VA Permit Practice Test 7

All 20 questions in test 7

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. What must you do when you see a No Right Turn sign?

   
   1. Use the shoulder to complete the turn
   2. Make the right turn only after yielding
   3. Turn right if the light is green
   4. Do not make a right turn
   Show answer

   Do not make a right turn. The No Right Turn sign makes right turns illegal at that location. A green signal does not erase the posted restriction, and yielding cannot convert the prohibited maneuver into an allowed one. Using the shoulder would still be an attempt to make the banned turn. Scan the sign before beginning a turn, then continue straight or follow another permitted route until a legal turning point is available.

2. 2. How should you respond to a Stop Ahead or Yield Ahead sign?

   
   1. Speed up so you reach the sign before other traffic
   2. Stop immediately in the travel lane regardless of traffic
   3. Ignore it unless the pavement is wet
   4. Slow down and be ready to stop
   Show answer

   Slow down and be ready to stop. Stop Ahead and Yield Ahead are advance warnings that a stop or yield sign is farther ahead. The driver should reduce speed and prepare for the upcoming control, not wait until the last moment. Stopping immediately wherever the warning appears may create a new hazard because the sign is not necessarily the intersection itself. Keep a clear view, ease off the accelerator, and expect to apply the appropriate rule at the next sign.

3. 3. Where do the Virginia requirements for yielding to vehicles with flashing lights not apply?

   1. Highway work zones
   2. Divided highways
   3. Residential streets
   4. Roads with posted speed limits
   Show answer

   Highway work zones. The manual expressly says these requirements do not apply in highway work zones. That is a specific exception, not a general exemption for residential streets, divided highways, or roads with posted limits. Drivers should still follow signs, flaggers, and work zone controls because the exception does not make the area consequence free. When a work zone is present, reduce speed, watch for workers and traffic shifts, and obey the instructions governing that zone.

4. 4. A Virginia permit holder aged 19 or older wants a driver's license. Which path is described in the manual?

   1. Hold the permit 30 days and pass a motorcycle skills test
   2. Hold the permit one year with no education option
   3. Hold the permit 60 days or present a driver education completion certificate
   4. Skip the permit period by submitting a vehicle registration
   Show answer

   Hold the permit 60 days or present a driver education completion certificate. For an applicant who is 19 or older, Virginia describes two routes before applying for the driver's license: keep the learner's permit for 60 days, or present a driver education certificate of completion. The rule is not a one year waiting period, and a vehicle registration does not replace either requirement. The motorcycle examination belongs to a different credential and does not shorten this automobile licensing step. Keep the permit dates or certificate available when preparing the application so the chosen route can be documented.

5. 5. When must Virginia motorists use headlights because of reduced visibility or bad weather?

   1. When visibility is reduced to 500 feet or when wipers are required by bad weather
   2. Only when visibility falls below 100 feet
   3. Whenever the road is wet, even if visibility is clear
   4. Only after sunset, regardless of weather
   Show answer

   When visibility is reduced to 500 feet or when wipers are required by bad weather. Virginia requires headlights during inclement weather when visibility is reduced to 500 feet, and also whenever windshield wipers are being used because of bad weather. The sunset-only choice omits a daytime weather requirement. The 100-foot threshold waits too long, while turning lights on for every wet road overstates the rule unless visibility or wiper use triggers it. Headlights help other road users see the vehicle, so respond promptly as rain, fog, snow, or sleet worsens.

6. 6. When parking next to a curb on a public road, how close must your vehicle be?

   
   1. No more than three feet from the curb
   2. At least five feet from the curb
   3. No more than one foot from the curb
   4. Any distance if the hazard lights are on
   Show answer

   No more than one foot from the curb. When parking next to a curb, Virginia requires the vehicle to be pulled close and no more than one foot away. Three feet leaves unnecessary space for moving traffic and does not meet the stated limit. Parking five feet away is even farther from the curb, and hazard lights do not make an excessive distance lawful. After pulling over, check that the vehicle is not blocking a lane, driveway, or required access area. The easy measurement cue is approximately one foot, not the width of a parking lane.

7. 7. Unless a sign says otherwise, what is the maximum speed for passenger vehicles and motorcycles in Virginia school, business, and residential areas?

   1. 35 MPH
   2. 45 MPH
   3. 55 MPH
   4. 25 MPH
   Show answer

   25 MPH. The default maximum for passenger vehicles and motorcycles in school, business, and residential areas is 25 MPH. The 35 MPH choice belongs to unpaved roads, and 55 MPH is the default for all other roads. Forty-five MPH is not the listed statewide default for these areas. A posted limit can change the applicable maximum. Even at that limit, drivers must slow for weather, construction, or another condition that makes the speed unsafe.

8. 8. What do red reflectors placed on the pavement indicate?

   1. A lane reserved for emergency vehicles
   2. Areas that traffic must not enter or use
   3. A place where passing is always permitted
   4. The edge of a legal parking area
   Show answer

   Areas that traffic must not enter or use. Red pavement reflectors mark areas that traffic must not enter or use. They are positioned so that traffic moving in the wrong direction would see them, making them a serious warning rather than a parking guide. The emergency-lane choice invents a use, and the passing choice reverses the restriction. When red reflectors appear, keep the vehicle out of that marked space and follow the lane lines, signs, and direction of legal travel.

9. 9. What kind of information does a black and white Virginia traffic sign generally convey?

   1. A motorist service location
   2. A warning about a changing road surface
   3. A destination or cultural attraction
   4. A legal regulation governing the roadway
   Show answer

   A legal regulation governing the roadway. Black paired with white signals that the sign communicates a rule backed by law. A speed limit, a passing restriction, or a turn restriction tells you what operation is allowed or forbidden, so treat the message as mandatory. The warning choice describes yellow with black, which alerts you to a possible hazard rather than setting the main legal requirement. A destination or cultural attraction belongs with guide or brown information signs, while a motorist service location is associated with blue information signs. When a black and white panel appears, read it as an instruction you must follow, not as a suggestion about scenery or services.

10. 10. How soon must a new Virginia resident title and register a vehicle?

    1. Within 60 days
    2. Within 30 days of moving to Virginia
    3. Within 10 days
    4. Within one year
    Show answer

    Within 30 days of moving to Virginia. Title and register your vehicle and obtain Virginia license plates within 30 days of moving to Virginia, and get a Virginia driver's license within 60 days. Plates go on the front and rear, with month and year decals in the designated areas. The vehicle must pass an annual safety inspection, and in certain localities an emissions inspection as well, so budget time for both before the plates are issued.

11. 11. What must drivers do when approaching a Virginia roundabout?

    1. Ignore signs once the entry lane is clear
    2. Follow only the vehicle ahead without checking signs
    3. Pay attention and obey the roundabout signs
    4. Use the shoulder if the signs require a yield
    Show answer

    Pay attention and obey the roundabout signs. Roundabouts use signs and pavement markings to organize entry and movement, so drivers must pay attention and obey them. Ignoring a yield sign can place an entering vehicle in the path of traffic already in the circle. Simply following the vehicle ahead does not reveal whether the entry is controlled, and using the shoulder is never a substitute for obeying a sign. Slow down, identify the instruction before the entry point, yield when directed, and travel counter-clockwise after entering.

12. 12. When a school bus displays flashing red lights and an extended stop sign, who must stop?

    
    1. Vehicles approaching from any direction on the highway, private road, or school driveway
    2. Only vehicles approaching from behind the bus
    3. Only vehicles traveling in the bus's lane
    4. No one if the bus is on a private road
    Show answer

    Vehicles approaching from any direction on the highway, private road, or school driveway. A stopped school bus with flashing red lights and an extended stop sign requires traffic approaching from any direction to stop on a highway, private road, or school driveway. The rule is broader than stopping only behind the bus or only in its lane. A private road does not remove the stopping requirement. Remain stopped until all people are clear of the roadway and the bus moves again. Look for children who may cross unexpectedly after leaving the bus.

13. 13. In which vehicles must Virginia children under 8 ride in a child safety seat or booster?

    1. Vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1968
    2. Only vehicles with rear seats
    3. Only vehicles built after 2000
    4. All vehicles including antiques
    Show answer

    Vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1968. All children under age 8 must be properly secured in a child safety seat or booster seat when riding in vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1968. Children should ride rear facing from birth to age 2 or as long as the seat maker allows, and a rear facing seat may go in front only if there is no back seat and no active passenger air bag. A first violation costs $50, and a later one up to $500.

14. 14. An applicant fails the Virginia road skills test at DMV three times. What must happen before a fourth attempt?

    1. Wait 90 days and retest at DMV
    2. Pay a $500 retest fee
    3. Complete and pass the in-vehicle part of driver education at an approved school
    4. Retake the knowledge exam only
    Show answer

    Complete and pass the in-vehicle part of driver education at an approved school. After three failed road skills tests at DMV, the applicant cannot take a fourth until completing and passing the in-vehicle part of driver education at a driver training school approved by DMV or the Department of Education. The course must be completed after the date of the third failure. No 90-day wait, $500 fee or knowledge exam retake replaces that training. The knowledge exam has a parallel rule requiring the classroom component after three failures.

15. 15. Under Virginia DMV's current insurance requirements, what must an owner do to purchase license plates or decals for a vehicle?

    1. Pay a $500 uninsured motor vehicle fee instead of buying insurance
    2. Certify that the vehicle is covered by the minimum insurance requirements
    3. Show a clean driving record in place of insurance
    4. Nothing beyond paying the registration fee
    Show answer

    Certify that the vehicle is covered by the minimum insurance requirements. Virginia DMV says that to purchase license plates or decals, you must certify that the vehicle is covered by the minimum insurance requirements, and the insurance carrier must be authorized to do business in Virginia. Paying a fee does not provide liability coverage, and a clean driving record or a registration payment is no substitute for insurance. Uninsured vehicle owners have their driving and registration privileges suspended, and reinstatement requires a $600 noncompliance fee and an SR-22 insurance certificate filed with DMV for three years.

16. 16. A traffic signal is not working. How should Virginia drivers handle the intersection?

    1. Traffic on the larger road proceeds without stopping
    2. Everyone stops, and the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right
    3. Only vehicles turning left must stop
    4. The first vehicle to reach the intersection may continue
    Show answer

    Everyone stops, and the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. When traffic lights are not working, all vehicles coming to the intersection must stop. If two drivers then need to decide who goes first, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. A larger road does not receive automatic priority, and the first vehicle cannot simply continue without the required stop. Treat the dark signal as a stop-controlled intersection, then apply the right-side priority rule.

17. 17. How much sleep does the Virginia manual say can make a big difference for a drowsy driver?

    1. At least 8 hours
    2. Sleep does not help once you are tired
    3. At least 2 hours
    4. As little as 10 to 20 minutes
    Show answer

    As little as 10 to 20 minutes. Stop at a safe place and take a nap; as little as 10 to 20 minutes of sleep can make a big difference. Other tips are to limit long distance driving, stop at least every two hours for rest, drive with a companion and switch drivers, and avoid driving from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Rolling down the window, gum, radio or caffeine do not substitute for sleep.

18. 18. Between 10 PM and 2 AM, how many drivers do researchers estimate are drunk, according to the Virginia manual?

    1. Three out of every ten
    2. Half
    3. One out of every fifty
    4. One out of every hundred
    Show answer

    Three out of every ten. Researchers estimate that between the hours of 10 PM and 2 AM three out of every ten drivers are drunk, and more than one third of them have been drinking at someone else's home. Nearly half of drivers arrested for DUI are social to moderate drinkers. The manual's point is that the danger is not limited to problem drinkers, and late night driving means sharing the road with impaired drivers.

19. 19. What do double solid yellow center lines indicate?

    
    1. Passing is allowed for traffic on both sides
    2. Only nighttime passing is prohibited
    3. Passing is not allowed in either direction
    4. The center of the road may be used as a turn lane
    Show answer

    Passing is not allowed in either direction. Double solid yellow lines divide opposing traffic and prohibit passing in either direction. The two-line marking is stronger than a broken yellow line, which can permit passing when the way is clear. Do not use the center area as a travel lane or assume darkness changes the restriction. Stay on your side, watch for legal turning openings and pedestrians, and obey any additional signs or pavement markings that control the road.

20. 20. Depending on the locality, what can a Virginia driver convicted of DUI be charged for the emergency response to the crash?

    1. Nothing, because the response is taxpayer funded
    2. Up to $1,000 for the cost of the response
    3. Up to $100 for the police report only
    4. The full cost with no limit
    Show answer

    Up to $1,000 for the cost of the response. Some Virginia cities and counties make a DUI driver pay restitution, up to $1,000, for the police, emergency medical services, firefighters and rescue crews who respond to a crash or incident caused by the violation. The response is not always free to the driver. The charge is not limited to a $100 report fee, and it is capped rather than unlimited. This cost is on top of the fines and suspensions for the DUI itself.