VA Permit Practice Test 5

All 20 questions in test 5

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 is passing unlawful and unsafe under the Virginia manual’s listed examples?

   1. Whenever the road has two lanes moving in the same direction
   2. Only when a driver is traveling below the speed limit
   3. On hills, curves, intersections, or railroad crossings, subject to the stated exception
   4. Whenever the vehicle ahead is smaller than yours
   Show answer

   On hills, curves, intersections, or railroad crossings, subject to the stated exception. The manual lists hills, curves, intersections, and railroad crossings among places where passing is unlawful and unsafe, except on roads with two or more lanes moving in the same direction. The two-lane same-direction answer reverses that exception by treating every such road as prohibited. A low speed does not create a general passing ban, and the size of the vehicle ahead is not the deciding condition. Before passing, scan for the road feature and lane arrangement, obey the marking, and wait until the maneuver is lawful and visible to other traffic.

2. 2. According to the Virginia manual, how far behind a truck, bus or RV can its blind spot stretch?

   1. About 20 feet
   2. About 200 feet
   3. About 50 feet
   4. About 500 feet
   Show answer

   About 200 feet. Large vehicles cannot see cars directly behind or beside them. Their blind spots may stretch up to 20 feet in front of the cab and about 200 feet behind the vehicle. Twenty feet is the front blind spot, not the rear one. Fifty and 500 feet are not the figures given. A driver who follows a truck closely sits in that rear zone, where the truck driver cannot see the car at all.

3. 3. A licensed driver moves to Virginia from another state. How soon must the person get a Virginia driver's license?

   1. Within 60 days
   2. Within 10 days
   3. Within 30 days
   4. Within one year
   Show answer

   Within 60 days. A new Virginia resident who drives must obtain a Virginia driver's license within 60 days of moving. Thirty days is the separate deadline to title and register a vehicle and get Virginia plates, and it is also the deadline for reporting an address change. Ten days and one year are not the stated periods. Planning both steps early keeps the driver and the vehicle legal.

4. 4. For a second Virginia DUI offense, how long is the administrative license suspension?

   1. Seven days with no alternative endpoint
   2. One year from the date of the stop
   3. Only until the driver leaves the police station
   4. 60 days or until trial, whichever comes first
   Show answer

   60 days or until trial, whichever comes first. Virginia lists a second offense administrative suspension as 60 days or until the driver goes to trial, whichever comes first. The seven day period belongs to a first offense. A one year period appears in a different underage alcohol conviction context, so it should not be substituted here. Leaving the station does not end a statutory suspension. The phrase whichever comes first is important because the two possible endpoints are not added together.

5. 5. What must an applicant do in part one of Virginia's two-part knowledge exam before taking part two?

   1. Answer at least eight of ten sign questions correctly
   2. Pass a 20 question vehicle maintenance quiz
   3. Complete the road skills test first
   4. Answer all ten traffic sign questions correctly
   Show answer

   Answer all ten traffic sign questions correctly. Part one is a gate for the general knowledge portion: every one of the ten traffic sign questions must be answered correctly before part two can be taken. An 80 percent result would allow two misses, which is below the stated standard. Vehicle maintenance is not the subject of this first section, and the road skills test is a separate examination rather than a prerequisite for advancing between knowledge exam parts. Treat each sign item as essential and review the full set before testing.

6. 6. What movement is permitted on a One Way street?

   
   1. Traffic may travel only in the arrow's direction
   2. Traffic must use the shoulder in the arrow's direction
   3. Traffic may choose either direction after yielding
   4. Traffic must turn at the next block
   Show answer

   Traffic may travel only in the arrow's direction. A One Way sign controls the flow of traffic, not merely the preferred lane. Vehicles may travel only in the direction shown by its arrow. Yielding does not authorize movement against that flow, and the sign does not require a turn at the next block. When entering or crossing a one-way roadway, use the arrow as the directional cue and stay alert for the possibility that all lanes carry the same way.

7. 7. What headlights should a Virginia driver use in heavy fog?

   1. High beams only
   2. Low beam headlights
   3. No headlights if the road has edge lines
   4. Hazard flashers instead of headlights
   Show answer

   Low beam headlights. Heavy fog reflects light back toward the driver, so Virginia directs drivers to use low beam headlights and use the road edge markings as a guide. High beams can worsen the glare and make distance judgments harder. Edge lines are helpful but do not replace the required lighting, and hazard flashers are not a substitute for headlights while the vehicle is moving. Slow down as visibility shrinks, keep the vehicle positioned by the roadway markings, and avoid staring into reflected light.

8. 8. What can result from violating Virginia's requirements for passing a stationary emergency vehicle or tow truck with flashing lights?

   1. Automatic cancellation of the vehicle's registration with no other action
   2. A warning only, with no effect on the driving record
   3. Court suspension of the driver's license and demerit points
   4. Mandatory impoundment of every vehicle involved
   Show answer

   Court suspension of the driver's license and demerit points. The manual warns that violations can result in a court suspension of the driver's license and demerit points on the driving record. It does not promise a warning, automatic registration cancellation, or mandatory impoundment in every case. The consequence language is tied to the safe passing requirements around the stationary flashing vehicle, so the driver should treat the lane change or speed reduction as a legal duty. Protect the roadside scene and protect the driving record by creating space early.

9. 9. What does a Virginia speed limit represent under ideal road conditions?

   1. A minimum speed drivers must maintain
   2. The maximum legal speed on the road
   3. A suggested speed that may always be exceeded
   4. The speed permitted only during daylight
   Show answer

   The maximum legal speed on the road. A speed limit is the maximum legal speed a driver may travel on a road under ideal conditions. It is not a minimum, a suggestion that can be exceeded, or a daytime-only permission. The word ideal matters because construction, bad weather, school zones, and work zones can require a lower speed. Use the posted number as an upper boundary, then adjust downward when the roadway or visibility calls for it.

10. 10. What must a driver do when a funeral procession is traveling together?

    1. Pass the procession quickly on the shoulder
    2. Enter between its vehicles after checking the mirror
    3. Yield to it and do not cut through, join, or interfere
    4. Honk until the procession gives way
    Show answer

    Yield to it and do not cut through, join, or interfere. Virginia requires drivers to yield to funeral processions and forbids cutting through, joining, or interfering with them. Entering the line can separate vehicles and create conflicting movements, while using the shoulder or horn does not change that duty. The lead vehicle must obey signs and signals unless a police escort leads the procession, but that detail does not authorize other motorists to break up the group. Slow down, keep a respectful gap, and wait for the procession to clear your path before continuing.

11. 11. What must drivers obey in a school zone or school crossing area?

    1. Only the regular highway speed limit
    2. A horn signal from every approaching vehicle
    3. The speed limit and signals from crossing guards
    4. Only the school bus's flashing lights
    Show answer

    The speed limit and signals from crossing guards. In a school zone or school crossing area, drivers must obey the applicable speed limit and signals from crossing guards while watching for children. The regular-limit-only choice omits the guard's directions, and a horn is not a substitute for controlled speed. A bus's flashing lights are not the only source of authority in the area. Slow before the warning point, scan sidewalks and crosswalks, and be prepared to stop for a child who enters the roadway.

12. 12. What following-distance adjustment should you make during bad weather or heavy traffic?

    1. Increase the gap by adding extra seconds
    2. Keep the same gap used on a dry, empty road
    3. Reduce the gap so other drivers cannot merge
    4. Follow the vehicle ahead's brake lights more closely
    Show answer

    Increase the gap by adding extra seconds. Bad weather and heavy traffic reduce the time available to recognize and handle a problem. Add extra seconds to the normal following distance rather than relying on the dry-road gap. The unchanged-gap choice ignores slower reactions, reduced traction, and more frequent traffic changes. A close position does not block merging safely and can turn ordinary braking into a crash. Increase the cushion before conditions deteriorate, and continue adjusting it as speed, pavement, visibility, and traffic change.

13. 13. Two vehicles arrive at an uncontrolled intersection at the same time. Who should go first?

    
    1. The vehicle traveling faster
    2. The driver on the left
    3. The vehicle on the wider road
    4. The driver on the right
    Show answer

    The driver on the right. At an intersection without signs or signals, simultaneous arrival creates a right-of-way rule rather than a race. The driver on the left must allow the driver on the right to go first. The wider-road choice is not the rule, and speed does not create priority. Slow before entering, look for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists, and be ready for a driver who may not recognize the same order. Yielding here prevents two vehicles from entering the conflict point together.

14. 14. What must a Virginia driver do when meeting a military convoy?

    1. Pass it on the left as soon as possible
    2. Yield to it, and never cut through or join it
    3. Stop and wait for it to pass in either direction
    4. Follow closely behind the last vehicle
    Show answer

    Yield to it, and never cut through or join it. You must yield to all military convoys, and never cut through or join a military convoy. Convoys move as a unit and the vehicles keep close spacing, so a car slipping into the line breaks their formation and invites a crash. The same section covers funeral processions, which may follow their lead vehicle through intersections with hazard lights on, and both deserve patience rather than a squeeze past.

15. 15. A Virginia driver who is 19 is convicted of a single demerit point violation. What does DMV require?

    1. Nothing until 12 points are reached
    2. A driver improvement clinic
    3. A 90-day suspension
    4. A new road skills test
    Show answer

    A driver improvement clinic. Drivers age 18 or 19 must complete a driver improvement clinic after any demerit point or safety belt or child restraint conviction for a violation committed at that age. The 12 points in 12 months threshold applies to drivers 18 and older in general, but this age group has the stricter single conviction rule. A 90-day suspension follows a second conviction only for violations under 18, and no new road test is required.

16. 16. On a Virginia road with fewer than four lanes, how must you pass a stationary vehicle collecting trash?

    1. Pass at the posted speed with at least one foot of room
    2. Stop and wait until the truck moves
    3. Slow to 10 mph below the limit and pass at least two feet to the left
    4. Slow to 25 mph and pass at least five feet to the left
    Show answer

    Slow to 10 mph below the limit and pass at least two feet to the left. On a highway of at least four lanes, change to a lane not next to the trash truck when it is safe. With fewer than four lanes, or if you cannot change lanes, slow down to 10 mph below the posted limit and pass at least two feet to the left of the vehicle. Keeping the posted speed ignores the slowdown, and a full stop is not required. Twenty-five mph and five feet are not the stated figures.

17. 17. A Virginia driver under 21 is convicted of driving after illegally drinking, with a BAC of .05. How long is the driving privilege suspended?

    1. One year from the date of conviction
    2. Seven days
    3. 90 days
    4. Until the driver turns 21
    Show answer

    One year from the date of conviction. For an underage driver with a BAC of at least .02 but less than .08, the court suspends the driving privilege for one year from the date of conviction and adds either a $500 minimum fine or at least 50 hours of community service. Seven days is the administrative suspension after an adult DUI arrest. Ninety days and turning 21 are not the stated terms. At .08 or higher, the young driver can face adult DUI penalties instead.

18. 18. In Virginia, what additional movement is illegal when a No Left Turn sign is posted?

    
    1. A right turn from the outside lane
    2. A lane change after checking the mirror
    3. A left turn after yielding at a green arrow
    4. A U-turn, because Virginia treats it as two left turns
    Show answer

    A U-turn, because Virginia treats it as two left turns. Virginia gives the No Left Turn sign an important added consequence: a U-turn is treated as two left turns. Therefore, the sign bars both the obvious left turn and the attempt to reverse direction by making a U-turn. A right turn or a properly checked lane change is not the movement named by this sign. Remember the two-left-turn rule whenever the crossed-out left arrow appears, including on a quiet roadway.

19. 19. In Virginia business districts, cities, and towns, where are U-turns allowed?

    1. Only at intersections
    2. Only at railroad crossings
    3. Only in a marked passing lane
    4. Anywhere the roadway is clear
    Show answer

    Only at intersections. Within business districts, cities, and towns, Virginia allows U-turns only at intersections. A clear roadway by itself does not make a mid-block turn legal, and railroad crossings or passing lanes are not exceptions listed here. Before turning, check for signs that prohibit U-turns or left turns, then yield to approaching traffic. The location cue is decisive: these areas impose the intersection-only restriction.

20. 20. How many demerit points can lead to a 90-day suspension or the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program in Virginia?

    1. 18 points within 12 months or 24 points within 24 months
    2. 12 points within 12 months
    3. 30 points within 36 months
    4. 6 points in any period
    Show answer

    18 points within 12 months or 24 points within 24 months. If you receive 18 demerit points within 12 months or 24 points within 24 months, DMV must offer a choice of a 90-day suspension or nine months in the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program; either path also requires satisfactory completion of a driver improvement clinic. A lower threshold, 12 points in 12 months or 18 in 24, requires the clinic without the suspension. DMV monitors every driver's record over rolling 12 and 24 month windows.