NC Permit Practice Test 2

All 20 questions in test 2

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. A driver is transporting passengers younger than 16 in North Carolina. What must the driver ensure?

   1. Only the front-seat child is restrained
   2. Each passenger under 16 is secured in an approved restraint or seat belt
   3. Children may ride unrestrained for short trips
   4. Only passengers under eight need any restraint
   Show answer

   Each passenger under 16 is secured in an approved restraint or seat belt. The driver must make sure every passenger under age 16 is properly secured in a child passenger restraint system or a seat belt meeting federal safety standards in effect when it was manufactured. The rule is not limited to the front seat, short trips, or children under eight. Younger children have additional weight and age requirements, but the broad starting point is every passenger under 16 must be secured.

2. 2. How must a North Carolina child under age eight who weighs less than 80 pounds be secured?

   1. In a weight-appropriate child passenger restraint system
   2. With no restraint if seated in the rear seat
   3. With an adult lap belt only in every vehicle
   4. In the front seat with the shoulder belt behind the back
   Show answer

   In a weight-appropriate child passenger restraint system. North Carolina requires a child under age eight who weighs less than 80 pounds to ride in a weight-appropriate child passenger restraint system. The rule focuses on both age and weight, so a rear seat alone does not remove the restraint requirement. An adult lap belt may be insufficient for a smaller child, and placing the shoulder belt behind the back defeats the protection the belt is designed to provide. Check the child’s current size against the restraint manufacturer’s limits, then secure the seat or harness as directed before driving.

3. 3. According to the North Carolina handbook, where should children age 12 and under ride?

   1. Unrestrained in the front seat
   2. In the cargo area if supervised
   3. In the front seat whenever an air bag is present
   4. Buckled in a rear seat
   Show answer

   Buckled in a rear seat. Children age 12 and under should ride buckled up in a rear seat. The handbook emphasizes that an air bag can seriously injure a child, so the presence of an air bag is a reason for caution, not a reason to place a child in front. The cargo area is not a substitute for a seating position. Pair the age cue with both parts of the guidance: rear seat and buckled up.

4. 4. What should a driver do when an authorized emergency vehicle approaches with its warning equipment operating?

   1. Speed up to clear the lane
   2. Move right and stop until it passes
   3. Stop in the center of the intersection
   4. Follow immediately behind it
   Show answer

   Move right and stop until it passes. The emergency response rule requires a driver to yield room for the authorized vehicle by moving toward the right side and stopping until it has passed, unless a law enforcement officer directs otherwise. Accelerating creates conflict, stopping in the intersection can block the route, and following behind the emergency vehicle is unsafe. Scan mirrors as well as the road ahead so the move begins before the emergency vehicle reaches your position.

5. 5. Where should a driver generally park on a North Carolina road?

   1. Across the center of a two-way road
   2. On the left side of every road
   3. On the right side of the road, except on a one-way street
   4. On the shoulder whenever the road has two-way traffic
   Show answer

   On the right side of the road, except on a one-way street. North Carolina directs drivers to park on the right side of the road, with an exception for one-way streets. On a one-way street, parking on the left may be permitted because traffic travels in one direction, but that exception does not change the general rule for two-way roads. Parking across the center of a two-way roadway creates a conflict with approaching traffic, and using the shoulder whenever traffic moves both ways is not the handbook rule. Use the curb-side cue: on ordinary roads, place the vehicle on the right before securing it.

6. 6. 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
   Show answer

   Check for approaching traffic and give a left turn signal. A driver leaving a parallel space should first check for approaching traffic and signal left before pulling out. The parked position does not grant priority over vehicles already moving along the roadway. A right signal communicates the wrong movement, and a horn cannot replace a visual check. Backing into a travel lane without looking creates a conflict with passing traffic. Use the mirror and a shoulder check, signal clearly, then enter only after the lane is open.

7. 7. 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
   Show answer

   45 mph. The maximum speed limit listed for a school bus is 45 mph. Thirty-five mph is the general city and town figure, 55 mph applies to several other settings, and 70 mph is the interstate entry in the maximum speed table. The figure does not reduce the separate duty of other drivers to stop for a school bus displaying its stop signal or flashing red lights. Remember 45 as the bus-specific maximum.

8. 8. Why does the North Carolina handbook say the closure time is quicker when approaching farm equipment?

   1. Farm equipment always has priority at intersections
   2. The equipment is required to use high beams
   3. Farm equipment can legally exceed the posted limit
   4. The equipment travels slowly
   Show answer

   The equipment travels slowly. Farm equipment moves slowly, so a vehicle approaching from behind closes the distance quickly relative to that equipment's progress and may reach it sooner than expected. The handbook uses this point to urge extra care. It does not grant farm equipment universal intersection priority, require high beams, or allow it to exceed speed limits. Reduce speed early, watch for turns and wide movements, and be ready for the short closure time.

9. 9. At 55 mph under ideal conditions, about how far does a North Carolina handbook example say a vehicle needs to stop completely?

   1. Approximately 55 feet
   2. Approximately 500 feet
   3. Approximately 100 feet
   4. Approximately 211 feet
   Show answer

   Approximately 211 feet. The example says a vehicle traveling 55 mph requires approximately 211 feet to stop completely, even under ideal conditions. The number is much greater than the speed number itself, and the handbook warns that changing conditions can lengthen stopping distance. One hundred feet understates the example, while 500 feet is not the cited figure. Use the number as a mental reminder to preserve space and look far enough ahead for braking.

10. 10. What does the North Carolina handbook recommend as the normal following interval?

    1. One car length at every speed
    2. Half a second when traffic is light
    3. At least two seconds behind the vehicle ahead
    4. Ten seconds in all conditions
    Show answer

    At least two seconds behind the vehicle ahead. The two-second rule calls for allowing two seconds between the moment the vehicle ahead passes a fixed point and the moment your vehicle reaches that point. A single car length changes meaning with speed, and half a second leaves little reaction time. Ten seconds is not the normal interval named here. Choose a roadside object, count after the lead vehicle passes it, and increase the gap when weather, traffic, or speed makes extra room sensible.

11. 11. Before passing another vehicle, what must a driver be able to ensure?

    1. That the driver can return to the original lane before meeting oncoming traffic
    2. That the vehicle ahead will speed up to create room
    3. That the road is empty for exactly 100 feet
    4. That the driver can pass without checking behind
    Show answer

    That the driver can return to the original lane before meeting oncoming traffic. A pass is safe only when the driver can see far enough ahead to return to the original lane before meeting oncoming traffic. The choice about the vehicle ahead speeding up invents cooperation that the handbook does not promise. A fixed 100-foot distance is not the rule, and checking only ahead ignores traffic already behind the vehicle. Before moving left, scan ahead and behind, signal, and confirm that the entire maneuver can be completed with room to spare. The key cue is a clear path back to the original lane.

12. 12. At an unsignalized intersection, when do pedestrians have the right of way in North Carolina?

    1. Only when they are carrying a visible crossing flag
    2. When they are in a marked or qualifying unmarked crosswalk
    3. Only after every approaching vehicle has stopped completely
    4. Never unless a police officer is directing traffic
    Show answer

    When they are in a marked or qualifying unmarked crosswalk. At an intersection without traffic signals, pedestrians have priority when they are in a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk formed by the sidewalk lines extending across the street. A flag is not the condition stated by the handbook, and pedestrians do not have to wait for every vehicle to stop before the driver's duty begins. Police direction is not required. Approach slowly, look across the full crossing, and yield before your vehicle enters the pedestrian path.

13. 13. 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
    Show answer

    35 mph in cities and towns. The handbook table gives 35 mph as the default maximum in cities and towns unless another limit is posted. A 25 mph limit may appear in a special zone, but it is not the statewide city and town default. Forty five and 55 mph are higher values that may fit other road settings or posted conditions. Check signs first, then remember the unposted municipal baseline as thirty five miles per hour.

14. 14. When driving through changing areas such as open country, residential communities and school zones, what should a driver do?

    1. Watch for changing conditions and adjust speed accordingly
    2. Accelerate whenever entering a residential community
    3. Use the interstate speed in every school zone
    4. Keep the posted speed regardless of conditions
    Show answer

    Watch for changing conditions and adjust speed accordingly. The handbook warns that driving conditions change as a trip moves through open country, residential communities and school zones. A driver should watch for pedestrians, animals and other changes, then adjust speed accordingly. Keeping the posted speed in every circumstance ignores the requirement to respond to conditions. Accelerating in a residential area or applying an interstate speed in a school zone creates the same hazard by treating location as permission to travel faster. Scan ahead whenever the surroundings change, and ease off early when people, animals, congestion or limited visibility reduce the safe margin.

15. 15. According to the North Carolina handbook, when should a driver travel below the posted speed limit?

    1. Only when another driver is following closely
    2. When conditions make the posted limit unsafe
    3. Never, because the posted limit is always required
    4. Only on roads outside cities and towns
    Show answer

    When conditions make the posted limit unsafe. North Carolina tells drivers that safe operation may require a speed below the posted limit. The posted number is a maximum for ordinary conditions, not a command to maintain that speed through rain, congestion, poor visibility, or hazards. A following vehicle does not determine the safe speed, and the advice applies in every road setting. The handbook also warns against driving faster than the posted limit. Use the condition of the roadway as the cue: if traction, sight distance, or traffic changes, reduce speed while staying within the legal maximum.

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. What should a North Carolina driver check before entering a vehicle to back up?

    1. Only the rearview mirror
    2. The fuel gauge and dashboard lights
    3. The lane on the opposite side of the street
    4. The area behind the vehicle for small objects or children
    Show answer

    The area behind the vehicle for small objects or children. The handbook's backing rules begin before entering the vehicle: check behind it for small objects or children. A rearview mirror alone may not reveal low or nearby hazards, while the fuel gauge and distant lane are not the immediate safety check. Walk around or otherwise inspect the rear area, then continue looking as you back. The key cue is that children and small objects can be hidden below normal mirror sightlines.

18. 18. How long must a North Carolina Level One Limited Learner Permit be held before applying for a Limited Provisional License?

    1. At least six months
    2. At least three months
    3. At least nine months
    4. At least twelve months
    Show answer

    At least nine months. The Level One permit must be held for nine months before the driver may apply for a Limited Provisional License. Six months is a different milestone: after six months from issuance, the permit holder may drive at any time with a supervising driver. Three months is too short, and twelve months is not the stated upgrade period. Keep the milestones separate by linking nine months to applying for the next license level and six months to expanded supervised driving hours.

19. 19. During which hours may a North Carolina Level Two Limited Provisional License holder drive without supervision?

    1. From 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.
    2. From sunrise until midnight
    3. From 5 a.m. until 9 p.m.
    4. At any hour once the license has been issued
    Show answer

    From 5 a.m. until 9 p.m.. Level Two permits unsupervised driving from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. The driver may also have an exception for direct travel to or from qualifying work or volunteer emergency service, but ordinary unsupervised driving is limited to that daytime window. Sunrise and midnight do not define the handbook's hours, and issuance does not remove the restriction. Before a late trip, ask whether it falls inside the stated window or requires a supervising driver or listed exception.

20. 20. 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.