PA Permit Practice Test 8

All 20 questions in test 8

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. What does Pennsylvania's pentagon-shaped SCHOOL sign indicate?

   1. An approaching school zone
   2. A railroad crossing
   3. A hospital entrance
   4. A no-passing zone
   Show answer

   An approaching school zone. The manual identifies the pentagon as the only pentagon-shaped roadway sign and says it means a school zone is approaching. A downward-pointing arrow below it identifies the school-zone crosswalk, which is a more specific placement. Railroad crossings use their own warning signs, hospitals are not represented by this shape, and no-passing zones use a pennant. Slow down, watch for children, and treat the distinctive five-sided outline as an advance school warning.

2. 2. After yielding to an emergency vehicle, how should a Pennsylvania driver position the vehicle while stopped?

   1. Angle across the intersection to block one lane
   2. Drive parallel and as near to the curb as possible
   3. Stop beside the centerline and face opposing traffic
   4. Park diagonally on the nearest shoulder
   Show answer

   Drive parallel and as near to the curb as possible. Pennsylvania directs a driver yielding to an emergency vehicle to drive parallel and as near to the curb as possible while stopping. Angling across an intersection or stopping beside the centerline can obstruct the emergency route. Parking diagonally on a shoulder is not the positioning instruction in the manual. Signal early, move toward the closest safe edge, remain clear of intersections, and stay stopped until the response vehicle has passed. Then resume carefully while preserving the required distance behind it.

3. 3. What lighting is required when driving through an active Pennsylvania work zone?

   1. Parking lights only
   2. High beams at all times
   3. No lights during daylight
   4. Vehicle headlights, not just daytime running lights
   Show answer

   Vehicle headlights, not just daytime running lights. Pennsylvania requires headlights when driving through work zones, and the manual specifically says daytime running lights alone are not enough. Parking lights do not provide the required visibility, high beams can create glare and are not mandated, and daylight does not remove the work-zone rule. Turn on the headlights before entering the active area and keep them on while workers or equipment are nearby. The orange devices and work-zone signs are the cue to check the lighting control.

4. 4. In what situations were over a third of Pennsylvania crashes involving 16 year old drivers occurring?

   1. Pulling out from a stop sign or turning left across traffic
   2. Backing out of driveways
   3. Parallel parking
   4. Driving on interstates
   Show answer

   Pulling out from a stop sign or turning left across traffic. In over one third of the crashes involving 16 year old drivers in Pennsylvania, the teen driver was pulling out from a stop sign or turning left across traffic. The law does not give anyone the right of way at intersections; it only says who must yield. Look left, right and left again, and wait for a gap large enough that no one has to brake.

5. 5. What should a Pennsylvania driver do to preserve a space cushion in traffic?

   1. Match the nearest vehicle’s speed without looking ahead
   2. Drive in another vehicle’s blind spot
   3. Adjust speed to maintain space around the vehicle
   4. Close the gap whenever traffic is crowded
   Show answer

   Adjust speed to maintain space around the vehicle. Pennsylvania advises adjusting speed to maintain a space cushion when surrounding traffic changes. Matching a nearby vehicle without looking ahead can place the driver in a blind spot, and closing the gap removes room for an emergency maneuver. The goal is not to drive faster than the posted limit or to abandon the lane, but to create usable space around the vehicle. If traffic packs together, a small speed reduction can let nearby vehicles clear and restore separation.

6. 6. A Pennsylvania child younger than age two must remain in what type of seat until it is outgrown?

   1. A rear-facing car seat within its manufacturer limits
   2. A forward-facing booster from birth
   3. An adult lap belt in the front seat
   4. Any seat without a weight limit
   Show answer

   A rear-facing car seat within its manufacturer limits. Pennsylvania requires children younger than age two to use a rear-facing car seat until they outgrow the seat’s maximum weight and height limits set by the manufacturer. A forward-facing booster from birth does not follow that rule, and an adult belt or an unrestricted seat does not provide the specified protection. Check both manufacturer limits rather than relying on age alone. Never place a rear-facing seat in front of an active passenger air bag.

7. 7. How much more likely are you to die in a crash with a train than with another vehicle, according to the Pennsylvania manual?

   1. Twice as likely
   2. About the same
   3. 40 times more likely
   4. 10 times more likely
   Show answer

   40 times more likely. You are 40 times more likely to die in a crash involving a train than in a crash with another vehicle, and most crossings are protected only by an advance warning sign and a crossbuck. Slow down, look and listen at every crossing, never drive around lowered gates, and never stop on the tracks. A train cannot swerve and needs a mile or more to stop.

8. 8. What does a flashing yellow arrow permit a Pennsylvania driver to do?

   1. Turn with protected priority over all traffic
   2. Turn in the arrow's direction after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians
   3. Make a U-turn regardless of signs
   4. Proceed without checking the crosswalk
   Show answer

   Turn in the arrow's direction after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. A flashing yellow arrow permits a turn in the arrow’s direction, but the turn is not protected. The driver must first yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. Treating it as a protected movement reverses the key distinction, while a U-turn or an unchecked crosswalk is not authorized by the signal. Slow down, scan the opposing lane and crossing area, then turn only when the gap is safe. The flashing arrow means permission with caution, not priority.

9. 9. What is the purpose of a center turn lane marked by one solid line and one broken line on each side?

   1. It is a passing lane for faster traffic
   2. It is reserved for parking during daylight
   3. It is a one-way lane for through travel
   4. It is for left turns from either direction
   Show answer

   It is for left turns from either direction. Pennsylvania describes a center lane bordered by a solid outer line and a broken inner line as a lane that may only be used for left turns. Drivers from either direction use it to begin a left turn, and entering traffic may use it to finish a turn before joining the roadway. It is not a passing or parking lane. Identify the paired markings, check for opposing traffic, and enter only for the left-turn movement.

10. 10. When the roadway is wet or visibility is poor, how should a Pennsylvania driver respond to the posted speed limit?

    1. Treat the posted number as a required minimum
    2. Drive below the posted limit
    3. Keep the same speed unless a police car is present
    4. Use the posted limit only after visibility improves
    Show answer

    Drive below the posted limit. Pennsylvania says drivers should travel below the posted speed limit when the road is wet or slippery, visibility is reduced, or another condition is less than perfect. The posted number is not a promise that the same speed is safe in every environment. Waiting for police enforcement or for visibility to improve delays the needed adjustment. Read the surface and sight distance early, ease off the accelerator, and select a speed that leaves enough room to stop and stay in control.

11. 11. When Pennsylvania requires windshield wipers because of weather, what else must be illuminated?

    1. Only daytime running lights
    2. Only hazard lights
    3. Headlights and tail lights
    4. High beams and parking lights only
    Show answer

    Headlights and tail lights. Pennsylvania requires both headlights and tail lights whenever weather causes the wipers to operate continuously or intermittently. Daytime running lights alone are not enough, so that choice leaves the rear of the vehicle less visible. Hazard lights are not a substitute for the required lighting, and high beams are not required for this rule. Use the wiper switch as your cue: if weather requires the wipers, turn on the full headlight system before continuing.

12. 12. What share of Pennsylvania's roughly 1,500 yearly highway deaths are attributed to aggressive driving?

    1. About 60 percent, around 900 deaths
    2. About 5 percent
    3. About 25 percent
    4. Nearly all
    Show answer

    About 60 percent, around 900 deaths. Of the approximately 1,500 highway deaths in Pennsylvania each year, about 60 percent, or around 900, are attributed to aggressive driving such as speeding, tailgating and running signals. If you meet an aggressive driver, do not engage; get out of the way and call 911 with a hands free device or have a passenger call. In a review of 12,000 crashes, 37 percent of drivers took no action to avoid the crash.

13. 13. If you are driving 35 mph or more in Pennsylvania, when must you signal before turning?

    1. At least 100 feet before the turn
    2. At least 25 feet before the turn
    3. At least 300 feet before the turn
    4. After entering the intersection
    Show answer

    At least 300 feet before the turn. At 35 mph or faster, Pennsylvania requires signaling at least 300 feet before turning. The 100-foot distance applies when driving below 35 mph, so using it at the higher speed shortens the warning other drivers receive. Waiting until the intersection is also too late. Treat the speed threshold as the trigger: at or above 35 mph, begin the signal with enough roadway remaining to provide the full 300 feet of notice, then make the turn only after checking traffic and pedestrians.

14. 14. You are boxed in by a pack of highway traffic with no space cushion. What small speed adjustment does Pennsylvania recommend?

    1. Reduce speed by two or three mph
    2. Increase speed by 10 mph
    3. Stop in the travel lane
    4. Match the fastest vehicle regardless of the limit
    Show answer

    Reduce speed by two or three mph. When a group of vehicles leaves you in a blind spot without an emergency space cushion, Pennsylvania suggests reducing speed by two or three mph. That modest change can let surrounding vehicles spread out and reopen space. Accelerating by 10 mph can create a new hazard and may exceed the posted limit, while stopping in a travel lane is dangerous. Watch the vehicles beside and behind you, ease off slightly, and use the resulting gap to restore visibility and maneuvering room.

15. 15. What share of Pennsylvania flooding deaths since 2006 were related to vehicles, according to the CDC?

    1. Almost none
    2. About 10 percent
    3. Nearly all
    4. Nearly half
    Show answer

    Nearly half. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, since 2006 nearly half of all flooding deaths reported in Pennsylvania were related to vehicles. Never drive into water covering the road; it may be deeper and faster than it looks and the road beneath may be gone. Turn around and find another route, and if the car stalls in rising water, abandon it for higher ground.

16. 16. What must you do before passing another vehicle in Pennsylvania?

    1. Rely only on the rearview mirror
    2. Check mirrors and blind spots for a vehicle already passing you
    3. Move out immediately if the passing lane looks empty ahead
    4. Sound the horn and ignore the side mirrors
    Show answer

    Check mirrors and blind spots for a vehicle already passing you. Before beginning a pass, Pennsylvania directs the driver to check the side and rearview mirrors and quickly inspect blind spots for vehicles that may already be passing. Looking only ahead does not reveal a vehicle beside or behind you, and a horn cannot replace a visual check. Make sure the passing lane is clear in front, behind, and beside your vehicle, then signal before changing lanes. This short scan prevents a lane change into another driver who has already started to pass.

17. 17. What does an orange triangle on the back of a Pennsylvania farm tractor indicate?

    1. The vehicle carries hazardous materials
    2. The vehicle is part of a funeral procession
    3. The vehicle is wider than a standard truck
    4. The vehicle travels at 25 mph or less
    Show answer

    The vehicle travels at 25 mph or less. An orange triangle identifies a farm tractor or horse-drawn vehicle designed to operate at 25 mph or less, which is slower than normal traffic. It does not identify hazardous cargo, a funeral procession, or vehicle width. Use the emblem as an early warning to reduce speed, increase following space, and wait for a safe passing opportunity. Pennsylvania specifically advises staying a safe distance back and avoiding the horn when preparing to pass these slow-moving vehicles.

18. 18. In Pennsylvania, when may the rest of a funeral procession proceed through an intersection?

    1. Only after every vehicle stops again
    2. After the lead vehicle has cleared the intersection
    3. Only when a police officer escorts each car
    4. Whenever a vehicle behind the procession honks
    Show answer

    After the lead vehicle has cleared the intersection. Once the lead vehicle of a funeral procession has cleared the intersection, the rest of the procession may proceed through it and other traffic must yield. Requiring every vehicle to stop again would break the procession, while a horn or an absent police escort does not create permission. If you encounter the line, slow down, allow it to pass, and do not cut between vehicles. Look for the lead car’s position before assuming ordinary cross traffic may proceed.

19. 19. How high should the top of a Pennsylvania driver’s head restraint be adjusted?

    1. At least as high as the top of the driver’s ears
    2. At shoulder height
    3. Below the base of the neck
    4. At the level of the driver’s chin
    Show answer

    At least as high as the top of the driver’s ears. The manual says to adjust the head restraint so its top is at least as high as the top of your ears. That position helps cushion the back of the head and can reduce neck injuries in a crash. Shoulder height or a low neck-level setting leaves the head less supported, while chin height is not the stated reference. Set the seat first, then raise or lower the restraint until its top reaches the ear line before driving.

20. 20. What is illegal in a Pennsylvania acceleration lane?

    1. Accelerating toward highway speed
    2. Looking for a gap in traffic
    3. Passing a vehicle ahead of you
    4. Using the lane before merging
    Show answer

    Passing a vehicle ahead of you. An acceleration lane gives an entering driver room to build speed and find a safe opening, but Pennsylvania says it is illegal to pass a vehicle ahead in that lane. Accelerating, checking for a gap, and using the lane to merge are its intended functions. Passing there can create conflicting movements near the entrance. Signal, accelerate to the speed of traffic, and merge into an opening without overtaking the vehicle already ahead of you.