ND Permit Practice Test 1

All 20 questions in test 1

Every question below comes from the North Dakota 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. When a green arrow appears while the light is red, what movement may you make?

   1. Turn in the direction of the arrow after yielding to pedestrians and vehicles already in the intersection
   2. Make any turn without checking the intersection
   3. Proceed straight regardless of the arrow direction
   4. Remain stopped until the circular signal turns green
   Show answer

   Turn in the direction of the arrow after yielding to pedestrians and vehicles already in the intersection. A green arrow authorizes the movement shown by that arrow, even when the circular signal is red. That permission is conditional: pedestrians and vehicles already in the intersection still have priority, so look and yield before entering. The arrow does not authorize unrelated turns or straight travel, and waiting for a circular green would ignore the movement specifically displayed. Read the arrow direction, check the conflict area, and complete only that indicated maneuver when the path is open.

2. 2. What must drivers approaching a school bus do when its red lights are flashing?

   
   1. Continue if the driver can see an open lane
   2. Stop only if traveling behind the bus
   3. Pass slowly after checking for children
   4. Stop from both directions
   Show answer

   Stop from both directions. When a school bus is stopped with red lights flashing, drivers approaching from both directions must stop because children are being loaded or unloaded. The rule is not limited to vehicles behind the bus, and an open lane does not authorize passing. Remain stopped until the bus begins moving, the bus driver signals that traffic may pass, or the red lights stop flashing. The strongest roadside cue is the combination of a stationary school bus and red flashing lights, which calls for an immediate stop and patient wait.

3. 3. When visibility is less than 1,000 feet because of fog, what lighting action does the manual require?

   1. Use only the parking lights and leave headlights off
   2. Use the vehicle's headlights
   3. Turn on hazard lights while keeping all other lights off
   4. Use high beams continuously so the fog reflects more light
   Show answer

   Use the vehicle's headlights. North Dakota calls for headlights during inclement weather when visibility falls below 1,000 feet because of fog, rain, snow, sleet, hail, or smoke. The visibility threshold is the key detail, not a time-of-day rule. Parking lights alone make the vehicle harder to see, hazards do not replace required headlights, and high beams can worsen glare in fog. Use the headlights and reduce speed enough to stop within the distance you can see.

4. 4. When a school bus is stopped with red lights flashing, who must stop?

   
   1. Only drivers traveling toward the bus
   2. Only drivers traveling behind the bus
   3. Drivers approaching from both directions
   4. No one if the bus is on a straight road
   Show answer

   Drivers approaching from both directions. A stopped school bus with flashing red lights requires drivers approaching from both directions to stop because children may be loading or unloading. The bus location, road straightness, or your direction of travel does not remove that protection. Wait until the bus moves, the driver signals that traffic may pass, or the red lights stop flashing. The key roadside cue is the red light condition, so begin checking for the bus and children before you reach it rather than braking at the last moment.

5. 5. What makes a passive railroad crossing different from an active crossing?

   1. A passive crossing is controlled only by a train operator
   2. A passive crossing has flashing red lights but no gates
   3. A passive crossing always requires a full stop
   4. A passive crossing has no traffic control device and requires the driver to decide whether to stop or proceed
   Show answer

   A passive crossing has no traffic control device and requires the driver to decide whether to stop or proceed. At a passive crossing, no traffic control device regulates the approach, so the driver must recognize the crossing, search for a train, and decide whether there is enough clear space to cross safely. Gates and flashing red lights describe active control equipment, not passive operation. The lack of a device never removes the need to look and listen. Yellow circular warning signs, pavement markings, and a crossbuck can identify the location, but the driver remains responsible for the final safety decision.

6. 6. Why does the manual emphasize watching for deer in North Dakota?

   1. Deer crossing signs mean animals cannot enter the road
   2. Deer may legally use any lane during daylight
   3. Federal law requires every state manual to feature deer
   4. Deer are a recurring roadway hazard, especially in low light
   Show answer

   Deer are a recurring roadway hazard, especially in low light. The manual treats deer as a recurring roadway hazard and links extra attention to dawn, dusk, and posted crossing areas. The other choices invent a lane privilege, a federal publishing requirement, or a guarantee that signage keeps animals away. A driver should use the warning as a cue to scan the roadside and reduce speed, not as proof that the roadway is protected from wildlife. Anticipating movement is the safety habit being tested.

7. 7. What location does this school-shaped warning sign identify ahead?

   
   1. A recreational vehicle inspection station
   2. A school or marked school crossing
   3. A railroad loading area
   4. A divided highway median
   Show answer

   A school or marked school crossing. The school warning sign tells drivers that a school or marked school crossing is ahead. The pentagon and walking figures identify a school-related area, not a railroad, inspection station, or median. Reduce speed, scan carefully for children, and expect people to enter the crossing. Do not rely on an empty roadway at the instant you see the sign, because children may approach from hidden areas. The key cue is the school symbol paired with a fluorescent yellow-green or standard yellow warning background.

8. 8. Which movement is forbidden by the red circle and slash over the U-shaped arrow?

   
   1. Yielding to a pedestrian
   2. Turning into a legal driveway
   3. Following the lane straight ahead
   4. Making a U-turn at that location
   Show answer

   Making a U-turn at that location. The pictured U-shaped movement is the action being prohibited, so a driver must not make a U-turn at that location. Turning into a lawful driveway, continuing straight, and yielding to a pedestrian describe different actions and are not what this symbol depicts. Regulatory signs with a red circle and slash identify a forbidden action by placing the mark over its symbol. Before changing direction, scan for a permitted intersection or other legal place to turn without crossing the posted restriction.

9. 9. What color and legend do North Dakota warning signs use?

   1. Green with a white legend
   2. Blue with a white legend
   3. Yellow with a black legend
   4. White with a red legend
   Show answer

   Yellow with a black legend. North Dakota warning signs are yellow with a black legend. This color and lettering combination helps drivers recognize information about hazards before reaching the condition. Blue and white are commonly associated with services, while green and white identify guide information such as directions. A white sign with red lettering is not the warning-sign pattern described here. When the yellow and black combination appears, read the symbol or message and adjust speed and attention for what lies ahead.

10. 10. Why should a driver slow down after rain begins on a hard-surface road?

    1. Only visibility changes; pavement traction remains the same
    2. Rain makes tires grip harder and shortens stopping distance
    3. The roadway becomes safer once water covers the oil
    4. Water mixes with dirt and oil to form a slick film
    Show answer

    Water mixes with dirt and oil to form a slick film. The manual warns that a hard-surface roadway is very slippery just after rain starts because water combines with road dirt and oil, creating a slick film between tires and pavement. That condition calls for lower speed and alert driving. Rain does not improve grip, and covering the oil does not remove the hazard. The visibility-only choice overlooks the loss of traction. The cue is the beginning of rainfall, when the road may be most slippery before heavier water washes the surface.

11. 11. In North Dakota, when may a driver take a driver improvement course instead of having points added for a violation?

    1. For violations assigned five or fewer points, once every 12 months
    2. For any violation, as often as desired
    3. Only for DUI
    4. Never; courses only reduce points later
    Show answer

    For violations assigned five or fewer points, once every 12 months. A person may elect to attend a driver improvement course in lieu of points on the record for violations assigned five or fewer points. The option is valid once every 12 months and cannot be combined with the three point reduction for completing an approved course. It is not unlimited and does not apply to serious offenses such as DUI. Points also drop by one for every three months with no new points.

12. 12. Who may supervise a North Dakota instruction permit holder?

    1. A person 18 or older, licensed for that vehicle class, with at least three years of driving experience
    2. Any licensed driver 16 or older
    3. Only a parent or legal guardian
    4. A person 21 or older with one year of experience
    Show answer

    A person 18 or older, licensed for that vehicle class, with at least three years of driving experience. Whenever you drive on an instruction permit in North Dakota, a person with a valid license for the class of vehicle being driven, who is at least 18 and has at least three years of driving experience, must ride in the seat beside you. It does not have to be a parent. A 16-year-old is too young, and 21 with one year of experience does not match either part of the rule. The supervisor sits beside the permit holder, and no one else may sit in front unless the vehicle has only a front seat.

13. 13. A North Dakota driver refuses an alcohol concentration test but is never convicted of DUI. Is an SR22 filing still required?

    1. No, SR22 applies only after a conviction
    2. Yes, refusing the test also requires proof of financial responsibility (SR22)
    3. Only if there was a crash
    4. Only for commercial drivers
    Show answer

    Yes, refusing the test also requires proof of financial responsibility (SR22). The manual says that if you refuse to take an AC test, or if you are convicted of a DUI, the law requires you to show proof of financial responsibility through SR22 insurance coverage. A refusal alone triggers the requirement, so conviction is not needed. A crash and a commercial license are not conditions of the rule. The manual warns that insurance rates could double or triple.

14. 14. A North Dakota driver under the influence causes a crash that seriously injures another person. What is added to the minimum DUI penalties?

    1. An additional 90 days in jail
    2. An extra $100 fine
    3. A one year suspension only
    4. Nothing extra
    Show answer

    An additional 90 days in jail. On top of the minimum DUI penalties, causing a serious injury to another person in a crash adds 90 days in jail. Causing a death extends the jail time by one year. An extra $100 fine or a suspension alone would understate the added penalty, and the manual clearly adds time rather than nothing. The manual warns that these are only the minimum penalties.

15. 15. Under North Dakota's child passenger safety law, how must a 12-year-old be secured?

    1. No restraint is required after age 8
    2. Only in the back seat, with or without a belt
    3. In a seat belt or child restraint
    4. Only in a booster seat
    Show answer

    In a seat belt or child restraint. North Dakota requires children under eight to ride in a child restraint such as a car seat or booster seat (a seat belt may be used for a child at least 57 inches tall), and children ages eight through seventeen to be properly secured in a seat belt or child restraint. A 12-year-old therefore must be belted or restrained. Turning eight does not end the requirement, and a booster is not the only option at that age. Violations cost the driver $25 and one point.

16. 16. What must a pedestrian do when crossing a North Dakota roadway where there is no crosswalk?

    1. Cross diagonally to shorten the distance
    2. Claim the same priority as a marked crosswalk
    3. Yield to all vehicles on the roadway
    4. Wait only for a vehicle to flash its headlights
    Show answer

    Yield to all vehicles on the roadway. A pedestrian crossing where no crosswalk exists must yield the right of way to all vehicles on the roadway. The crosswalk priority does not transfer to every location, and crossing diagonally does not create a safer or superior right. A headlight flash is not the required permission. The useful cue is to find a crosswalk whenever possible, and otherwise wait for a gap that leaves every approaching vehicle clear to continue.

17. 17. When should vehicle headlights be used under North Dakota's night driving guidance?

    1. Only after 9 p.m.
    2. From sunset to sunrise and whenever needed for safe driving
    3. Only during rain
    4. Only on roads without streetlights
    Show answer

    From sunset to sunrise and whenever needed for safe driving. North Dakota's guidance calls for headlights from sunset to sunrise and at any other time necessary for safe driving. Rain alone is too narrow because snow, sleet, hail, smoke, fog, or other conditions can also reduce visibility. A clock time or absence of streetlights does not define the full rule. Think of sunset to sunrise as the baseline, then add any weather or visibility condition that requires lights for safety.

18. 18. When is a U-turn prohibited because the driver's view is too limited?

    1. Only when another vehicle is already turning
    2. Any time the road has two lanes
    3. Near a hill crest or curve where the driver cannot see at least 500 feet
    4. Only after sunset
    Show answer

    Near a hill crest or curve where the driver cannot see at least 500 feet. A U-turn is prohibited near the crest of a hill or on a curve when the driver cannot see 500 feet or more. The concern is whether approaching traffic can be seen in time, not the number of lanes, the presence of a vehicle already turning, or the time of day. Before turning around, check the sight distance in both directions and choose a location where other road users can recognize the maneuver safely.

19. 19. What does a warning sign indicate when it shows the median or divided highway begins?

    
    1. The road is changing to one-way traffic in both directions
    2. Traffic is separated by a new median or divided highway
    3. A railroad crossing is immediately ahead
    4. The lane ends without any change in traffic flow
    Show answer

    Traffic is separated by a new median or divided highway. The warning sign for the beginning of a median or divided highway tells the driver that traffic will become separated. Expect a change in roadway layout, keep the vehicle in its lane, and watch for the new traffic pattern. The railroad and lane-ending choices refer to different warnings. The claim that both directions become one-way misses the key feature: opposing traffic is divided by the median, not placed on the same path.

20. 20. If you are in the lane with a solid line beside a broken yellow line, what does the marking mean?

    
    1. No passing from your lane; cross the solid line only to turn left
    2. Passing is allowed whenever you can see the road ahead
    3. You must cross the solid line before continuing straight
    4. The lane is reserved for emergency vehicles
    Show answer

    No passing from your lane; cross the solid line only to turn left. A solid line paired with a broken line restricts the direction that has the solid line. From that lane, passing is prohibited, and the solid line may be crossed only for a left turn. The clear-road choice overlooks the side-specific restriction, while the required-crossing and emergency-lane choices describe rules not created by this marking. Identify which line borders your lane before deciding whether to pass, and remember that the broken line benefits the opposite direction, not yours.