrelated passengers under 21 on every trip
    3. No passengers under 21 under any circumstance
    4. Three passengers if each wears a seat belt
    Show answer

    No more than one. The limit is one passenger under 21 from outside the driver’s immediate family and household. If an under-21 family or household member rides, an outside passenger under 21 is generally not allowed. The school exception permits one outside student on a direct trip to or from school alongside the family or household passenger. It does not increase the number of outside passengers to two. Seat-belt capacity does not change this rule.

18. 18. When an eligible North Carolina Level Two driver reaches age 18, which upgrade is available online?

    1. A commercial driver license automatically
    2. A motorcycle endorsement without testing
    3. A regular Class C license
    4. A Level One Limited Learner Permit
    Show answer

    A regular Class C license. At age 18, an eligible driver may upgrade to a regular Class C license online. That provision does not automatically grant commercial privileges or a motorcycle endorsement, and moving backward to a learner permit is unrelated. A useful distinction is between the normal graduated path and the age milestone: Level Two can progress to Level Three, but age 18 opens the direct Class C upgrade described in the handbook.

19. 19. At the pictured YIELD sign, when is a complete stop required?

    
    1. Every time, even when the intersection is empty
    2. Never, because a yield sign requires continued motion
    3. Only when a police officer is present
    4. When stopping is needed to avoid interfering with traffic on the intersecting street
    Show answer

    When stopping is needed to avoid interfering with traffic on the intersecting street. A YIELD sign tells the driver to slow down and give the right of way. A complete stop is needed when traffic on the intersecting street would otherwise be interfered with, so stopping is conditional rather than automatic. The sign does not authorize rolling through a conflict, and it does not require an officer to be present. Approach slowly, assess the crossing traffic, and wait whenever continuing would interfere.

20. 20. A white sign displaying a numerical speed limit is what kind of sign?

    
    1. A regulatory sign showing a traffic limit
    2. A guide sign naming a highway
    3. A warning sign that may be ignored in daylight
    4. A construction sign marking a detour
    Show answer

    A regulatory sign showing a traffic limit. A numerical speed limit is a regulation, so the white panel is a regulatory sign. It states the posted maximum that applies at that roadway location, subject to the conditions and other rules governing safe driving. It is not merely advisory, a route marker, or a construction detour notice. The handbook groups rectangular and square signs with speed limits alongside other regulations. The number on the panel is your immediate cue to check your speed before continuing.