PA Permit Practice Test 1

All 20 questions in test 1

Every question below comes from the Pennsylvania 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 many questions must an applicant answer correctly to pass Pennsylvania's Knowledge Test?

   1. 12 of 18
   2. 16 of 18
   3. 15 of 18
   4. 17 of 18
   Show answer

   15 of 18. Pennsylvania's Knowledge Test contains 18 multiple-choice questions, and an applicant needs 15 correct responses to pass. The option saying 12 of 18 understates the required score, while 16 and 17 set a higher bar than PennDOT's stated threshold. Think of the test as allowing only three missed questions. A practice session that produces 14 correct answers is still short, even though it is more than three quarters of the exam. Keep the pair 18 questions and 15 needed together when checking your result.

2. 2. For a Pennsylvania driver of legal drinking age, which BAC range is labeled General Impairment?

   1. .02 to .079
   2. .08 to .099
   3. .10 to .159
   4. .16 and higher
   Show answer

   .08 to .099. The manual's DUI table places a legal-age driver's General Impairment tier at BAC .08 through .099. The .02 range is used for Pennsylvania's under-21 rule, while .10 through .159 belongs to the High Rate tier and .16 or more is the Highest Rate tier. The question asks for the named range, so do not substitute the starting point of another category. Match the driver's age and the label attached to the numerical band.

3. 3. A Pennsylvania driver younger than 21 has a BAC of .02 percent. How does the manual classify that reading?

   1. It is below every Pennsylvania alcohol threshold
   2. It matters only if the reading reaches .08 percent
   3. It is permitted when a licensed adult is supervising
   4. It is driving under the influence under the under-21 rule
   Show answer

   It is driving under the influence under the under-21 rule. Pennsylvania treats a driver under 21 as driving under the influence at a BAC of .02 percent or more. The adult-oriented .08 figure cannot be carried over to a minor, and supervision does not create an alcohol exception. Calling .02 below every limit ignores the specific zero-tolerance standard described in the manual. On a permit question, identify whether the driver is younger than 21, then compare the reading with .02 rather than with the adult table.

4. 4. What is Pennsylvania's maximum speed limit under the posted-speed guidance in PUB 95?

   1. 55 mph
   2. 70 mph
   3. 65 mph
   4. 75 mph
   Show answer

   70 mph. Pennsylvania's manual identifies 70 mph as the maximum speed limit in the state. That does not mean every interstate or rural highway automatically permits 70; drivers must follow the number posted for that roadway and reduce speed when conditions are poor. The 55 and 65 choices are lower limits that may appear on particular roads, while 75 exceeds the statewide maximum cited here. Use the posted sign at the location, with 70 as the ceiling described in this section.

5. 5. How fast may a driver travel in a Pennsylvania school zone when its yellow signals are flashing?

   1. No faster than 10 mph
   2. No faster than 20 mph
   3. The regular roadway limit always applies
   4. No faster than 15 mph
   Show answer

   No faster than 15 mph. A Pennsylvania school-zone signal activates a 15 mph limit when the yellow lights flash, or during the time period shown on the sign. The 10 and 20 mph choices change the stated number, and the regular-limit option overlooks the special school-zone control. Exceeding the school-zone limit also brings three points and a fine, so this is more than a general caution message. The flashing yellow signal is the cue to reduce speed before entering the zone.

6. 6. Two vehicles approach an intersection from different roads at about the same time with no controls. Who yields in Pennsylvania?

   1. The driver coming from the right yields to the driver coming from the left
   2. The vehicle on the wider road always proceeds first
   3. The driver coming from the left yields to the driver coming from the right
   4. Both vehicles must enter together to claim priority
   Show answer

   The driver coming from the left yields to the driver coming from the right. At an uncontrolled intersection, Pennsylvania assigns the yield duty to the vehicle approaching from the left when the two vehicles arrive at roughly the same time. The right-side driver is not granted permission to accelerate, and roadway width does not replace the stated position rule. Entering together is unsafe and contrary to the purpose of the rule. Locate the other vehicle relative to your own approach before moving. If it is on your right, wait and let it clear the intersection.

7. 7. Which pedestrian situation requires a Pennsylvania driver to yield even when there is no traffic light?

   1. A person crossing at an intersection, whether or not a crosswalk is painted
   2. Only a person in a marked crosswalk with a signal
   3. Only a person accompanied by a crossing guard
   4. No person until the driver reaches the intersection center
   Show answer

   A person crossing at an intersection, whether or not a crosswalk is painted. Pennsylvania requires drivers to yield to pedestrians crossing at any intersection without a traffic light, with or without a marked crosswalk. The painted-line choice narrows the rule too far, and neither a crossing guard nor the driver's position in the intersection determines whether the duty exists. Approach the corner ready to stop, scan both sides, and account for a person crossing even if the pavement has no stripes. A blind pedestrian carrying a white cane or guided by a dog receives an especially strong yield requirement.

8. 8. How long is a Pennsylvania learner's permit application valid, and how old may the physical exam be?

   1. Two years, with any exam date
   2. Six months, with an exam in the last 30 days
   3. One year from the physical examination, which may be no more than six months before the 16th birthday
   4. It never expires
   Show answer

   One year from the physical examination, which may be no more than six months before the 16th birthday. The Non Commercial Learner's Permit Application, form DL-180, is valid for one year from the date of your physical examination, but the exam date may not be more than six months before your 16th birthday. A health care provider completes the back of the form, and if the examiner cannot tell whether it meets medical standards the permit may be delayed. Applicants under 18 also need the parent consent form.

9. 9. What must a Pennsylvania driver do at the yield line before entering a roundabout?

   1. Stop in the circle and wait for entering traffic to clear
   2. Enter immediately because entering traffic has priority
   3. Use the truck apron to bypass the yield line
   4. Yield to circulating traffic and enter only when there is an adequate gap
   Show answer

   Yield to circulating traffic and enter only when there is an adequate gap. Roundabout entries have yield signs and pavement yield lines. The entering driver slows, looks left, gives priority to traffic already circulating, and waits for an adequate opening. Stopping inside the circle disrupts the flow, and the truck apron is not a shortcut for passenger cars. The priority option reverses the Pennsylvania rule. Use the leftward traffic check as your cue, then merge into the counterclockwise movement once the space is large enough to enter without forcing another driver to brake.

10. 10. A Pennsylvania driver faces a steady red light and wants to turn right. What must happen first?

    1. Roll through if no vehicle is approaching
    2. Stop, check for pedestrians and traffic, then turn if permitted
    3. Wait for a green arrow even when no sign prohibits the turn
    4. Turn without yielding because right turns have priority
    Show answer

    Stop, check for pedestrians and traffic, then turn if permitted. Pennsylvania allows a right turn on red unless a NO TURN ON RED sign prohibits it, but the maneuver begins with a complete stop. The driver must check for and yield to pedestrians and other traffic before turning. A rolling approach is not the required stop, and a green arrow is unnecessary when the red-turn exception is available. No driver receives automatic priority simply because the intended movement is rightward. Look for the prohibition sign, stop at the line or crosswalk, then reassess the crossing area.

11. 11. When entering a Pennsylvania public highway from a private driveway, when may the driver proceed?

    1. After waiting until the main road is clear
    2. As soon as the vehicle's turn signal is activated
    3. Only after yielding to traffic approaching from the left
    4. Before checking because driveway traffic has priority
    Show answer

    After waiting until the main road is clear. A vehicle emerging from an alley, private road, or driveway must wait until the main road is clear. Signaling communicates an intention but does not create a gap or give the emerging driver priority. Looking only left can miss traffic arriving from the other direction, and the driveway is not treated as an equal roadway branch. Stop before crossing the sidewalk or roadway edge, look both ways, and continue only after every conflict has been cleared.

12. 12. A bicyclist approaches a red traffic light in Pennsylvania. What does the manual require?

    1. Continue if the bicycle is in a marked bike lane
    2. Stop only when a police officer is present
    3. Stop at the red light, just as a motorist must
    4. Treat the light as advisory during daylight
    Show answer

    Stop at the red light, just as a motorist must. Pennsylvania treats the bicycle as one of the vehicle types covered by the rules of the road. The manual specifically uses a red light as an example: bicyclists must stop just as motorists do. A bike lane does not create a daylight exception, and the duty does not depend on an officer being nearby. At a red signal, the rider should stop before entering the intersection and wait for the signal or another lawful movement instruction.

13. 13. In a roundabout, how may a bicyclist legally behave under PA rules?

    1. Either as a vehicle or as a pedestrian, following the rules for that choice
    2. Only as a pedestrian on the outside shoulder
    3. Only as a vehicle in the center of the circle
    4. Bicycles are excluded from roundabouts
    Show answer

    Either as a vehicle or as a pedestrian, following the rules for that choice. Pennsylvania gives a bicyclist using a roundabout the option to function as a vehicle or as a pedestrian. The rider must then follow the rules associated with that choice, rather than switching behavior to claim whichever priority is convenient. The shoulder-only and center-only options invent restrictions, while bicycles are not banned from the circular intersection. Drivers should watch for either operating pattern and avoid overtaking a bicyclist who is acting as a vehicle within the roundabout.

14. 14. Inside a Pennsylvania roundabout, what must a motorist do when a bicyclist is using the roadway?

    1. Pass on the inside whenever the lane is wide enough
    2. Sound the horn until the bicyclist moves aside
    3. Do not pass the bicyclist within the roundabout
    4. Force the bicyclist onto the shoulder before exiting
    Show answer

    Do not pass the bicyclist within the roundabout. A bicyclist operating as a vehicle receives roadway protection inside a Pennsylvania roundabout, so a motorist must not overtake that rider within the circular intersection. Extra width does not create permission to pass, and a horn cannot replace the legal spacing rule. Forcing the rider toward the shoulder is unsafe and unlawful. Slow behind the bicycle, remain in the circulating flow, and wait until the roundabout has been cleared before choosing a safe passing opportunity.

15. 15. Under Pennsylvania rules, who is required to report certain medical conditions that could impair safe driving?

    1. The driver's employer
    2. The diagnosing physician
    3. The driver's insurance company only
    4. The county court after a crash
    Show answer

    The diagnosing physician. Pennsylvania places the reporting duty on physicians who diagnose a patient with a condition that could impair safe driving. The rule is not assigned to an employer, an insurer, or a court waiting for a collision. The manual gives conditions such as seizure disorders, diabetes, and heart problems as examples of health issues that can affect driving ability. If a question names a diagnosed condition and asks who reports it, connect that fact to the physician and PennDOT rather than to a workplace or courtroom process.

16. 16. After the first 6 months, how many non-family minor passengers may a junior license holder carry (absent a violation history)?

    1. No more than one such passenger forever
    2. No more than three passengers under 18 who are not immediate family
    3. Any number of passengers under 18
    4. No passengers under 18 under any circumstance
    Show answer

    No more than three passengers under 18 who are not immediate family. After six months on a junior license, the Pennsylvania limit can increase to no more than three passengers under 18 who are not immediate family, provided the driver has not been involved in a responsible crash or convicted of a driving violation. The one-passenger choice describes the initial period, and unlimited carriage ignores the continuing cap. A clean six-month interval is not the same as an unrestricted license. Check both elapsed time and the driver's record before applying the expanded number.

17. 17. After how long of driving on a junior license may the passenger limit increase to no more than three non-family passengers under age 18?

    1. After the first 30 days
    2. After one full year
    3. Only after turning 21
    4. After the first six months
    Show answer

    After the first six months. Pennsylvania increases the junior-license limit to no more than three passengers under age 18 who are not immediate family members after the driver has completed the first six months of driving on that license. The one-month and one-year choices use time periods not stated for this increase, while turning 21 is unrelated to the junior-license milestone. The increase also has an important qualification: it does not apply if the junior driver has been partly or fully responsible for a crash or has been convicted of a driving violation. Check the six-month mark and the driver’s record together.

18. 18. What message category is normally shown by a yellow diamond sign in Pennsylvania?

    1. A mandatory speed or parking regulation
    2. A route direction to a town or service
    3. A warning about a roadway condition or hazard ahead
    4. A railroad crossing permit number
    Show answer

    A warning about a roadway condition or hazard ahead. Pennsylvania places warning information on yellow diamond signs. These signs alert drivers to hazards, changing alignment, crossings, or other conditions ahead, so the driver can adjust speed and attention. A speed limit or parking command belongs to the regulatory category, while a town or service direction is guide information. The permit-number option is not a roadway sign function. When the yellow diamond appears, scan beyond it and prepare for the condition it previews.

19. 19. A red, eight-sided sign appears ahead. What action does its shape identify?

    1. Stop
    2. Yield to traffic without stopping
    3. Do not enter the roadway
    4. Railroad crossing ahead
    Show answer

    Stop. The octagonal red shape identifies a STOP sign. It is not a yield sign, a prohibition against entering, or a railroad advance warning. At the sign, stop completely before the first painted line or before the crosswalk when one is present. Then check pedestrians and cross traffic and proceed only when the intersection is clear. The unusual eight-sided outline is intended to identify the required stop even when the sign face is hard to read from the back.

20. 20. A fluorescent yellow-green pentagon sign is posted beside the road. What does it identify?

    1. A railroad crossing with a gate
    2. A hospital or emergency department
    3. A no-passing zone on a hill
    4. A school zone or school-zone crosswalk
    Show answer

    A school zone or school-zone crosswalk. Pennsylvania uses the pentagon shape for a SCHOOL sign. It marks an approaching school zone, and a downward arrow can identify the school-zone crosswalk. The railroad choice belongs to a different warning sign, while a hospital is guide information rather than the pentagon's meaning. A no-passing restriction uses pavement markings or regulatory signs. Slow down, watch for children, and be ready to stop when this school symbol appears.