WI Permit Practice Test 9

All 20 questions in test 9

Every question below comes from the Wisconsin 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 does a dashed yellow center line allow when it is safe?

   1. Parking in the center of the roadway
   2. Passing other vehicles
   3. Turning only at a traffic signal
   4. Driving against traffic without checking
   Show answer

   Passing other vehicles. A dashed yellow line separates opposing traffic but indicates that passing may be allowed when it is safe to do so. Before passing, check for approaching vehicles, adequate sight distance, and a clear return path. The marking does not create a parking area or limit turns to signalized intersections. It also never excuses driving against traffic without checking. The word dashed is the cue: unlike two solid yellow lines, it can identify a passing opportunity when conditions support it.

2. 2. When may you turn right at a steady red light in Wisconsin?

   
   1. Immediately, without stopping if the road is empty
   2. After stopping first, yielding to all traffic, and confirming it is safe with no prohibiting sign
   3. Only after the light turns green
   4. Whenever a vehicle behind you honks
   Show answer

   After stopping first, yielding to all traffic, and confirming it is safe with no prohibiting sign. A right turn on steady red requires a full stop first. After stopping, yield to all traffic, check for pedestrians, and turn only when it is safe and no sign prohibits the movement. An empty-looking road does not remove the stop requirement, and a horn from behind cannot authorize the turn. Waiting for green is more restrictive than the handbook’s rule, but proceeding immediately is unsafe and unlawful. The study sequence is stop, yield, check, then turn while staying in your lane.

3. 3. At a four-way stop, who has priority when vehicles arrive at different times?

   
   1. The vehicle with the brightest headlights
   2. The driver making a left turn
   3. The largest vehicle at the intersection
   4. The driver or bicyclist that arrived first
   Show answer

   The driver or bicyclist that arrived first. At a four-way stop, arrival order controls when the arrivals are separated. The driver or bicyclist who reached the stop first proceeds before later arrivals. A left turn does not create automatic priority, and vehicle size or headlight brightness has no role in this rule. If arrivals occur at the same time, Wisconsin gives the first move to the driver on the right. A practical habit is to notice who stopped before you and yield accordingly rather than assuming the right-hand vehicle always goes first.

4. 4. At a Wisconsin intersection, what action follows a flashing red signal?

   1. Wait for the signal to change to green
   2. Slow to walking speed without stopping
   3. Continue if no cross traffic is visible
   4. Make a full stop, then proceed when safe
   Show answer

   Make a full stop, then proceed when safe. A flashing red indication requires the same first action as a stop sign: bring the vehicle to a complete stop. After stopping, the driver may continue only when the intersection is safe. Merely reducing speed leaves the required stop unfinished, and an empty-looking intersection does not remove the duty to stop. Waiting for a green light is unnecessary because this signal permits movement after the stop and safety check. Think stop first, then scan for traffic, people, and any officer directing vehicles.

5. 5. How much room should you give a snowplow in Wisconsin when its lights are flashing?

   1. At least 200 feet
   2. At least 20 feet
   3. At least 50 feet
   4. At least 1,000 feet
   Show answer

   At least 200 feet. Wisconsin's winter driving tips tell drivers to give snowplows at least 200 feet of room when their lights are flashing red, amber or green. Twenty feet is the school bus stopping distance and far too close to a plow throwing snow. Fifty feet is still too close. A thousand feet is not the handbook's figure. Plows move slowly and spread material, so the extra room protects both you and the operator.

6. 6. How much room must you give a bicyclist when passing in Wisconsin?

   1. At least one foot
   2. At least three feet
   3. At least ten feet
   4. Half a lane width
   Show answer

   At least three feet. Wisconsin tells drivers to give bicyclists at least three feet of room when passing, and to wait for oncoming traffic to clear before passing. Bicyclists can use the whole traffic lane, and drivers should not share a lane with them because they can move into your path quickly. One foot is far too close. Ten feet is the handbook's stopping distance for a pedestrian with a white cane or guide dog. Half a lane is not a measure the handbook uses.

7. 7. What does the pictured regulatory sign tell you to do?

   
   1. Do not enter the roadway
   2. Enter only after sounding the horn
   3. Park outside the marked lane
   4. Use the roadway only for a U-turn
   Show answer

   Do not enter the roadway. The red and white message prohibits entering the roadway. Wisconsin identifies this sign at exit ramps where a driver could travel the wrong direction and on one-way streets. The choice “Enter only after sounding the horn” invents a horn condition, and the parking choice concerns vehicle placement rather than entry. The U-turn option also misreads a prohibition as a permitted maneuver. Look for this sign before crossing into a ramp or street, especially where the road layout could make the intended direction unclear.

8. 8. What action does a Wisconsin Road Workers Ahead sign encourage?

   1. Stop in the travel lane until construction ends
   2. Maintain speed because workers must leave the lane
   3. Slow down or move over for workers ahead
   4. Use the shoulder to pass the work area quickly
   Show answer

   Slow down or move over for workers ahead. A Road Workers Ahead sign warns that people are working near the roadway. Slow down and move over when that can be done safely, giving workers more time and space. Maintaining speed leaves less margin around the work zone, while stopping in the travel lane can create a separate collision hazard. The shoulder is not automatically an open passing lane. Scan for cones, flaggers, and changing lane paths, then follow the posted directions as you approach the workers.

9. 9. When may you cross a solid white line between lanes?

   1. Only for a hazard or a turn within the next block
   2. Whenever another driver is behind you
   3. Only when passing on the left
   4. At any time after signaling
   Show answer

   Only for a hazard or a turn within the next block. A solid white line normally means you cannot cross it. Wisconsin identifies two limited reasons: avoiding a hazard or turning within the next block. Signaling is important, but it does not make every crossing legal, so the choice “At any time after signaling” is too broad. Passing is not the listed exception either. Stay in your lane, monitor the road ahead, and cross only when one of those specific conditions applies safely.

10. 10. What traffic pattern follows this two opposing arrows warning?

    
    1. A school crossing is immediately ahead
    2. All traffic will continue in one direction around a median
    3. Only vehicles turning left may use the roadway
    4. You are leaving a one-way roadway and entering opposing traffic
    Show answer

    You are leaving a one-way roadway and entering opposing traffic. The two opposing arrows indicate a transition from a one-way roadway to a roadway with traffic moving in both directions. The choice “You are leaving a one-way roadway and entering opposing traffic” states that change. The median option describes a divided highway, where a physical barrier separates opposing flows. A left-turn-only lane is a lane-use instruction, not a two-way warning, and the school answer confuses unrelated symbols. As you approach the transition, keep alert for vehicles coming toward you and adjust your lane position to the new roadway arrangement.

11. 11. How does Wisconsin's handbook characterize any amount of a controlled substance while driving?

    1. It is acceptable below 0.08 percent alcohol
    2. It is treated the same as operating impaired
    3. It is allowed when the substance is prescribed
    4. It matters only after a crash
    Show answer

    It is treated the same as operating impaired. The handbook says any amount of a controlled substance is treated the same as operating while impaired. That means the issue is not reduced to an alcohol percentage, a prescription label, or whether a collision has already occurred. The adult alcohol figure in another context cannot make drug use acceptable. A prescription may still affect driving and requires attention to warning labels. The safest cue is to regard controlled substances and driving as incompatible, then arrange a sober ride instead of testing personal tolerance.

12. 12. When are Wisconsin drivers required to use low-beam headlights?

    1. Only when driving on an interstate highway
    2. From a half hour after sunset until a half hour before sunrise
    3. Only during rain, snow, or fog
    4. Whenever the vehicle is parked and idling
    Show answer

    From a half hour after sunset until a half hour before sunrise. The handbook requires low beams during the period beginning one-half hour after sunset and ending one-half hour before sunrise. It also requires them when a driver cannot see a vehicle or person 500 feet away. Rain, snow, fog, and windshield-wiper use are listed as recommended circumstances, not the only mandatory trigger. Parked vehicles should use parking lights as described separately. Check the lighting control before darkness begins, and return from high beams when another vehicle approaches.

13. 13. What should you turn on during a roadside emergency in Wisconsin?

    1. Emergency flashers
    2. High beams only
    3. The parking brake warning light
    4. Interior dome lights only
    Show answer

    Emergency flashers. For roadside emergencies, Wisconsin tells drivers to turn on emergency flashers. Flashers warn approaching traffic that your vehicle is stopped or disabled and help create time for others to react. High beams alone can glare and do not signal a roadside emergency as clearly. A parking brake light or dome light is not intended to warn traffic behind you. The cue is being stopped because of trouble, especially near a travel lane: call for help if needed and activate the hazard lights.

14. 14. What does a solid or dashed yellow line at the left edge of your lane indicate?

    1. A crosswalk reserved for pedestrians
    2. A bus-only lane beginning at the next block
    3. The left edge of traffic lanes going in your direction
    4. The right edge of the traffic lane
    Show answer

    The left edge of traffic lanes going in your direction. Wisconsin uses a solid or dashed yellow line to show the left edge of the traffic lanes going in your direction. That is different from a solid white line, which indicates the right edge of the traffic lane. A bus-only lane or crosswalk would be marked and signed differently. The useful cue is color and side: yellow on the left helps orient your lane position, especially near divided roadways, ramps, or unusual lane layouts.

15. 15. A school bus displays flashing red lights on the opposite side of an undivided road. What must you do?

    1. Stop only if the bus driver gestures
    2. Continue if you are traveling in the opposite direction
    3. Pass slowly after checking for children
    4. Stop at least 20 feet from the bus
    Show answer

    Stop at least 20 feet from the bus. A school bus with flashing red lights requires a stop at least 20 feet away. Wisconsin applies that duty whether the bus is on your side of the road or the opposite side, which covers an undivided roadway. Continuing because the bus faces another direction is unsafe. A slow pass or a driver gesture cannot replace the required stop. Remain stopped while the red lights flash, watch for children, and move only after the lights stop flashing. The key visual cue is the combination of red lights and a bus stopped to load or unload students.

16. 16. A vehicle is passing your vehicle in the same direction. What responsibility does the Wisconsin handbook assign you?

    1. Move left to occupy the passing vehicle’s lane
    2. Accelerate so the other driver cannot complete the pass
    3. Yield to the passing vehicle
    4. Maintain speed and force the other vehicle to brake
    Show answer

    Yield to the passing vehicle. A driver being passed must yield to the vehicle passing on the left or right in the same direction. Accelerating, moving into the passing lane, or forcing the other driver to brake creates conflict and contradicts the handbook’s right-of-way instruction. Ease off as needed and allow the maneuver to finish safely, while keeping control of your lane. The cue is that the other vehicle is already passing and traveling the same direction. That situation calls for cooperation, not competition over lane position or speed.

17. 17. How many questions does the Wisconsin knowledge test include, and how many must an applicant answer correctly to pass?

    1. 60 questions, with 48 correct required
    2. 40 questions, with 32 correct required
    3. 50 questions, with 40 correct required
    4. 30 questions, with 24 correct required
    Show answer

    50 questions, with 40 correct required. The Wisconsin knowledge test includes 50 questions, and an applicant must answer 40 correctly to pass. The handbook identifies that threshold as 80 percent. The other pairs preserve an 80 percent pattern but use the wrong test size, so calculating a percentage alone is not enough. Memorize both figures together: 50 total and 40 correct. The test takes about 45 minutes, but that timing detail does not change the number of questions or the passing requirement.

18. 18. What is the youngest age at which a Wisconsin teen can get an instruction permit?

    1. 15, while enrolled in driver education with behind-the-wheel
    2. 14, with a parent's signature only
    3. 16, after finishing driver education
    4. 15 and a half, with no school enrollment
    Show answer

    15, while enrolled in driver education with behind-the-wheel. An applicant under 18 must pass the knowledge test, the highway signs test and the vision screening, be at least 15 years old, and be enrolled in a driver education program that includes the behind-the-wheel portion. Fourteen is too young, and a parent signature alone is not enough. Sixteen is the minimum age for the probationary license, not the permit, and enrollment rather than completion is what the permit needs. No age 15 and a half rule appears in the handbook.

19. 19. A Wisconsin permit holder wants to practice after dark. Who must sit in the seat beside the learner?

    1. Any licensed person 19 or older
    2. Any passenger who is 18
    3. A licensed person 21 or older with one year of experience
    4. A qualified instructor, or a licensed person 25 or older with at least two years of experience
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    A qualified instructor, or a licensed person 25 or older with at least two years of experience. Night practice has a stricter supervision rule. During hours of darkness the permit holder must be accompanied by a qualified instructor or by a licensed person 25 years of age with at least two years of licensed driving experience in the seat beside the learner. A 19 year old parent or a 21 year old adult who can supervise in daylight does not meet the night rule unless 25 or an instructor. An unlicensed 18 year old never qualifies, and one year of experience is too little.

20. 20. What is the minimum age for a Wisconsin probationary license?

    1. 15
    2. 17
    3. 16
    4. 18
    Show answer

    16. The first license issued after passing the skills test at the DMV is a probationary license, and the applicant must be at least 16 years old. An applicant under 18 must also have held the instruction permit at least six months and finished driver education. Fifteen is the minimum age for the instruction permit. Seventeen is not a Wisconsin threshold for this license, and 18 is when the GDL hour and passenger restrictions stop applying.