TN Permit Practice Test 10

All 20 questions in test 10

Every question below comes from the Tennessee 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. When the light turns green at an intersection, what does the Tennessee manual warn drivers not to do?

   1. Wait for a full second before moving
   2. Jump the gun by starting early or making a quick left turn in front of oncoming traffic
   3. Yield to pedestrians still in the crosswalk
   4. Look left and right before entering
   Show answer

   Jump the gun by starting early or making a quick left turn in front of oncoming traffic. Green is permission, not a starting pistol. The manual warns against jumping the gun, meaning rolling into the intersection before the light actually changes or snapping a left turn across oncoming traffic that is still clearing. Both moves depend on the other driver stopping on time, and red light runners are common enough that the bet is a bad one. Waiting a beat, looking both ways and yielding to pedestrians are the behaviors the manual wants, which is why they are the wrong choices for a question about what to avoid.

2. 2. When passing a horseback rider on a Tennessee roadway, a driver should:

   1. Sound the horn repeatedly to warn the horse
   2. Rev the engine so the rider knows the car is nearby
   3. Pass as close as possible before the horse moves
   4. Use a reasonable speed and distance without sounding the horn or revving the engine
   Show answer

   Use a reasonable speed and distance without sounding the horn or revving the engine. Horseback riders are protected by the rules of the road, and horses can react unpredictably to loud sounds or a close vehicle. Approach and pass at a reasonable speed and distance. The horn and a revved engine can startle the animal, while crowding the rider leaves little recovery space if the horse shifts. Slow down before reaching the rider, leave room, and avoid sudden noise until safely past.

3. 3. At an all-way stop, two vehicles arrive at the same time. Who should go first?

   1. The vehicle on the left
   2. The vehicle traveling straight, regardless of position
   3. The vehicle with more passengers
   4. The vehicle on the right
   Show answer

   The vehicle on the right. At an all-way stop, every vehicle must stop. The vehicle that arrived first proceeds first, but when two vehicles arrive at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the vehicle on the right. Direction of travel and passenger count do not override that tie rule. Each driver should still confirm that the intersection is clear before moving, since right-of-way rules do not guarantee that another driver will act safely.

4. 4. What is the purpose of a yellow diamond-shaped sign?

   1. To establish a parking fee at the next block
   2. To warn about a hazardous or unexpected condition ahead
   3. To mark a motorist service area
   4. To identify the legal owner of the roadway
   Show answer

   To warn about a hazardous or unexpected condition ahead. The diamond shape is used for warnings about hazardous or unexpected conditions ahead. Such a sign calls for caution and often a slower speed before the driver reaches the condition. Parking fees, services, and road ownership are not what this shape communicates. The driver should use the symbol as advance notice, scan for the specific hazard, and make a controlled adjustment rather than waiting until the last moment.

5. 5. What following-distance range does the manual describe as a safe distance for drivers to maintain?

   1. Exactly one second in every traffic situation
   2. One car length regardless of speed
   3. About two to four seconds, adjusted for conditions
   4. No time interval is useful for judging space
   Show answer

   About two to four seconds, adjusted for conditions. The manual describes a safe following distance as ranging from two to four seconds, with the driver increasing the interval when visibility, speed, weather, or nighttime conditions make reaction more difficult. A fixed car length changes meaning as speed changes, and one second leaves little room to respond. Use a stationary object to measure the gap, then slow slightly and repeat the check until the time cushion is adequate. The goal is time to see and react, not merely a visual number of feet.

6. 6. When a school bus is stopped to load or unload children at an intersection, what must drivers do?

   1. Drivers may continue after slowing to 10 miles per hour
   2. Only traffic behind the bus must stop
   3. Drivers may pass if no child is visible
   4. Drivers from all directions must stop until the bus resumes motion
   Show answer

   Drivers from all directions must stop until the bus resumes motion. The school bus stop law requires drivers from all directions to stop when a bus is stopped at an intersection to load or unload children. They must remain stopped until the bus resumes motion. Visibility of a child does not change the duty, and slowing without stopping is insufficient. The divided-road exception applies only when separate roadways are divided by a median or barrier unsuitable for vehicles, not to an ordinary center turn lane.

7. 7. How many points within 12 months bring a Tennessee adult driver a notice of proposed suspension?

   1. 6 or more
   2. 8 or more
   3. 12 or more
   4. 18 or more
   Show answer

   12 or more. Adult drivers 18 or older with 12 or more points in a 12-month period receive a notice of proposed suspension, and those with 6 to 11 points get an advisory letter. Six points is the threshold for juvenile drivers under 18, a separate rule. Eight and eighteen are not Tennessee thresholds. A defensive driving course can help avoid or shorten a suspension, but only once in five years.

8. 8. In a Tennessee work zone where the reduced speed is posted and workers are present, what maximum fine can apply to a speeding violation?

   1. $100
   2. $1,000
   3. $250
   4. $500
   Show answer

   $500. Tennessee permits a fine of up to $500 for a speed violation in a work zone when the speed has been reduced and Department of Transportation or other construction workers are present. The amount is tied to the active work-zone conditions, not merely to seeing orange signs. The $100 and $250 choices understate the stated maximum, while $1,000 doubles it. Slow before entering the zone and follow the reduced limit whenever workers may be nearby.

9. 9. What is prohibited in a multi-lane roundabout?

   1. Driving at a slower speed
   2. Using a right turn signal to exit
   3. Yielding to a vehicle already circulating
   4. Overtaking or passing another vehicle
   Show answer

   Overtaking or passing another vehicle. Tennessee treats a multi-lane roundabout as a low speed traffic control device, so drivers must not overtake or pass vehicles within it. Slower travel is expected, and a right signal should identify the exit. Yielding to traffic already circulating is required before entering. A driver who misses an intended street may continue around again rather than passing inside the circle or making a sudden lane maneuver.

10. 10. What should you expect after seeing the curved-arrow warning sign?

    
    1. A curve ahead with a recommended speed between 30 and 55 mph
    2. A mandatory turn at an intersection
    3. A work-zone detour requiring the shoulder
    4. A straight roadway with no change in alignment
    Show answer

    A curve ahead with a recommended speed between 30 and 55 mph. The curve sign identifies a bend to the right and is used for curves with recommended speeds from 30 to 55 mph. Reduce speed before entering the bend so steering remains controlled. It is not a mandatory intersection direction and does not announce a detour or a straight section. Treat any advisory speed as a cue to evaluate weather, traffic, and visibility rather than as a target that must be reached.

11. 11. What kind of traffic message does this yellow diamond sign provide?

    
    1. A regulatory order that applies only to trucks
    2. A warning about a roadway condition ahead
    3. A motorist-services sign for a rest area
    4. A guide sign for a recreational destination
    Show answer

    A warning about a roadway condition ahead. The yellow diamond is a warning sign, so it alerts drivers to a roadway condition that may require caution or a slower speed. It is not a regulatory order, a recreation guide, or a motorist-services marker. The arrows still deserve attention because they show opposing traffic, but the sign’s category tells you how to respond: anticipate a hazard, scan ahead, and adjust before reaching it.

12. 12. Which type of medication does Tennessee include in its warning about driving under the influence?

    1. Prescription drugs
    2. Only vitamins and mineral supplements
    3. Only medication taken in a hospital
    4. Prescription drugs are always safe for driving
    Show answer

    Prescription drugs. Tennessee's discussion of impaired driving expressly includes prescription drugs among substances that can affect a driver's ability. The warning is not limited to illegal substances, and a prescription does not guarantee that operating a vehicle is safe. The choices about vitamins, hospital-only medication, and automatic safety add limits that the passage does not state. Read the label and consider drowsiness, slowed reactions, or impaired judgment before starting the engine. If there is any doubt about the ability to drive, arrange another ride instead of testing the medication's effects on the road.

13. 13. At what distance must a driver dim high beams for an oncoming vehicle?

    1. Within 100 feet
    2. Within 500 feet
    3. Within 200 feet
    4. Within 1,000 feet
    Show answer

    Within 500 feet. Tennessee requires high beams to be lowered when an oncoming vehicle is within 500 feet. The same 500-foot distance also applies when following another vehicle, because glare reflected in its mirror can impair that driver's vision. The 100-, 200-, and 1,000-foot choices change the legal trigger and should not be used as substitutes. Watch for approaching headlights and begin the change before the vehicles are close together. Dimmed lights help preserve the other driver's ability to see while you continue to see the roadway ahead.

14. 14. If you are already in an intersection when an emergency vehicle approaches, when should you pull over?

    1. Drive through the intersection first, then pull over when clear
    2. Stop immediately in the intersection
    3. Back up before the emergency vehicle arrives
    4. Turn left across its path
    Show answer

    Drive through the intersection first, then pull over when clear. A vehicle already in an intersection should continue through before pulling over, because stopping there can block the emergency vehicle's route. Once clear, move to the right edge or curb and remain stopped until the emergency vehicle passes or an officer directs you to move. Stopping in the intersection, backing, or turning across the response path creates another obstruction. Check for side roads and driveways before choosing a stopping place, since the emergency vehicle may need those openings to reach the scene.

15. 15. A green protected turn arrow is illuminated. What does it authorize?

    1. Waiting for a red signal before moving
    2. Turning in any direction without checking the intersection
    3. Driving only in the arrow's direction after yielding to traffic and pedestrians already in the intersection
    4. Driving straight through even when the arrow points elsewhere
    Show answer

    Driving only in the arrow's direction after yielding to traffic and pedestrians already in the intersection. A green protected arrow gives the driver right of way to move only in the direction shown, but the manual still requires yielding to vehicles and pedestrians already in the intersection. It does not authorize every possible movement, remove the need to observe the roadway, or require waiting for red. The arrow controls the permitted direction, while existing intersection users must be cleared safely. Look through the turn path before moving and do not start early just because the arrow is visible.

16. 16. If the broken yellow line is on your side beside a solid yellow line, you may:

    
    1. Pass only after crossing the solid line first
    2. Use the opposing lane until reaching the next intersection
    3. Never cross the lines under any circumstance
    4. Pass when it is safe and return before the passing zone ends
    Show answer

    Pass when it is safe and return before the passing zone ends. A broken yellow line on your side identifies the passing zone, but it does not guarantee that a pass is safe. Check sight distance, oncoming traffic, and other hazards before moving left. You must return to your side before the passing zone ends. The solid-line choice reverses the meaning of the marking, while staying in the opposing lane for a long distance creates a head-on risk.

17. 17. A Tennessee Intermediate Restricted driver is convicted of carrying a forged permission letter to drive during curfew. What happens?

    1. The license is revoked and only a learner permit is issued until age 18
    2. A $50 fine only
    3. A 90-day delay before the unrestricted license
    4. Nothing if the letter was never used
    Show answer

    The license is revoked and only a learner permit is issued until age 18. A driver convicted of having a forged or fraudulent letter or statement loses the Intermediate Restricted License, and only a learner permit is reissued until the driver turns 18. That is far harsher than a $50 fine or a 90-day delay, which are penalties for other GDL problems. Being convicted of having the forged letter is enough, so the idea that nothing happens is wrong.

18. 18. When may a Tennessee road test not be administered?

    1. Only on Saturdays and Sundays
    2. Only when the applicant is under 18
    3. During extreme weather or after dark in winter months
    4. Whenever the applicant uses a family vehicle
    Show answer

    During extreme weather or after dark in winter months. Road tests are not administered during extreme weather, including heavy rain or snow, and they are not given after dark during winter months. The rule is based on testing conditions, not the applicant’s age or the vehicle’s ownership. Weekend-only and family-vehicle restrictions invent limits absent from the manual. Before scheduling, think about whether visibility, pavement, and daylight allow a fair skills evaluation. Weather and seasonal darkness are the two cues that identify this exception.

19. 19. A Tennessee driver revoked for DUI wants to keep driving on an ignition interlock restricted license. What is the minimum interlock requirement?

    1. At least 365 days
    2. Exactly 30 days
    3. Two weeks to three months
    4. No interlock is required for a first DUI
    Show answer

    At least 365 days. The Tennessee Department of Safety says a driver who continues driving during a DUI revocation must use the interlock for the entire revocation and must complete at least a 365-day ignition interlock requirement. A longer revocation, such as six years for a third DUI, stretches the requirement further. Thirty days and a few weeks are far too short, and a first DUI does not escape the device. Time only counts while the driver holds a valid restricted or regular license, and violations in the final 120 days restart that window.

20. 20. How does Tennessee classify a fourth or subsequent DUI conviction?

    1. Class A misdemeanor
    2. Class C felony
    3. Class E felony
    4. Civil violation only
    Show answer

    Class E felony. The penalty table identifies a fourth or subsequent DUI conviction as a Class E felony. Class A misdemeanor and Class C felony are different classifications, and a civil-only label ignores the criminal offense. The word subsequent matters because the rule continues beyond exactly four convictions. The Tennessee Department of Safety now lists an eight-year license revocation for a fourth or later DUI, replacing the older five-years-to-indefinite wording in printed charts. Treat the offense as a felony with a long revocation, not as an ordinary traffic ticket.