NC Permit Practice Test 5

All 20 questions in test 5

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 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.

2. 2. 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.

3. 3. How close may you park to an emergency vehicle stopped to investigate an accident or give assistance?

   1. Not within 25 feet
   2. Not within 10 feet
   3. There is no distance rule
   4. Not within 100 feet
   Show answer

   Not within 100 feet. A driver may not park within 100 feet of an emergency vehicle that has stopped to investigate an accident or provide assistance. The distance protects responders and leaves room for other emergency equipment to approach or work. The 25-foot and 10-foot alternatives are smaller distances and therefore do not meet this rule. Parking farther away is the safe choice when a response scene is visible. Do not use the stopped vehicle as a landmark for a quick roadside stop: continue beyond the 100-foot buffer and keep the access area open for the emergency operation.

4. 4. What is the first priority when a vehicle breaks down on a roadway?

   1. Move the vehicle completely onto the shoulder
   2. Stand behind it to direct traffic
   3. Leave it blocking the lane with no lights
   4. Repair it in the travel lane
   Show answer

   Move the vehicle completely onto the shoulder. For a breakdown, the handbook says to exit the main part of the road and move the vehicle completely onto the shoulder. Repairs should not be attempted where passing traffic can reach you. Standing in front of or behind the vehicle creates a serious exposure, so passengers should leave from the passenger side and stand away from the road. The vehicle should also be made visible with parking lights or emergency flashers when it is dark. The immediate cue is separation: get the disabled vehicle and people out of the active travel path before seeking a tow truck or mechanic.

5. 5. If a blowout occurs, what should a driver do before applying the brakes?

   1. Press the brake pedal as hard as possible
   2. Turn sharply toward the shoulder
   3. Reduce speed by lifting the foot from the accelerator
   4. Shift into reverse immediately
   Show answer

   Reduce speed by lifting the foot from the accelerator. During a blowout, first hold the steering wheel tightly, try to keep the vehicle straight on your side of the road, and reduce speed by lifting your foot from the accelerator. The handbook says not to apply the brakes until the engine has slowed the vehicle enough for you to maintain control. Hard braking can worsen the loss of stability, while a sharp turn can send the vehicle across the roadway. After control and speed improve, find a safe place to move completely off the road. The cue is smooth control first, braking later.

6. 6. On a highway with only one lane in your direction, how should you pass a stopped emergency vehicle with warning lights activated?

   1. Slow down and use a reduced, safe speed until completely past it
   2. Stop directly beside it
   3. Speed up to minimize the time nearby
   4. Change into the oncoming lane without checking
   Show answer

   Slow down and use a reduced, safe speed until completely past it. When only one lane travels in your direction, there is no adjacent same-direction lane for a standard move-over. The required response is to slow down and drive at a reduced, safe speed until completely past the stopped emergency vehicle. Entering an oncoming lane without a safe and lawful opportunity creates a head-on risk, while stopping beside the responder leaves the hazard unresolved. Speeding increases danger for workers and passing traffic. Look well ahead, release the accelerator, reduce speed smoothly, and maintain a safe path until the entire emergency vehicle is behind you.

7. 7. 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
   Show answer

   Up to six months before expiration, online every other renewal. North Carolina drivers may renew a license up to six months before its expiration date. Online renewal is available every other time a driver renews, so alternate renewals must be done in person, and the online process takes just a few minutes at NCDMV.gov. Waiting until the last 30 days is not required, and a full year early is not allowed.

8. 8. What is the purpose of a pennant-shaped yellow warning sign?

   1. It marks a school bus stop
   2. It identifies a hospital route
   3. It emphasizes a no-passing zone
   4. It signals a mandatory right turn
   Show answer

   It emphasizes a no-passing zone. The pennant-shaped yellow warning sign emphasizes a no-passing zone. It is placed on the left side of the road and points toward the beginning of the zone, which is also identified by a solid yellow line in the driver's lane. It does not announce a school bus stop or hospital route, and its shape does not command a right turn. The important cue is the sideways pennant on the left, paired with the road marking that shows passing must not begin there. Check the pavement and remain behind the vehicle ahead until the restriction ends.

9. 9. A signal is flashing red as you approach an intersection. What action is required before entering?

   1. Speed through before another vehicle arrives
   2. Treat it as a flashing yellow and continue
   3. Stop and proceed only when you can enter without interfering with traffic
   4. Stop only if a pedestrian is present
   Show answer

   Stop and proceed only when you can enter without interfering with traffic. A flashing red signal has the same meaning as a stop sign. You must stop and wait before moving until you can enter the intersection without interfering with approaching traffic. A flashing yellow signal is the caution indication, so treating red as yellow would remove the required stop. Speeding through is especially hazardous because cross traffic may have the right of way. The rule is not limited to situations involving pedestrians. Use the color and flash pattern as the cue: flashing red means a full stop, followed by a safe, controlled entry.

10. 10. What is the recommended response when the brakes fail on a vehicle with an automatic transmission?

    1. Turn off the engine and coast in neutral
    2. Apply the emergency brake and move the gear lever into low range
    3. Pump the accelerator to restore braking
    4. Shift into reverse at highway speed
    Show answer

    Apply the emergency brake and move the gear lever into low range. For brake failure in an automatic vehicle, the handbook recommends applying the emergency brake and moving the gear control lever into the low-range position. Lower gearing helps control speed, while the emergency brake provides another way to slow the vehicle. Turning off the engine or selecting reverse can remove useful control and may cause additional hazards. The accelerator cannot restore failed service brakes. This procedure can damage the emergency brake or transmission, but the handbook identifies it as the best choice under the emergency. Keep steering under control and seek a safe place to stop.

11. 11. After an emergency vehicle passes, when may you begin moving again?

    1. Immediately if your lane appears empty
    2. As soon as its rear lights are visible
    3. Only after all traffic signals turn green
    4. After it has passed, or when directed by a traffic officer
    Show answer

    After it has passed, or when directed by a traffic officer. A driver who has pulled to the right and stopped for an emergency vehicle must remain stopped until that vehicle has passed or a traffic officer directs the driver to move. Seeing the rear lights or an apparently empty lane is not enough, because more emergency vehicles may follow or an officer may be managing the scene. Waiting for every signal to change is not the stated trigger either. Watch the emergency vehicle and the traffic officer, if present. The safe cue is clearance or direction, then a careful return to traffic when the path is open.

12. 12. Who has the right of way when a police car, ambulance, fire engine, or rescue vehicle approaches with lights and sirens?

    1. The vehicle already closest to the intersection
    2. The larger vehicle only
    3. The emergency vehicle
    4. The driver traveling at the speed limit
    Show answer

    The emergency vehicle. Police cars, ambulances, fire engines, and rescue vehicles using flashing lights and sirens always have the right of way. Other drivers must yield, move to the right-hand edge when appropriate, and stop completely. The ordinary arrival order, vehicle size, or posted speed does not override the emergency response. Treating the rule as applying only to one type of emergency vehicle could leave a rescue unit or fire engine blocked. The cue is the combination of authorized emergency service and active lights or siren. Make room early and remain stopped until the response has cleared.

13. 13. A North Carolina driver going faster than 55 mph is convicted of exceeding the limit by more than 15 mph. For how long is the driving privilege revoked at minimum?

    1. At least 10 days
    2. At least 6 months
    3. There is no revocation for a first offense
    4. At least 30 days
    Show answer

    At least 30 days. North Carolina ties license revocation directly to high speed. If you are already above 55 mph and you are convicted of going more than 15 mph over the posted limit, the DMV revokes your driving privilege for at least 30 days, and that is on top of whatever fine the court sets. Ten days is not a period the handbook uses, and six months belongs to more serious offenses. Treating a first offense as revocation free is the costly mistake here, because the rule applies the first time it happens. A second such conviction within a year stretches the loss to 60 days.

14. 14. Which speed rule applies even when a driver is traveling below the posted limit?

    1. Never drive at a speed that is unreasonable or unwise given existing conditions
    2. Always drive exactly at the posted limit
    3. Drive faster than the limit when traffic is light
    4. Use the posted limit without regard to weather
    Show answer

    Never drive at a speed that is unreasonable or unwise given existing conditions. North Carolina’s handbook says a driver must never travel faster than the posted speed limit or at a speed that is unreasonable or unwise given existing conditions. That means the posted number is not a command to maintain speed through rain, congestion, poor visibility or another hazard. The other choices remove the judgment the rule requires and could encourage unsafe travel. Treat the limit as an upper boundary, scan the road and surroundings, and reduce speed whenever conditions make the posted maximum imprudent.

15. 15. When approaching a stop sign, where must you stop if there is no stop line or marked crosswalk?

    1. Six feet past the intersection
    2. At the nearest driveway
    3. Only after another vehicle stops
    4. Before entering the intersection where you can see the intersecting street
    Show answer

    Before entering the intersection where you can see the intersecting street. If a stop line or marked crosswalk is absent, the driver must stop before entering the intersection at a point where the intersecting street can be viewed. Stopping after entering the intersection can put the vehicle in the path of cross traffic and does not meet the handbook's placement rule. A driveway is unrelated, and another vehicle does not have to stop before your duty begins. Approach under control, locate the line or crosswalk if one exists, and otherwise stop before the intersection with enough visibility to check for traffic before proceeding.

16. 16. A school bus stops on a two-lane roadway to receive passengers. Which traffic must stop?

    1. Only traffic behind the bus
    2. Traffic from both directions
    3. Only traffic approaching the bus
    4. No traffic if children are not visible
    Show answer

    Traffic from both directions. On a two-lane roadway, all traffic from both directions must stop when the school bus stops for passengers. The same all-direction rule also applies to a four-lane roadway without a median and to a two-lane roadway with a center turning lane. Only traffic following the bus stops on a divided highway of four or more lanes with a median separation, which is a different roadway design. Visibility of children does not remove the duty. Watch for the bus's mechanical stop signal or flashing red lights, stop, and wait until the signal is withdrawn, the lights turn off, and the bus starts moving.

17. 17. What do white lines separating travel lanes indicate?

    1. The lanes always move in opposite directions
    2. Passing is prohibited in both directions
    3. The lane is reserved for railroad traffic
    4. The lanes move in the same direction
    Show answer

    The lanes move in the same direction. White lines separate travel lanes moving in the same direction. They help a driver understand the roadway's direction pattern, but the line type and other signs still determine whether a lane change or special movement is allowed. Yellow lines separate lanes moving in opposite directions, so choosing that answer reverses the handbook's color rule. The remaining choices describe restrictions or uses that color alone does not establish. Use the cue at the pavement: white means same-direction lanes, while yellow signals opposing traffic or a left edge on a divided highway.

18. 18. If a traffic signal changes while a pedestrian remains in the street, what must the driver allow?

    1. The pedestrian to complete the crossing safely
    2. The pedestrian to return to the curb immediately
    3. Only a pedestrian with a guide dog to continue
    4. Vehicles behind the driver to pass first
    Show answer

    The pedestrian to complete the crossing safely. When a signal changes to yellow or red while a pedestrian remains in the street, drivers must allow that person to finish crossing safely. The duty is not limited to a blind pedestrian or to someone using a guide dog. Nor may a driver pressure the person to return to the curb simply because the signal changed. Vehicles behind have no priority over someone already crossing. Reduce the conflict by stopping or waiting as needed, keep the crosswalk and pedestrian path clear, and proceed only after the person has reached safety. The cue is the pedestrian still in the street when the light changes.

19. 19. On a divided highway with four or more lanes and a median, a school bus stops for passengers. Who must stop?

    1. Only traffic following the bus
    2. Only traffic traveling toward the front of the bus
    3. No one if the median is paved
    4. All traffic in both directions
    Show answer

    Only traffic following the bus. On a divided highway of four or more lanes with a median separation, only traffic following the school bus must stop when it stops for passengers. The median separates opposing traffic, creating a different rule from a two-lane roadway or a four-lane roadway without a median, where traffic from both directions stops. The material of the median does not remove the requirement for vehicles behind the bus. Identify the roadway layout first, then watch the bus's stop signal and flashing red lights. Drivers behind must wait until the signal is withdrawn, the lights are off, and the bus starts moving.

20. 20. What is the minimum light transmittance allowed for tinted windows in North Carolina, and what inspection fee applies?

    1. No less than 50%, with no fee
    2. No less than 35%, with an additional $10 inspection fee for after-factory tint
    3. No less than 20%, with a $25 fee
    4. Any tint is allowed
    Show answer

    No less than 35%, with an additional $10 inspection fee for after-factory tint. Vehicles with after factory window tinting are charged an additional $10 as part of the vehicle inspection, and the allowable light transmittance for tinted windows is no less than 35%. Darker tint fails inspection. Questions about tint go to the inspection station or NCDMV. The 20% and 50% figures are not the state standard. Tint that is too dark hides the driver from officers and other road users at night and makes it harder to see pedestrians at the roadside, which is why the limit exists.