SC Permit Practice Test 6

All 20 questions in test 6

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. How often can a South Carolina driver use a defensive driving course to reduce points?

   1. Once a year
   2. Only one time in a three-year period
   3. Any number of times
   4. Once in a lifetime
   Show answer

   Only one time in a three-year period. A defensive driving course certified for four-point reduction can lower your points, but a reduction may only be made one time in a three-year period. The course must be eight hours of classroom training, taken in South Carolina after the violation date, and cannot be completed online. Once a year and unlimited use are too generous. Once in a lifetime is stricter than the rule.

2. 2. When does a conditional license holder earn full driving privileges under the South Carolina graduated program?

   1. Immediately after passing the skills test
   2. After one year with no traffic offenses and no at-fault collisions
   3. After six months with one traffic offense
   4. At age 16 regardless of driving record
   Show answer

   After one year with no traffic offenses and no at-fault collisions. Full privileges follow one year on the conditional license with no traffic offenses and no at-fault collisions. Passing the skills test is part of receiving the license, not an immediate upgrade to unrestricted driving. A six-month period with an offense fails the stated conditions, and age alone does not erase the record requirements. Use a two-part check: the holding period is one year, and the driving record must remain clean under the manual’s conditions.

3. 3. When must a driver obey a slower speed limit in a South Carolina school zone?

   1. When the lights are flashing or children are present
   2. Only after sunset
   3. Only when a school bus is loading
   4. Only when a police officer is standing nearby
   Show answer

   When the lights are flashing or children are present. The slower school-zone limit applies when the lights are flashing or children are present. Waiting for darkness, a school bus, or an officer adds conditions the manual does not require. The driver should reduce speed early, watch for children and crossing activity, and be ready to stop. The two-part cue is lights or children, so either condition is enough to trigger obedience to the posted slower limit.

4. 4. Which communication device does South Carolina's hands-free law expressly allow for voice communication?

   1. A phone held in the driver's lap
   2. A handheld phone held against the shoulder
   3. A tablet displaying a video call
   4. An earpiece or wrist worn device
   Show answer

   An earpiece or wrist worn device. The manual makes an exception for an earpiece or a wrist worn device when it is used to conduct voice-based communications. Holding a phone against a shoulder or in a lap still physically supports a mobile device. A tablet showing a moving video call falls under the separate moving-image restriction. The cue is to distinguish the permitted wearable voice device from handling a screen or supporting a handheld device with the body.

5. 5. At a four-way stop, if you and another driver arrive at the same time, who should go first?

   1. The driver with the larger vehicle
   2. The driver on your left
   3. The driver on your right
   4. The driver who sounds the horn first
   Show answer

   The driver on your right. When two drivers arrive at the same time at a four-way intersection controlled by stop signs, yield the right-of-way to the driver on your right. The rule creates a predictable order and avoids two vehicles moving into the intersection together. Vehicle size, horn use, and arrival from the left do not replace that priority. Still scan for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other traffic before entering, because a right-of-way rule never excuses a collision. The simple cue is same arrival time plus four-way stop: check right, yield, then proceed when clear.

6. 6. For which suspension may a South Carolina driver potentially qualify for a six-month provisional driver's license?

   1. Every speeding suspension
   2. Any parking-ticket suspension
   3. A routine expired-registration suspension
   4. A first-offense DUI or DUAC suspension
   Show answer

   A first-offense DUI or DUAC suspension. The provisional license is a limited option for a first-offense Driving Under the Influence or Driving with an Unlawful Alcohol Concentration suspension, if the applicant satisfies the manual's additional conditions. It is not presented as a general remedy for parking, registration, or every speeding suspension. Those choices ignore the narrow alcohol-related trigger. Remember that the manual also lists eligibility requirements, a 100-dollar fee, and a cutoff for violations taking place on or after May 19, 2024.

7. 7. What supervision is required for a South Carolina conditional-license driver traveling after midnight?

   1. No supervision on weekends
   2. Supervision by a licensed individual listed in SC Code section 56-1-100(A)(1-7)
   3. Supervision only by a parent under age 21
   4. A passenger with a beginner's permit
   Show answer

   Supervision by a licensed individual listed in SC Code section 56-1-100(A)(1-7). From midnight until 6 a.m., the conditional-license driver must be supervised by a licensed individual from the categories listed in the cited South Carolina code section. A weekend exception is not stated. The supervisor does not have to be a parent under 21, and another beginner's-permit holder is not the required credential. The time window is the key cue: the evening supervised period ends at midnight, then the specifically listed supervisor requirement applies.

8. 8. When following another vehicle at night, when does South Carolina require low beams?

   1. Only in fog
   2. When it is more than 1,000 feet ahead
   3. When the vehicle ahead is less than 200 feet in front of you
   4. Never while following
   Show answer

   When the vehicle ahead is less than 200 feet in front of you. Use your low beams when following another vehicle that is less than 200 feet in front of you, so the glare does not fill the other driver's mirrors. Dim for oncoming traffic at 500 feet or more. In fog, rain or snow, use low beams too, because high beam light reflects back and makes it harder to see ahead. Fog lights, where fitted, may also be used.

9. 9. When must a South Carolina driver dim high beams for an oncoming vehicle?

   1. When 500 feet or more away from the oncoming vehicle
   2. Only when the other driver flashes
   3. Within 100 feet
   4. Never on rural roads
   Show answer

   When 500 feet or more away from the oncoming vehicle. Use high beams whenever there are no oncoming vehicles, because they let you see twice as far as low beams, but dim them when you are 500 feet or more away from any oncoming vehicle. If a vehicle approaches with its high beams on, glance toward the right side of the road to avoid being blinded. Use low beams in fog, rain or snow.

10. 10. What is the first speed adjustment a driver should make before entering a curve?

    1. Brake hard after reaching the middle of the curve
    2. Reduce speed before entering the curve
    3. Accelerate sharply before the curve begins
    4. Maintain the same speed regardless of traction
    Show answer

    Reduce speed before entering the curve. The manual recommends reducing speed before entering a curve to a safe speed that permits slight, constant acceleration through the curve. Hard braking after entry can cause the tires to lose traction, so the middle-of-curve braking choice creates the very risk the guidance warns about. Sharp acceleration and an unchanged speed ignore visibility, traction, and roadway conditions. A concrete driving cue is set the speed early, before the bend, then use smooth control while looking through the curve rather than waiting until the vehicle is already turning.

11. 11. When making a left turn, whose path must a driver yield to?

    
    1. No one if the turn signal is activated
    2. Only vehicles behind the turning driver
    3. Vehicles parked along the curb
    4. Oncoming traffic
    Show answer

    Oncoming traffic. A driver making a left turn must yield to oncoming traffic. Signaling communicates the intention to turn but does not remove the obligation to wait for vehicles traveling toward the intersection. Cars behind the turning vehicle and parked vehicles are not the specific opposing movement identified by this rule. The safest cue is to search the oncoming lane before crossing it: signal, position for the turn, and allow approaching traffic to pass before completing the left turn.

12. 12. What action does the pictured South Carolina YIELD sign require before entering?

    
    1. Enter first and yield only to vehicles behind you
    2. Come to a complete stop every time, even when the way is empty
    3. Speed up to enter before cross traffic arrives
    4. Slow down and let traffic with the right-of-way cross first
    Show answer

    Slow down and let traffic with the right-of-way cross first. The downward-pointing red and white triangle tells the driver to slow down and allow traffic that already has the right-of-way to cross before entering. A complete stop may be needed for safety, but the sign does not demand a stop in every empty approach. Speeding into the gap reverses the intended order. Spot the triangle early, reduce speed, scan for vehicles and pedestrians, and stop if that is what safe yielding requires.

13. 13. What colors and shapes may regulatory signs use?

    1. White with black, red, or green letters or symbols, often square or rectangular
    2. Yellow with black symbols, always diamond shaped
    3. Green with white letters, always circular
    4. Blue with orange symbols, usually triangular
    Show answer

    White with black, red, or green letters or symbols, often square or rectangular. Regulatory signs may be square, rectangular, or a special shape, and they are white with black, red, or green letters or symbols. Their appearance helps distinguish enforceable traffic instructions from yellow warning signs and green guide signs. The yellow diamond choice describes a common warning-sign pattern, while green and blue choices belong to other sign purposes. Read the symbol or wording after identifying the category, because the sign's shape and color provide a first clue but the specific command controls the maneuver.

14. 14. What places may use fluorescent-yellow warning signs?

    
    1. Parking areas with no curb markings
    2. Interstate route entrances and exits
    3. Restaurants, hotels, and service stations
    4. School zones, school crossings, and pedestrian crossings
    Show answer

    School zones, school crossings, and pedestrian crossings. The manual identifies school zones, school crossings, and pedestrian crossings as examples where warning signs may be fluorescent yellow. These signs draw attention to locations where people may enter or cross the roadway. Interstate route signs, guide signs for restaurants and hotels, and parking information serve different purposes and use different sign categories. When fluorescent yellow appears near a school or crossing, reduce speed, scan actively, and prepare for people in or near the travel path. The bright color is an attention cue, not permission to continue at normal speed.

15. 15. How must a driver handle a flashing red traffic light?

    1. Wait for the signal to become solid green before moving
    2. Slow down and continue without stopping
    3. Make a complete stop, then proceed as at a stop sign when safe
    4. Stop only if cross traffic is approaching
    Show answer

    Make a complete stop, then proceed as at a stop sign when safe. A flashing red indication uses the stop-sign procedure. The driver stops behind the stop line, crosswalk, or intersection, looks both ways, and proceeds only after yielding when required. Merely slowing leaves the required stop undone. Waiting for a solid green treats the signal as if it were a normal red light and may create unnecessary delay. Stopping only for visible traffic is also incomplete. Remember: flashing red means full stop, search, and yield.

16. 16. What does the South Carolina manual recommend when you start feeling tired while driving?

    1. Drink coffee and keep going
    2. Open the windows and turn up the radio
    3. Pull off at the next exit or rest area for a 15 to 20 minute nap, or sleep for the night
    4. Drive faster to finish sooner
    Show answer

    Pull off at the next exit or rest area for a 15 to 20 minute nap, or sleep for the night. If you start feeling tired, stop driving and pull off at the next exit or rest area to take a 15 to 20 minute nap, or find a place to sleep for the night. Try not to drive late at night, and remember that the best way to avoid fatigue is plenty of rest before you leave. Fresh air and music do not restore alertness.

17. 17. What action is required by a red octagonal stop sign?

    1. Come to a complete stop before entering the intersection
    2. Reduce speed and continue if no vehicle is visible
    3. Stop only after entering the crosswalk
    4. Yield without stopping unless a pedestrian is present
    Show answer

    Come to a complete stop before entering the intersection. The octagonal shape is reserved for a stop instruction, so the vehicle must halt before entering the intersection. Rolling through after a speed reduction does not provide the required stop. Entering the crosswalk first places the vehicle beyond the safe stopping point. A yield without a stop changes the sign’s command. At an intersection, use the cue of the stop line or crosswalk, then check both directions before moving.

18. 18. If your vehicle breaks down on a highway and you must stop, what should you do first if possible?

    1. Turn off all lights so the battery will not lose power
    2. Leave it in the travel lane so it remains visible to approaching drivers
    3. Get the vehicle off the road and away from traffic
    4. Stand behind the vehicle and direct traffic by hand
    Show answer

    Get the vehicle off the road and away from traffic. A disabled vehicle is dangerous when other drivers do not see it in time. The first priority, when possible, is moving it off the road and away from traffic. Once stopped safely, use emergency flashers to show that the vehicle is disabled and take additional steps to warn approaching road users. Leaving the vehicle in the lane increases collision risk, darkening it removes a warning, and standing behind it exposes a person to moving traffic. Put distance between occupants and the traffic stream whenever the situation permits.

19. 19. What colors are normally used on South Carolina work zone signs?

    1. Green backgrounds with red symbols
    2. Blue backgrounds with white letters only
    3. Purple backgrounds with yellow letters
    4. Orange backgrounds with black letters or symbols
    Show answer

    Orange backgrounds with black letters or symbols. Work zone signs normally use orange backgrounds with black letters or symbols so drivers can recognize construction, maintenance, or emergency operations ahead. The color is a warning cue, not an invitation to keep normal speed. Reduce speed, watch for workers and equipment, and follow temporary directions from signs, cones, barrels, or a flagger. Blue and green signs serve other roadway communication purposes, while purple is not the work zone standard described here. Spotting orange early gives you time to create space and prepare for changed lanes or pavement.

20. 20. What minimum stopping distance does the South Carolina manual give for a loaded truck at 55 mph under ideal conditions?

    1. At least 335 feet, more than 1.5 times a car's stopping distance
    2. About 200 feet
    3. About the same as a car
    4. About 100 feet
    Show answer

    At least 335 feet, more than 1.5 times a car's stopping distance. A loaded truck with good tires and properly adjusted brakes, under ideal conditions and traveling at 55 mph, requires a minimum of 335 feet to come to a complete stop, greater than one and a half times the stopping distance of a car. It is essential not to enter a roadway or change lanes in front of a large vehicle, and to pass it completely before moving back in.