WA Permit Practice Test 25

All 20 questions in test 25

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. At a Washington roundabout, when must drivers stop for pedestrians and bicyclists in crosswalks?

   1. Only when entering the roundabout
   2. Only when exiting the roundabout
   3. Both when entering and when exiting the roundabout
   4. Only during school hours near campus
   Show answer

   Both when entering and when exiting the roundabout. Stop for pedestrians and bicyclists in crosswalks both when entering and when exiting a roundabout. Slow down on approach; roundabouts are designed for speeds between 15 and 25 mph. Yield to traffic already in the roundabout. Stop for pedestrians and bicyclists in crosswalks when you enter and exit the roundabout. Crosswalks on the exit side need the same stop. You must also stop for pedestrians and bicyclists in crosswalks when entering the roundabout.

   Study this in the handbook: Intersections, turns and roundabouts

2. 2. After parallel parking in Washington, how far from the curb may your vehicle sit at most?

   1. No more than 24 inches from the curb
   2. No more than 6 inches from the curb
   3. No more than 12 inches from the curb
   4. Any distance inside the painted stall
   Show answer

   No more than 12 inches from the curb. After parallel parking, adjust your vehicle so it is no more than 12 inches from the curb. Six inches is within that distance, but 12 inches is the maximum stated in the guide. Move forward to adjust your vehicle in the parking space. Make sure your vehicle is no more than 12 inches from the curb. Twenty-four inches exceeds the guide's maximum of 12 inches from the curb.

   Study this in the handbook: Parking rules and hills

3. 3. Which vehicle feature uses cameras to read traffic signs and show the information to the driver?

   1. Traffic sign recognition
   2. Adaptive cruise control
   3. Cross traffic alert
   4. Lane keeping assistance
   Show answer

   Traffic sign recognition. Traffic sign recognition uses cameras to identify and interpret traffic signs and display relevant information to the driver. It helps maintain awareness of speed limits and other road regulations. Uses cameras to identify and interpret traffic signs, displaying relevant information to the driver. Cruise assistance manages speed and gap, not sign reading. Side traffic warnings watch for vehicles, not posted signs. Lane assistance tracks markings and drift, not sign meaning.

4. 4. By how much can zipper merging improve traffic flow at a Washington lane closure?

   1. By 60 percent when drivers use both lanes to the merge point and take turns
   2. By 10 percent when drivers merge as early as possible
   3. By 25 percent when one lane stays empty for merging
   4. By 40 percent when faster drivers pass the queue
   Show answer

   By 60 percent when drivers use both lanes to the merge point and take turns. The guide states that zipper merging improves traffic flow by 60 percent. When traffic is slow or stopped because of a lane closure, use both lanes until the designated merge area, alternate with vehicles from the other lane, and maintain a steady pace matching traffic in the open lane. When traffic is moving slowly or is stopped due to a lane closure, it’s important to merge smoothly and efficiently.

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

5. 5. Your car fails on a Washington highway with traffic passing. What is the first placement goal?

   1. Stop in the lane and set flares around the car
   2. Get the vehicle off the road and away from traffic if possible
   3. Roll to the median and wait between directions
   4. Park half on the shoulder to stay visible
   Show answer

   Get the vehicle off the road and away from traffic if possible. Get your vehicle off the road and away from traffic if possible. Stop where other drivers have a clear view, especially if you cannot get off the road. Turn on emergency flashers and headlights, and place emergency flares 200 to 300 feet behind the vehicle. A lane stop makes your car the obstacle traffic must dodge. The guide directs you off the road and away from traffic if possible, rather than specifying the median.

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

6. 6. What is the buffer between a Washington bike lane and traffic, and when may you enter it?

   1. A passing space open at any speed
   2. Part of the bike lane, entered only for a legal turn after checking safety
   3. A parking strip for short downtown stops
   4. A shoulder where stopping is always allowed
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   Part of the bike lane, entered only for a legal turn after checking safety. Some bike lanes have a buffer made of two solid white lines with diagonal crosshatching between them. The buffer is part of the bike lane. Do not enter it unless making a legal turn after checking that it is safe. Some bike lanes are physically separated from traffic by bollards, posts, or planters. This buffer is considered part of the bike lane and should not be entered unless you’re making a legal turn after checking that it’s safe to do so.

   Study this in the handbook: Road markings, lanes and school zones

7. 7. You legally changed your name in Washington. Where must the name change on your license be made?

   1. In License Express within 10 days
   2. At a vehicle licensing office
   3. On the Secretary of State website
   4. In a driver licensing office
   Show answer

   In a driver licensing office. Name changes must be made in a driver licensing office. Address changes follow a different process: update your information in License Express within 10 days of the change. If your address changes, update your information in License Express within 10 days of the change. License Express within 10 days is the route for an address change, not a name change. A vehicle licensing office handles vehicle licensing and registration, not a license name change.

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

8. 8. Before applying for a Washington instruction permit, what must you have first?

   1. A passed Driving Skills Exam
   2. A WDL number
   3. A vehicle registered in your name
   4. A completed traffic safety course
   Show answer

   A WDL number. Before applying for an instruction permit, you need a WDL number. If you do not have one, you can get it at a driver licensing office or by creating your own License Express account. Before applying for an instruction permit, you need to have a WDL number. The skills exam comes later in the licensing sequence, not before a permit application. Owning or registering a vehicle is not required before applying for an instruction permit.

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

9. 9. What should you do with each new Washington vehicle registration document when you renew your tabs?

   1. Keep it in a safe place outside the vehicle with the title
   2. Sign it and keep it in your vehicle
   3. Leave it with your insurance agent
   4. File it online and discard the paper copy
   Show answer

   Sign it and keep it in your vehicle. Each year brings a fresh registration document with your renewed tabs, and the routine is to sign the new document and keep it in your vehicle. That habit puts proof within reach at a traffic stop, alongside your license and insurance information. Storing it with the title outside the car copies the advice given for the title itself, which should sit in a safe place away from the vehicle. One document lives at home and the other rides with you, and mixing those homes helps nobody during a stop.

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

10. 10. How should following distance behind a motorcycle change in rain in Washington?

    1. Allow even more room when the road is slick
    2. Keep it identical to dry pavement distance
    3. Match the gap used behind large trucks exactly
    4. Shorten it so the rider sees you clearly
    Show answer

    Allow even more room when the road is slick. Leave plenty of room to stop when following a motorcycle so you can stop safely in an emergency. Weather and slippery surfaces can be serious problems for motorcyclists. Allow even more following room when it is raining or the road is slick. Weather conditions and slippery surfaces can be serious problems for motorcyclists. Allow even more following room when it’s raining or the road surface is slick.

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

11. 11. Your car malfunctions on the road and you need to warn drivers behind you. What should you turn on?

    1. Your high beams
    2. Your flashing hazard lights
    3. Your daytime running lights
    4. Your left turn signal held steady
    Show answer

    Your flashing hazard lights. If your car malfunctions or you need to make an emergency stop, turn on your flashing hazard lights. This alerts other drivers to the situation and allows them to go around safely. Daytime running lights are less bright than headlights and do not activate the taillights. This alerts other drivers of your situation and allows them to safely go around you. High beams do not warn traffic behind you; flashing hazard lights announce the problem.

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

12. 12. How long does a Washington vehicle purchaser have to transfer the title into their name without penalty fees?

    1. 5 days
    2. 15 days
    3. 30 days
    4. 60 days
    Show answer

    15 days. The purchaser must bring the signed title to a licensing office to transfer ownership within 15 days to avoid penalty fees. The seller's report of sale, due within five days, does not transfer ownership, according to the guide. Ownership changes through the buyer's own title transfer at a licensing office, so the 15 day count is the buyer's deadline to watch.

13. 13. What does divided attention mean for a Washington driver?

    1. Holding one task with the whole brain
    2. Keeping attention steady across a long trip
    3. Switching focus quickly between two tasks
    4. Performing several things at the same time
    Show answer

    Performing several things at the same time. Divided attention means performing several things at the same time. Focused attention concentrates on one task, sustained attention lasts a long time, and switching attention moves quickly from one thing to another. The guide recommends putting away and silencing electronics and resisting multitasking behind the wheel. When you’re performing several things at the same time. That single task grip describes focused attention.

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

14. 14. Which item counts as a distraction outside the vehicle for a Washington driver?

    1. Eating a sandwich at the wheel
    2. Adjusting the radio station
    3. A crash scene or billboard beside the road
    4. Arguing with a passenger
    Show answer

    A crash scene or billboard beside the road. The guide lists billboards, crashes, and other people’s behavior as outside distractions. Eating, adjusting the radio, and interacting with passengers are inside distractions. Distractions can affect the awareness, judgment, and skill needed to drive safely. Billboards, crashes, and other people’s behaviors. Eating happens inside the vehicle. Radio adjustments happen inside the vehicle. Passenger interaction happens inside the vehicle. A crash scene or billboard beside the road fits the distraction the guide describes.

15. 15. What activity does a fluorescent yellow green sign warn about in Washington?

    1. Construction and maintenance work
    2. Motorist services at the next exit
    3. School, pedestrian, and bicycling activity
    4. Public recreation areas nearby
    Show answer

    School, pedestrian, and bicycling activity. Fluorescent yellow green signs warn of school, pedestrian, and bicycling activity. Orange warns of construction and maintenance, blue provides motorist services guidance, and brown identifies public recreation, cultural, and historical areas. Yellow = General and unexpected road conditions warning Fluorescent Yellow Green = Warning of school, pedestrian, and bicycling activity. Orange warns about construction and maintenance. Blue signs guide drivers toward services.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signs

16. 16. Your turn signals fail in Washington and you plan a left turn. Which hand signal shows that turn?

    1. Left arm out with fingers pointing at the ground
    2. Left arm bent so fingers point at the sky
    3. Right arm waved in a slow circle
    4. Left arm out the window with fingers pointing straight left
    Show answer

    Left arm out the window with fingers pointing straight left. For a left turn, put your left arm out the window with your fingers pointing straight left. Fingers pointing down indicate slowing or stopping. A bent left arm with fingers pointing up indicates a right turn. Use hand signals when one or both turn signals are not working. Point your fingers straight out to the left. Fingers down signals slowing or stopping, not a left turn.

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

17. 17. How far away must Washington brake lights be clearly visible?

    1. 50 feet behind the vehicle at night
    2. 200 feet on open highways only
    3. 100 feet away, showing red to the driver behind you
    4. Far enough to read the license plate clearly
    Show answer

    100 feet away, showing red to the driver behind you. Red brake lights must be clearly visible from 100 feet away so the driver behind can slow down and prepare to stop. Fifty feet gives only half that stated distance, the requirement is not limited to open highways, and license plate reading measures identification rather than brake light visibility. Clean and working bulbs help preserve the full distance, so light checks should be part of regular vehicle checks. If brake lights fail, extend the left arm out the driver side window and point the fingers toward the ground to signal slowing or stopping.

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

18. 18. You are age 18 or older and move to Washington with an expired license from another state. Which exams must you pass before getting a Washington license?

    1. Only a vision screening at the licensing office
    2. Only the Driving Skills Exam on Washington roads
    3. Only the Driving Knowledge Exam about Washington law
    4. Both the Driving Knowledge Exam and the Driving Skills Exam
    Show answer

    Both the Driving Knowledge Exam and the Driving Skills Exam. Under the guide's rules for new residents age 18 and older, an expired out-of-state license requires passing both the Driving Knowledge Exam and Driving Skills Exam before getting a Washington license. If your out-of-state license is expired, you’ll need to pass both the Driving Knowledge Exam and Driving Skills Exam before getting a Washington license. Vision screening supports licensing but cannot replace either exam for an expired license.

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

19. 19. A Washington teen skips driver training and passes the knowledge exam at age 15 and a half. When can that teen take the skills exam for a license?

    1. Not until age 18, even though the permit arrives after the knowledge pass
    2. At age 16 with 50 practice hours logged
    3. At age 17 with a parent signature alone
    4. Immediately after the knowledge exam at any age
    Show answer

    Not until age 18, even though the permit arrives after the knowledge pass. If you are not enrolling in driver training, you can take the knowledge exam after turning 15½ and receive your permit after passing. You must wait until age 18 to take the skills exam and get your license on this path. You can take the knowledge exam after you turn 15½. Once you pass, you’ll get your permit. However, you need to wait until you’re 18 to take the skills exam and get your license.

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

20. 20. At a Washington two-way stop, who holds the right-of-way over turning vehicles?

    1. The vehicle going straight
    2. Whichever driver waves the other forward
    3. The largest vehicle at the corner
    4. The vehicle turning left with its signal on
    Show answer

    The vehicle going straight. At a two-way stop, the guide says turning vehicles must yield to the vehicle going straight. The vehicle going straight has the right-of-way. The guide assigns right-of-way to the vehicle going straight at a two-way stop. Vehicle size does not assign right-of-way at a two-way stop. A turn signal announces intent but grants no priority. The vehicle going straight holds the right-of-way under the guide rule for this meeting.

    Study this in the handbook: Intersections, turns and roundabouts