TN Permit Practice Test 5

All 20 questions in test 5

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 may a Tennessee driver get a regular Class D license without the Intermediate level?

   1. Only at age 21
   2. At 18, or on graduating from high school or earning a GED, whichever is sooner
   3. At 17 after any six months of driving
   4. At 16 after passing the road test
   Show answer

   At 18, or on graduating from high school or earning a GED, whichever is sooner. A Class D regular license is available at 18 or when the driver graduates from high school or receives a GED, whichever comes first. The license still carries Under 21 indicators. Twenty-one is the alcohol age, not the regular license age. Sixteen is the Intermediate Restricted age and 17 the Intermediate Unrestricted age, so neither gives a regular license. A driver who keeps the Intermediate card may use it until its five-year renewal.

2. 2. What license revocation period applies to a second DUI conviction in Tennessee?

   1. 1 year
   2. 6 months
   3. 2 years
   4. 10 years
   Show answer

   2 years. A second DUI conviction brings 45 days to 11 months 29 days in jail, a fine of $600 to $3,500, a two-year license revocation, and possible seizure and forfeiture of the vehicle. One year is the first conviction revocation. Six months is too short, and 10 years is far beyond the second conviction period. Drivers with two DUIs within five years must also use an ignition interlock after reinstatement.

3. 3. 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 confirm the operator knows you intend to pass before moving around it.

4. 4. What color background identifies temporary highway work-zone signs?

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

   Orange. Temporary work-zone signs use an orange background with black letters or symbols. Orange signals road work and tells the driver to slow down, watch for changing lanes, and follow the instructions of signs and flaggers. Blue identifies motorist services, brown relates to recreation, and fluorescent yellow-green marks school zones and other pedestrian areas. Spotting orange should trigger attention to workers, barriers, lane shifts, and a potentially reduced speed limit.

5. 5. Unless another limit is posted, what speed limit applies on Tennessee primary and secondary state and federal highways?

   1. 45 miles per hour
   2. 55 miles per hour
   3. 60 miles per hour
   4. 70 miles per hour
   Show answer

   55 miles per hour. The manual gives 55 miles per hour as the default limit for primary and secondary state and federal highways unless a different limit is posted. The number is not a universal limit for every Tennessee road. Interstate highways and urban areas can have different posted limits, and road conditions may require a slower speed even when the sign permits more. Read each posted sign and reduce speed for curves, slippery pavement, fog, traffic, or other hazards. The key cue is the road classification plus the phrase unless otherwise posted.

6. 6. What do orange traffic signs generally warn drivers about?

   1. Construction and maintenance
   2. Motorist services
   3. Recreational and cultural sites
   4. School zones
   Show answer

   Construction and maintenance. Orange is reserved as the background color for construction and maintenance signs. It signals a temporary or changing roadway condition that may require lower speed, lane changes, or careful attention to workers and equipment. Blue signs provide motorist services, brown signs guide toward recreation, and fluorescent yellow-green identifies school zones. The color matters even when the words are hard to read, because it gives an early warning to prepare for road work.

7. 7. What must a driver do at a flashing red traffic light?

   1. Stop only when a pedestrian is present
   2. Slow down but continue without stopping
   3. Treat it as a green light if cross traffic is absent
   4. Make a complete stop, look both ways, and proceed when clear
   Show answer

   Make a complete stop, look both ways, and proceed when clear. A flashing red signal has the same basic demand as a stop sign. Stop completely, look for vehicles and pedestrians, and proceed only after the intersection is clear. Merely reducing speed leaves the driver short of the required action. A green-light assumption and a pedestrian-only condition both ignore cross traffic and the signal's stop meaning. Make the full stop before the crosswalk or stop line, then check again before moving.

8. 8. When turning left at an intersection, what must you do if an oncoming vehicle is going straight?

   
   1. Turn first because left turns have priority
   2. Stop and wait for the oncoming vehicle to turn left
   3. Yield to the oncoming vehicle
   4. Accelerate so the oncoming vehicle must brake
   Show answer

   Yield to the oncoming vehicle. A driver making a left turn must yield to an oncoming vehicle that is proceeding straight or turning right, unless a protected green arrow authorizes the turn. The left-turning vehicle crosses the oncoming path, so entering first would create the conflict. The choice that says to wait for an oncoming left turn adds a condition that is not required by this rule. Before turning, check the signal indication and the path of approaching traffic. A green arrow changes the analysis; an ordinary green light does not provide the same protection.

9. 9. After a solid green turn arrow appears, what may the driver do?

   1. Turn in any direction without checking pedestrians
   2. Turn only in the arrow direction after yielding to those already in the intersection
   3. Proceed straight because arrows do not control lanes
   4. Remain stopped until the arrow becomes yellow
   Show answer

   Turn only in the arrow direction after yielding to those already in the intersection. A green protected arrow gives permission to drive only in the arrow’s direction, but the driver must first yield to vehicles and pedestrians already in the intersection. It does not authorize an unrelated movement, erase the duty to check the intersection, or require waiting for yellow. The phrase protected turn describes the permitted movement, not permission to ignore people already crossing. Scan the intersection before moving, then follow the arrow rather than the general green-light meaning.

10. 10. If a vehicle begins to skid, which response is recommended?

    1. Stamp on the brake and lock the wheels
    2. Stay off the brake and steer where you want the car to go
    3. Turn the wheel opposite the desired path and accelerate hard
    4. Close your eyes and wait for the tires to regain grip
    Show answer

    Stay off the brake and steer where you want the car to go. During a skid, braking can make the loss of traction worse until the vehicle slows. Keep off the brake, steer in the direction you want the car to go, and continue correcting as the vehicle straightens. The opposite steering choice can send the vehicle into another slide, while hard acceleration adds another force the tires may not handle. Slow down for conditions before a skid develops and avoid abrupt inputs.

11. 11. What does the round warning sign with an RXR symbol tell you?

    
    1. A railroad grade crossing is ahead and you must slow down
    2. A roundabout requires a right turn
    3. A no-passing zone has ended
    4. A bicycle lane begins immediately
    Show answer

    A railroad grade crossing is ahead and you must slow down. The circular railroad warning sign marks an approaching grade crossing. Slow down early and be ready to stop if a train is coming. It does not mark a bicycle facility, a roundabout, or the end of a passing restriction. Never try to beat a train because its speed is easy to misjudge. Use the warning as time to check the crossing, not as permission to maintain speed until the rails are close.

12. 12. What does the traffic-signal warning sign indicate?

    
    1. The next intersection has no controls
    2. Streetlights are out and the road is closed
    3. A police checkpoint is immediately ahead
    4. A traffic signal is ahead, so prepare to obey it
    Show answer

    A traffic signal is ahead, so prepare to obey it. The warning symbol showing a traffic light means a signal is ahead, sometimes one hidden by a curve or other roadway feature. Prepare by checking traffic, reducing speed as needed, and watching for the signal’s indications. The sign does not announce a closure, police checkpoint, or uncontrolled intersection. Early recognition matters because a driver who waits to react at the signal may approach too quickly to stop smoothly.

13. 13. What movement is prohibited by this red-slash sign over a right-turn arrow?

    
    1. Parking on either side of the street
    2. Driving straight through the intersection
    3. Turning left from the far-left lane
    4. Turning right at the posted location
    Show answer

    Turning right at the posted location. The arrow identifies the movement that the prohibition covers, so a crossed right-turn arrow means do not turn right at that point. It does not ban straight travel, create a left-turn requirement, or establish a parking restriction. Scan for a different route or permitted movement, especially before entering the intersection. The practical cue is simple: match the slash to the arrow beneath it rather than treating every red symbol as a stop command.

14. 14. What background color do Tennessee regulatory and guide signs normally use?

    1. White, except the red STOP sign
    2. Yellow
    3. Orange
    4. Brown
    Show answer

    White, except the red STOP sign. White is the workhorse background in Tennessee. Speed limits, turn restrictions, route markers and many guide signs are printed on white with a dark legend, and the one regulatory sign that breaks the pattern is STOP with its red field. White is also the lettering color on brown, green, blue, black and red signs. Yellow means warning, orange means work zone, and brown means recreation. If a sign is white with black letters, expect a rule you can be ticketed for breaking.

15. 15. What is illegal when following a fire truck responding to an emergency?

    1. Stopping for a red signal before entering the intersection
    2. Listening for directions from its loudspeaker
    3. Yielding to the emergency vehicle at an intersection
    4. Following it as it responds to the emergency
    Show answer

    Following it as it responds to the emergency. Tennessee prohibits following a fire truck or another emergency vehicle that is responding to a fire alarm or other emergency. The prohibition is different from yielding to that vehicle, which is required. A driver should not trail it through traffic or use its cleared path as an advantage. Stopping at a red light, yielding, and listening for instructions are appropriate parts of safely sharing the road with emergency responders.

16. 16. What must a driver do when an emergency vehicle is approaching with a siren or flashing red or blue light?

    1. Move as close as possible to the right edge, stop, and remain stopped until it passes
    2. Pull left and stop beside the center line
    3. Continue at the same speed if the driver is already in the right lane
    4. Follow the emergency vehicle closely through the next intersection
    Show answer

    Move as close as possible to the right edge, stop, and remain stopped until it passes. Tennessee requires traffic meeting or being overtaken by an approaching emergency vehicle to yield, move parallel and close to the right edge or curb, and stop. Remain stopped until the vehicle passes or an officer directs movement. Continuing in the right lane is not enough unless the vehicle is safely positioned and stopped. Pulling toward the center line can obstruct the emergency path. A driver should also listen for additional emergency vehicles and avoid blocking a side road or driveway.

17. 17. When are Tennessee school-zone speed limits regulated?

    1. At every hour, including school holidays
    2. Only during the first hour of the school day
    3. When children travel to or from school or during school recess
    4. Only when a police vehicle is parked nearby
    Show answer

    When children travel to or from school or during school recess. Tennessee regulates school-zone speed limits when children are going to or from school or during a school recess hour. The rule is tied to those school-related periods, not a blanket every-hour schedule. It also does not depend on a police vehicle being visible. Slow before reaching the zone, look for the posted limit and any warning flasher, and remain within that limit while the condition is active. The phrase school recess is an important extra trigger beyond morning arrival and afternoon departure.

18. 18. During which hours may an Intermediate Restricted driver not drive without a licensed driver age 21 or older in the front seat?

    1. 10 P.M. to 6 A.M.
    2. 11 P.M. to 6 A.M.
    3. 9 P.M. to 5 A.M.
    4. Midnight to 5 A.M.
    Show answer

    11 P.M. to 6 A.M.. The first intermediate level prohibits solo driving from 11 P.M. through 6 A.M. A supervising driver at least twenty-one years old must occupy the front seat during that interval. The other time ranges shift the starting or ending hour and therefore describe a different restriction. Midnight is especially misleading because the limitation begins earlier in the evening. Picture the restricted driver’s window as the eleven-to-six rule, then apply the front-seat supervision condition whenever driving falls inside it.

19. 19. When may Tennessee seize a driver’s vehicle because of DUI convictions within five years?

    1. After two convictions, both occurring after January 1997
    2. After one conviction occurring at any time
    3. After three convictions, regardless of dates
    4. Only when all convictions occurred in one calendar year
    Show answer

    After two convictions, both occurring after January 1997. The manual gives two conditions for this vehicle seizure rule: there must be two DUI convictions within five years, and both events must have happened after January 1997. One conviction is insufficient, while three convictions and a single-calendar-year requirement add conditions the passage does not state. Treat the date phrase as part of the rule, not background history. A useful memory cue is two convictions, five years, and both after the January 1997 cutoff.

20. 20. 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. Once circulating, follow the roundabout's counter-clockwise path and exit at the intended street.