TN Permit Practice Test 2

All 20 questions in test 2

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. What does the sharp right-angle arrow warn you to prepare for?

   
   1. A T-intersection controlled by a stop sign
   2. A rather sharp turn with a recommended speed of 30 mph or less
   3. A one-way street beginning at the next block
   4. A lane reserved for turning trucks
   Show answer

   A rather sharp turn with a recommended speed of 30 mph or less. The turn sign is used for a sharper change in direction than an ordinary curve and carries a recommended speed of 30 mph or less. Slow before the turn and follow any advisory speed plaque. It does not itself identify a T-intersection, one-way street, or truck-only lane. The tight arrow is the visual cue to enter with reduced speed, controlled steering, and enough room for the roadway alignment.

2. 2. Where does the X-shaped crossbuck sign identify the railroad tracks?

   
   1. Only at a hospital entrance
   2. At the beginning of a school zone
   3. At the railroad grade crossing itself
   4. On the far side of a construction detour
   Show answer

   At the railroad grade crossing itself. The crossbuck is placed at the railroad grade crossing and shows where the tracks are located. It is not a medical, school, or construction marker. A smaller plaque can show the number of tracks, which is important because one train can hide another approaching on a second track. Reduce speed, look and listen, and never assume the first visible train is the only rail hazard before crossing.

3. 3. 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.

4. 4. In which direction does traffic travel around a Tennessee roundabout or traffic circle?

   1. To the left, clockwise around the circle
   2. Straight across the center island
   3. Either direction, whichever lane is open
   4. To the right, counterclockwise around the circle
   Show answer

   To the right, counterclockwise around the circle. Because right hand traffic is the rule in Tennessee, drivers stay on the right side of the road and turn right when going around traffic circles, roundabouts, or town squares, which carries them counterclockwise around the circle. Going to the left would put you head on into circulating traffic, and there is never a choice of direction no matter how empty the circle looks. Cutting across the center island is not a movement at all. Inside a roundabout, proceed at a slower speed and exit at the street you want.

5. 5. What information do black and white regulatory signs provide?

   1. Only directions to parks and cultural attractions
   2. Selected traffic laws, regulations, or instructions
   3. Temporary warnings about construction workers
   4. Motorist service locations such as rest areas
   Show answer

   Selected traffic laws, regulations, or instructions. Black and white regulatory signs communicate selected traffic laws or regulations and may instruct drivers about matters such as speed limits or lane use. They are not limited to recreation, construction, or services. The background and message help identify the sign category, but the driver must still read the instruction shown. Treating a regulatory sign as optional can lead directly to an illegal lane movement or speed choice.

6. 6. What does one solid white line between lanes of traffic mean in Tennessee?

   1. The lanes carry traffic in opposite directions
   2. You should stay in your lane and not cross the line to pass
   3. Passing is required before the line ends
   4. The lane is reserved for vehicles turning left
   Show answer

   You should stay in your lane and not cross the line to pass. White lane markings separate traffic moving in the same direction. A single solid white line signals that the driver should remain in the lane and should not cross it to pass, except when an emergency requires a lane change. The opposite-direction choice describes yellow markings, not white ones. Treat the solid line as a boundary that discourages routine movement across it, even when the adjacent lane looks open.

7. 7. On which Tennessee signs is red used as a legend color rather than a background?

   1. STOP and WRONG WAY signs
   2. Interstate route markers
   3. YIELD signs, parking prohibition signs and the prohibitory circle and slash
   4. School crossing signs
   Show answer

   YIELD signs, parking prohibition signs and the prohibitory circle and slash. Red shows up two ways on Tennessee signs. As a background it belongs to STOP signs, DO NOT ENTER messages, WRONG WAY signs, and Interstate route markers. As a legend, meaning the border, lettering or symbol, it marks the YIELD sign, parking prohibition signs, and the red circle with a diagonal bar that says a movement is not allowed. School signs are yellow or fluorescent yellow green. Knowing which part is red helps you read a sign before the words are legible.

8. 8. When does a Tennessee driver have a duty to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk?

   1. Only when the crosswalk has painted stripes
   2. Only when a crossing guard is present
   3. Only after the pedestrian reaches the center line
   4. When the pedestrian is in a marked or unmarked crosswalk
   Show answer

   When the pedestrian is in a marked or unmarked crosswalk. Tennessee's pedestrian rule applies when a pedestrian is in a crosswalk, whether that crossing is marked or unmarked. Painted lines are not the only cue, so the painted-stripes-only answer would leave people unprotected at lawful but unpainted crossings. A crossing guard and the pedestrian's location at the center line are not prerequisites. Slow early, watch both sides of the roadway, and be prepared to stop before the crosswalk. The driver must also account for pedestrians approaching closely enough from the opposite half of the road to be in danger.

9. 9. How long must a Tennessee learner permit be held before moving to the intermediate restricted license step?

   1. 180 days
   2. 90 days
   3. One year
   4. 30 days
   Show answer

   180 days. A Tennessee learner permit must be held for 180 days before the driver can advance to the Intermediate Restricted License step. Thirty days is far shorter than that holding period. Ninety days and one year are also different periods that do not replace the permit holding interval. Treat the 180 days as a minimum experience period, not as permission to skip the required supervised driving conditions. Keep the permit valid and complete the other licensing requirements before seeking the next level.

10. 10. A car at 55 mph can stop in about 240 feet. About how far does a truck at the same speed need to stop?

    1. About 120 feet
    2. About 240 feet, the same as a car
    3. About 450 feet or more
    4. About 2,000 feet
    Show answer

    About 450 feet or more. The Tennessee manual's sharing the road section warns that trucks take much longer to stop than cars. At 55 mph a car can stop in about 240 feet, but a truck at the same speed needs about 450 feet or more, nearly twice as far. That is why cutting in front of a truck and then slowing is so dangerous: the truck driver may not be able to stop in the space you left.

11. 11. What does the octagon shape of this traffic sign identify?

    
    1. Stop
    2. Yield
    3. Railroad crossing ahead
    4. A hazardous condition ahead
    Show answer

    Stop. The manual assigns the octagon shape to the stop message. Shape recognition lets a driver identify the required response even before the lettering is fully readable. A triangle is used for yield, a round sign warns of a railroad ahead, and a diamond warns of a hazardous or unusual condition. Do not confuse the red stop sign with those other silhouettes. When the eight-sided outline appears, prepare for a complete stop at the required stopping position and then follow the right-of-way rule.

12. 12. On a multi-lane road, where can a stationary vehicle covered by Tennessee’s Move Over Law be located?

    1. Along either the left or right roadside in the driver’s direction
    2. Only on the left shoulder
    3. Only on the right shoulder
    4. Only in the median, never along the roadside
    Show answer

    Along either the left or right roadside in the driver’s direction. The Move Over requirement applies to stationary vehicles along the roadside in the direction the driver is traveling. That wording covers either side of a multi-lane roadway, so limiting the rule to the left shoulder is incorrect. A median-only interpretation also misses the roadside condition. The driver still needs two or more lanes moving in the same direction and must respond to flashing lights. Look for the stationary vehicle and its warning lights on either roadside, then change lanes or slow safely.

13. 13. What license revocation period applies to a first DUI conviction in Tennessee?

    1. 6 months
    2. 1 year
    3. 2 years
    4. 6 years
    Show answer

    1 year. The Tennessee Department of Safety lists a one-year license revocation, 365 days, for a first DUI. A second DUI brings a two-year revocation, a third brings six years, and a fourth or later brings eight years. Six months is not a listed DUI revocation period. Older printed charts that show three to ten years for a third offense no longer match the Department's current schedule. Keep revocation separate from jail time, fines, and the ignition interlock requirement, which runs at least 365 days for a driver who wants a restricted license.

14. 14. 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.

15. 15. When entering a Tennessee roundabout, to whom must you yield?

    
    1. Vehicles waiting behind you at the entrance
    2. Only vehicles approaching from the left
    3. Vehicles already circulating in the roundabout
    4. No vehicles, because entering traffic has priority
    Show answer

    Vehicles already circulating in the roundabout. Drivers entering a roundabout must yield to vehicles already within the circulating traffic. Enter only when a gap is available, then continue around the circle without stopping unless a sign, signal, or traffic officer directs otherwise. The entrance does not give priority, and the rule is not limited to vehicles approaching from one side. Reduce speed before the circle, identify traffic already inside, and choose a safe gap. Within the roundabout, proceed at a slower speed, usually posted at 15 to 25 mph, and exit at the intended street.

16. 16. 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.

17. 17. 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.

18. 18. How far from a traffic signal, stop sign, or other traffic control device is parking prohibited?

    1. Within 10 feet
    2. Within 30 feet
    3. Within 15 feet
    4. Within 50 feet
    Show answer

    Within 30 feet. Tennessee prohibits parking within 30 feet of a traffic signal, stop sign, or other traffic control device. Fifteen feet is the fire hydrant distance, 20 feet is used for a crosswalk, and 50 feet applies near a railroad crossing. The same list also bars parking on a sidewalk, on a bridge, or within a tunnel. Identify the nearby object first, then apply its matching clearance instead of using one universal parking distance.

19. 19. What does the orange triangle on the rear of a slow-moving vehicle indicate?

    1. The vehicle may be passed without checking traffic
    2. The vehicle has priority to make any sudden lane change
    3. The vehicle is carrying hazardous materials
    4. The vehicle is moving slowly and requires caution from following drivers
    Show answer

    The vehicle is moving slowly and requires caution from following drivers. The fluorescent or reflective orange triangle identifies a slow-moving vehicle, such as farm equipment or construction machinery. It warns following drivers to expect a much lower speed and to prepare early, especially near hills and curves. The emblem grants no special right to turn or change lanes, says nothing about hazardous cargo, and never makes passing automatic. Reduce speed, keep a safe distance, and pass only where it is legal and the road ahead is clear.

20. 20. How many people were killed by distracted driving in 2019, according to NHTSA figures in the Tennessee manual?

    1. About 100
    2. About 50,000
    3. About 800
    4. 3,142
    Show answer

    3,142. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,142 people were killed by distracted driving in 2019, and cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes every year. Tennessee's Hands Free law bars holding a phone while driving, and texting has been prohibited for teen and adult drivers since July 1, 2009. Put the phone away before you start.