TN Permit Practice Test 9

All 20 questions in test 9

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 should you do when a steady yellow light appears and stopping can be done safely?

   1. Accelerate so the vehicle enters before red
   2. Prepare to stop and stop rather than speeding up to beat the light
   3. Treat yellow as permission to turn without checking
   4. Stop only when a pedestrian signal is also red
   Show answer

   Prepare to stop and stop rather than speeding up to beat the light. A steady yellow signal warns that the red stop signal will appear immediately afterward. The driver should adjust speed for a smooth stop and must stop when it is safe to do so. Accelerating to beat the light increases conflict risk and is specifically discouraged. If the vehicle is already in the intersection, continue through carefully rather than stopping in the travel path. Check the stop line, crosswalk, and traffic behind you as you decide, but do not turn the warning into an invitation to rush.

2. 2. What does Tennessee's Implied Consent Law require when an officer asks for an alcohol or drug test?

   1. The driver must submit to a vehicle inspection every month
   2. The driver automatically admits guilt to DUI
   3. The driver gives permission for a random home search
   4. The driver will take a test to determine alcohol or drug content in the blood
   Show answer

   The driver will take a test to determine alcohol or drug content in the blood. Implied consent means that driving carries an agreement to take a test when asked to determine alcohol or drug content in the blood. It is not a monthly vehicle-inspection program, an automatic admission of DUI guilt, or permission for a home search. The testing obligation and the separate question of whether impairment or an unlawful concentration is proved should not be confused. When stopped in a DUI investigation, the key cue is that refusal is not consequence-free simply because the driver did not sign a new agreement at the roadside.

3. 3. What does an advisory speed plate beneath a warning sign provide?

   1. The minimum speed required on the entire roadway
   2. The recommended maximum safe speed for the condition ahead
   3. The speed at which every vehicle must travel regardless of conditions
   4. The legal speed limit for all roads in that county
   Show answer

   The recommended maximum safe speed for the condition ahead. An advisory speed plate supplements a warning sign by giving a recommended maximum safe speed for the upcoming condition. It is not a universal minimum, a command to maintain one exact speed, or a countywide speed limit. The driver still has to assess weather, visibility, traffic, and the road surface. A curve may require an even lower speed when conditions make the displayed recommendation too fast.

4. 4. Besides YIELD, which other message may Tennessee display on a triangular sign?

   1. Railroad crossing ahead
   2. School zone
   3. No Passing Zone
   4. Stop
   Show answer

   No Passing Zone. The downward pointing triangle is the yield sign, but Tennessee also uses a triangular pennant on the left side of the road to mark the start of a no passing zone. Railroad advance warnings are round, school signs are pentagons, and stop is the octagon. When you see a pennant shaped sign on your left, a solid yellow line will usually begin on your side of the center; stay in your lane until the zone ends even if the road ahead looks empty.

5. 5. At a railroad crossing, what should a driver do before crossing when a train is approaching?

   
   1. Drive around a lowered gate when no train is visible
   2. Stop on the tracks so the train can be seen more easily
   3. Cross quickly if the nearest track appears clear
   4. Stop between 15 and 50 feet from the tracks and wait until every track is clear
   Show answer

   Stop between 15 and 50 feet from the tracks and wait until every track is clear. When a train is coming, the vehicle must stop 15 to 50 feet from the railroad tracks and wait until it has passed and it is safe to cross. Stopping on the tracks creates a direct collision risk, and a clear nearest track may hide a train on another track. A lowered gate is a stop command, not an obstacle to drive around. Reduce speed early, identify all tracks, and remain behind the required stopping distance until the crossing is completely clear.

6. 6. What should a driver do when a yellow traffic signal appears?

   1. Make a complete stop and wait for a green signal
   2. Prepare to stop and make a smooth stop when it is safe
   3. Accelerate because cross traffic must stop
   4. Speed up to beat the signal before it turns red
   Show answer

   Prepare to stop and make a smooth stop when it is safe. A yellow signal warns that the red stop signal will follow immediately. The driver should adjust speed at once and make a smooth stop when stopping is safe. Accelerating to beat the light is specifically unsafe, while treating yellow as a permanent green ignores the short transition. If the vehicle is already inside the intersection, the driver should continue through rather than stop in the intersection and block traffic.

7. 7. An angry driver is honking and making hostile gestures. Which action best reduces the danger?

   1. Tailgate the vehicle so it cannot move ahead
   2. Join the confrontation by gesturing back
   3. Give the angry driver plenty of space and avoid joining in
   4. Race the driver to the next intersection
   Show answer

   Give the angry driver plenty of space and avoid joining in. Road rage can turn a minor traffic problem into a dangerous encounter. The manual advises drivers not to join the confrontation, even through honking or glaring, and to give an angry driver plenty of space. Gestures, tailgating, and racing communicate escalation rather than control. Keep attention on escape space, maintain a lawful speed, and let the aggressive driver get farther away instead of trying to teach a lesson.

8. 8. What kind of sign is a white sign with black lettering that states a speed limit?

   
   1. A regulatory sign stating a legal speed requirement
   2. An orange construction warning sign
   3. A brown recreational guide sign
   4. A blue motorist-services sign
   Show answer

   A regulatory sign stating a legal speed requirement. A speed-limit sign is regulatory because it communicates a traffic law rather than merely suggesting a route or warning of a condition. White and black are used for regulatory messages, while brown identifies recreation, orange marks construction and maintenance, and blue points to motorist services. Read the posted number and adjust for weather or traffic when necessary. The sign’s plain rectangular appearance is a reminder that the instruction carries legal force.

9. 9. How do two solid yellow center lines affect passing?

   
   1. Drivers may cross in either direction to pass when clear
   2. Only traffic on the left may cross to pass
   3. Drivers may not cross the lines to pass from either direction
   4. The roadway is one-way ahead
   Show answer

   Drivers may not cross the lines to pass from either direction. Two solid yellow lines separate opposing traffic and prohibit crossing from either direction to pass, even when no oncoming vehicle is visible. A driver may cross a solid yellow line only for a safe permitted turn into a driveway or side road. The passing choices ignore the restriction created by the double line. Look for a broken line on your side before considering a pass, and return safely before that zone ends.

10. 10. What hazard does the merge warning sign identify?

    
    1. Traffic may blend into your lane ahead
    2. Your lane is reserved for emergency vehicles
    3. All merging traffic must stop before entering
    4. The roadway becomes a no-passing zone immediately
    Show answer

    Traffic may blend into your lane ahead. A merge warning means traffic may blend into the main stream ahead. Check mirrors and the area behind you, then adjust position or speed when safe so the merging motorist has a clear path. It does not reserve the lane, require every entering vehicle to stop, or by itself establish a passing ban. The key cue is to anticipate interaction with another stream of traffic before the lanes actually meet.

11. 11. What is the minimum time an applicant must wait after failing a Tennessee knowledge test?

    1. Thirty days after the first failure
    2. One hour before returning to the same center
    3. Seven days for every failed knowledge test
    4. One day before attempting the knowledge test again
    Show answer

    One day before attempting the knowledge test again. A failed knowledge test triggers a mandatory one-day waiting period before the applicant may return and try again. The rule is not an hourly pause, a seven-day requirement for every failure, or an automatic thirty-day delay. Use the waiting day to review Sections B and C and correct the topics that caused difficulty. The same waiting period applies between later retesting attempts when the applicant still has not passed.

12. 12. What does a solid yellow line on your side of the center marking mean?

    1. You may not cross the center line to pass
    2. You must cross it before turning left
    3. Passing is required before the line ends
    4. You may pass if you sound the horn
    Show answer

    You may not cross the center line to pass. A solid yellow line on the driver's side marks a no-passing condition, so the center line may not be crossed to overtake another vehicle. Sounding the horn does not remove the restriction, and the line does not require a driver to cross it. A left turn into an alley, intersection, private road, or driveway can be a separate permitted movement, but that exception is not a passing maneuver. Keep the vehicle in its lane until the restriction ends.

13. 13. What is the minimum fine range stated for violating a speed limit in an active work zone?

    1. $500 minimum and up to $1,000 maximum
    2. $25 minimum and up to $50 maximum
    3. $250 minimum and up to $500 maximum
    4. No fine applies when workers are not visible
    Show answer

    $250 minimum and up to $500 maximum. Tennessee law mandates a fine of at least $250 and no more than $500 for violating the posted speed limit in an active work zone. The smaller range and the larger range change the figures given in the manual. A driver cannot rely on not seeing workers, because a work zone is identified by its signs, devices, equipment, and changing traffic pattern. The safe response is to obey the reduced limit and watch the lane guidance.

14. 14. In fog so dense that you cannot see the road's edge, what does the Tennessee manual tell you to do?

    1. Pull off as far to the right as possible, out of the traffic lane, and turn on the emergency flashers
    2. Continue slowly using the center line as a guide
    3. Speed up to get through the fog quickly
    4. Stop in your lane and turn on the high beams
    Show answer

    Pull off as far to the right as possible, out of the traffic lane, and turn on the emergency flashers. When fog erases the edge of the road you are driving blind, and the manual treats that as an emergency. Get the vehicle completely out of the traffic lane, as far right as the shoulder allows, and switch on the emergency flashers so the next driver has some chance of seeing you. Stopping in the lane invites a rear end crash, high beams reflect off fog and make things worse, and speeding up only shortens the time you have to react to whatever is hidden ahead.

15. 15. Which action is prohibited by Tennessee's hands-free law?

    1. Using a mounted device without touching it
    2. Holding a cellphone or mobile device with any part of the body
    3. Listening to turn-by-turn directions already set before driving
    4. Using a hands-free mode when otherwise permitted
    Show answer

    Holding a cellphone or mobile device with any part of the body. Tennessee's hands-free law makes it illegal for a driver to hold a cellphone or mobile device with any part of the body. A mounted device or previously configured navigation system is not the same physical act, although the driver still must keep attention on the road. The hands-free wording does not make every phone-related distraction safe. The practical cue is contact: do not support the phone with a hand, shoulder, lap, or another body part while driving. Pull over safely if the device must be handled.

16. 16. A Tennessee Intermediate Restricted driver wants to drive to go hunting at 4:30 a.m. When is that allowed?

    1. Between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. with a valid hunting or fishing license in hand
    2. Never, because the curfew has no exceptions
    3. Only with a note from a teacher
    4. Any time after 3 a.m. with a parent's phone call
    Show answer

    Between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. with a valid hunting or fishing license in hand. The Intermediate Restricted curfew runs from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., but a teen may drive to or from hunting or fishing between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. while carrying a valid hunting or fishing license. Other exceptions include a parent or guardian in the car, a designated licensed driver 21 or older, work with written permission, and school events with written permission. The curfew does have exceptions, and a teacher's note or a phone call is not one of them.

17. 17. What minimum jail time does Tennessee set for a first DUI conviction with a BAC of 0.20 percent or more?

    1. 48 hours
    2. 30 days
    3. 45 days
    4. 7 days
    Show answer

    7 days. A first DUI conviction brings 48 hours in jail, rising to 7 days when the BAC is 0.20 percent or more, along with a fine of $350 to $1,500 and a one-year revocation. Forty-eight hours is the minimum below 0.20. Forty-five days is the second conviction minimum, and 30 days is the added minimum when a child under 18 is in the vehicle. A high BAC is treated much more severely.

18. 18. When entering a Tennessee roundabout, traffic circle or town square, to whom must you yield?

    
    1. Traffic entering from your right only
    2. Nobody, because entering traffic has priority
    3. Traffic already in the roundabout
    4. Only pedestrians in the circle
    Show answer

    Traffic already in the roundabout. Tennessee treats every circular intersection the same way, whether the locals call it a roundabout, a traffic circle, a rotary or a town square. The vehicle already inside the circle owns the space, so you slow on the approach, look left, and enter only into a gap. Giving priority to entering traffic is backwards and causes the side swipes these designs were built to prevent. Yielding only to the right is a habit from ordinary intersections that does not apply here, and pedestrians are handled at the crosswalks on the approach legs, not inside the circle.

19. 19. What happens if a Tennessee driver does not surrender a suspended or revoked license?

    1. Nothing, the license just expires
    2. A $5 late fee
    3. An automatic lifetime revocation
    4. A $75 fine on top of other fines and costs
    Show answer

    A $75 fine on top of other fines and costs. A suspended or revoked license must be turned in to the Department of Safety within 20 days, at a Highway Patrol office, a Driver License Service Center, or by mail. Failing to surrender it means a $75 fine in addition to any other fines and costs. The license does not simply lapse without consequence, a $5 fee understates it, and lifetime revocation is not the penalty.

20. 20. A Tennessee driver has two DUI convictions in five years. How long must the driver use an ignition interlock after reinstatement?

    1. 30 days
    2. Six months
    3. Two years
    4. It is never required
    Show answer

    Six months. A person with 2 DUIs in a five-year period must drive a vehicle with an ignition interlock device for six months after driving privileges are reinstated. Separately, an interlock restricted license can run six months to one year for a first offense, up to three years for a second, and up to 10 years for a third or later. Thirty days and two years are not the post-reinstatement period, and saying it is never required is wrong.