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. Where may a South Carolina driver go with a route-restricted license?

   1. To and from work, college or residence, ADSAP, or a court-ordered drug program
   2. Anywhere during daylight
   3. Only to medical appointments
   4. Any trip under 20 miles
   Show answer

   To and from work, college or residence, ADSAP, or a court-ordered drug program. A route-restricted license lets a suspended driver operate a non-commercial vehicle only to and from employment, college or residence, to and from the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program, and to and from a court-ordered drug program. The driver must carry a copy of the approved route. Daylight driving anywhere and a mileage radius are not the rule, and medical appointments alone are not the listed purposes. The license lasts for the length of the suspension and costs $100.

   Study this in the handbook: Provisional and temporary alcohol licenses

2. 2. A South Carolina driver's license is about to be suspended for points. When must a defensive driving course be finished to help?

   1. Within 30 days after the suspension begins
   2. Any time during the suspension
   3. Only after the suspension ends
   4. Before the suspension begins
   Show answer

   Before the suspension begins. If you take a defensive driving course because your license is in danger of being suspended, you must complete it before the suspension begins. Once the suspension begins, the point reduction will not cancel or reduce it. Finishing during or after the suspension does nothing for that suspension, and there is no 30 day grace period. The course must be eight classroom hours in South Carolina.

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

3. 3. What may happen to a South Carolina driver who endangers a highway worker in a work zone?

   1. The driver automatically loses the vehicle registration for one year
   2. The driver receives only a warning if the worker is uninjured
   3. The driver may receive a fine but no points for a first incident
   4. The driver may be fined and have points assessed against the driving record
   Show answer

   The driver may be fined and have points assessed against the driving record. South Carolina warns that endangering a highway worker in a work zone can bring both a fine and points on the driver's record. The manual does not limit the consequence to cases involving an injury, and it does not remove points for a first incident. Automatic registration loss is also not the stated consequence. Think of the work zone as a place where ordinary impatience can create a record consequence. Slow down, leave room, and be prepared for sudden stops near workers and equipment.

   Study this in the handbook: Regulatory and guide signs

4. 4. When are points on a South Carolina driving record reduced by half?

   1. After six months from the court date
   2. Immediately after the conviction is entered
   3. One year after the violation date on the ticket
   4. Only when the driver completes a defensive course
   Show answer

   One year after the violation date on the ticket. The manual says points are cut in half one year after the violation date shown on the ticket. The conviction-entry and six-month choices use different starting points or timing. Completing a defensive course can be a separate way to seek reduction, but it is not the automatic half-reduction described here. Anchor the rule to the ticket’s violation date, not the later court event, and remember that four points would become two after a year.

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

5. 5. 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. After sunset
   3. 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.

   Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, school zones and speed

6. 6. What does the plus-shaped symbol on this yellow sign warn of?

   
   1. A road joining only from one side
   2. A crossroad ahead
   3. A T-intersection where the road ends
   4. A curve to the right
   Show answer

   A crossroad ahead. The plus-shaped symbol identifies a crossroad ahead. It warns of an intersecting road rather than a right curve, a side road, or a T-intersection. The handbook displays those alternatives as separate warning examples. Look for traffic that may enter from either side as you approach the crossing area. The sign provides advance information about the layout; it does not by itself assign right-of-way or tell you that every approach must stop.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights

7. 7. What does the sharply bent right arrow on this warning sign indicate?

   
   1. A mandatory right turn onto a different street
   2. A winding road with repeated curves
   3. A sharp curve to the right ahead
   4. Traffic merging from the right
   Show answer

   A sharp curve to the right ahead. The sharp right-angle arrow warns about a sharp curve to the right. The handbook’s warning examples distinguish a sharp curve from a curvy road and from merging traffic. Read the arrow as information about the road ahead, not an instruction that every driver must turn onto a side street. Prepare before reaching the bend and observe the actual roadway. The yellow sign supplies advance warning so the approaching driver can respond to the specific condition.

8. 8. When crossing railroad tracks and no train is approaching, what does the manual advise?

   1. Look both ways and cross quickly without stopping
   2. Stop on the first rail and check again
   3. Cross slowly while following another vehicle closely
   4. Wait until a crossing gate lowers and rises
   Show answer

   Look both ways and cross quickly without stopping. When a driver needs to cross railroad tracks, the manual advises looking both ways and crossing quickly without stopping. Stopping on a rail places the vehicle in the track area, while following another vehicle closely can hide a second train or reduce escape space. Waiting for a gate cycle is not the stated procedure when no train is approaching. The practical cue is scan, then clear the tracks: make the observation before entering and keep moving across rather than pausing between rails.

   Study this in the handbook: Warning, railroad and work zone signs

9. 9. At an intersection, which road users should a South Carolina driver yield to?

   1. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers still in the intersection
   2. Only vehicles that arrive after the driver
   3. Only the largest vehicle present
   4. No one if the driver is traveling straight
   Show answer

   Pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers still in the intersection. South Carolina's right-of-way guidance says to yield to pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers who are still in the intersection. Traveling straight does not erase the duty to avoid someone already occupying the conflict area, and vehicle size does not determine priority. The choice “Only vehicles that arrive after the driver” reverses the concern by focusing on later arrivals. A useful intersection cue is to scan for people and vehicles already committed to the crossing before proceeding, even when your intended movement seems simple.

   Study this in the handbook: Yielding the right of way

10. 10. On a two-lane highway, what must a driver do when a school bus is stopped or preparing to stop with its red or amber lights flashing?

    
    1. Pass slowly if the driver cannot see children near the roadway
    2. Stop for the entire time the bus is stopped or preparing to stop
    3. Stop only when following the bus, never when meeting it
    4. Continue at 15 mph until the bus driver waves
    Show answer

    Stop for the entire time the bus is stopped or preparing to stop. On any two-lane highway, the stopping duty applies whether you are meeting the school bus or traveling behind it. You must remain stopped while the bus is stopped or preparing to stop with red or amber lights flashing or its stop arm extended. A clear view of children does not cancel the rule, and it is not limited to vehicles behind the bus. Wait until the red and amber lights have stopped flashing and the stop arm is no longer visible, then proceed slowly while watching for children.

    Study this in the handbook: School buses

11. 11. May a rear-facing child safety seat be placed in front of an air bag?

    1. Yes, if the child restraint is installed with the vehicle belt
    2. Yes, if the passenger seat is moved fully rearward
    3. Yes, if the child still fits the seat manufacturer’s limits
    4. No, never place it there
    Show answer

    No, never place it there. Never position a rear-facing child safety seat in front of an air bag. Proper belt installation and compliance with the restraint’s size limits do not remove that placement prohibition. Moving the passenger seat rearward also does not create an exception in the handbook instruction. Before carrying a child, check both the restraint directions and the vehicle owner instructions, then select a position that meets the air bag restriction as well as the installation requirements.

12. 12. How far ahead does South Carolina law require you to signal before changing lanes, turning or merging?

    1. 50 feet
    2. 500 feet
    3. As soon as you begin to turn
    4. 100 feet or more
    Show answer

    100 feet or more. It is state law in South Carolina that you must use a turn signal 100 feet or more before changing lanes, turning left or right, or merging into traffic, and cancel the signal once the move is complete. Fifty feet is too short, and signaling as you begin the turn gives others no warning. Five hundred feet is the distance for dimming high beams, not signaling. The same 100 foot figure applies before passing.

    Study this in the handbook: Stopping distance, following distance and signaling

13. 13. What feature identifies some regulatory signs that prohibit a particular action?

    1. A yellow diamond with black lettering
    2. A green rectangle with a route number
    3. A red circle with a red slash over a symbol
    4. A blue panel showing a service symbol
    Show answer

    A red circle with a red slash over a symbol. A red circle with a red slash over a symbol marks a prohibited action on some regulatory signs. The symbol underneath shows what movement or conduct is barred, so the slash is read together with that image. Yellow diamonds warn about hazards, green route panels guide travelers, and blue service panels identify facilities. When a slash crosses a maneuver symbol, do not perform that maneuver at the controlled location. Look at the complete sign instead of treating the red color alone as the message.

    Study this in the handbook: Regulatory and guide signs

14. 14. How is a South Carolina conviction for driving under the influence of drugs treated?

    1. Like a parking violation
    2. Like a DUI or DUAC conviction
    3. Like a license renewal error
    4. Like a civil equipment warning
    Show answer

    Like a DUI or DUAC conviction. A conviction in South Carolina for driving under the influence of drugs is treated like a DUI or DUAC conviction. The other choices minimize the legal and licensing significance by recasting the offense as parking, paperwork, or equipment conduct. The manual places prescription, over-the-counter, and illegal drugs in its impairment discussion, so the rule is not limited to alcohol. When a drug affects driving, do not assume the absence of alcohol makes the consequences minor.

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

15. 15. What interval does total stopping distance cover?

    1. From applying the brakes until the vehicle stops
    2. From recognizing the need to stop until pressing the brake
    3. From applying the brakes until lifting the brake pedal
    4. From realizing you must stop until the vehicle actually stops
    Show answer

    From realizing you must stop until the vehicle actually stops. Total stopping distance runs from realizing that you must stop until the vehicle actually stops. Starting the measurement only when the brakes are applied omits the earlier travel. Ending it when the foot reaches the brake omits the braking portion. The handbook discusses perception, reaction, and braking because movement continues through those stages. Leave room for the whole stopping process, rather than judging the gap solely by how quickly the brakes can slow the vehicle.

    Study this in the handbook: Stopping distance, following distance and signaling

16. 16. How often must a South Carolina driver who uses bioptic telescopic lenses submit vision documentation?

    1. Only once at licensing
    2. Every year, to the SCDMV Driver Improvement unit
    3. Every 10 years
    4. Never, if the lenses are prescribed
    Show answer

    Every year, to the SCDMV Driver Improvement unit. If you use bioptic telescopic lenses to operate a motor vehicle, you must submit the low vision acuity screening form to the SCDMV's Driver Improvement unit every year. Ordinary drivers who need corrective lenses simply carry a restriction and must always wear them when driving, and standard vision certificates are valid for 36 months. The yearly check tracks whether the low vision driver still meets the standard.

    Study this in the handbook: Vision rules

17. 17. When two vehicles reach a four-way stop at the same time, which vehicle has priority?

    
    1. The vehicle with the larger engine
    2. The vehicle on the other driver’s left
    3. The vehicle on the other driver’s right
    4. The vehicle that signals first
    Show answer

    The vehicle on the other driver’s right. The same-time rule resolves a tie at a stop-controlled four-way intersection by giving priority to the driver on your right. Engine size does not create priority, and a turn signal only communicates an intention. The vehicle on the left should wait rather than force the issue. A useful cue is to pause after stopping, identify the vehicle beside you, and yield to the one on your right when arrival was simultaneous.

    Study this in the handbook: Yielding the right of way

18. 18. What identification must be affixed to a South Carolina golf cart before it is used on a public road?

    1. A commercial vehicle inspection sticker
    2. A school-zone placard
    3. An SCDMV-issued permit or registration decal
    4. A county route number sign
    Show answer

    An SCDMV-issued permit or registration decal. The cart needs an SCDMV-issued permit or registration decal attached to it. A school-zone placard describes a traffic area, not cart registration. A commercial inspection sticker and a county route marker serve different purposes and do not meet this requirement. The decal is one checkpoint in a larger set of rules, so the driver should also verify the license, minimum age, daytime operation, distance from the registered address or gated-community entrance, and the road's posted speed limit.

    Study this in the handbook: Golf carts, organ donation and other state laws

19. 19. At a flashing red traffic light, what must a driver do before entering the intersection?

    1. Slow down without stopping if no vehicle is immediately visible
    2. Come to a complete stop, then look both ways and yield when applicable
    3. Continue through because flashing red means the signal is inactive
    4. Stop only if a pedestrian is already in the crosswalk
    Show answer

    Come to a complete stop, then look both ways and yield when applicable. A flashing red signal requires the same basic procedure as a stop sign. Stop behind the stop line, crosswalk, or intersection before entering, then check both directions and yield right-of-way when another road user has priority. Merely slowing is the treatment for flashing yellow, not flashing red. The signal remains meaningful even when the intersection appears empty, and waiting for a pedestrian is not the only condition that triggers the stop. Make the full stop first, then proceed only after the path is safe.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic lights

20. 20. On a four-lane highway, when must you stop for a school bus traveling in the opposite direction?

    1. You must stop if the bus is in the lane next to yours, with children nearby
    2. You must stop for every bus regardless of direction
    3. You stop if the bus driver waves
    4. You generally do not have to stop when meeting it in the opposite direction
    Show answer

    You generally do not have to stop when meeting it in the opposite direction. On a four-lane or wider highway, a driver meeting a stopped school bus in the opposite direction generally does not have to stop. The exception described in the manual is different from traveling behind the bus, where a driver must stop. The bus lights and stop arm still demand caution, and children may be nearby, so never pass recklessly or proceed while your own lane is affected. The cue is to identify both roadway type and direction: multi-lane opposite traffic is the narrow exception, not a universal permission around school buses.

    Study this in the handbook: School buses