WV Permit Practice Test 5

All 20 questions in test 5

Every question below comes from the West Virginia 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 is the driver being warned about by this signal symbol?

   
   1. A traffic signal ahead
   2. A broken streetlight
   3. A vehicle inspection station
   4. A railroad train already blocking the road
   Show answer

   A traffic signal ahead. The symbol warns that a traffic signal is ahead. It does not report a broken streetlight, announce an inspection station, or prove that a train is already blocking the roadway. Begin checking your speed and traffic position early so you can approach the intersection smoothly. Once the signal comes into view, obey its color and any lane markings or signs that further control the movement.

2. 2. What should a driver do after completing a turn?

   1. Turn on the hazard flashers while moving
   2. Leave the signal on for the next mile
   3. Switch off the turn signal
   4. Sound the horn twice
   Show answer

   Switch off the turn signal. The handbook directs drivers to switch off a turn signal after completing the maneuver. Leaving it on can mislead other road users into expecting another turn or lane change. Hazard flashers and the horn serve different purposes and do not cancel an active direction indicator. As soon as the vehicle is straight and the turn is finished, check the dashboard indicator and cancel it. This small follow-through keeps the signal from sending a false message at the next driveway, intersection, or lane change.

3. 3. Which condition is more common in urban driving than in rural driving?

   1. No need to watch for changing traffic conditions
   2. Stray livestock and game animals beside an open highway
   3. Slow-moving farm machinery as the only traffic hazard
   4. More pedestrians, bicycles, intersections, and stop-and-go traffic
   Show answer

   More pedestrians, bicycles, intersections, and stop-and-go traffic. Urban areas bring a denser mix of pedestrians, bicycles, intersections, and repeated starts and stops. The animal and farm-equipment choices describe hazards the handbook associates with rural areas, while the choice “No need to watch for changing traffic conditions” is unsafe because every setting requires attention to changing conditions. In town, reduce speed near crossings and intersections, scan between parked or stopped vehicles, and expect a vulnerable road user to appear where sight lines are limited. Urban traffic demands frequent observation rather than a fixed-speed approach.

4. 4. An ambulance approaches with its siren sounding and warning lights flashing. What must you do?

   
   1. Stop in the intersection so the ambulance can go around
   2. Pull to the right edge, clear the intersection, and stop
   3. Continue at the speed limit until the ambulance passes
   4. Move left and maintain speed beside the emergency vehicle
   Show answer

   Pull to the right edge, clear the intersection, and stop. West Virginia directs drivers to yield to an ambulance, fire vehicle, or police vehicle using a siren and flashing warning lights. Pulling right, getting clear of the intersection, and stopping creates a predictable path for the responding vehicle. Stopping in the intersection can block its route, while continuing or moving left keeps the conflict active. Keep your foot on the brake so the emergency driver can see that you are stationary, then watch for additional emergency vehicles before moving.

5. 5. What must a West Virginia driver complete before reinstating a license that was revoked for DUI?

   1. Only a new vision test
   2. An eight hour defensive driving class
   3. Nothing beyond waiting out the revocation
   4. A prescribed Safety and Treatment program
   Show answer

   A prescribed Safety and Treatment program. Every West Virginia DUI revocation or suspension requires the driver to complete a prescribed Safety and Treatment program before becoming eligible to reinstate. A vision test is part of licensing, not DUI reinstatement. The eight hour defensive driving class is the point reduction course, which is a different program. Simply waiting out the revocation is not enough. The rule applies any time the license is revoked or suspended for a DUI, including a first offense.

6. 6. What is the first steering response recommended when a vehicle begins to skid?

   1. Turn the wheel opposite the direction of the skid and accelerate
   2. Press the brake pedal as hard as possible
   3. Take your foot off the gas pedal
   4. Release the steering wheel so the vehicle chooses its path
   Show answer

   Take your foot off the gas pedal. A skid requires calm control rather than a sudden braking maneuver. Removing your foot from the accelerator reduces the force that is driving the tires while you concentrate on steering. The handbook says not to use the brakes unless you are in danger of hitting something. Hard braking can worsen the loss of traction, and releasing the wheel gives up the control needed to straighten the vehicle. After easing off, steer in the direction of the skid, then guide the wheels toward the path you want.

7. 7. When poor weather or darkness hides sign lettering, what should a driver still be able to do?

   1. Recognize the sign and respond to its meaning
   2. Ignore the sign until the lettering becomes readable
   3. Treat every sign as a speed limit sign
   4. Stop in the travel lane to study the sign
   Show answer

   Recognize the sign and respond to its meaning. West Virginia emphasizes that a driver should use a sign's shape and color when letters are difficult to see. Fog, rain, snow, fading light, or darkness can obscure wording, but the visual design still supplies an important warning or instruction. Ignoring the sign delays the needed response, and treating every sign as a speed limit invents a rule that may not exist. Stopping in a live lane creates a new hazard. Slow appropriately, identify the sign from a safe position, and follow its message.

8. 8. How far along a street or highway does a West Virginia school zone extend from school grounds?

   1. 100 feet
   2. 50 feet
   3. 125 feet
   4. 250 feet
   Show answer

   125 feet. The handbook defines the school zone as school property plus an abutting street or highway extending 125 feet from the school grounds. The 100-foot choice is a plausible distance, but it is not the measurement used in this definition. Treat the zone as more than the immediate driveway or entrance area. When approaching school property, look for children, buses, crossing activity, and signs before deciding how quickly to travel. The distance describes the legal zone, while the posted school-zone speed and present conditions govern the safe speed.

9. 9. What effect can fatigue have on a driver's ability to operate a vehicle?

   1. It improves concentration after several hours of driving
   2. It dulls the mind and slows reaction time
   3. It affects only passengers, not the person driving
   4. It can be corrected reliably by opening a window
   Show answer

   It dulls the mind and slows reaction time. The handbook identifies lack of sleep and driving too long as causes of fatigue, and explains that being tired dulls the mind and slows reaction time. A driver who notices fatigue should pull off and rest when alone, or change drivers when another licensed driver is available. Opening a window, turning on the radio, or singing may reduce monotony, but those actions are not reliable substitutes for rest. Long trips call for a ten-minute break outside the vehicle at least every two hours.

10. 10. When entering an interstate, what must a driver do if no gap is available in traffic?

    1. Use the shoulder beyond the acceleration lane and stop as a last resort
    2. Stop in the acceleration lane and wait indefinitely
    3. Force a sharp merge into the traffic stream
    4. Reverse down the entrance ramp
    Show answer

    Use the shoulder beyond the acceleration lane and stop as a last resort. The entrance ramp guidance treats a missing gap as an unusual situation. If no gap is available, the driver may need to use the shoulder beyond the acceleration lane and stop, but only as a last resort because entering traffic from a stop is hazardous. Stopping in the acceleration lane blocks other merging vehicles. A forced merge or reversing down the ramp creates additional danger and ignores the traffic flow. First check traffic, signal, adjust speed, and seek a safe opening. Use the shoulder only when those normal steps cannot work.

11. 11. What should you do if your vehicle becomes disabled on an Interstate?

    1. Park in an exit gore so other drivers can see you
    2. Leave the vehicle in the travel lane with the headlights off
    3. Stop on the shoulder and use the vehicle for a reading or map break
    4. Move as far off the road as possible and turn on the four-way flashers
    Show answer

    Move as far off the road as possible and turn on the four-way flashers. A disabled vehicle should be moved as far off the road as possible, with the four-way flashers turned on to show that it is stopped. The handbook also advises getting everyone out and well away from the road. Interstate shoulders are for disabled vehicles, not for reading, changing drivers, or other ordinary stops, and an exit gore is a dangerous triangular area where another driver may cross unexpectedly. The key cue is visibility plus distance: warn approaching traffic and put people away from moving vehicles.

12. 12. What does a flashing yellow signal allow a driver to do at an intersection?

    1. Treat the signal as permission to speed through the intersection
    2. Proceed only after stopping and yielding like a red flasher
    3. Proceed through the intersection with caution
    4. Remain stopped until a police officer gives permission
    Show answer

    Proceed through the intersection with caution. A circular flashing yellow signal permits a driver to proceed through the intersection with caution. That does not mean the driver may accelerate carelessly or ignore cross traffic, pedestrians, or the roadway layout. A circular flashing red signal has the stop-sign treatment, so the choice “Proceed only after stopping and yielding like a red flasher” confuses two different signals. No officer is required for every flashing yellow light. Reduce speed enough to inspect the intersection, yield when another road user has priority, and continue only when the path is safe.

13. 13. What information do square and rectangular traffic signs generally provide?

    1. A guarantee that the lane ahead is free of hazards
    2. A warning that a train is approaching the crossing
    3. Traffic regulations and guidance about speed or direction
    4. A marker showing only the name of a nearby town
    Show answer

    Traffic regulations and guidance about speed or direction. Square and rectangular signs are used to show traffic regulations and guide a driver's speed and direction. They can communicate speed limits, lane directions, or other road rules. The circular or crossbuck railroad signs serve a different purpose, while a guide sign can identify a place without defining all traffic requirements. No sign shape guarantees that a roadway is hazard-free. Read the words and symbols, then combine the instruction with the actual traffic and road conditions around the vehicle.

14. 14. What should a driver do when approaching a highway construction zone with a flagger?

    1. Ignore the flagger if the lane ahead appears clear
    2. Obey the flagger's directions and the posted traffic controls
    3. Follow the vehicle ahead without watching the work-zone signs
    4. Keep the posted speed even when the flagger signals a stop
    Show answer

    Obey the flagger's directions and the posted traffic controls. Flaggers are placed in work zones to stop, slow, or guide traffic safely through the area. Their directions work together with signs, barricades, and other controls, so a driver should watch the person giving the signal and respond promptly. A clear-looking lane does not cancel a flagger's instruction because workers or equipment may be hidden farther ahead. Following another vehicle blindly is also unsafe. Reduce speed early, keep attention on the work area, and proceed only when the direction permits it.

15. 15. A West Virginia minor's school reports excessive unexcused absences to the DMV. What happens to the minor's license?

    1. Nothing, because school attendance is not a DMV matter
    2. It is revoked until age 21
    3. Only a written warning is sent to the parents
    4. It is restricted to work, medical, educational, and religious driving until 18
    Show answer

    It is restricted to work, medical, educational, and religious driving until 18. West Virginia ties a minor's license to school attendance. When the school reports nonattendance or excessive unexcused absences, the DMV restricts the license to work, medical, educational, and religious purposes until age 18, or until the student presents a reinstatement form from the school and pays the reinstatement fee. The DMV does act on these reports, so doing nothing is wrong. The restriction lasts until 18, not 21, and it is more than a warning.

16. 16. How often may a West Virginia driver use the defensive driving class point reduction?

    1. Once every 6 months
    2. Once every three years
    3. Only once in a lifetime
    4. Once every 12 months
    Show answer

    Once every 12 months. The defensive driving point reduction can be used only once every 12 months. Six months is more frequent than allowed. Three years and once in a lifetime are stricter than the West Virginia rule. Each use removes three points, and the class must be DMV approved and taken after the points appear on the record, or the driver is not eligible.

17. 17. How many non-family passengers under 20 may a Level 2 holder carry during the first six months?

    1. One
    2. None
    3. Two
    4. As many as fit with seat belts
    Show answer

    None. During the first six months, a Level 2 holder may not carry any non-family member under age 20. One such passenger becomes the maximum during the second six-month period, which explains why the option “One” can look plausible but belongs to a later stage. Two passengers and an unrestricted seat-belt condition conflict with the graduated restriction. When planning a ride, classify each young passenger by family relationship and age before starting the vehicle. The restriction concerns non-family passengers, so it should not be paraphrased as a blanket ban on every passenger.

18. 18. If two vehicles reach an uncontrolled intersection at the same time, which driver should yield?

    
    1. The driver on the left yields to the driver on the right
    2. The driver on the right yields to the driver on the left
    3. The larger vehicle always proceeds first
    4. The vehicle traveling faster proceeds first
    Show answer

    The driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. At an uncontrolled intersection or four-way stop, equal arrival creates a tie that the handbook resolves by giving priority to the driver on the right. The driver on the left must yield. Vehicle size and speed do not replace this positioning rule, and neither driver should force the issue if the other person acts unpredictably. Slow before the intersection, identify who arrived first, and be ready to yield even when you believe priority is yours. Courtesy remains more important than proving a point in the middle of traffic.

19. 19. What does a curved-arrow warning tell you about the road ahead?

    
    1. A curve or sharp turn is ahead
    2. The road is ending at a railroad
    3. A mandatory U-turn begins
    4. A lane is reserved for buses
    Show answer

    A curve or sharp turn is ahead. A curved-arrow warning indicates that the road ahead bends, possibly sharply enough to require an advisory speed. It does not mark a railroad ending, begin a mandatory U-turn, or create a bus lane. Reduce speed before entering the bend, keep the vehicle in its lane, and follow any advisory plaque beneath the warning. Smooth control is safer than hard braking mid-curve.

20. 20. What does West Virginia's Drive for Five program make easier for a license holder to remember?

    1. The date of the next road skills test
    2. The expiration date of the driver's license or identification card
    3. The date of the vehicle's annual inspection
    4. The date of the driver's first traffic citation
    Show answer

    The expiration date of the driver's license or identification card. Drive for Five is presented as a way to make the license expiration date easier to remember. The handbook connects expiration years with ages divisible by five, such as 25, 30, 35, and 40. It does not describe the program as a road-test calendar, an inspection reminder, or a record of citations. Check the renewal card for the actual date and fee because an initial license may be phased into the cycle for a different number of years. The program helps with the date, while the card remains the authority.