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. When exiting the roundabout, but not when entering
   3. Both when entering and when exiting the roundabout
   4. When a crossing guard signals, whether entering or exiting
   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. How much of a Washington interstate on-ramp should you use while finding a safe merge space?

   1. Use the entire on-ramp with your signal and mirrors
   2. Merge immediately at the first point pavement meets the interstate
   3. Use only the first half, even if no safe gap exists
   4. Stop at the ramp entrance until interstate traffic becomes empty
   Show answer

   Use the entire on-ramp with your signal and mirrors. Use the full on-ramp while signaling and checking mirrors to merge into a safe space. Washington notes that you may need to adjust speed to create that opening because traffic already on the interstate has priority. Entering at the earliest possible point is not a requirement. Use the available ramp to assess surrounding vehicles and complete the maneuver with enough room, rather than treating a fixed point halfway down the ramp as your deadline.

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

5. 5. Which action belongs in Washington's crash-scene instructions for wrecked vehicles?

   1. Leave their engines running until a tow truck arrives
   2. Turn them off
   3. Restart them repeatedly while checking damage
   4. Keep their engines running whenever someone is injured
   Show answer

   Turn them off. Turn off wrecked vehicles as part of managing the collision scene. The guide also directs drivers to notify law enforcement when someone is injured or killed and to avoid standing in traffic lanes. Leaving engines running until a tow truck arrives is not the listed action. Once the vehicle is near the collision site and out of traffic when possible, remember the shutdown step while arranging help and warning other road users.

   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
   Show answer

   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. After completing a Washington turn, what should you check about your turn signal?

    1. Leave it on until a following driver flashes headlights
    2. Keep it blinking until the next intersection
    3. Make sure it has stopped blinking
    4. Switch on the opposite signal to cancel it
    Show answer

    Make sure it has stopped blinking. Make sure the turn signal stops blinking after you complete the turn. Washington pairs that check with signaling before direction changes, even when no other road users are obvious. The signal is meant to communicate the maneuver you intend, so the end of the maneuver calls for checking its status. Do not wait for another driver to notice or leave it operating until the next intersection simply because the vehicle has finished turning.

    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. The Driving Skills Exam and a written vision test
    3. The Driving Knowledge Exam and a medical certificate
    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. Who has the right-of-way when you enter a Washington interstate using an on-ramp?

    1. Drivers already traveling on the interstate
    2. The driver coming down the ramp
    3. The vehicle moving fastest
    4. The vehicle that signals first
    Show answer

    Drivers already traveling on the interstate. Drivers already on the interstate have the right-of-way. To create a safe opening, an entering driver may need to adjust speed either upward or downward while remaining within applicable limits. A turn signal tells others what you intend; it does not require them to surrender their space. Use your mirrors and the available on-ramp to judge the gap, then enter without forcing other drivers to swerve, slow, or stop.

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

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