WA Permit Practice Test 8

All 20 questions in test 8

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. What should you do if water builds up between your tires and the road surface?

   1. Shift into reverse while the vehicle is moving
   2. Brake hard and turn sharply toward the shoulder
   3. Accelerate until the tires cut through the water
   4. Ease off the accelerator and keep the steering wheel steady
   Show answer

   Ease off the accelerator and keep the steering wheel steady. Hydroplaning occurs when water separates the tires from the road, reducing traction and steering response. Washington guidance says to ease off the accelerator and keep the steering wheel steady while the tires regain contact. Hard braking, a sharp turn, or acceleration can make the loss of traction worse. The practical cue is a sudden light steering feel or sliding sensation: stay calm, hold your path, and let the vehicle slow smoothly.

2. 2. What should you do immediately after seeing a Wrong Way sign facing you?

   
   1. Continue until the next exit
   2. Move to the left lane and speed up
   3. Stop and turn around immediately
   4. Stop only if another car appears
   Show answer

   Stop and turn around immediately. A Wrong Way sign warns that the vehicle is traveling against the intended direction and that a head on collision is possible. The guide says to stop and turn around immediately, but do so only in a safe manner that does not create another conflict. Continuing to the next exit leaves you exposed to opposing traffic. Changing lanes or speeding up increases the danger. The practical cue is the sign itself: treat it as an urgent direction error, not a routine route marker.

3. 3. What do some Washington regulatory signs use to show that a symbolized action is not allowed?

   
   1. A blue rectangle around the symbol
   2. A green diamond below the symbol
   3. A yellow triangle beside the symbol
   4. A red circle with a red slash over the symbol
   Show answer

   A red circle with a red slash over the symbol. Some Washington regulatory signs place a red circle and slash over a symbol to show that the pictured action is prohibited. Read the symbol beneath the slash rather than treating the sign as a general ban on driving or stopping. A blue rectangle, green diamond, or yellow triangle does not express this prohibition under the guide’s sign system. For a left-turn symbol, the marked movement is the one restricted. Use the symbol’s direction and meaning as the cue, then check for other signs or signals that control the intersection.

4. 4. How far from a traffic signal, stop sign, or yield sign may you not park?

   1. Within 5 feet
   2. Within 15 feet
   3. Within 30 feet
   4. Within 75 feet
   Show answer

   Within 30 feet. Washington prohibits parking within 30 feet of a traffic signal, stop sign, or yield sign. The purpose is to preserve sight lines and room for people approaching the control. Five feet applies to a different restriction involving a driveway, alley, or private road, while 15 and 75 feet do not state this sign related distance. Before leaving the vehicle, identify nearby controls and estimate the space from them. A legal parking spot must not create a visual or movement problem for other road users.

5. 5. What should a driver do for roadside workers in a Washington emergency zone?

   1. Stop beside the response vehicle and wait in the travel lane
   2. Create a safe space as soon as possible
   3. Use the shoulder as a regular passing lane
   4. Accelerate through the zone before workers can react
   Show answer

   Create a safe space as soon as possible. Drivers should create a safe space for roadside workers as soon as possible when an emergency zone is active. The travel-lane choice leaves the vehicle beside people who need protection, while using the shoulder as a routine passing lane creates another conflict. Accelerating reduces reaction time and increases the danger. Look for flares, signs, or flashing lights, then slow down, make room, and stay alert for workers and response equipment.

6. 6. When a pedestrian is in or about to enter a Washington crosswalk, what is the driver's duty?

   
   1. Continue if the vehicle is already moving
   2. Sound the horn and hold course
   3. Yield to the pedestrian
   4. Yield only when the crosswalk has stripes
   Show answer

   Yield to the pedestrian. Drivers must yield to a person in or about to enter a crosswalk. This duty is not limited to painted crossings, because the guide separately explains that every intersection is legally defined as a crosswalk. Continuing simply because the vehicle is moving ignores the person's protected path, and a horn does not replace yielding. Slow early, check the full crossing, and proceed only after the pedestrian is safely clear.

7. 7. Who is allowed in the vehicle with the examiner during Washington's Driving Skills Exam?

   1. The applicant and three driving coaches
   2. The applicant and the examiner only
   3. Any family member and the examiner
   4. Every applicant waiting for a test
   Show answer

   The applicant and the examiner only. During the Driving Skills Exam, Washington limits the vehicle to the applicant and the examiner, with stated exceptions for service animals and sign language interpreters. Three coaches, a family member, or a group of waiting applicants are not listed as ordinary occupants. This rule keeps the evaluation focused and avoids adding passengers who could distract the driver or interfere with the examiner's observations. Before arriving, plan for the small testing crew and bring only an allowed exception when one applies.

8. 8. What calming technique does the Washington guide suggest for a driver who feels angry or stressed?

   1. Count slowly from 1 to 20, or backwards from 100 by three
   2. Drive faster to get home sooner
   3. Turn the music up loud
   4. Honk to release tension
   Show answer

   Count slowly from 1 to 20, or backwards from 100 by three. The guide suggests breathing exercises you can do while parked and counting slowly from 1 to 20, or backwards from 100 by three, concentrating only on the numbers to quiet everything else. Emotional awareness encourages patience and respect for other road users. Allow plenty of time for the trip, and if another driver is harassing you, call the police rather than engaging.

9. 9. While driving with an intermediate license, when may a Washington driver use a phone?

   1. Only to report an emergency
   2. Whenever the phone is hands-free
   3. Only between midnight and 5 a.m.
   4. Whenever a passenger makes the call
   Show answer

   Only to report an emergency. Washington intermediate license laws restrict cell phones and wireless communication devices even when hands-free technology is available. The guide gives one exception: the driver can use the phone to report an emergency. Hands-free operation, a passenger’s request, or a particular time window does not create a general permission to use the device. Treat the emergency exception narrowly and keep the phone inactive during ordinary driving.

10. 10. How should you handle an intersection when a traffic signal is not working?

    1. Treat it like a green light
    2. Wait for a police officer before moving
    3. Continue without yielding if you arrived first
    4. Treat the intersection like a four-way stop
    Show answer

    Treat the intersection like a four-way stop. A broken traffic signal should be treated like a four-way stop. Come to a complete stop, yield to traffic on your right, and proceed cautiously when it is safe. Treating the dark signal as green or continuing without yielding creates an uncontrolled conflict. A police officer is not required for every failed signal. The cue is no working indication: stop, apply four-way-stop order, and scan before entering.

11. 11. During which hours may a new Washington intermediate license holder not drive without an approved adult?

    1. 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.
    2. Midnight to 5 a.m.
    3. 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
    4. 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
    Show answer

    1 a.m. to 5 a.m.. Washington intermediate drivers may not drive between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent, guardian or licensed driver at least 25 years old. Midnight, 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. start times are not the Washington window, so a teen driving home at 12:30 a.m. alone is still within the law. The nighttime restriction ends after one year of safe driving, and trips for agricultural purposes are exempt at any hour.

12. 12. What may a driver use a shared center lane for?

    1. Passing slower traffic traveling straight ahead
    2. Left turns in either direction, or permitted U-turns
    3. Parking while waiting for a turn opportunity
    4. Driving several blocks straight through the center of the road
    Show answer

    Left turns in either direction, or permitted U-turns. A shared center lane is reserved for vehicles preparing to turn left from either direction, and it can serve a U-turn when that maneuver is permitted. It is not a passing lane or a through lane, so the straight-driving choices misuse the space. Parking there creates an obstruction and is not a turning purpose. The guide also limits travel in the center lane to no farther than 300 feet. Enter only to set up the turn, then complete it safely.

13. 13. What should you do if your vehicle has trouble on the road and can be moved safely?

    1. Leave it in the travel lane with no warning lights
    2. Get it off the road and away from traffic
    3. Stop just beyond a hill so other drivers cannot see it
    4. Stand in the lane and direct traffic around it
    Show answer

    Get it off the road and away from traffic. When possible, move a disabled vehicle away from active traffic. The guide also advises stopping where other drivers have a clear view, turning on emergency flashers and headlights, and placing flares behind the vehicle when available. A hidden position beyond a hill gives approaching drivers less time to react. Standing in a travel lane exposes you to a collision. Once stopped, keep yourself in a safe location and make the vehicle visible without becoming part of the traffic hazard.

14. 14. How much driving experience must the licensed driver have who supervises a Washington teen's 50 practice hours?

    1. 1 or more years
    2. 5 or more years
    3. 10 or more years
    4. 3 or more years
    Show answer

    3 or more years. A teen seeking a first license at 16 or 17 needs at least 40 hours of day driving and 10 at night with a licensed driver who has 3 or more years of experience. Five years is the requirement for someone supervising an adult permit holder 18 or older, so it belongs to a different path. One year is too little, and ten years is more than the rule asks. A parent or guardian must attest to the hours.

15. 15. What does Selective Service registration through Washington licensing mean?

    1. Automatic enlistment in the military
    2. A background check for the license
    3. Registration to vote
    4. A person assigned male at birth between ages 18 and 25 becomes eligible to be drafted in a national emergency
    Show answer

    A person assigned male at birth between ages 18 and 25 becomes eligible to be drafted in a national emergency. The guide's glossary explains that Selective Service registration makes a person assigned male at birth between ages 18 and 25 eligible to be drafted in the military in case of a national emergency. Registration is a federal requirement handled alongside license applications; it is not enlistment and not a background check. Voter registration is a separate option offered at licensing offices.

16. 16. When entering a roundabout, who must yield?

    1. Approaching vehicles must yield to traffic already in the roundabout
    2. The largest vehicle always has priority
    3. Traffic already circulating must stop for every entering vehicle
    4. Vehicles entering from the left have priority
    Show answer

    Approaching vehicles must yield to traffic already in the roundabout. At a roundabout, approaching vehicles yield to traffic already circulating. Slow down, look left, and wait for a safe opening before entering. Once inside, follow your lane and continue counterclockwise toward the chosen exit. Making circulating traffic stop would defeat the roundabout’s continuous flow, and vehicle size does not determine priority. The strongest visual cue is traffic already moving around the center island. Yield before entry, then watch for pedestrians and bicyclists at the crosswalk as you enter and exit.

17. 17. How far before a fire station driveway is parking prohibited on the opposite side of the street?

    1. 15 feet
    2. 75 feet
    3. 30 feet
    4. 50 feet
    Show answer

    75 feet. Washington parking rules prohibit parking within 75 feet of a fire station driveway on the opposite side of the street. The other distances are used for different restrictions, including fire hydrants, traffic control signs, or railroad crossings. Keeping this larger clear area helps emergency vehicles enter and leave without obstruction. The cue is a fire station driveway: measure the approach and opposite side carefully before leaving a parked vehicle there.

18. 18. At a four-way stop, which vehicle has priority when one arrives before the others?

    
    1. The largest vehicle
    2. The vehicle closest to the center line
    3. The first vehicle to arrive
    4. The vehicle with the brightest headlights
    Show answer

    The first vehicle to arrive. At a four-way stop, the first vehicle to arrive is the first to go. If another vehicle arrives second, it follows second, subject to the normal yielding rules. Vehicle size, lane position, and headlight brightness do not create right-of-way. A tie is handled separately by yielding to the vehicle on the right, and a left-turning vehicle must yield to traffic going straight or turning right. Make the full stop, establish arrival order, and move only after checking for people in the crosswalk and other hazards.

19. 19. A Washington driver is convicted of DUI. Within what range can the driving privilege be suspended?

    1. 90 days to 4 years
    2. 7 days to 30 days
    3. 90 days to 730 days only for refusals
    4. Exactly one year every time
    Show answer

    90 days to 4 years. A DUI conviction can bring a suspension of 90 days to 4 years, along with a probationary license, an ignition interlock device, proof of financial responsibility, an alcohol assessment, and retesting. The 90 to 730 day range is for refusing a test, not for a conviction. Seven to 30 days is far too short, and the length is not a fixed year. Alcohol and drug offenses stay on the driving record for life.

20. 20. What should you do when driving near a large truck that you cannot see the driver’s mirrors?

    1. Stay beside the truck until you reach the next intersection
    2. Pass closely on the shoulder to leave the blind zone
    3. Move away from the truck because its driver cannot see you
    4. Assume the truck driver can see you through the side window
    Show answer

    Move away from the truck because its driver cannot see you. If you cannot see the driver’s mirrors, the guide says the truck driver cannot see you. The safest response is to avoid remaining in that blind zone and create space away from the large vehicle. Staying alongside prolongs the hidden position, and using the shoulder is not a normal passing maneuver. A side window does not defeat the mirror-based blind-zone warning. Treat the missing mirror view as a direct cue to change position safely and avoid lingering beside the truck.