WA Permit Practice Test 18

All 20 questions in test 18

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. A Washington teen finishes licensing online and prints the receipt. What is that printed page for identification?

   1. It fully replaces the photo license for identification
   2. It serves as identification for thirty days
   3. It counts as identification once signed by a parent
   4. It works as the temporary license but is not valid for identification
   Show answer

   It works as the temporary license but is not valid for identification. The printed online receipt serves as the temporary license. It has no photo and is not valid for identification. The official license will use the same photo as the instruction permit or Washington ID card. (This is your temporary license. It won’t include your photo, so it’s not valid for identification.). The receipt is a temporary license without a photo and is not valid for identification.

   Study this in the handbook: Instruction permits and the intermediate license

2. 2. A pedestrian using a wheelchair and service animal is crossing ahead of you in Washington. When may you continue?

   1. As soon as they clear your lane plus one more
   2. Only after they have completely crossed the street
   3. Once their front wheels reach the far curb
   4. When they wave you through the crosswalk
   Show answer

   Only after they have completely crossed the street. Crossings involving a wheelchair, cane, guide dog, or other service animal get the fullest patience Washington asks: wait until the person has completely crossed the street before rolling again. The usual lane plus one clearance, front wheels touching the far curb, and a friendly wave each start traffic while someone remains inside the crossing area. Wheels, paws, and feet all need the far side; give them the entire street and the unhurried seconds that dignity deserves.

   Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, school buses and transit buses

3. 3. Who carries responsibility for securing transported items and disposing of trash on a Washington trip?

   1. Only the passenger who brought the item
   2. The vehicle owner, even if someone else is driving
   3. The state road crews who clean the highway afterward
   4. The driver and the passengers together
   Show answer

   The driver and the passengers together. You and your passengers are responsible for securing transported items and properly disposing of trash. Litter can cause crashes, and flammable or inflamed litter can spark wildfires. You and your passengers are responsible for securing items you’re transporting and properly throwing away trash. Responsibility covers the whole vehicle party, owner or not. The guide assigns responsibility to you and your passengers on the trip.

4. 4. Besides leaving room for the airbag, what should the driver's seat position let you do in Washington?

   1. See the dashboard clearly while sitting low in the seat
   2. Reach the pedals only by stretching the toes
   3. See clearly through the windshield and reach the pedals easily
   4. Keep both arms fully straight while holding the wheel
   Show answer

   See clearly through the windshield and reach the pedals easily. Set the seat so you can see clearly through the windshield and operate the pedals easily. Washington treats both as basic seating checks, along with sitting comfortably straight and making suitable steering-wheel adjustments. A position that gives a good view but requires stretching for the pedals has not met both checks. Before driving after someone else, reassess the setup for your own body rather than assuming their seat position will work for you.

   Study this in the handbook: Headlights, brake lights, tires and signals

5. 5. When does a Washington work zone stop governing your driving?

   1. When you pass the End Road Work sign
   2. At the last worker you can see
   3. After the final barrel in the taper
   4. Once traffic returns to full speed
   Show answer

   When you pass the End Road Work sign. Observe the posted work zone signs until you see the End Road Work sign. Observe posted work-zone signs until the End Road Work sign, regardless of the last worker you can see. The manual uses the End Road Work sign, not the final barrel, as the endpoint for observing posted work-zone signs. Neighbor speed does not terminate posted restrictions. Passing the End Road Work sign is the marker the guide gives for that point.

   Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossings, emergency vehicles and emergency zones

6. 6. The pictured Washington sign announces what change in the road ahead?

   
   1. A divided highway begins
   2. All lanes become reversible at rush hour
   3. The road becomes a tollway
   4. Trucks must exit to a weigh station
   Show answer

   A divided highway begins. This sign warns of the beginning of a divided highway. The picture is a yellow diamond sign showing a divided highway beginning. Yellow in the guide color list marks general and unexpected road conditions warnings. Reversible lanes at rush hour, a tollway conversion, and a truck weigh station exit are changes this dividing roadway symbol does not announce. The shape and color of a sign, with its symbols and words, give clues to its information.

7. 7. Two hazards appear at the same time ahead of you in Washington. What is your job as the driver?

   1. Respond to whichever hazard is physically larger
   2. Decide which hazard requires the most urgent response
   3. Brake hard for both hazards at the same moment
   4. Watch the farther hazard and ignore the nearer one
   Show answer

   Decide which hazard requires the most urgent response. When more than one hazard is present, determine which requires the most urgent response. Drive slower when approaching hazards to give yourself more space and time to make safe decisions. There could be more than one hazard at the same time. It’s your responsibility as a driver to determine which hazard requires the most urgent response. Physical size does not set urgency; a small moving threat can demand action first.

8. 8. Before driving on a frosty Washington morning, what must you do about snow, ice, or frost on your vehicle?

   1. Clear a small patch on the windshield only
   2. Clear it only from the driver side window
   3. Completely clear it from all windows
   4. Leave it if the washer fluid is full
   Show answer

   Completely clear it from all windows. Completely clear snow, ice, or frost from all windows before driving. Keep the windshield and windows clean inside and outside, keep washer fluid full, and avoid hanging items or window clutter that blocks your view. A small patch leaves other windows blocked; all windows must be completely cleared. Clearing one side window is not enough; snow, ice, or frost comes off every window.

   Study this in the handbook: Headlights, brake lights, tires and signals

9. 9. Besides the drivers, who else can face penalties for street racing in Washington?

   1. Anyone who instigates or assists with street racing activities
   2. Only passengers riding in the racing vehicles
   3. Only spectators who record the race
   4. No one besides the drivers
   Show answer

   Anyone who instigates or assists with street racing activities. Street racing penalties in Washington reach past the driver seat. They apply to drivers and to anyone else who instigates or assists with street racing activities, and guilty participants can face fines, jail time, and the risk of having a vehicle impounded. Unauthorized street demonstrations draw the same severe treatment because of the danger involved. Limiting blame to passengers or camera holders understates how wide the law casts its net. Organizing, encouraging, or helping a race from the curb can carry consequences as real as driving in it.

   Study this in the handbook: Distracted driving, emotions and road rage

10. 10. You see debris on or close to railroad tracks. What does the Washington guide say to do?

    1. Move the debris yourself before the next train
    2. Call the number on the blue and white Emergency Notification System sign and give the crossing ID number
    3. Call DOL customer service at 360-902-3900
    4. Wait by the tracks and flag down the train crew
    Show answer

    Call the number on the blue and white Emergency Notification System sign and give the crossing ID number. If anything is on or close to railroad tracks, call the number on the blue and white Emergency Notification System sign. Give the dispatcher the crossing ID number, your location, and details of the situation. If there is no sign, dial 911. If there is anything on or close to the railroad tracks, call the number on the blue and white Emergency Notification System sign.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossings, emergency vehicles and emergency zones

11. 11. You are in a center turn lane as a school bus displays flashing red lights. What must you do?

    1. Pass the bus slowly through the turn lane
    2. Stop; drivers in all turn lanes must stop
    3. Continue turning left in front of the bus
    4. Back up until you leave the turn lane
    Show answer

    Stop; drivers in all turn lanes must stop. A center turn lane gives no exemption from a school bus stop. Do not use that lane to pass a bus with flashing red lights, and remember that drivers in all turn lanes must stop. Children who are loading or unloading can step into the road from either side, so hold your position instead of turning across the bus path or backing out of the lane. Stay stopped until the red lights stop flashing, the stop sign is retracted, and the metal arm returns to the front bumper. Keep watching for children after those signals reset.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, school buses and transit buses

12. 12. Why do some Washington roads post a minimum speed limit?

    1. So slow travel does not become a hazard to other drivers
    2. So drivers arrive at work earlier
    3. So fuel stations sell more gasoline
    4. So patrols can ticket more vehicles
    Show answer

    So slow travel does not become a hazard to other drivers. Some roads have minimum speed limits. The guide says you are required to travel at least that fast so you are not a hazard to other drivers. You’re required to travel at least this fast so you are not a hazard to other drivers. Minimums protect traffic flow, not commuter schedules. The guide gives avoiding a hazard to other drivers as the reason for minimum speed limits.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signs

13. 13. When should a driver switch from high beams to regular headlights while approaching another vehicle?

    1. At 50 feet in front and 100 feet behind
    2. Only after the other driver flashes a warning
    3. When 500 feet in front of an oncoming vehicle or 300 feet behind one
    4. Whenever the vehicle behind is more than 500 feet away
    Show answer

    When 500 feet in front of an oncoming vehicle or 300 feet behind one. The guide gives two distance cues for switching back to regular headlights: 500 feet in front of an oncoming vehicle and 300 feet when following another vehicle. The other distances are not the stated values, and waiting for a flash from another driver is unnecessary. High beams can make it harder for another person to see, so the switch should happen before glare becomes a problem. Picture the two positions separately: approaching traffic gets the larger 500 foot buffer, while a vehicle ahead gets the 300 foot following distance.

    Study this in the handbook: Headlights, brake lights, tires and signals

14. 14. What can a Washington driver feel when antilock brakes engage during hard braking?

    1. The brake pedal sinks silently to the floor
    2. The steering wheel locks straight ahead
    3. The car automatically speeds up slightly
    4. The vehicle shakes a bit while steering control continues
    Show answer

    The vehicle shakes a bit while steering control continues. ABS allows better steering control during emergency braking without shortening stopping distance. When it engages, you can feel the vehicle shake a bit. The guide recommends practicing firm or emergency braking in a large, open, paved space to feel ABS prevent wheel lockup. An ABS does not shorten your stopping distance, but it will allow you to keep better steering control. When engaged, you can feel your vehicle shake a bit.

    Study this in the handbook: Seat belts, child seats, steering and braking

15. 15. What is black ice on a Washington road?

    1. Dark asphalt showing through melting snow
    2. Oil stains that look wet near intersections
    3. A thin coating of ice that is hard for drivers to see
    4. Frost that forms only on gravel shoulders
    Show answer

    A thin coating of ice that is hard for drivers to see. Black ice is a thin coating of ice that is hard for drivers to see. Pay attention near or below freezing even if you do not see ice. Many drivers crash when they lose control on black ice. Black ice refers to a thin coating of ice that is hard for drivers to see. Even if you don’t see ice, pay attention when driving in temperatures near or below freezing.

    Study this in the handbook: Night driving, slippery roads, skids and hydroplaning

16. 16. Which single substance does Washington identify as the most common impairing substance in impaired-driving crashes?

    1. Prescription medicine
    2. Cannabis
    3. Alcohol
    4. Over-the-counter cold medicine
    Show answer

    Alcohol. Alcohol is the most common impairing substance involved in impaired-driving crashes in the Washington guide. That statement concerns a single substance. It is different from the guide's separate warning about polydrug use in fatal crashes, which concerns combining substances. Cannabis and medicines can also affect safe driving, so their presence among the other choices does not make them harmless. Watch for impaired behavior by other drivers and give them plenty of room.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, cannabis, medicine and fatigue

17. 17. You are applying for your first Washington license at age 16 or 17 and passed an exam at your driving school this morning. How soon must the school enter your score?

    1. Within 7 days of the exam date
    2. Within 24 hours after you pass each exam
    3. Only when the full course finishes
    4. After you visit a licensing office in person
    Show answer

    Within 24 hours after you pass each exam. The driver training school has 24 hours to enter your scores after you pass each exam. Wait for the school to enter course completion and exam scores. If the school has permanently closed and you need assistance, email tse@dol.wa.gov. Wait for your driver training school to enter your course completion and exam scores. Your driver training school has 24 hours to enter your scores in the system once you’ve passed each exam.

    Study this in the handbook: Instruction permits and the intermediate license

18. 18. What makes a gap large enough for a Washington driver to merge safely?

    1. The driver behind can brake hard if needed
    2. The front bumper fits between the two vehicles
    3. Entering it will not make surrounding drivers swerve, slow, or stop
    4. The entering driver has already activated a turn signal
    Show answer

    Entering it will not make surrounding drivers swerve, slow, or stop. Choose enough room that your entry does not force surrounding traffic to swerve, slow, or stop. The guide warns that a small opening can be dangerous, especially if the vehicle in front slows or stops. Signaling is part of merging, but it cannot enlarge the available space. Evaluate the effect of the whole maneuver on nearby vehicles instead of judging only whether the front of your car can fit.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed, following space and zipper merging

19. 19. You park facing uphill on a Washington street with a tall curb. Which way should the front wheels point?

    1. Straight ahead so the car rolls evenly either way
    2. Away from the curb until the back of the front tire touches the curb
    3. Toward the curb so the nose drops first
    4. Opposite the slope direction of travel behind you
    Show answer

    Away from the curb until the back of the front tire touches the curb. On hills with tall curbs, turn your steering wheel away from the curb until the back of your front tire touches the curb. If your vehicle starts to roll, it will roll backwards into the curb. For uphill parking beside a tall curb, turn away from the curb until the back of the front tire touches it. Toward the curb fits downhill parking; uphill with a tall curb points away.

    Study this in the handbook: Parking rules and hills

20. 20. When following a large vehicle in Washington, how should you set your following distance?

    1. Directly behind its center so mirrors line up
    2. Close enough to read its rear placards clearly
    3. One car length regardless of speed
    4. Far enough back to keep a wide view of the road ahead
    Show answer

    Far enough back to keep a wide view of the road ahead. When following a large vehicle, adjust your following distance so you have a wide view of the roadway ahead. Large vehicles require more time and space, and cannot stop as quickly as smaller vehicles. If you cannot see the driver’s mirrors, the driver cannot see you. When following large vehicles, adjust your following distance so you have a wide view of the roadway ahead.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, school buses and transit buses