TN Permit Practice Test 3

All 20 questions in test 3

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. On a first offense, what driving privilege suspension applies to a 13-to-17-year-old found possessing, consuming, or selling alcohol or drugs?

   1. Six months in every case
   2. One year or until age 17, whichever is longer
   3. Until age 21
   4. Thirty days or until age 16
   Show answer

   One year or until age 17, whichever is longer. For a juvenile offender age thirteen through seventeen, the first-offense suspension lasts one year or until the person reaches seventeen, whichever is longer. The rule can apply even when the young person has never held a license. A fixed six-month term and an automatic extension to twenty-one are not stated. The thirty-day alternative changes both the duration and the age condition. Remember that this is a privilege suspension tied to the conduct, not only to driving at the time.

2. 2. Which traffic-sign message is represented by the triangular shape shown here?

   
   1. Stop
   2. Yield
   3. Railroad crossing here
   4. Route direction
   Show answer

   Yield. The triangular shape identifies a yield sign. It tells the driver to reduce speed and give right-of-way as needed, stopping when necessary for conflicting traffic or pedestrians. An octagon carries the stop meaning, while railroad warnings use round or crossbuck shapes in the manual. Route direction belongs to guide signs, not this shape. A useful visual cue is the inverted triangle with its point down: it signals that other roadway users may have priority and that the approach must be controlled.

3. 3. An emergency vehicle approaches while you are already inside an intersection. What does the Tennessee manual tell you to do?

   1. Stop immediately where you are
   2. Back up out of the intersection
   3. Turn around and drive away from the emergency vehicle
   4. Drive on through the intersection before pulling over
   Show answer

   Drive on through the intersection before pulling over. Stopping inside the intersection is the instinct, and it is the wrong one, because your vehicle then blocks the exact path the ambulance or fire truck needs. Tennessee tells you to clear the intersection first and pull to the right on the far side. Backing up is dangerous with traffic behind you, and turning around adds a second unpredictable vehicle to the scene. Clear the box, get right, stop, and stay stopped until the emergency vehicle has passed.

4. 4. What does the lane-ending warning require a driver to anticipate?

   
   1. A new lane will open on the right
   2. The lane will end and traffic should merge left
   3. The right lane is reserved for slow vehicles
   4. Passing is required before the lane narrows
   Show answer

   The lane will end and traffic should merge left. The lane-ending sign warns that the marked lane will disappear and directs drivers to merge left. Signal your intention, check the adjacent lane, and merge when a safe gap is available. It does not announce a new lane, establish a slow-vehicle lane, or require a pass. Waiting until the pavement ends can force an abrupt movement, so use the warning distance to communicate and find space early.

5. 5. On a multi-lane highway, what should a driver do when approaching a stationary emergency vehicle with flashing lights?

   
   1. Keep the same speed in the lane next to it
   2. Stop in the lane beside the emergency vehicle regardless of traffic
   3. Change into a lane not adjacent to it when possible, or slow down if changing lanes is unsafe
   4. Pass the vehicle on the shoulder to create more space
   Show answer

   Change into a lane not adjacent to it when possible, or slow down if changing lanes is unsafe. Tennessee's Move Over Law calls for yielding the lane closest to a stationary emergency, maintenance, recovery, or other covered vehicle when the highway has the required multi-lane configuration. If safety and traffic allow, move into a lane that is not adjacent. If that change would be impossible or unsafe, use due caution, reduce speed, and maintain a safe speed for conditions. Holding speed beside the vehicle defeats the protective space the law is designed to create.

6. 6. What does a flashing red traffic signal require before you proceed?

   1. A speed increase through the intersection
   2. A complete stop, followed by movement when it is safe
   3. A stop only if another vehicle is present
   4. Waiting for the signal to become steady green
   Show answer

   A complete stop, followed by movement when it is safe. A flashing red signal is treated like a stop sign. The driver must make a complete stop, check traffic and pedestrians, and proceed only when the movement is safe. It does not permit rolling through, speeding up, or waiting indefinitely for a steady green signal. Come to a full cessation before the crosswalk or stop line, then apply the ordinary right-of-way rules. A useful distinction is that flashing yellow calls for caution, while flashing red creates the same stopping duty as a stop sign.

7. 7. The Tennessee reverse turn warning sign marks two turns in opposite directions that are how far apart?

   1. More than one mile
   2. Any distance, as long as both turns are sharp
   3. Exactly 1,000 feet
   4. Less than 600 feet
   Show answer

   Less than 600 feet. The reverse turn sign shows an arrow bending one way and then back the other. Tennessee uses it when two turns in opposite directions come within 600 feet of each other, close enough that you will not have finished the first before the second begins. If the turns were a mile apart each would get its own sign. The 1,000 foot figure belongs to interstate reference markers, not this sign. Slow before the first turn, because the road will not straighten out between them.

8. 8. On a multi-lane highway, what does Tennessee’s Move Over guidance require near a stationary emergency vehicle with flashing lights?

   
   1. Change to a lane that is not adjacent when safe, or slow and proceed cautiously
   2. Maintain speed because the emergency vehicle is off the roadway
   3. Stop in the lane next to the emergency vehicle
   4. Pass on the shoulder without reducing speed
   Show answer

   Change to a lane that is not adjacent when safe, or slow and proceed cautiously. The Move Over requirement protects people working beside a highway. When safety and traffic conditions allow, change into a lane that is not adjacent to the stationary emergency vehicle. If that cannot be done safely, reduce speed and proceed with caution at a safe speed for the conditions. Stopping beside the vehicle, using the shoulder to pass, or keeping full speed leaves workers exposed and removes the intended buffer.

9. 9. What does a flashing arrow panel in a temporary traffic control area warn drivers about?

   1. A required stop at every intersection
   2. A railroad crossing with two tracks
   3. A hospital entrance nearby
   4. A lane closure ahead
   Show answer

   A lane closure ahead. A flashing arrow panel warns approaching drivers that a lane is closing and that they need to merge into an open lane. It is a mobile traffic control device used around construction, special directions, road closures, or weather hazards. The railroad, hospital, and universal-stop choices describe unrelated signs or controls. Treat the arrow as advance notice, check mirrors and blind spots, signal, and merge well before the closure leaves you with less room.

10. 10. What does the yellow pennant-shaped sign mark?

    
    1. The beginning of a no-passing zone
    2. The end of a no-passing zone
    3. A picnic or recreation area
    4. A lane reserved for emergency vehicles
    Show answer

    The beginning of a no-passing zone. The pennant-shaped sign marks the start of a no-passing zone and is placed on the left side of the roadway. It warns that visibility or another roadway condition makes passing unsafe. It does not signal that the restriction has ended, identify recreation, or create an emergency lane. When you see it, remain behind the vehicle ahead and wait for a lawful passing area with adequate sight distance.

11. 11. At what age may Tennessee issue a Class H hardship license to a minor?

    1. 15 years old
    2. 16 years old
    3. 14 years old
    4. 17 years old
    Show answer

    14 years old. The hardship license is Tennessee's narrow exception to the normal age ladder. A minor who is 14 and can show a genuine hardship, usually a family need for transportation that no one else can meet, may be issued a Class H license to drive a passenger vehicle, a motorcycle or both. Fifteen is the learner permit age, sixteen is the age for the intermediate restricted license, and seventeen is when the intermediate unrestricted stage begins. If the hardship license is granted less than six months before the sixteenth birthday, the teen must still renew a learner permit when it expires.

12. 12. At a T intersection where one road dead-ends into another, who must yield?

    
    1. Vehicles on the road that ends
    2. The vehicle that arrives second, regardless of road
    3. Vehicles on the main road that continues
    4. The vehicle traveling at the lower speed only
    Show answer

    Vehicles on the road that ends. At a T intersection, traffic on the road that ends must yield to traffic traveling on the main crossing roadway. The through road has the continuing path, while the dead-end approach must wait for a safe opening. Arrival order does not transfer priority to the terminating road, and speed alone is not the rule. Look in both directions along the main road before entering and yield until the movement is safe.

13. 13. Which phone activity does Tennessee specifically prohibit while driving?

    1. Hearing an incoming call through a vehicle speaker
    2. Following directions that were entered before the trip
    3. Recording or broadcasting video on a cellphone or mobile device
    4. Keeping a cellphone stored in a closed bag
    Show answer

    Recording or broadcasting video on a cellphone or mobile device. Tennessee's listed hands-free prohibitions include recording or broadcasting video on a cellphone or mobile device while driving. The rule targets the active video function, not merely carrying a stored phone or hearing audio through the vehicle. Pre-entered navigation also does not involve the same recording act, though any distraction can still be unsafe. Do not try to capture a crash, post, or live stream from behind the wheel. If video is needed, park in a safe location and handle the device only after the vehicle is stopped.

14. 14. What should you do when an emergency vehicle approaches using a siren, air horn, or red or blue flashing light?

    
    1. Stop in the middle of the intersection
    2. Follow it closely to get through traffic faster
    3. Continue through a green light without checking for it
    4. Yield the right of way and move close to the right edge or curb until it passes
    Show answer

    Yield the right of way and move close to the right edge or curb until it passes. Tennessee requires traffic meeting or being overtaken by an emergency vehicle to yield and move parallel to, and as close as possible to, the right edge or curb. Remain stopped until the vehicle passes or an officer directs movement. Following the emergency vehicle is unlawful, and a green signal does not cancel the duty to yield. If already in an intersection, clear it before pulling over so the emergency path is not blocked. Watch for additional emergency vehicles before resuming travel.

15. 15. A stop sign is partly hidden by snow. How does a Tennessee driver still know what it requires?

    1. By waiting for another driver to stop first
    2. By treating it as a yield sign until it is cleared
    3. It cannot be known, so proceed at normal speed
    4. By its octagonal shape and red color, which always mean stop
    Show answer

    By its octagonal shape and red color, which always mean stop. Tennessee gives the stop sign a unique combination that survives dirt, limbs and snow: it is the only eight sided sign, and it is red. The shape alone tells you to stop even when the word is unreadable. Treating it as a yield is wrong because a yield sign is triangular, and copying another driver or ignoring the sign hands your safety to luck. This is why sign shapes are tested; you are expected to read the silhouette from a distance and stop completely.

16. 16. When should Tennessee drivers turn on their headlights even during daylight?

    1. When windshield wipers are in use
    2. Only when parked on a shoulder
    3. Never during daylight hours
    4. Only when following another vehicle within 500 feet
    Show answer

    When windshield wipers are in use. Tennessee requires headlights when windshield wipers are in use, including conditions involving rain, mist, snow, or other precipitation. Daylight does not remove the requirement. Turning lights on helps oncoming drivers and pedestrians see the vehicle, while waiting for darkness misses the rule's weather trigger. The 500-foot distance is associated with dimming high beams, not deciding whether headlights are needed. Make the habit automatic: if the wipers are operating continuously, switch on the headlights and keep them on until conditions no longer require the wipers.

17. 17. If a vehicle starts to hydroplane, what should the driver do first?

    1. Slow down gradually by letting up on the gas
    2. Slam on the brakes immediately
    3. Accelerate to force the tires through the water
    4. Turn sharply toward the shoulder
    Show answer

    Slow down gradually by letting up on the gas. Hydroplaning means the tires have lost contact with the roadway because of water. The manual advises easing off the gas gradually so speed decreases without a sudden weight shift. Slamming the brakes can worsen the loss of control, acceleration increases the hazard, and a sharp steering movement can start a skid or spin. Keep the vehicle pointed steadily, reduce speed smoothly, and remember that hydroplaning can occur at any speed under the right conditions.

18. 18. What color is used for school-zone signs in Tennessee?

    1. Orange
    2. Fluorescent yellow-green
    3. Brown
    4. Blue
    Show answer

    Fluorescent yellow-green. Fluorescent yellow-green identifies school zones and is also used for other pedestrian traffic areas such as crosswalks. The bright color is intended to stand out in low light and fog or rain, so drivers should actively watch for children, bicyclists, and crossing traffic. Orange is for construction, brown guides toward recreation, and blue identifies motorist services. When this color appears, reduce distraction and expect school-related movement around the roadway.

19. 19. Which of these adds 90 days to the wait for a Tennessee Intermediate Unrestricted License?

    1. A single parking ticket
    2. Driving with a sibling as a passenger
    3. A second seat belt violation
    4. Renewing the license by mail
    Show answer

    A second seat belt violation. A teen becomes ineligible for 90 more days beyond the one year minimum if the driver has 6 or more points, contributes to a traffic crash, or is convicted of a second seat belt violation. A parking ticket is not a moving violation. A sibling passenger is allowed under the passenger rules, and renewing by mail has nothing to do with GDL progress. Six points equals about two minor traffic citations.

20. 20. As a condition of probation after a Tennessee DUI conviction, what litter removal must the offender do?

    1. One four-hour shift in plain clothes
    2. Ten shifts at any state park
    3. Three eight-hour shifts while wearing an I am a DRUNK DRIVER vest
    4. No litter removal for a first offense
    Show answer

    Three eight-hour shifts while wearing an I am a DRUNK DRIVER vest. Every DUI conviction requires litter pick-up for three eight-hour shifts as a condition of probation, and the offender must wear a vest or other clothing that says I am a DRUNK DRIVER. Tennessee residents do the work in their home county. The rule applies to any DUI conviction, first or not, so a first offense is not exempt. One shift in plain clothes or ten park shifts are not the stated terms.