WA Permit Practice Test 21

All 20 questions in test 21

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 is a Washington reversible lane usually marked on the pavement, and what must a driver check first?

   1. Double solid yellow lines, with curb paint checked first
   2. Double-dashed white lines, with overhead signs checked before entering
   3. A single red stripe, with mirror signals checked first
   4. Green pavement, with toll signs checked first
   Show answer

   Double-dashed white lines, with overhead signs checked before entering. Reversible lanes borrow pavement in whichever direction the commute needs, and the pavement advertises that flexibility with double-dashed white lines while overhead signals grant or revoke permission moment by moment. Double solid yellow centerlines mark the middle of a two-way road and prohibit passing in either direction; red stripes can mark fire lanes, while bicycle lanes use bike symbols and lane markings. Read the overhead arrow or X first, every time, even on a route you drive daily.

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

2. 2. What hazard does the pictured Washington sign announce?

   
   1. The road is slippery when wet
   2. A car wash entrance is nearby
   3. A flooded roadway is closed
   4. Loose gravel has been spread
   Show answer

   The road is slippery when wet. This sign warns of slippery when wet. The pictured sign is a yellow diamond sign with a car and skid lines. In the guide color list, yellow marks a general and unexpected road conditions warning. A car wash entrance, a closed flooded roadway, and spread loose gravel are different messages, and none matches the skidding car symbol. The shape and color of a sign, and its symbols and words, give clues to the information it provides.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic signs

3. 3. Can a new Washington driver use a parent or friend License Express account for personal services?

   1. Yes, with the account holder watching the screen
   2. Yes, for permit pre-application only
   3. No, new drivers set up their own account and the account must belong to the user
   4. Yes, until the driver turns 18 years old
   Show answer

   No, new drivers set up their own account and the account must belong to the user. New drivers must set up their own License Express account. You cannot get services for yourself using someone else's account. Choose a username and password that are easy to remember. If you forget your WDL number or have account questions, call 360-902-3900. Sign up with a username and password that is easy for you to remember. New drivers need to set up their own account.

4. 4. A tire blows out at speed in Washington. What should you avoid doing first?

   1. Grip the wheel firmly and keep the car going straight
   2. Ease off the accelerator and slow gradually
   3. Steer toward a safe place off the road when slow enough
   4. Slam the brakes to stop before the rim touches ground
   Show answer

   Slam the brakes to stop before the rim touches ground. Grip the steering wheel firmly and keep the vehicle going straight. Take your foot off the accelerator and slow gradually. Let the vehicle slow by itself, or brake gently if necessary. Pull off in a safe place if possible and turn on emergency flashers. Allow the vehicle to slow by itself, or brake gently if necessary. A firm grip and straight travel are the opening moves after a blowout.

   Study this in the handbook: Breakdowns, collisions and power lines

5. 5. Your view of a cross street is blocked at the stop line in Washington. What next?

   1. Enter quickly before cross traffic arrives
   2. Stop past the crosswalk and wait there
   3. Edge forward slowly until you can see
   4. Rely on mirrors alone and proceed
   Show answer

   Edge forward slowly until you can see. After stopping at the stop line, if your cross-street view is blocked, edge forward slowly until you can see. This lets crossing drivers see the front of your vehicle and gives them a chance to slow down and warn you. Before crossing or turning, make sure you can clearly see crossing traffic and have enough space to avoid blocking the intersection.

   Study this in the handbook: Intersections, turns and roundabouts

6. 6. In Washington, when is an intersection legally a crosswalk?

   1. Only where a crossing guard is posted
   2. Every intersection, marked or unmarked
   3. Only when painted lines mark it
   4. Only at signal controlled corners
   Show answer

   Every intersection, marked or unmarked. Every intersection is legally a crosswalk in Washington, whether the crossing is marked or unmarked. Paint, signals, and crossing guards can add control, but none of them creates the basic pedestrian space at a junction. That rule covers cross streets, side streets, driveways, shopping centers, and parking lot entrances where roads meet. Drivers should stop and yield to pedestrians and traffic already in the intersection, look in each direction more than once, and check mirrors and shoulders for riders before entering.

7. 7. Your car has daytime running lights in Washington. What do those lights fail to do at dusk?

   1. They burn brighter than headlights in fog
   2. They leave taillights off and shine dimmer than real headlights
   3. They switch on high beams automatically at sunset
   4. They satisfy the sunset to sunrise headlight law alone
   Show answer

   They leave taillights off and shine dimmer than real headlights. Daytime running lights are not as bright as headlights and do not activate the taillights. Washington law requires headlights from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise. The guide also recommends headlights when it is dark or visibility is reduced by rain, snow, fog, or smoke. Some vehicles have daytime running lights that come on when you start the car.

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

8. 8. When can a Washington applicant register with the United States Selective Service System through licensing?

   1. When applying for a license or ID card
   2. Only after receiving a draft notice by mail
   3. Only at a military recruiting office in person
   4. Only during voter registration at age 18
   Show answer

   When applying for a license or ID card. You can register with the United States Selective Service System when applying for a license or ID card. The guide directs readers to atg.wa.gov for more information. The guide offers registration when applying for a license or ID card; it does not require waiting for a draft notice. A recruiting office is unnecessary; licensing applications offer registration. Voter registration is a separate service from Selective Service signup.

   Study this in the handbook: License exams, renewal and losing your license

9. 9. Which driving pattern does the Washington guide list as a sign of fatigue?

   1. Signaling well before every turn
   2. Drifting from your lane and hitting rumble strips
   3. Checking mirrors at every intersection
   4. Stopping fully at each stop sign
   Show answer

   Drifting from your lane and hitting rumble strips. Fatigue dulls alertness, attention, reaction time, and judgment much like alcohol does. Warning signs include drifting from your lane, swerving, tailgating, and striking rumble strips, along with heavy eyelids, trouble keeping your head up, and missing exits or signs. Mirror checks, full stops, and early signals are healthy habits rather than symptoms of tiredness. If these drift warnings appear, pull off the road and rest instead of pushing on, because a tired driver risks falling asleep at the wheel.

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

10. 10. A medicine label warns against operating heavy machinery. What does that warning include?

    1. Only farm tractors and combines
    2. Only commercial trucks over a set weight
    3. Driving a vehicle
    4. Only construction cranes and forklifts
    Show answer

    Driving a vehicle. Warnings against operating heavy machinery include driving a vehicle, a point worth remembering when a label sounds like it was written for a job site. Many legal drugs impair driving: over-the-counter products can bring drowsiness, while prescription products can slow reflexes and cloud judgment, vision, and alertness. Combinations can multiply alcohol effects as well. The safe routine is to read every warning label before driving, ask a doctor or pharmacist when unsure, and wait until you know how a drug affects your coordination and reaction time.

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

11. 11. In the OODA Loop described by the Washington guide, what does the first step ask?

    1. Judge whether the other driver was at fault
    2. Choose the fastest escape route available
    3. Signal and move before traffic reacts
    4. Observe what changed in the situation
    Show answer

    Observe what changed in the situation. The OODA Loop starts with Observe: identify what changed, such as a swerving car, sudden obstacle, or change in traffic flow. Next, Orient uses knowledge and experience to understand the change and its risks. Decide means choosing the safest course of action. Act means carrying out that action smoothly and decisively, with clear communication. Is there a car swerving, a sudden obstacle, or a change in traffic flow?

12. 12. What yaw motion appears when a Washington driver wags the steering wheel sharply side to side?

    1. The roof tilts toward the outside of every curve
    2. The front wheels turn with the steering while the back might slide a bit, creating a zigzag
    3. The nose pitches down under engine braking
    4. All four tires lift and reseat together
    Show answer

    The front wheels turn with the steering while the back might slide a bit, creating a zigzag. When you steer sharply from side to side, the front and back of the car do not stay perfectly aligned. The front wheels turn with the steering while the rear might slide a bit, creating a zigzag motion called yaw. The front wheels turn in the direction you’re steering, while the back might slide a bit, creating a zig-zag motion. Roof tilt in a curve describes roll, not yaw.

13. 13. What offense record must a Washington teen keep clean while holding an instruction permit to earn a first license?

    1. No parking tickets of any kind
    2. No offenses only after turning seventeen
    3. No alcohol or drug offenses while driving on the permit
    4. No offenses unless a parent was riding along
    Show answer

    No alcohol or drug offenses while driving on the permit. Applicants ages 16 and 17 must have no alcohol or drug offenses while driving with an instruction permit. The guide separately requires no traffic violations or convictions for the six months before applying for the license. Have no alcohol or drug offenses while driving with your instruction permit. The clean record condition targets alcohol and drug offenses on the permit. The condition covers the whole permit period, not just the last year.

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

14. 14. Rain starts on a hot Washington afternoon. Why can the first minutes of rain be extra slippery?

    1. Heat lifts oil in the asphalt to the surface until rain washes the oil away
    2. New rain makes asphalt expand and polish smooth
    3. Hot tires melt and leave rubber on dry lanes
    4. Rain cools brakes so cars slide farther on hills
    Show answer

    Heat lifts oil in the asphalt to the surface until rain washes the oil away. When rain starts on a hot day, the pavement can be very slippery for the first few minutes. Heat causes oil in the asphalt to come to the surface, and the road remains slippery until the oil washes away. Adjust your driving for slippery conditions, which may require driving below the posted speed limit. Heat causes the oil in the asphalt to come to the surface.

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

15. 15. Driving is allowed on a Washington ocean beach that counts as a state highway. What speed limit applies there?

    1. 15 mph, with cars holding the right-of-way
    2. 35 mph, matching nearby coastal roads
    3. The posted county beach limit, often 45 mph
    4. 25 mph, with pedestrians and bicyclists holding the right-of-way at all times
    Show answer

    25 mph, with pedestrians and bicyclists holding the right-of-way at all times. Driving is allowed on ocean beaches only in Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties. The beach is considered a state highway, with a 25 mph speed limit and pedestrians and bicyclists having the right-of-way at all times. Enter only through marked beach approaches, drive only on hard-packed sand, and watch for signs prohibiting driving in some areas and circumstances. The beach is considered a state highway, so all driving laws apply.

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

16. 16. Before leaving a parked car in Washington, what parking check comes first?

    1. Leave the car wherever the lane ends if the stop is brief
    2. Rely on other parked cars to show where parking is allowed
    3. Copy the nearest driver even when a sign bans parking
    4. Park only in designated areas and check signs that prohibit or limit parking
    Show answer

    Park only in designated areas and check signs that prohibit or limit parking. Make sure to park in designated areas only. Check for signs prohibiting or limiting parking. A brief stop does not excuse parking outside designated areas. Other parked cars do not prove parking is allowed; posted signs control. A nearby driver may be parked illegally; a prohibiting sign still governs your car. Parking only in designated areas and checking signs that prohibit or limit parking follows the guide parking rule.

    Study this in the handbook: Parking rules and hills

17. 17. How should a Washington driver pass a bicyclist on the left?

    1. With two wheels over the center line at speed
    2. Only after honking from directly behind
    3. Slowly, and never by crossing into oncoming traffic
    4. Quickly, before the rider can change position
    Show answer

    Slowly, and never by crossing into oncoming traffic. Pass a bicyclist slowly on the left and never into oncoming traffic. Wait until the pass is safe for both of you. Leave at least 3 feet between the bicyclist and the widest part of your vehicle, and make sure you are clear before returning to the lane. Let the bicyclist clear the intersection before you turn; do not pass a bicyclist just before a right turn.

    Study this in the handbook: Large vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and farm vehicles

18. 18. At a Washington intersection, how must you treat a bicyclist who has the right-of-way?

    1. Yield to the bicyclist as you would to a vehicle
    2. Pass the rider before reaching the stop line
    3. As a pedestrian who must dismount first
    4. Wave the rider through only when no cars wait
    Show answer

    Yield to the bicyclist as you would to a vehicle. Bicyclists have the same rights, duties, and responsibilities as vehicle drivers. At intersections, yield to bicyclists as you would to a vehicle. Bicyclists in crosswalks are considered pedestrians, and you must yield to them in marked and unmarked crosswalks and intersections. Watch for bicyclists when turning a corner or pulling into a driveway. Racing a rider to the stop line violates the yield duty.

    Study this in the handbook: Large vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and farm vehicles

19. 19. What does the assigned Washington number on a Washington license, permit, or ID card often start with?

    1. The letters DOL
    2. The letters WDL
    3. The first digits of a Social Security number
    4. A county code followed by a dash
    Show answer

    The letters WDL. All Washington licenses, permits, and ID cards have an assigned Washington number specific to the holder. The manual says this number often starts with the letters WDL. This number is specific to you. It often starts with the letters WDL. DOL names the Department of Licensing, not the opening letters of the personal number. The manual identifies WDL as the letters this number often starts with.

20. 20. What class must Washington driver training courses for students under age 18 offer?

    1. A parent orientation class
    2. A first aid class for guardians
    3. A vehicle maintenance class
    4. A night driving class for parents
    Show answer

    A parent orientation class. Driver training courses for students under age 18 must offer a parent orientation class. These sessions familiarize mentors with the program and explain the requirement for 40 hours of daylight driving and 10 hours of night driving. Driver training courses for students under age 18 are required to offer a parent orientation class. First aid training is not the class these courses are required to offer.

    Study this in the handbook: License exams, renewal and losing your license