California Permit Practice Test 3
A third full-length California practice test: 30 more questions with zero repeats from Tests 1 or 2 — including extra California-specific rules. You need 80% correct to pass the real DMV knowledge test.
Tap an answer. The explanation opens so you can learn it, then go on. Keyboard: A–D or 1–4 to answer, then Enter or Space.
Question 1 of 30
1. A white sign with a green arrow and the word ONLY is mounted beside a traffic signal. When may you move in that direction?
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Correct answer: B. A signal-mounted green arrow with ONLY ties that movement to the arrow indication. Go that way when the arrow is on and the path is clear; otherwise wait. Arrows assign time as well as direction.
2. What is the right way to pass a bicyclist riding near the edge of your lane?
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Correct answer: B. Pass a bicyclist the patient way: ease off the gas, give plenty of side clearance, and wait until oncoming traffic allows a safe move. A wobble or pothole can push a rider sideways, so space is survival.
3. On slick or snow-covered roads, what following-distance step does NHTSA list?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA winter-driving guidance says On the road, increase your following distance enough so that you’ll have plenty of time to stop for vehicles ahead of you. The leftover count-the-seconds mnemonic is not on that page; this nearby official following-distance sentence is.
4. In California, a driver who is 21 or older commits a per-se drunk-driving offense once their blood alcohol concentration reaches which level?
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Correct answer: B. 'Per se' means the number alone proves the offense. In California, that number is 0.08%. No other proof of bad driving is needed at that level, and alcohol can still impair you below it.
5. Your 20-year-old cousin is the designated driver tonight in California. To obey the zero-tolerance law, they must keep their BAC below what threshold?
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Correct answer: A. In California, drivers under 21 violate the zero-tolerance law once their BAC reaches 0.01%. A true designated driver drinks nothing at all; that is the whole job, and it keeps every passenger legally and physically safe.
6. What would a NHTSA brake-throttle override require when a pedal is stuck?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA FMVSS 124 NPRM text says a brake-throttle override (BTO) system would require that input to the brake pedal in a vehicle must have the capability of overriding input to the accelerator pedal. The leftover shift-to-neutral mnemonic is not on that page; this nearby official stuck-accelerator rulemaking sentence is.
7. A car is stopped on a California shoulder with hazard lights or cones out. What does the Move Over law require before you pass in the next lane?
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Correct answer: A. California Vehicle Code 21809 now covers a stationary emergency vehicle, tow truck, marked highway-maintenance vehicle, or any other stationary vehicle showing hazard lights, cones, flares, or similar warnings. Approach with due caution, move into a lane that is not immediately adjacent when it is practicable, or slow to a speed that is safe for the weather, road, and traffic if that lane change would be unsafe.
8. Which official NHTSA NDR code records a financial-responsibility failure?
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Correct answer: A. Official 23 CFR 1327 Appendix A lists D35 Failure to comply with financial responsibility law and B63 Failed to file future proof of financial responsibility. The leftover insurance-or-keys mnemonic is not on that page; this nearby official national code is.
9. You are towing a small trailer on a highway posted 70 mph. What should you assume about a safe speed?
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Correct answer: B. Added weight and sway stretch your stopping distance, and some states post a lower tow limit. Even when the big number is legal, the safe number is often lower. If it sways, you are already too fast.
10. What penalties does NHTSA list for impaired driving?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA drunk-driving guidance says penalties for impaired driving can include driver’s license revocation, fines, and jail time. The leftover implied-consent chemical-test sentence is not on that page; this nearby official penalty list is.
11. You are comparing California with a neighboring state that uses 0.08%. For an adult driver in California, driving is a per-se offense at which BAC?
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Correct answer: A. Do not assume every state still uses the same adult number. In California the per-se line is 0.08%. Utah famously uses 0.05%; most others use 0.08%. Learn your own state's figure.
12. In California, state law sets a default limit for residential districts that applies wherever no speed limit sign is posted. That default is which of the following?
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Correct answer: B. California law fixes the unposted residential default at 25 mph. Lawmakers keep it low because residential streets are full of crossings, parked cars, and pedestrians. Remember: no sign means the default applies, and posted signs override it.
13. You are passing a slow truck on a California highway posted at the state's maximum limit. Even while passing, your legal ceiling stays at which speed?
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Correct answer: B. Passing grants zero extra speed allowance; in California the ceiling on those top-posted highways stays 70 mph. If you cannot complete the pass within the limit, wait for a better gap. The limit binds every maneuver.
14. Unless a sign posts another limit, the usual residential or city default in California is:
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Correct answer: A. California's typical unposted residential / city default is 25 mph. School zones and work zones drop lower. If houses line the street and no sign argues, start at 25 mph and watch the next plaque.
15. During a practice drive in California, your mom asks: 'No sign here, so how fast can you legally go on this residential street?' What is the correct answer?
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Correct answer: B. With no sign posted, the residential default in California is 25 mph. A good habit for new drivers: entering any neighborhood, assume the default, scan for signs, and let posted limits override it whenever they appear.
16. On a highway, you look for the way to your destination city. What kind of information do signs with a green background give you?
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Correct answer: D. Green guide signs point the way, listing destinations, how many miles remain, and which exits to take. They inform rather than command, so no action is required. Think of green as the color that says go this way.
17. In California, what is the youngest age at which you can apply for a learner's permit?
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Correct answer: B. California issues learner's permits starting at age 15½. The permit opens the first stage of graduated licensing, where you build skills with a supervising adult before earning fuller privileges. Know your state's number; it varies nationwide.
18. A large truck ahead starts to turn right but swings left first. What should you do?
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Correct answer: B. Long vehicles off-track: the rear wheels take a tighter path, so drivers swing wide. The tempting gap on the right is a crush zone. If you cannot see the mirrors, the driver cannot see you. Wait behind the trailer.
19. In a California rainstorm you cannot see farther than 100 feet. What speed does the handbook say is unsafe to exceed?
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Correct answer: A. California says that in a heavy rainstorm or snowstorm you may not be able to see more than 100 feet in front of your vehicle. If you cannot see farther than 100 feet, it is not safe to drive faster than 30 mph. Turn on wipers, low-beam headlights, and the defroster.
20. A pedestrian is crossing your half of the street in a crosswalk at an intersection without signals. What must you do?
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Correct answer: A. Drivers must yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk, and crosswalks legally exist at intersections even when no lines are painted. People on foot have no protection in a collision, so treat every corner as a possible crosswalk.
21. A traffic light is circular yellow after you have already entered the intersection on green. What should you do?
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Correct answer: B. Once you are in the intersection on green, a yellow that follows means finish the crossing smoothly. Stopping mid-box blocks others and can get you hit from behind. Yellow before the line means stop if you can; yellow after the line means clear out.
22. A power outage has left the traffic signals at an intersection completely dark. What should you do?
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Correct answer: A. When a signal is completely dark, treat the intersection as an all-way stop: stop fully, yield to vehicles that arrived first, and proceed in turn. This shared rule keeps order when the usual electronic referee is offline.
23. A 17-year-old in California claims, 'I only need to stay under the adult limit.' Under zero tolerance, the BAC that actually applies to under-21 drivers is what?
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Correct answer: C. The adult limit is irrelevant for minors. California's zero-tolerance law applies at 0.01% for drivers under 21, because any alcohol raises a new driver's crash risk. If you are under 21, drinking and driving do not mix.
24. Can prescription or over-the-counter medicine make driving illegal, according to NHTSA?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA drug-impaired-driving guidance says it’s illegal everywhere in America to drive under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, opioids, methamphetamines, or any potentially impairing drug–prescribed or over the counter.
25. If headlights fail, what first step does the official AZ driver manual (nationally taught headlight-failure technique) list?
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Correct answer: A. Official Arizona Driver License Manual wording — taught the same way in many state manuals — says Try the high beam/low beam switch. This may restore normal function. Turn the headlight switch on and off several times. If neither of these steps work, put on the parking lights, emergency flashers or turn signals; pull to the side of the road and stop.
26. A yellow diamond shows a sideways wind-sock or windswept tree. What risk is ahead?
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Correct answer: A. Crosswind warnings mark bridges, cuts, and open plains where gusts shove vans, trucks, and empty trailers. Ease off the gas and keep both hands on the wheel. If you drive something tall, treat the sign as a speed cut.
27. You must park on a hill where the road has no curb. Which way should you turn your wheels?
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Correct answer: A. With no curb to catch the car, always turn your wheels toward the road's edge, uphill or downhill. A runaway car then rolls off the travel lanes instead of into traffic. No curb: aim for the shoulder.
28. You pass a round yellow sign marked with a large black X and the letters R R. What is it telling you?
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Correct answer: A. The round yellow RXR sign is the advance warning for a railroad crossing, posted well before the tracks. It gives you time to slow, quiet distractions, and scan for trains. Round and yellow means railroad ahead, not at, the sign.
29. A 16-year-old with a new California provisional license generally may NOT drive alone during which hours?
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Correct answer: B. California's provisional license bans driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. during the first 12 months unless a qualifying licensed adult rides along or a documented exception applies. Late-night hours combine darkness and fatigue — the deadliest mix for new drivers.
30. A sign at an intersection shows a left-curving arrow inside a red circle with a diagonal slash. What must you do there?
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Correct answer: D. A slashed left arrow forbids left turns at that intersection, often because turning across oncoming traffic there causes crashes or blocks flow. Plan another route, such as continuing straight and circling the block. The slash cancels only the movement shown.
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