WA Permit Practice Test 10

All 20 questions in test 10

Every question below comes from the Washington 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. How long must a Washington teen go without traffic violations or convictions before applying for a first license?

   1. 30 days
   2. 6 months
   3. 3 months
   4. 12 months
   Show answer

   6 months. A teen applying at 16 or 17 must be free of traffic violations or convictions for 6 months before applying and must have no alcohol or drug offenses while holding the permit. The parent's authorization form confirms no infractions in the last 6 months. Thirty days and three months are too short. Twelve months is the length of the safe driving period that lifts intermediate restrictions, a different rule.

2. 2. How early may a Washington driver renew a license before it expires?

   1. Up to 30 days before
   2. Up to 90 days before
   3. Only after it expires
   4. Up to one year before
   Show answer

   Up to one year before. Washington drivers can renew up to one year before the license expires, online through License Express or at a licensing office. Thirty and 90 days are shorter than the Washington window. Waiting until after expiration can add a fee, and a license 8 or more years expired requires retaking both the knowledge and skills tests. Renewing early avoids both problems, and the expiration date is printed near the bottom of the license.

3. 3. A square sign with a white horizontal line inside a circle means what?

   
   1. The street is reserved for buses
   2. You cannot enter the street from that direction
   3. The lane ends ahead
   4. Traffic must turn left
   Show answer

   You cannot enter the street from that direction. Washington describes this square symbol as a directional entry restriction. The white horizontal line inside the circle means a driver cannot enter the street from the direction facing the sign. It is not a lane ending notice, a bus reservation, or a turn instruction. Treat the sign as a prohibition on entering, then find a lawful route from the correct direction. The visual cue is the horizontal white bar inside the circle, rather than an arrow or lane diagram.

4. 4. What do Washington roundabout signs mark?

   
   1. The entrance to a roundabout
   2. The end of a divided highway
   3. A mandatory passing zone
   4. A railroad emergency phone
   Show answer

   The entrance to a roundabout. Roundabout signs mark the entrance to a circular intersection. The guide notes that these locations can also have yield, pedestrian warning, and directional arrow signs, so the driver should slow down and prepare to yield before entering. A divided highway ending, passing permission, or railroad communication device is a different roadway message. Scan for lane guidance and people in crosswalks as the entrance approaches.

5. 5. A tire suddenly blows out while you are driving. What should you do?

   1. Brake hard immediately and turn sharply
   2. Grip the steering wheel, keep straight, and slow gradually
   3. Open the door and jump out
   4. Accelerate to keep the tire rotating
   Show answer

   Grip the steering wheel, keep straight, and slow gradually. A blown tire can pull the vehicle and make a sudden correction dangerous. Grip the steering wheel firmly, keep the vehicle going straight, and slow down gradually by taking your foot off the accelerator. Hard braking is the wrong first move because it can upset the vehicle, while acceleration adds speed and opening a door creates another hazard. Once speed has fallen, pull off in a safe place if possible and turn on the emergency flashers. The practical cue is to stabilize the path first, then reduce speed and deal with the tire away from traffic.

6. 6. What should a Washington driver keep in mind about large vehicles at a traffic calming circle?

   1. Large vehicles are banned from circles
   2. Large vehicles always have the right of way
   3. Large vehicles must stop and reverse
   4. The circle is meant for passenger vehicles, and large vehicles may have to go clockwise to get through
   Show answer

   The circle is meant for passenger vehicles, and large vehicles may have to go clockwise to get through. Traffic calming circles are intended for passenger vehicles and may not easily accommodate large vehicles like fire trucks, buses or delivery trucks. Give larger vehicles plenty of space and be aware that they might have to go clockwise to get through the circle. Otherwise the same right of way rules apply as at any other intersection, and traffic flows counterclockwise around the island.

7. 7. How far behind a disabled vehicle should a Washington driver place emergency flares?

   1. 200 to 300 feet behind the vehicle
   2. 50 feet
   3. 1,000 feet
   4. 10 to 20 feet
   Show answer

   200 to 300 feet behind the vehicle. If your vehicle has trouble, get it off the road and away from traffic, turn on the emergency flashers and headlights, and warn other road users by placing emergency flares 200 to 300 feet behind the vehicle. Without flares, stand somewhere safe and wave traffic around. Lift the hood or tie a white cloth to the antenna, mirror or door handle to signal an emergency.

8. 8. What speed range is a roundabout designed for?

   1. 15 to 25 mph
   2. 5 to 10 mph
   3. 30 to 40 mph
   4. 45 to 55 mph
   Show answer

   15 to 25 mph. Washington roundabouts are designed for speeds between 15 and 25 mph. That range supports controlled entry, visibility, and safe interaction with vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Five to 10 mph is unnecessarily slow as a general design range, while 30 mph or more leaves less time to yield and respond. The cue is to slow before entering, choose a lane, yield to circulating traffic, and stay in that lane until exiting.

9. 9. If you must leave a vehicle touching power lines because of fire, how does the Washington guide say to move away?

   1. Run as fast as possible
   2. Climb out onto the hood first
   3. Walk normally to the curb
   4. Jump clear with both feet landing together, then shuffle 35 feet away
   Show answer

   Jump clear with both feet landing together, then shuffle 35 feet away. If your vehicle contacts power lines and a fire forces you out, jump clear without touching the vehicle, keep your arms at your sides, and make sure both feet land together. Then shuffle 35 feet away to safety to avoid electric shock from voltage differences in the ground. Do not go back for belongings until you are told it is safe. Otherwise stay inside and call 911.

10. 10. What features of a traffic sign give clues to the type of information it provides?

    1. Only the driver's vehicle color
    2. The age of the pavement
    3. The posted fuel price
    4. Its shape, color, symbols, and words
    Show answer

    Its shape, color, symbols, and words. Traffic signs communicate rules, hazards, directions, and services. Their shape and color provide an early classification, while the symbols and words identify the message more precisely. A sign’s appearance does not depend on the driver’s vehicle, fuel prices, or pavement age. Scan the whole sign before acting, because a color may suggest a category but the wording or symbol supplies the instruction that applies at that location.

11. 11. What subjects can Washington traffic signs communicate to drivers?

    1. Only vehicle registration fees
    2. Traffic rules, hazards, roadway directions, and roadway services
    3. Only county boundaries
    4. Only weather forecasts
    Show answer

    Traffic rules, hazards, roadway directions, and roadway services. Washington describes traffic signs as information tools for several roadway needs. They can communicate rules, warn about hazards, provide directions, and identify roadway services. The narrower choices leave out major purposes and would make a driver overlook signs that control movement or point toward help. Read the sign’s shape, color, symbol, and words together so the message is understood before the vehicle reaches the sign.

12. 12. What is the proper response to a steady yellow traffic light before entering an intersection?

    1. Treat it as an unrestricted green
    2. Accelerate beyond the posted limit
    3. Slow down and prepare to stop
    4. Reverse immediately without checking traffic
    Show answer

    Slow down and prepare to stop. A steady yellow light means the signal is changing to red, so the guide tells drivers to slow down and prepare to stop. A driver already in the intersection should continue through at the posted speed, but a driver approaching should not accelerate beyond the limit to clear the intersection. Treating yellow as an unrestricted green encourages the wrong decision, and reversing creates another hazard. Look ahead early, ease off the accelerator, and stop if doing so is safe. The light is a transition warning, not an invitation to race.

13. 13. Which location is specifically listed as a place where Washington drivers must not park?

    1. In a designated parking space
    2. Beside a legal curb during permitted hours
    3. On a private driveway with permission
    4. On a crosswalk, sidewalk, or bicycle lane
    Show answer

    On a crosswalk, sidewalk, or bicycle lane. The Washington guide expressly prohibits parking on a crosswalk, sidewalk, or bicycle lane. Those areas serve people walking or riding and must remain available rather than becoming storage space for a vehicle. A designated space or a permitted curb may be lawful when all posted conditions are met, and private permission does not turn a public crossing into a parking place. Before stopping, identify the surface and its markings, not just an open gap.

14. 14. After passing Washington's knowledge exam, how long does an applicant have to complete the skills exam?

    1. One year
    2. Five years
    3. Two years
    4. Until the permit expires, regardless of time
    Show answer

    Two years. Passing the knowledge exam starts a two-year window for completing the Driving Skills Exam. The one-year choice confuses this window with the instruction permit's validity period, which is a separate rule. Five years is longer than the guide allows, and an applicant cannot simply ignore the two-year limit because a permit may still be available. A useful calendar cue is to record the knowledge-exam date and plan the skills appointment before its second anniversary.

15. 15. Can a person be considered in physical control of a vehicle for DUI purposes when the vehicle is parked?

    1. Yes, if the person can take control of its engine or operation
    2. Yes, but only when the keys are outside the vehicle
    3. No, unless the vehicle is moving on a public highway
    4. No, a parked vehicle can never be involved in DUI
    Show answer

    Yes, if the person can take control of its engine or operation. Washington's DUI rule reaches physical control, not just motion on a roadway. A person who can take control of a parked vehicle's engine or operation may be considered in physical control. The choices saying a parked vehicle is always excluded or that movement is required contradict that broader standard. The key cue is ability to operate, rather than whether the tires are turning. Someone who has consumed alcohol or drugs should stay away from the driver's controls entirely, even if the vehicle is sitting in a parking space.

16. 16. You select a lane before entering a roundabout. What should you do while driving through it?

    1. Change lanes beside the center island
    2. Use both lanes to pass a truck
    3. Stay in that lane until you exit
    4. Stop in the circle before every exit
    Show answer

    Stay in that lane until you exit. The lane choice made on approach should continue through the roundabout until the selected exit. Changing lanes inside the circle can put a vehicle alongside another road user and can make the intended exit unclear. Using both lanes to get around a truck is especially unsafe because large vehicles may need extra room, not a passing maneuver. A stop inside the circle is not part of normal roundabout travel. Slow down on approach, yield to traffic already circulating, enter to the right, and hold the chosen lane as your visual guide.

17. 17. A traffic signal is not working. How should you treat the intersection?

    1. As an uncontrolled intersection with no need to stop
    2. As a four-way stop
    3. As a green signal for the wider road
    4. As a freeway entrance
    Show answer

    As a four-way stop. When a traffic signal is not working, Washington directs drivers to treat the intersection like a four-way stop. Come to a complete stop, yield to traffic on the right, and proceed cautiously when it is safe. The dark signal does not grant free passage, and the width of a road does not decide priority. A freeway entrance has different controls and is not the fallback rule. Approach slowly enough to identify other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, then use the ordinary four-way-stop order before moving through.

18. 18. Which earpiece use does Washington allow while driving?

    1. Full headphones at low volume
    2. Noise cancelling earbuds in both ears
    3. A hands free device in one ear that complies with the state code
    4. None at all, even hands free
    Show answer

    A hands free device in one ear that complies with the state code. You cannot drive while wearing earbuds, earphones, headphones or headsets that broadcast sound or cancel noise, but you can use a hands free device in one ear if it complies with Washington Administrative Code 204-10-045. The other ear stays open for sirens and horns. Instruction permit and intermediate license holders cannot use a phone or mobile device at all while driving, even hands free.

19. 19. What are the four levels of braking described in the Washington guide?

    1. Soft, hard, pump and lock
    2. Slow, stop, hold and release
    3. Light, medium, firm and emergency
    4. Foot, hand, engine and parking
    Show answer

    Light, medium, firm and emergency. There are four levels of braking: light, medium, firm and emergency. Ideally you only need light and medium braking, but firm or emergency braking is there when needed. The guide's technique is to imagine a cup of water in your lap that you do not want to spill. Unnecessary firm braking also surprises the drivers behind you, so plan stops early.

20. 20. How many supervised practice hours does Washington require for a teen driver?

    1. 40 hours of daylight and 10 hours of night driving
    2. 100 hours of daylight
    3. 20 hours total
    4. 10 hours of daylight and 40 at night
    Show answer

    40 hours of daylight and 10 hours of night driving. Washington's teen driver program requires 40 hours of daylight and 10 hours of night driving with a supervising adult. Parent orientation classes explain the requirement and help mentors coach effectively, and a teen safe driving agreement is available on the licensing website. Driver training schools for new drivers under 18 add classroom instruction and behind the wheel training with a licensed instructor.