SC Permit Practice Test 2

All 20 questions in test 2

Every question below comes from the South 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. What area do crosswalks define for pedestrians?

   1. The shoulder used for disabled vehicles
   2. A lane reserved for passing trucks
   3. A place where parking is always required
   4. The area where pedestrians may cross the roadway
   Show answer

   The area where pedestrians may cross the roadway. Crosswalks define the area where pedestrians may cross the roadway. A crosswalk is not a passing lane, a mandatory parking space, or a shoulder for disabled vehicles. Drivers should remain alert because not all crosswalks are marked, and they must yield to pedestrians entering or already in a crosswalk. The practical cue is the pedestrian crossing area itself: approach slowly, look for people, and stop behind the line or crosswalk when a sign or signal requires it.

   Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings, crosswalks and stop lines

2. 2. Why does the South Carolina manual say not to assume a motorcycle is turning when its signal flashes?

   1. Motorcycles are not required to have signals
   2. Motorcycle signals are decorative
   3. Riders signal only for lane changes
   4. Motorcycle turn signals may not self cancel and the rider may have forgotten them
   Show answer

   Motorcycle turn signals may not self cancel and the rider may have forgotten them. Do not assume a motorcycle is turning when you see its turn signal flashing. Motorcycle turn signals may not self cancel, and the rider may have forgotten to turn them off, so wait to be sure the rider is going to turn before you proceed. Allow at least a four second following distance behind a motorcycle, more in wet conditions.

   Study this in the handbook: Motorcycles and commercial vehicles

3. 3. When parking facing uphill beside a curb, which way should the front wheels point?

   1. Toward the curb
   2. Toward the center of the street
   3. Straight ahead
   4. In either direction if the brake is set
   Show answer

   Toward the center of the street. For an uphill parking space with a curb, turn the wheels toward the center of the street and place the back of the front tire against the curb. This differs from the downhill wheel direction. The manual also calls for setting the parking brake, selecting the proper gear or Park, and switching off the engine. Those steps accompany the wheel position; they do not make it optional. First identify the slope and whether a curb is present.

   Study this in the handbook: Turnabouts, parking, lane changes and passing

4. 4. If a driver under 17 receives six or more points before holding a license for one year, what suspension applies?

   1. Six months
   2. Thirty days
   3. Three months
   4. One year
   Show answer

   Six months. The graduated licensing rule calls for a six-month suspension when a driver under 17 receives six or more points before having held the license for one year. Thirty days and three months are shorter penalties than the stated consequence, while one year doubles the period. This is a threshold rule: both the driver's age and the timing of the points matter, not merely the existence of any conviction. For recall, connect six points with six months, and keep that pairing separate from the different point rules applying to older drivers.

   Study this in the handbook: Conditional and special restricted licenses

5. 5. How should you pass an animal-drawn vehicle or horseback rider?

   1. Accelerate close beside the animal
   2. Sound the horn repeatedly to make the animal move
   3. Pass cautiously without honking or revving the engine
   4. Pass on the shoulder whenever possible
   Show answer

   Pass cautiously without honking or revving the engine. Animal-drawn vehicles and horseback riders share the roadway and can be frightened by sudden noise. Slow down, pass with caution, and do not use the horn or rev the engine because the animal may react unpredictably and cause a collision. Repeated honking is therefore the most dangerous distractor, while accelerating close by reduces the rider’s margin for recovery. The shoulder is not a default passing lane and may be unsafe or unavailable. Approach with patience, leave generous room, and anticipate that an animal-drawn vehicle may turn into a field or driveway.

   Study this in the handbook: Emergency vehicles, traffic stops and the Move Over Law

6. 6. How should a driver respond when approaching a flooded roadway or barricade blocking one?

   1. Stop in the water and wait for traffic
   2. Drive through if the water appears shallow
   3. Turn around and find another route
   4. Follow the vehicle ahead through the flooded area
   Show answer

   Turn around and find another route. A flooded roadway or a barricade blocking one calls for finding another route to the destination. The manual notes that six inches of water reaches the bottom of most passenger cars and can cause loss of control or stalling, and two feet of moving water can carry away most vehicles, so entering behind another vehicle does not make the crossing safe. Stopping in floodwater adds the risk of stalling or losing control. The concrete cue is a visible flooded road: turn around before entering, choose higher or alternate ground, and never use another driver's crossing as proof that the water is safe for your vehicle.

   Study this in the handbook: Visual search and speed management

7. 7. About how many people are injured each year in work zone collisions, according to the South Carolina manual?

   1. About 500
   2. Approximately 40,000
   3. About 5,000
   4. About 1 million
   Show answer

   Approximately 40,000. Approximately 40,000 people per year are injured as a result of motor vehicle collisions in work zones, which have become increasingly dangerous for workers and drivers. Watch for signs, cones, barrels, large vehicles and workers. Work zone signs have orange backgrounds, and in a work zone you should reduce speed, increase following distance and be prepared to stop. Endangering a highway worker brings a fine and points.

   Study this in the handbook: Night driving and work zones

8. 8. What do the shape and color of a South Carolina route number sign tell you?

   1. The speed limit on that road
   2. The type of roadway, such as interstate, US, state, or county road
   3. The distance to the next town
   4. Whether trucks may use the road
   Show answer

   The type of roadway, such as interstate, US, state, or county road. South Carolina says the shape and color of route number signs indicate the type of roadway: interstate, US, state, city, county, or local road. When planning a trip, the handbook suggests using a road map or GPS device to determine the route, and during the trip, following the route signs so you do not get lost in an unfamiliar area. Speed limits appear on black and white speed limit signs, and distances to cities and towns appear on guide signs, so those are not what the route marker shape and color show.

   Study this in the handbook: Regulatory and guide signs

9. 9. A South Carolina driver who is 15 or 16 starts getting points. At what totals does the SCDMV send a letter to drive more carefully?

   1. Six points
   2. Twelve points
   3. Two points and four points
   4. One point
   Show answer

   Two points and four points. For drivers 15 or 16, the SCDMV sends a warning letter when the record reaches two points and again at four points. Continued violations can cost the driving privilege. Six points is when a letter goes to drivers 17 or older, and it is also the excessive points level for permit, conditional and special restricted holders. Twelve points is the adult suspension level. One point does not trigger a letter.

   Study this in the handbook: The point system and losing your license

10. 10. On a two-direction roadway, a dashed yellow line is on your side and a solid yellow line is on the other side. Which side may pass when safe?

    1. Both sides may pass equally
    2. The side with the dashed line
    3. Only the side with the solid line
    4. Neither side may ever pass
    Show answer

    The side with the dashed line. The yellow-line illustration permits passing from the side where the line is dashed. A driver facing the solid side does not receive that same permission. These markings describe a roadway carrying traffic in two directions, so check which line is beside your own lane before deciding. Do not treat the pair as permission for both directions. A permitted passing area still calls for a safe maneuver with room to finish, rather than automatic entry into opposing traffic.

11. 11. According to the South Carolina manual, how many drinks in your bloodstream could get you arrested for driving under the influence?

    1. At least three drinks
    2. At least five drinks
    3. Only enough drinks to make you feel drunk
    4. One or more drinks
    Show answer

    One or more drinks. The South Carolina manual says impairment starts with the first drink, and even one drink of alcohol can affect your ability to operate a motor vehicle. With one or more drinks in the bloodstream, a person could be arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Feeling fine is not a safe test, because alcohol slows reaction time and blurs vision. The best advice in the manual is not to drive a vehicle of any kind if you have consumed alcohol or other drugs.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, other drugs and implied consent

12. 12. Is South Carolina's six-month provisional driver's license available for a first DUI committed on or after May 19, 2024?

    1. Yes, for $100
    2. Yes, if the BAC was 0.14 or less
    3. No, it is not available for DUI or DUAC on or after that date
    4. Yes, after enrolling in ADSAP
    Show answer

    No, it is not available for DUI or DUAC on or after that date. The six-month provisional license was an option after a first DUI or DUAC suspension if the driver met conditions such as a BAC of 0.14 percent or less, enrollment in ADSAP, and a $100 fee. The manual now states that the provisional license is not available for any DUI or DUAC that takes place on or after May 19, 2024. The $100 fee, the 0.14 limit, and ADSAP enrollment were conditions of the old option, so none makes a post-cutoff driver eligible.

    Study this in the handbook: Provisional and temporary alcohol licenses

13. 13. How does South Carolina classify bicycles when they are traveling on roadways?

    1. As vehicles
    2. As stationary hazards
    3. As emergency vehicles
    4. As pedestrians in every situation
    Show answer

    As vehicles. Bicycles are considered vehicles when they are on roadways, and riders are expected to follow the same rules of the road as motorized vehicles. Calling every bicycle a pedestrian would overlook that roadway status. Emergency-vehicle treatment and stationary-hazard treatment are also unrelated. The driving cue is to scan for bicycles at intersections, yield as required, and give them room rather than assuming a motorist always has priority.

    Study this in the handbook: Yielding to pedestrians and bicyclists

14. 14. What does this yellow warning sign, showing one lane narrowing into another, tell you is ahead?

    
    1. A lane ends ahead
    2. A lane is added ahead
    3. A divided highway begins ahead
    4. A side road enters ahead
    Show answer

    A lane ends ahead. South Carolina lists Lane Ends among its common warning signs. Warning signs are usually yellow with black symbols and diamond shaped, and they tell you about a possible danger or special situation ahead. A Lane Ends sign means the lane you may be using will not continue, so be ready to merge into the remaining lane. The handbook shows a separate Added Lane sign for a lane that begins, a Divided Highway Begins sign for a median that starts, and a Side Road Ahead sign for a road joining from one side.

15. 15. What condition does the merging-arrow warning sign tell you to expect?

    
    1. A separate lane continuing alongside without merging
    2. Merging traffic ahead
    3. The beginning of a divided highway
    4. A road closed to all entering traffic
    Show answer

    Merging traffic ahead. The merging-arrow sign identifies merging traffic ahead. The handbook shows it separately from an added lane, where another lane is depicted continuing alongside, and from divided-highway warnings. Recognize the coming traffic movement before reaching it and watch the roadway for vehicles joining the flow. As a warning sign it provides advance notice of the condition. It does not close the road, grant passing priority, or prescribe a new destination for your vehicle.

16. 16. What road condition does the pictured curved right arrow warn about?

    
    1. A curve to the right ahead
    2. A mandatory right turn at the next intersection
    3. A road that winds through several curves
    4. A road entering only from the right
    Show answer

    A curve to the right ahead. The curved right arrow warns that the road ahead bends right. It is one of the handbook’s warning-sign examples, distinct from the curvy-road and intersection symbols shown nearby. Read the particular arrow rather than stopping at the broad label of a warning sign. The sign does not order a right turn onto another street. Observe the bend ahead and choose an approach speed suited to the road before reaching it.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights

17. 17. When approaching a stopped authorized emergency vehicle in South Carolina, what should a driver do if traffic and safety permit?

    
    1. Change lanes away from the emergency vehicle while slowing and yielding
    2. Maintain speed in the nearest lane and sound the horn
    3. Stop beside the emergency vehicle so traffic can pass
    4. Move toward the emergency vehicle before changing lanes
    Show answer

    Change lanes away from the emergency vehicle while slowing and yielding. The Move-Over Law guidance combines three actions: approach cautiously, slow down, and yield by moving into a lane away from the stopped authorized emergency vehicle when conditions make that safe. Staying beside the vehicle at the same speed leaves the people working there exposed. Stopping next to the vehicle can also obstruct the scene. The visual cue is the stopped emergency vehicle: create lateral space when possible, while preserving control and watching surrounding traffic.

    Study this in the handbook: Emergency vehicles, traffic stops and the Move Over Law

18. 18. How much does South Carolina charge for a new license with a special restricted waiver added?

    1. $50
    2. $15
    3. $25
    4. $100
    Show answer

    $25. Adding the waiver to a new license costs $25. The $15 and $50 amounts are not the fee named for this transaction, while $100 belongs to other license-related circumstances in the manual. The fee is only one part of the application: the applicant must also complete the required forms, bring activity and parental letters, pass the vision test, and visit an SCDMV branch. Pair the waiver fee with its documentation requirements.

    Study this in the handbook: Conditional and special restricted licenses

19. 19. How recent must a Certificate of Vision Examination be for the SCDMV to accept it?

    1. Within 30 days
    2. Within 12 months
    3. Within 5 years
    4. Dated within the past 36 months
    Show answer

    Dated within the past 36 months. The SCDMV offers vision screening at all branches, but it may accept a Certificate of Vision Examination from a licensed eye care professional if it is dated within the past 36 months. South Carolina licensed professionals submit the certificate through the SCDMV online portal, and out of state professionals complete the paper form. Effective May 18, 2024, standard certificates are valid for 36 months.

    Study this in the handbook: Vision rules

20. 20. How far behind a large vehicle can its rear blind spot extend?

    1. Up to 20 feet
    2. Up to 50 feet
    3. Up to 75 feet
    4. Up to 200 feet
    Show answer

    Up to 200 feet. A large vehicle can have a rear blind spot extending up to two hundred feet. Following directly behind it at a short distance may leave the driver unable to see you. The much shorter choices underestimate the area described. Give the vehicle space and remember that its size creates visibility limits even though it has mirrors. When assessing whether its driver can see your vehicle, do not assume that being directly behind always means being visible.

    Study this in the handbook: Motorcycles and commercial vehicles