WA Permit Practice Test 2

All 20 questions in test 2

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. When may a Washington intermediate license holder wait to receive an updated physical license?

   1. Only until the driver turns 18
   2. Until the first traffic violation
   3. Only for the first six months
   4. Until the license is renewed
   Show answer

   Until the license is renewed. Intermediate license restrictions end automatically at age 18, but Washington does not require an immediate replacement card at that moment. The guide says the driver can wait until renewing the license to obtain an updated physical copy. The other time markers describe restriction phases or violations, not the timing of a replacement document. Keep the existing license and follow the lifted status while waiting for normal renewal.

2. 2. When driving at night, how should you adjust your following distance?

   1. Reduce it because headlights improve visibility
   2. Keep exactly one vehicle length in every condition
   3. Increase it
   4. Follow more closely so you can use the vehicle ahead as a guide
   Show answer

   Increase it. Night driving limits what you can see and how quickly you can identify a hazard, so the guide advises increasing following distance. Extra space gives you more time to react within the area illuminated by your headlights. Following closely reduces that time and can hide hazards behind the vehicle ahead. A fixed one length rule ignores changing speed and visibility. Keep your headlights appropriate, scan beyond the beam for shadows, and leave a larger cushion whenever darkness or an unfamiliar road reduces your view.

3. 3. What does a red X over a reversible lane mean?

   1. You cannot use the lane
   2. The lane is changing direction, so speed up into it
   3. The lane is open in your direction
   4. The lane is reserved for bicycles only
   Show answer

   You cannot use the lane. A red X means a reversible lane is closed to the driver. Entering it under that symbol risks traveling against the active direction or using a lane that has been removed from service. A green arrow indicates the lane may be used, while a steady yellow X signals a direction change and calls for moving out when safe. The bicycle-only choice is unrelated to reversible-lane control. Check overhead signs before entering and obey the displayed symbol.

4. 4. Power lines fall on your vehicle in Washington. What does the guide say to do?

   1. Get out immediately and run
   2. Stay in the vehicle and call 911
   3. Touch the lines to check if they are live
   4. Drive away slowly
   Show answer

   Stay in the vehicle and call 911. If power lines fall on your vehicle, or if you hit a transformer box, stay in your vehicle and call 911. Assume every line is energized; the ground around the vehicle may be energized too, so encourage people to stay at least 35 feet away. Only if a fire starts should you leave, by jumping clear with both feet together and shuffling 35 feet to safety without touching the vehicle.

5. 5. What is the best way to reduce the risk of hydroplaning on a wet road?

   1. Slow down
   2. Increase speed to cross the water quickly
   3. Brake hard whenever water covers the roadway
   4. Turn the steering wheel rapidly to find traction
   Show answer

   Slow down. Hydroplaning occurs when water builds between the tires and road, reducing traction and making the vehicle feel as if it is floating. The guide identifies slowing down on a wet road as the best prevention. Speeding increases the chance that the tires will lose contact, while hard braking and rapid steering can worsen instability. Watch for standing water, reduce speed before reaching it, and keep your movements smooth. If the vehicle does begin to hydroplane, avoid jerking the wheel and wait calmly for traction to return.

6. 6. When a Washington fire truck, ambulance, or police car uses lights or sirens, what should other drivers do first?

   
   1. Pull right and stop
   2. Race ahead to the next intersection
   3. Stop in the left lane
   4. Follow the emergency vehicle closely
   Show answer

   Pull right and stop. Emergency vehicles using lights or sirens have priority, so the immediate response is to move to the right side of the road and stop. Racing ahead creates another conflict, and stopping in the left lane may block the emergency path. Following closely is unsafe and does not yield the roadway. After the vehicle passes, wait before signaling and reentering traffic, then return in the order you were traveling.

7. 7. How long is a Washington instruction permit valid before it must be renewed?

   1. Six months
   2. Two years
   3. Twelve months
   4. Until age 21
   Show answer

   Twelve months. An instruction permit remains valid for one year and can be renewed for a fee. The six-month period belongs to a different licensing requirement, such as holding a permit before a teen license, while two years describes how long a knowledge-exam result remains valid. Age 21 is unrelated to permit duration. Keep the permit expiration and knowledge-exam expiration on separate calendar reminders, because they are not the same deadline.

8. 8. How close to a driveway, alley or private road may you park in Washington?

   1. No closer than 5 feet
   2. No closer than 1 foot
   3. No closer than 15 feet
   4. No closer than 30 feet
   Show answer

   No closer than 5 feet. Washington prohibits parking within 5 feet of a driveway, alley or private road, so drivers leaving those spaces can see and turn. Fifteen feet is the hydrant distance and 30 feet is the distance from a signal, stop sign or yield sign, so those belong to other items. One foot would block the driveway edge. Parking more than 12 inches from the curb is also prohibited.

9. 9. What do the shape and color of route number signs indicate?

   1. The vehicle’s fuel type
   2. The driver’s license class
   3. The type of roadway
   4. The nearest emergency service
   Show answer

   The type of roadway. Route number signs use shape and color to indicate the type of roadway. Washington gives interstate, U.S., state, city, and county roads as examples of roadway categories. Those visual features do not identify a driver’s license class, fuel type, or an emergency service. Use route signs for navigation, then keep reading other signs that supply speed, lane, warning, or destination instructions.

10. 10. Where do Washington no-passing signs tell drivers passing is not allowed?

    
    1. Only when an emergency vehicle is present
    2. Only on roads that are unpaved
    3. Only at toll booths
    4. At locations identified by the sign
    Show answer

    At locations identified by the sign. No-passing signs identify places where passing is prohibited. The guide notes that they may appear near hills, curves, intersections, and other locations where a vehicle could enter the roadway. Pavement type, toll collection, or an emergency vehicle does not define this restriction. Stay behind the vehicle ahead until signs and markings show that passing can be completed legally and safely.

11. 11. What lane does a Washington Keep Right sign tell you to use when you are not passing?

    1. The far left lane
    2. The shoulder
    3. The right lane
    4. Any lane closed by a merge sign
    Show answer

    The right lane. The Keep Right sign reminds drivers to stay in the right lane unless they are passing another vehicle. That is a lane positioning rule, not permission to drive on the shoulder or to occupy the far left lane without a passing reason. A merge sign may impose a separate instruction, but it does not erase the keep right reminder. When traveling normally on a multilane road, use the right lane and move left only for a lawful pass.

12. 12. What does the maximum speed on a Washington Speed Limit sign assume?

    
    1. Heavy rain and poor visibility
    2. The same condition on every road
    3. A speed that may always be exceeded
    4. Ideal road conditions
    Show answer

    Ideal road conditions. The maximum number on a Speed Limit sign is based on ideal conditions. Rain, fog, slippery pavement, or limited visibility can require a slower speed, and traveling below the posted number does not excuse driving too fast for the actual road. The sign is not permission to exceed the limit or a promise that every roadway has identical conditions. Reassess speed whenever weather or pavement changes.

13. 13. What is the maximum speed allowed in a Washington emergency zone?

    1. Posted speed limit plus 10 mph
    2. 35 mph in every emergency zone
    3. 50 mph
    4. No maximum if the driver changes lanes
    Show answer

    50 mph. A driver in a Washington emergency zone must never drive faster than 50 mph. That ceiling applies even when the posted limit is higher, so adding 10 mph is not permitted. A universal 35 mph rule is also not stated, and changing lanes does not remove the speed restriction. When flashing lights identify a roadside response vehicle, reduce speed early and create space for workers rather than treating the zone like ordinary traffic.

14. 14. For a Washington driver age 21 or older, which BAC is identified as a DUI threshold?

    1. 0.02% or higher
    2. 0.08% or higher
    3. 0.05% or higher
    4. 0.12% or higher
    Show answer

    0.08% or higher. The guide identifies a BAC of 0.08% or higher as a DUI threshold for drivers who are 21 or older. The 0.02% figure belongs to drivers under 21, so applying it to every adult would erase an important age distinction. A 0.05% reading may still affect safe driving, but it is not the threshold stated in this item. Treat the age in the question as part of the rule, then match it to 0.08%.

15. 15. What is the lowest BAC threshold for Washington's separate under-21 consuming-alcohol driving offense?

    1. 0.00% only
    2. 0.02%
    3. 0.05%
    4. 0.08%
    Show answer

    0.02%. Washington’s separate under-21 consuming-alcohol driving offense begins at a BAC of 0.02 percent and applies below the general DUI threshold, measured within two hours of operating or being in physical control of a motor vehicle. The question asks for the lowest threshold, so 0.05 percent is not the answer even though it is also within that range. Higher readings or evidence of impairment may support other offenses. Never treat a lower reading as permission to drive after drinking.

16. 16. An emergency vehicle using lights or a siren approaches. What should you do before reentering traffic?

    1. Pull right and stop until it passes
    2. Keep your lane and let it pass on the left
    3. Turn left at the next opening
    4. Stop in the intersection and wave it around
    Show answer

    Pull right and stop until it passes. Washington gives fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars using lights or sirens the right-of-way. Pull immediately to the right side of the road and stop, then wait until the emergency vehicle has gone by. Stopping in an intersection can block the route it needs, and staying in your lane does not create enough room. Turning away is unpredictable and may put you into another conflict. The useful cue is simple: hear or see the emergency signal, move right, stop, and reenter only after the vehicle passes.

17. 17. How should you handle a flashing yellow traffic light in Washington?

    1. Stop and wait for a green light
    2. Treat the intersection like an uncontrolled intersection and proceed when you have the right-of-way
    3. Treat it as a flashing red stop signal
    4. Accelerate before the signal turns red
    Show answer

    Treat the intersection like an uncontrolled intersection and proceed when you have the right-of-way. A flashing yellow light calls for reduced speed and careful evaluation, not an automatic stop. Washington gives it the same meaning as a yield sign, so the intersection is treated as uncontrolled and you proceed only when you have the right-of-way. Waiting for a green light would add a requirement the signal does not impose. Accelerating increases risk, and the flashing red comparison is wrong because red requires a full stop. Slow down, look for vehicles and pedestrians, and continue when the crossing path is clear and your priority is established.

18. 18. A solid yellow line is on your side of a two-way roadway. What does it mean?

    
    1. Cross it whenever traffic is light
    2. Do not cross it to pass another vehicle
    3. Use it as a bicycle lane boundary
    4. Turn into the opposite lane and continue traveling
    Show answer

    Do not cross it to pass another vehicle. A solid yellow line can mark a no-passing zone, so you must not cross it to pass another vehicle. Light traffic does not remove the restriction, and the line is not a bicycle lane boundary because yellow separates opposing traffic. Crossing to continue traveling in the opposite lane would create the same prohibited movement. Stay on your side until the marking changes or a lawful turn requires a different path. The combination of yellow and solid is the quick check: opposing directions and no pass across that line.

19. 19. How does Washington treat fines for passing a stopped school bus?

    1. They are waived for a first offense
    2. They are the same as a parking ticket
    3. They are cut in half if no children are present
    4. They are doubled
    Show answer

    They are doubled. Washington doubles fines for anyone who passes a stopped school bus. The rule has no first offense waiver, and the offense is a moving violation, not a parking matter. Seeing no children does not reduce the fine, because children may run into the road without warning. Drivers traveling in the same direction must stop when the red lights flash and the stop paddle is out.

20. 20. A Washington teen enrolled in a driver training course may apply for an instruction permit how early before the course starts?

    1. The same day only
    2. Up to 30 days before
    3. Up to 90 days before
    4. 1 to 10 days before the course starts
    Show answer

    1 to 10 days before the course starts. A teen enrolling in driver training can apply for the permit as early as 15, at a licensing office or online, 1 to 10 days before the course starts. Applying on the first day only is not required, and 30 or 90 days early is outside the window. The teen should have the WDL number ready for the driving school's records. A teen not in a course must wait until 15 and a half to take the knowledge exam.