VA Permit Practice Test 1

All 20 questions in test 1

Every question below comes from the Virginia 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. Why should you create a space cushion around your vehicle?

   1. It gives you distance to react and avoid a crash
   2. It prevents every other driver from passing you
   3. It lets you drive faster than the posted limit safely
   4. It removes the need to check mirrors and blind spots
   Show answer

   It gives you distance to react and avoid a crash. Open space around the vehicle gives a driver room to respond when traffic changes suddenly. Staying centered in the lane and preserving room ahead and behind helps with braking, steering, and allowing another vehicle to pass safely. The passing-prevention choice misunderstands the purpose because a cushion is not a barrier. It also cannot replace mirror checks or legal speed limits. Think of the cushion as usable reaction room, especially near large vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, traffic, and poor weather.

2. 2. What does a double solid yellow center marking tell drivers on a two-way road?

   
   1. Only traffic on the left may pass
   2. Passing is permitted whenever the road is clear
   3. Passing is forbidden in both directions
   4. The roadway is one-way ahead
   Show answer

   Passing is forbidden in both directions. Double solid yellow lines divide traffic moving in opposite directions and prohibit passing from either direction. A driver should stay in the proper lane rather than cross the center marking to overtake another vehicle. The exception in the manual allows crossing when making a left turn or passing a pedestrian, bicyclist, scooter rider, or skateboarder, but only when the opposite lane is clear and the movement is safe. The attractive choice that permits passing whenever the road looks open ignores the meaning of two solid lines. Treat the pair as a no-passing boundary.

3. 3. What should you do at a steady yellow light if you have not entered the intersection?

   1. Speed up to beat the red light
   2. Treat it exactly like a green signal
   3. Stop only if another driver honks
   4. Stop, unless stopping would be unsafe
   Show answer

   Stop, unless stopping would be unsafe. A steady yellow light warns that the signal is about to change. If you have not entered the intersection, stop; if stopping would be unsafe, proceed cautiously. Speeding up is specifically contrary to the manual's instruction, and yellow is not equivalent to green. A horn from another driver does not determine the duty. Look ahead early, ease off the accelerator, and judge whether a controlled stop can be made before the line without creating a hazard behind you.

4. 4. What must you do when an emergency vehicle approaches from behind using a siren or flashing lights?

   
   1. Follow it closely through the intersection
   2. Yield, pull safely to the right edge, and stop until it passes
   3. Stop in the middle of the lane immediately
   4. Race ahead so it cannot pass
   Show answer

   Yield, pull safely to the right edge, and stop until it passes. An emergency vehicle approaching from behind has priority. Safely yield to the right edge of the road and stop until the vehicle has passed. Stopping in the lane can block the response path, while following closely or racing ahead creates an additional danger and violates the purpose of yielding. Check mirrors frequently so the response vehicle is noticed early. Do not stop in an intersection; clear it when necessary, then pull over where the emergency driver has room to proceed.

5. 5. What response is appropriate at a Pedestrian Crossing warning sign?

   
   1. Maintain speed because pedestrians must wait
   2. Honk so people leave the crosswalk
   3. Slow down and be prepared to stop
   4. Move onto the shoulder to pass walkers
   Show answer

   Slow down and be prepared to stop. A pedestrian crossing warning means people may be entering a crosswalk or crossing the vehicle’s path. Virginia directs drivers to slow down and be prepared to stop, with an additional arrow sign possibly marking the precise location. Pedestrians do not lose the hazard simply because they are expected to wait, and the shoulder is not a passing lane. Use the walking-person symbol to begin scanning for people, bicycles, and other devices.

6. 6. What must a Virginia driver carry whenever operating a vehicle?

   1. A valid driver's license or learner's permit
   2. A current passport instead of a license
   3. A vehicle title and insurance card only
   4. A copy of the most recent inspection receipt
   Show answer

   A valid driver's license or learner's permit. Virginia requires the driver to have a valid driver's license or learner's permit on the person whenever driving. A title proves ownership, and an insurance card documents coverage, but neither document grants driving authority by itself. A passport can establish identity for some transactions, yet it is not a substitute for the credential required behind the wheel. The inspection receipt concerns the vehicle's condition rather than the operator's permission to drive. Before leaving, check that the license or permit is physically with you, not merely stored at home or in another car.

7. 7. What vision standard allows a Virginia license restricted to daylight driving only?

   1. 20/40 with 110 degrees
   2. 20/70 or better in one or both eyes, with 70 degrees or better horizontal vision
   3. 20/100 with 50 degrees
   4. No minimum for daylight driving
   Show answer

   20/70 or better in one or both eyes, with 70 degrees or better horizontal vision. A license restricted to daylight hours only requires 20/70 or better vision in one or both eyes and 70 degrees or better horizontal vision. The unrestricted standard is 20/40 and 110 degrees. A driver with vision in only one eye needs at least 30 degrees toward the nose and 40 degrees toward the temple. Bioptic telescopic lens wearers follow a separate DMV publication.

8. 8. What should you do when a sharp right turn warning appears?

   
   1. Maintain highway speed until the turn begins
   2. Stop on the center line before turning
   3. Pass the turn by using the shoulder
   4. Slow down and prepare for the sharp turn ahead
   Show answer

   Slow down and prepare for the sharp turn ahead. The sharp-right-turn warning indicates that the roadway will turn sharply and calls for lower speed before the maneuver. Maintaining speed delays the adjustment, and stopping on the center line or using the shoulder introduces conflicts with other road users. The sign is advance information, not a command to halt in the lane. Brake smoothly in advance, remain within the marked roadway, and steer through the turn under control.

9. 9. What roadway arrangement does a Divided Highway Begins sign announce?

   
   1. A two-way road with no median ahead
   2. A highway split into two separate one-way roadways
   3. A mandatory U-turn at the next opening
   4. A lane reserved for bicycles only
   Show answer

   A highway split into two separate one-way roadways. Divided Highway Begins announces that a median or divider will separate the highway into two roadways, each carrying one-way traffic. The driver should keep right on the roadway being entered. This is different from a two-way road without a median, and it does not direct a U-turn or identify a bicycle lane. Notice the split ahead, stay on the proper side of the divider, and avoid crossing it.

10. 10. A Virginia driver whose license is suspended for an alcohol-related offense is caught driving. What happens to the vehicle right away?

    1. It is impounded for 30 days
    2. It is impounded for 3 days
    3. It is towed only if it is blocking traffic
    4. It is impounded for one year
    Show answer

    It is impounded for 30 days. The vehicle is impounded immediately for 30 days when someone drives after a suspension for an alcohol-related offense. After a conviction, the court can impound it for 90 more days. Three days is the cap in a different rule, for driving without a license after a prior conviction for doing so. Towing only when the car blocks traffic misses the point that impoundment is automatic, and one year is not the stated period.

11. 11. What minimum following distance does the Virginia manual give for an emergency vehicle with flashing lights?

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

    500 feet. When an emergency vehicle's lights are flashing, Virginia says never to follow it closer than 500 feet. The 200 foot figure appears elsewhere in the manual for low beam use behind another vehicle, not for pursuing an emergency response. One hundred feet leaves too little separation, while 1,000 feet doubles the stated minimum without being required. Leave a substantial cushion and remember that the rule applies to following in the same direction, not just to passing a stopped vehicle.

12. 12. After entering a roundabout, in which direction must traffic travel?

    1. Clockwise
    2. Counter-clockwise
    3. Straight across the center island
    4. In either direction depending on the exit
    Show answer

    Counter-clockwise. After entering a Virginia roundabout, traffic travels counter-clockwise around the central island. Clockwise movement reverses the intended flow and can create a conflict with vehicles entering or circulating from the other approach. Driving straight across the center island is not a permitted path, and choosing either direction would remove the predictable pattern needed by every driver. Slow before entry, yield as required, select the lane that matches the intended exit, and keep the vehicle moving in the marked circular direction. The center island is the visual cue that helps confirm this one-way circulation.

13. 13. What is prohibited when a funeral procession is traveling through Virginia?

    1. Yielding to the procession at an intersection
    2. Waiting until the procession has passed
    3. Allowing the lead vehicle to obey traffic signals
    4. Cutting through, joining, or interfering with the procession
    Show answer

    Cutting through, joining, or interfering with the procession. Virginia requires drivers to yield to funeral processions and separately prohibits cutting through them, joining them, or interfering with their movement. Yielding, waiting for the group to clear, and recognizing the lead vehicle’s duty to obey signs and signals are compatible with the rule. Joining may seem harmless when the procession travels in your direction, but it is expressly included among the prohibited actions. Stay outside the line of vehicles, avoid attempting to cross between them, and continue only after the procession has passed or a safe route is available.

14. 14. What must you do when traffic signals are out of service and displaying no lights?

    1. Stop and wait until a steady green appears
    2. Continue normally because no light means no rule
    3. Stop and proceed as though the intersection were an all-way stop
    4. Yield only to traffic approaching from the left
    Show answer

    Stop and proceed as though the intersection were an all-way stop. When a signal is dark because of a power outage or another problem, Virginia treats the intersection as an all-way stop. Every approach must stop and then proceed according to right-of-way rules. Stopping and treating the intersection as an all-way stop is the required action, while continuing normally assumes the absence of a light removes control. Yielding only to the left invents a one-sided yield rule. Look for an officer or portable stop signs, because those instructions replace the all-way-stop treatment when they are present.

15. 15. After a crash with no injuries, when may the drivers move the vehicles?

    1. When the vehicles can be moved safely and the drivers can do so without blocking traffic
    2. Never, because crash vehicles must remain in place
    3. Immediately, even if someone is injured
    4. Only after a tow truck arrives
    Show answer

    When the vehicles can be moved safely and the drivers can do so without blocking traffic. Virginia's manual directs drivers to move vehicles from the road immediately when they are able to move them, nobody is injured, and the driver can do it safely. This protects people from traffic and reduces a secondary collision. Waiting for a tow truck is unnecessary, and leaving vehicles in the travel lane creates another hazard. Injury changes the condition, so moving a vehicle immediately without checking for injured people is also wrong. Turn on hazard flashers and choose a safe location when possible.

16. 16. When should you add extra seconds to your following distance?

    1. Only when driving below 25 MPH
    2. Only when following a motorcycle on a clear road
    3. Never, because the listed intervals cover every condition
    4. When weather, traffic, pavement, or vehicle condition makes stopping harder
    Show answer

    When weather, traffic, pavement, or vehicle condition makes stopping harder. The manual says to add seconds when conditions reduce the time or traction available for a safe response. Bad weather, heavy traffic, poor pavement, and a vehicle in poor condition all call for a larger cushion. The rule is not limited to low speed or a single type of road user. The listed intervals describe dry surfaces, so the answer that more space is never needed overlooks the effect of rain, congestion, or equipment problems. Increase the gap before conditions become urgent rather than braking late.

17. 17. When may a driver in Virginia turn left on a red light?

    1. From any two-way street onto a one-way street without stopping
    2. Only after waiting for a green arrow, even between one-way streets
    3. From a one-way street onto a two-way street whenever traffic is light
    4. From a one-way street onto another one-way street, after stopping and yielding
    Show answer

    From a one-way street onto another one-way street, after stopping and yielding. Virginia permits a left turn on red only when the driver is on a one-way street and turning left onto another one-way street. The vehicle must first stop completely, look both ways, and yield to pedestrians and traffic. A two-way origin or destination does not satisfy the street pattern, and light traffic does not waive the stop. A green arrow is not required for this permitted turn unless another sign or red arrow prohibits it.

18. 18. How many demerit points can Virginia DMV assign to a single conviction?

    1. One, two or three
    2. Five, ten or fifteen
    3. Three, four or six
    4. Two, eight or twelve
    Show answer

    Three, four or six. Virginia assigns three, four or six demerit points per conviction, and tracks them over rolling 12 month and 24 month periods. The one to three, five to fifteen and two to twelve sets are not Virginia values. Knowing the values helps with the thresholds: 12 points in 12 months or 18 in 24 months triggers a driver improvement clinic for drivers 18 and older, and higher totals bring stronger action.

19. 19. When entering an interstate from an entrance ramp in Virginia, which traffic has priority?

    
    1. The vehicle coming from the ramp
    2. Traffic already on the highway
    3. The vehicle traveling faster
    4. The vehicle with the longer ramp
    Show answer

    Traffic already on the highway. A driver using an entrance ramp must yield to traffic already on the highway. The ramp vehicle does not gain priority because it is merging, moving faster, or traveling on a long acceleration lane. Search for an opening, adjust speed, and enter only when the movement is safe. The test cue is the direction of travel: entering traffic yields, while the established highway flow has the right-of-way.

20. 20. If no sign gives a different limit, what default speed applies to all other Virginia roads for passenger vehicles and motorcycles?

    1. 25 MPH
    2. 35 MPH
    3. 55 MPH
    4. 65 MPH
    Show answer

    55 MPH. The manual assigns 55 MPH to all other roads in its default-speed list for passenger vehicles and motorcycles. Twenty-five MPH is for school, business, and residential areas, while 35 MPH is the unpaved-road figure. Sixty-five MPH is not the general default described here. First check whether the road fits a named category. If not, and no posted sign changes the limit, the remaining category uses 55 MPH. Conditions can still require a lower speed.