SC Permit Practice Test 9

All 20 questions in test 9

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 information can the shape, color, symbols, and words on this curve warning sign provide?

   
   1. Clues about the type of information the sign provides
   2. Proof that every driver must stop immediately
   3. The exact number of miles to the next town
   4. Permission to ignore the roadway ahead
   Show answer

   Clues about the type of information the sign provides. The manual teaches drivers to read several features together. A sign's shape, color, symbol, and wording provide clues about whether it warns, regulates, guides, or identifies a service. On the illustrated yellow curve sign, the curved arrow gives advance information about the road's path. It is not a stop command, a mileage marker, or permission to disregard conditions. Treat the sign as an early visual prompt: check the lane, look through the bend, and choose a speed that leaves room for the curve and any traffic beyond it.

2. 2. 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.

3. 3. With a South Carolina conditional or special restricted license, during what hours may the teen drive alone?

   1. 6 a.m. to midnight
   2. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
   3. 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., or to 8 p.m. during daylight saving time
   4. Any time before midnight
   Show answer

   6 a.m. to 6 p.m., or to 8 p.m. during daylight saving time. Both the conditional license for 15 year olds and the special restricted license for 16 year olds allow driving alone from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., extended to 8 p.m. during daylight saving time. From then until midnight the teen must drive with a licensed driver at least 21, and after midnight any listed supervisor is required. Six a.m. to midnight is the beginner's permit window with a qualified adult. A special restricted license with a waiver can allow driving alone until midnight for work or activities.

4. 4. When operating a motor vehicle in South Carolina, what cellphone use is unlawful under the general distracted-driving rule?

   1. Speaking to a passenger while the vehicle is moving
   2. Using a hands-free voice call through an earpiece
   3. Listening to navigation directions through the vehicle speakers
   4. Using a wireless electronic communication device when it requires either hand
   Show answer

   Using a wireless electronic communication device when it requires either hand. South Carolina makes it unlawful to use a wireless electronic communication device while operating a motor vehicle when the use requires either hand. The earpiece choice describes a hands-free voice communication that the later hands-free law does not restrict. Navigation audio and ordinary conversation with a passenger do not match the prohibited device handling described here. The concrete cue is physical involvement: if the communication requires a hand on the wireless device, it creates the condition the rule addresses, even if the driver intends to use it only briefly.

5. 5. What is the minimum corrected vision South Carolina requires?

   1. No greater than 20/40 corrected in one eye
   2. 20/70 in both eyes
   3. 20/100 in one eye
   4. 20/20 in both eyes
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   No greater than 20/40 corrected in one eye. The minimum vision standards do not require a greater degree of vision than 20/40 corrected in one eye. If you reach that standard only with glasses or contact lenses, a corrective lens restriction is added to the permit or license, and if your vision later improves you must submit a new certificate of vision examination and renew the license to remove the restriction.

6. 6. When approaching a stopped authorized emergency vehicle, what should you do if a lane change away from it is safe?

   
   1. Stop beside the emergency vehicle and wait for its occupants
   2. Maintain speed in the lane nearest the emergency vehicle
   3. Slow down and move into a lane away from the emergency vehicle
   4. Pass on the shoulder without reducing speed
   Show answer

   Slow down and move into a lane away from the emergency vehicle. South Carolina's move-over guidance combines caution, reduced speed, and separation. If traffic and safety conditions permit, make a lane change into a lane away from the stopped authorized emergency vehicle. Staying beside it preserves the danger zone, stopping alongside creates a new obstruction, and using the shoulder at full speed is not a safe substitute. If changing lanes is unsafe, slow down and continue cautiously at a safe speed for conditions. Look well ahead for stopped responders and make the move smoothly.

7. 7. After stopping at a flashing red signal, what should the driver do before proceeding?

   1. Proceed without checking because the stop already ended the rule
   2. Look both ways and yield right-of-way when applicable
   3. Wait for a green arrow in every circumstance
   4. Turn on high beams and enter regardless of cross traffic
   Show answer

   Look both ways and yield right-of-way when applicable. Stopping is only the first part of handling a flashing red signal. Before entering, the driver must check both directions and yield when another road user has the right-of-way. The stop does not make the intersection automatically clear, and a green arrow is not required by the manual's flashing-red procedure. High beams do not resolve a conflict with cross traffic. Complete the stop behind the required line or crosswalk, search left and right, and proceed only when the movement is safe.

8. 8. Who generally has the right-of-way on a narrow or single-lane bridge?

   1. The vehicle closest to the bridge center
   2. The driver traveling at the higher speed
   3. The larger vehicle in every case
   4. The driver who reaches the bridge first
   Show answer

   The driver who reaches the bridge first. On a narrow or single-lane bridge, the manual says drivers generally take turns and the first driver to reach the bridge has the right-of-way. Speed does not create priority, and vehicle size is not the deciding rule. The driver approaching second should slow, watch the bridge entrance, and wait rather than forcing two vehicles into a space that cannot accommodate them. Reduce speed early because a warning sign, limited sight distance, or bridge surface may require extra control. The cue is first to the bridge, then proceed carefully and give the other driver room.

9. 9. 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.

10. 10. 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.

11. 11. If moving into another lane is unsafe near a stopped authorized emergency vehicle, how should a South Carolina driver proceed?

    
    1. Keep the original speed because a lane change is unavailable
    2. Slow down and proceed cautiously at a safe speed for traffic conditions
    3. Stop in the travel lane until the emergency vehicle leaves
    4. Accelerate past the scene before another vehicle approaches
    Show answer

    Slow down and proceed cautiously at a safe speed for traffic conditions. The alternative to an unsafe lane change is not to keep speed or stop in the roadway. The driver should slow down and continue with caution at a speed suited to the traffic conditions. That preserves room to react while avoiding a maneuver that could create a second collision. Accelerating past the scene defeats the protective purpose of the law. When the lane change cannot be made safely, reduce speed first, then scan for workers, equipment, and nearby traffic.

12. 12. After failing a South Carolina skills test on the first attempt, how long must the applicant wait to retest?

    1. Thirty calendar days
    2. Seven calendar days
    3. Two business days
    4. No waiting period
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    Two business days. The first failed skills test creates a two-business-day waiting period before retesting, regardless of age or driving experience. Seven calendar days applies after a second failure, and 30 calendar days applies after a third or later failure. The no-wait option ignores the explicit schedule. The helpful sequence is first failure, two business days; second failure, seven calendar days; third or more, 30 calendar days.

13. 13. How should you adjust your following distance when driving on an unfamiliar road at night in South Carolina?

    1. Add at least one additional second
    2. Add at least two additional seconds
    3. Keep the normal four seconds
    4. Cut it to two seconds so you can follow taillights
    Show answer

    Add at least two additional seconds. South Carolina recommends a minimum following distance of four seconds. For night driving, add at least one additional second, and for driving on unfamiliar roadways at night, add at least two additional seconds. Adding one second is the general night adjustment, not the unfamiliar road figure. Keeping four seconds ignores the darkness, and shortening the gap to follow taillights is unsafe.

14. 14. What shape and color identify a South Carolina stop sign?

    1. Eight-sided and red with white letters
    2. Round and yellow with black letters
    3. Diamond-shaped and orange with black symbols
    4. Rectangular and green with white letters
    Show answer

    Eight-sided and red with white letters. A stop sign is an eight-sided red sign with white letters. Its unusual shape lets drivers recognize the required stop even when the face is partly hidden or seen from the back. A round yellow sign is associated with railroad warnings, while orange diamond signs warn about work zones and green signs generally guide roadway destinations. After identifying the stop sign, stop behind the stop line or crosswalk when one is present. The shape is the quick recognition cue, but the required action is a complete stop before entering.

15. 15. For a driver under 21 in South Carolina, what is the minimum loss of driving privileges after refusing an intoxicant test?

    1. At least three days
    2. At least six months
    3. At least three months
    4. No loss of privileges
    Show answer

    At least six months. Refusing the test causes an immediate loss of driving privileges for at least six months under the manual's under-21 rule. Three months is the minimum tied to registering a BAC of 0.02 percent or greater, so it describes a different event. A three-day period and no suspension understate the consequence. The comparison cue is simple: under 21, a test result at or above 0.02 brings three months, while refusal brings the longer six-month minimum.

16. 16. What does South Carolina’s hands-free law prohibit a driver from doing with a mobile electronic device?

    1. Physically holding or supporting it with any part of the body
    2. Using an earpiece for a voice conversation
    3. Listening to a navigation instruction without holding the device
    4. Keeping the device secured in a mounted holder
    Show answer

    Physically holding or supporting it with any part of the body. The state law prohibits physically holding or supporting a mobile electronic device with any part of the body while operating on a public road. An earpiece for voice communication is specifically not restricted by this provision, and a secured holder avoids the physical holding described in the rule. Navigation audio alone does not mean the device is being held. The cue is hands and body off the phone, with permitted equipment used without gripping it.

17. 17. How must a driver treat a flashing red traffic light?

    1. Stop only when a police officer is present
    2. Slow down without stopping
    3. Continue through if no vehicle is visible
    4. Stop completely, then proceed as at a stop sign
    Show answer

    Stop completely, then proceed as at a stop sign. A flashing red light requires a complete stop behind the stop line, crosswalk, or intersection before entering. The driver then looks both ways and yields when necessary, using the same procedure required at a stop sign. Merely reducing speed is the rule for a flashing yellow light, not a flashing red one. An empty-looking intersection does not cancel the stop requirement. Use the red flash as a firm command to stop, scan for pedestrians and traffic, and proceed only after the path is safe.

18. 18. When entering a traffic circle, which traffic has priority?

    
    1. Traffic already circulating in the roundabout
    2. Vehicles waiting on every approach
    3. Only traffic approaching from the left
    4. No one, because entering traffic has priority
    Show answer

    Traffic already circulating in the roundabout. Entering traffic must yield the right-of-way to vehicles already circulating in the roundabout. The manual describes traffic moving counterclockwise around a raised center island, so a driver at the entry should slow down, look for vehicles in the circle, and wait for a safe gap. Vehicles waiting on another approach do not automatically control the entry, and entering drivers do not receive priority merely because they reached the yield line. The useful cue is simple: circulating traffic goes first, then the entering vehicle joins the flow when clear.

19. 19. What does South Carolina's implied consent law require when a police officer lawfully requests an alcohol test?

    1. The request applies only in the state where the license was issued
    2. The driver may choose never to test without consequence
    3. Only a saliva test can be required
    4. The driver must take a breath, blood, or urine test
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    The driver must take a breath, blood, or urine test. Implied consent means obtaining a license carries consent to a lawfully requested breath, blood, or urine test when impaired driving is suspected. Refusal can cost the driver a license or driving privilege. The rule is not limited to saliva testing, and it follows the state where the arrest occurs rather than the state that issued the license. The practical cue is to separate the testing duty from the later suspension consequence: both arise from the refusal decision.

20. 20. Which description matches the yellow crossroad symbol shown here?

    
    1. A guide sign directing drivers to cities and towns
    2. A warning of a possible hazard or special roadway situation ahead
    3. A regulatory sign requiring a turn into a particular lane
    4. A service sign identifying a restaurant or hotel
    Show answer

    A warning of a possible hazard or special roadway situation ahead. The plus-shaped crossroad is displayed with South Carolina's common warning-sign examples. Warning signs communicate that a possible danger, hazard, or special situation is ahead. They are different from guide signs, which help direct travelers to destinations, and from regulatory signs, which state laws about actions such as turning or parking. A restaurant or hotel belongs with guide information as well. Seeing the crossroad symbol should make you search for intersecting traffic, reduce speed as needed, and be ready for vehicles entering from either side.