VA Permit Practice Test 10

All 20 questions in test 10

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. When can speed-related reckless driving be considered a felony in Virginia?

   1. Whenever the driver is more than 20 MPH over the limit
   2. Whenever the driver receives a second speeding conviction
   3. Only when the vehicle is traveling over 85 MPH
   4. When the violation results in death and the operator’s license was suspended or revoked
   Show answer

   When the violation results in death and the operator’s license was suspended or revoked. The manual says a speed-related reckless-driving violation may be considered a felony when it results in death and the operator’s license was suspended or revoked at the time. Exceeding the limit by 20 MPH, traveling over 85 MPH, or receiving a repeat speeding conviction alone does not supply both conditions. Look for the paired facts: a death occurred, and the license already had the stated status. That combination raises the described consequence.

2. 2. How many traffic-sign questions must an applicant answer correctly before moving to part two of Virginia’s knowledge exam?

   1. At least eight
   2. All ten
   3. At least five
   4. All thirty
   Show answer

   All ten. Part one contains ten traffic-sign questions, and the applicant must answer all ten correctly before taking part two. The 80 percent figure applies to the general-knowledge portion, not the sign section. Five correct answers would leave half the sign items wrong, while thirty refers to neither the required sign count nor the sign threshold. Separate the two exam parts in your memory: perfect performance on signs comes before the general questions.

3. 3. Where must Virginia drivers yield to pedestrians or bicyclists under this crosswalk rule?

   1. Only after the person reaches the driver’s lane
   2. Only at a signalized crosswalk
   3. At a clearly marked crosswalk or an unmarked intersection
   4. Only when a crossing guard is present
   Show answer

   At a clearly marked crosswalk or an unmarked intersection. The Virginia rule covers a person crossing within a clearly marked crosswalk and a person crossing at an intersection even when the pavement has no marked crosswalk. A traffic signal is not required by this wording, and waiting until someone reaches your lane would delay the required yielding. A crossing guard is also not listed as a condition. Slow before the crossing, check around stopped or turning vehicles, and leave enough room for the pedestrian or bicyclist to reach the other side safely. The practical cue is to scan every intersection for people, not only painted stripes.

4. 4. Where must you stop at a red traffic light when there is no stop line?

   1. Before entering the intersection or reaching the crosswalk
   2. Only beside the nearest parked vehicle
   3. At least one full block before the signal
   4. After entering the intersection to improve visibility
   Show answer

   Before entering the intersection or reaching the crosswalk. At a red light, make a complete stop at the stop line. If there is no line, stop before entering the intersection or before reaching the crosswalk. Rolling beyond that point places the vehicle in the crossing path and defeats the protection provided by the signal. The manual does not call for a block long stopping distance or a position beside a parked vehicle. Approach under control, identify the line or crosswalk early, and remain stopped while the signal is red unless a permitted turn applies.

5. 5. What does a red arrow mean for movement in the direction of the arrow?

   1. Stop and do not proceed in that direction while the red arrow is displayed
   2. Continue straight through the intersection
   3. Treat it as a flashing yellow arrow
   4. Turn after yielding to oncoming traffic
   Show answer

   Stop and do not proceed in that direction while the red arrow is displayed. A red arrow prohibits movement in the arrow's direction while it is displayed. Stop if you intend to move that way and remain stopped unless a specifically posted sign permits a turn after stopping. The yield-and-turn choice describes a different signal condition and cannot override a Virginia red arrow. Watch the entire signal head, obey any posted exception, and remember that the arrow controls the indicated movement rather than granting permission to continue straight.

6. 6. Why is driving while sleepy especially dangerous?

   1. It improves concentration but increases fuel use
   2. It affects only passengers, not the driver
   3. It makes stopping distance shorter
   4. It can impair attention, decisions, and control, or cause you to fall asleep
   Show answer

   It can impair attention, decisions, and control, or cause you to fall asleep. The manual describes several consequences of drowsy driving: a sleepy driver may make careless decisions, struggle to pay attention, or actually fall asleep while driving. Those problems arise while complex information is arriving from different places, so a missed sign or an unplanned lane change can quickly become a crash. The choices about fuel, passengers, and shorter stopping distance are unrelated to the driver's impaired alertness. Treat yawning, heavy eyelids, or missing exits as a stop cue. Rest at a safe place rather than trying to push through the trip.

7. 7. Which method does the manual recommend for judging whether you are following too closely?

   1. Keep exactly one car length at every speed
   2. Use the rearview mirror without looking ahead
   3. Count the seconds between the vehicle ahead and a fixed object
   4. Match the lead vehicle's braking distance by sight
   Show answer

   Count the seconds between the vehicle ahead and a fixed object. Use a time gap, not a fixed number of car lengths. Watch the vehicle ahead pass a fixed object, then count until your vehicle reaches the same mark. The manual gives two, three, or four seconds depending on speed and says to add more time for bad weather, heavy traffic, poor pavement, or a vehicle in poor condition. One car length cannot adjust for speed, and mirror-only observation misses the road ahead.

8. 8. At a flashing red signal, what must happen before you continue?

   1. Slow down and continue without stopping
   2. Stop completely, yield, and proceed when the way is clear
   3. Treat it as a green light
   4. Stop only if a pedestrian is present
   Show answer

   Stop completely, yield, and proceed when the way is clear. A flashing red light calls for a complete stop followed by yielding to oncoming vehicles and pedestrians. Movement may resume only when the way is clear. Simply slowing treats the signal like a flashing yellow and fails to satisfy the red-light instruction. A flashing red does not become green because the intersection looks empty, and the stop is not dependent on seeing a pedestrian. At a railroad crossing, the manual adds that you must stop even if no train is visible. Use the signal color and flashing pattern as the immediate decision cue.

9. 9. You hit an unattended parked vehicle in Virginia and cannot find the owner. What must you do?

   1. Drive away, since no one was present
   2. Wait at the scene for one hour then leave
   3. Leave an easily found note with your name, phone, date, time and damage description, and report to police within 24 hours
   4. Call your insurer only
   Show answer

   Leave an easily found note with your name, phone, date, time and damage description, and report to police within 24 hours. You must make a reasonable effort to find the owner of an unattended vehicle or other property damaged in a crash. If you cannot locate anyone, leave a note that can be found easily at the scene with your name, telephone number, the date and time of the crash, and a description of the damage. You must also report the crash to the police within 24 hours.

10. 10. When pavement is wet at a Slippery When Wet sign, which action is advised?

    
    1. Reduce speed, avoid hard braking, and increase following distance
    2. Change direction suddenly to test traction
    3. Follow the vehicle ahead more closely
    4. Brake hard before every puddle
    Show answer

    Reduce speed, avoid hard braking, and increase following distance. Wet pavement reduces available traction, so Virginia advises reducing speed, avoiding hard braking or sudden direction changes, and increasing the distance behind the vehicle ahead. Hard braking and abrupt steering can make a skid more likely, while a shorter following gap leaves less time to react. The skidding-car symbol is a cue to make every input gradual and create extra space before the road becomes slick.

11. 11. After a Divided Highway Ends warning, what traffic direction should you expect?

    1. Traffic goes in both directions, and you should keep right
    2. All traffic continues one way around a median
    3. The roadway becomes a passing-only lane
    4. Vehicles must stop until a divider is rebuilt
    Show answer

    Traffic goes in both directions, and you should keep right. Divided Highway Ends warns that the median or divider will disappear and traffic will travel in both directions on the same roadway. Virginia tells drivers to keep right as the road changes. The one-way choice describes the beginning of a divided highway, not its end. Reduce speed if needed, watch for opposing vehicles as the separation vanishes, and settle into the right side before the roadway becomes undivided.

12. 12. What penalties does Virginia list for selling or giving alcohol to a person under 21?

    1. A $50 fine only
    2. A warning for a first offense
    3. A fine up to $2,500, license suspension up to one year, and 12 months in jail
    4. A fine up to $500 with no license action
    Show answer

    A fine up to $2,500, license suspension up to one year, and 12 months in jail. Providing or selling alcohol to someone under 21, to an intoxicated person, or to someone a court has ordered not to drink exposes the adult to a fine up to $2,500, a mandatory license suspension of up to one year, and 12 months in jail. A $50 fine and a first offense warning understate the law. A $500 fine with no license action is wrong because the suspension is mandatory. The penalty applies even though the adult was not driving.

13. 13. How close to the entrance of a fire, ambulance or rescue squad station may you park in Virginia?

    1. No closer than 5 feet
    2. No closer than 15 feet
    3. No closer than 50 feet
    4. No closer than 500 feet
    Show answer

    No closer than 15 feet. Virginia prohibits parking within 15 feet of the entrance to a fire, ambulance or rescue squad station, so crews can pull out without delay. Five feet would block the apron. Fifty feet is the railroad crossing rule, and 500 feet applies where fire trucks or equipment are stopped answering an alarm, which is a different situation from a station entrance. Hydrants use the same 15 foot figure.

14. 14. When will the Division of Child Support Enforcement have Virginia DMV suspend a parent's driving privilege?

    1. When payments are one day late
    2. When payments are $500 late
    3. Only after a jail sentence
    4. When payments are 90 days or $5,000 late
    Show answer

    When payments are 90 days or $5,000 late. DMV suspends the driving privilege when the Division of Child Support Enforcement reports child support payments late by 90 days or $5,000. Failing to appear in court or comply with a subpoena, summons or warrant in a paternity or support case also triggers it. One day or $500 late is below the threshold, and no jail sentence is required first. Restricted privileges may be available.

15. 15. How often must a Virginia vehicle pass a safety inspection?

    1. Every two years, only when the vehicle is sold
    2. Once when the vehicle is first registered in Virginia
    3. Monthly, before every long trip
    4. Annually, with a valid inspection sticker displayed
    Show answer

    Annually, with a valid inspection sticker displayed. Virginia requires an annual vehicle safety inspection and a valid inspection sticker displayed on the vehicle. A sale or initial registration does not replace the recurring inspection obligation. The monthly interval belongs to checking tires for wear and damage, not to obtaining a safety inspection. Watch the sticker and arrange the yearly inspection before it expires, especially before a road skills test or a long trip where an invalid inspection could create a separate problem.

16. 16. What kind of information does a diamond-shaped traffic sign provide?

    
    1. A command to park in a marked space
    2. A route number and destination only
    3. A warning about special conditions or hazards ahead
    4. A guarantee that the road is clear
    Show answer

    A warning about special conditions or hazards ahead. The diamond shape is a warning shape. It alerts the driver to special conditions or hazards ahead and calls for slower, more cautious driving. It does not by itself grant a route destination, parking permission, or assurance that no conflict exists. Use the warning as advance notice to scan farther down the roadway, reduce speed as needed, and stay prepared to stop if the condition requires it.

17. 17. What should a driver remember when using antilock brakes?

    1. Use the parking brake instead of the foot brake
    2. Pump the brake pedal rapidly at every stop
    3. Turn off the ignition before braking
    4. Never pump antilock brakes
    Show answer

    Never pump antilock brakes. Antilock brakes are designed to help maintain control during hard braking, and the manual gives a direct warning not to pump them. Rapid pumping can interfere with the system's operation. Turning off the ignition or substituting the parking brake removes useful control and is not an approved response. Learn the behavior of the particular vehicle from its owner's manual and practice braking before an emergency. The cue is simple: ABS changes pedal technique, not the need to brake decisively when danger requires it.

18. 18. What does the color orange indicate in a highway work zone?

    1. The road is reserved for bicycles
    2. Slow down and stay alert
    3. A higher speed is permitted through the zone
    4. The work area has ended
    Show answer

    Slow down and stay alert. Orange marks a work zone and signals drivers to slow down and remain alert. It is not a bicycle reservation, a higher speed permission, or proof that construction has ended. Workers depend on approaching drivers recognizing the changed environment and obeying the posted speed limit. Watch for lane shifts, equipment, and people close to the travel path. Continue in the assigned lane until completely clear, then resume normal decisions only after the work zone signs and activity have ended.

19. 19. During what period must headlights be used at night?

    1. From one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise
    2. From sunset to sunrise
    3. Only between midnight and dawn
    4. Only when driving on an unlit highway
    Show answer

    From sunset to sunrise. Virginia requires headlights from sunset to sunrise. Waiting until an hour after sunset misses the period when light is already fading, and the rule does not begin at midnight. An unlit highway is not the only place covered. Turning the lights on at sunset makes the vehicle more visible to others as daylight decreases. Keep them on through sunrise, and use low beams when meeting oncoming traffic or following another vehicle within the manual’s stated distance.

20. 20. What license penalty can a Virginia court impose for a conviction of aggressive driving?

    1. A suspension of ten days up to six months
    2. A warning letter only
    3. A permanent revocation
    4. A suspension of exactly one year
    Show answer

    A suspension of ten days up to six months. If you are convicted of aggressive driving, your license could be suspended for as little as ten days or as long as six months. A warning letter understates the risk, and permanent revocation overstates it. A fixed one-year suspension is not the stated range. Virginia law defines aggressive driving as committing traffic offenses with the intent to harass, intimidate, injure or obstruct another person.