District of Columbia Road Signs Practice Test
Sharpen the skill the DC DMV Knowledge Test leans on most: 25 questions on road sign shapes, colors, and meanings, each explained in plain English. Check the DMV site for the current question count and passing score.
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 25
1. A yellow diamond shows a bicycle and the words SHARE THE ROAD. What is it asking you to do?
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Correct answer: B. Share-the-road warnings remind you that bicyclists are legal traffic. Slow, wait for a clear gap, and pass with generous space. The sign exists because drivers otherwise squeeze bikes toward the gutter.
2. Many regulatory signs show a picture inside a red circle crossed by a red diagonal slash. In general, what does that design mean?
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Correct answer: D. In the MUTCD symbol system, a red circle with a diagonal slash over any picture means that action is not allowed, such as no trucks or no bicycles. It works without words, so drivers of any language understand instantly. Slash means stop doing it.
3. You are in the right lane when you see a yellow diamond sign showing the right lane narrowing into the left lane. What should you do?
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Correct answer: B. A lane-ends sign warns your lane will disappear, so signal, match the other lane's speed, and merge before the pavement runs out. Drivers in the ending lane must yield to through traffic. Early, smooth merges prevent the last-second squeeze.
4. Leaving a one-way street, you see a yellow diamond sign with two vertical arrows pointing in opposite directions. What is it warning you about?
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Correct answer: A. The two-way traffic sign warns that the one-way section is ending and vehicles will now come toward you. Keep to the right and use extra care when passing. Two opposite arrows mean the road now flows both ways.
5. A yellow diamond shows two arrows pointing toward each other. What conflict is ahead?
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Correct answer: A. The two-way traffic warning tells you opposing cars will soon share the road, often after a divided or one-way segment. Keep right and expect headlights in the other lane. Two arrows, two directions.
6. A white vertical rectangle reads SPEED LIMIT 55. What does that number legally mean?
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Correct answer: C. A white rectangular speed limit sign is a regulatory sign, so the number is the maximum lawful speed in ideal conditions. Rain, fog, or heavy traffic can make even that speed illegal. Treat the posted number as a ceiling, not a target.
7. A yellow diamond sign shows a small red stop sign symbol with an upward arrow. What should you do when you see it?
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Correct answer: C. A stop-ahead warning is used where the actual stop sign is hidden by a curve, hill, or trees. Start braking as soon as you see it, since the real stop will appear with little warning.
8. A center lane is bordered on each side by a solid yellow line with a broken yellow line inside it, and white left-turn arrows are painted for both directions. How may you use this lane?
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Correct answer: A. A two-way left-turn lane is shared by both directions for left turns only. Enter just before your turn, watch for opposing drivers using the same lane, and never travel or pass in it. Turn, do not cruise.
9. An orange sign with a black arrow reads DETOUR. What is this sign telling you?
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Correct answer: A. Detour signs guide you along a temporary route when the normal road is closed, often for construction or an emergency. Keep following the arrows until the detour ends, and the route will return you to your original road.
10. A pentagon-shaped fluorescent yellow-green sign shows two walking children. What is it warning you about?
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Correct answer: B. The five-sided shape is reserved for school and school-crossing signs. Slow down and watch for children who may step off the curb without looking. Pentagon plus kids means school.
11. You are driving at night and can only make out the eight-sided outline of a sign ahead. Even before reading it, what does that shape tell you to do?
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Correct answer: C. The octagon is reserved for stop signs alone, so the shape itself orders a full stop. This lets you obey the sign even when snow, glare, or darkness hides the word. Eight sides always equals stop.
12. Without reading any words, what does a yellow, diamond-shaped sign tell you?
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Correct answer: C. Yellow diamonds are warning signs: they alert you to hazards or changing conditions such as curves, intersections, or merging traffic. They advise rather than order. Shape and color alone should make you lift off the gas.
13. On a two-lane road, the center line nearest your lane is broken yellow, while the line on the far side is solid yellow. When may you cross it to pass?
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Correct answer: C. A broken yellow line on your side means passing is permitted from your direction, but only when oncoming traffic is far enough away to pass safely. Broken means you may cross; solid means stay put.
14. You see a yellow diamond sign showing an arrow that bends left, then right, then left again. What does this sign tell you about the road ahead?
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Correct answer: C. A winding road sign warns of three or more curves in a row, while a single-bend arrow marks just one curve. Knowing the difference helps you hold a safe speed. Think: a wiggly arrow means the wiggles keep coming.
15. A yellow diamond sign shows two arrows curving apart around an oval island. What is this sign telling you about the road ahead?
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Correct answer: D. The divided highway begins sign means opposing traffic will soon be separated by a median or barrier. Stay right of the divider and do not cross it. Picture the two arrows as lanes splitting around an island you must not enter.
16. Which sign shape and color combination marks an interstate route?
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Correct answer: D. Interstate routes are marked by a shield split into a red band on top and a blue field below, with white numbers. Spotting the shield quickly helps you follow or avoid a freeway. Shield equals interstate.
17. A yellow diamond sign ahead displays a bold T symbol. What does this sign mean you will have to do soon?
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Correct answer: D. A T-symbol warning means your road dead-ends at a cross street, so you must slow, yield to crossing traffic, and turn left or right. The letter T shows exactly how the roads meet ahead.
18. A white sign with a black arrow bending left and the word ONLY is over your lane. What does it require?
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Correct answer: B. A black arrow plus ONLY assigns that lane to one movement. If you need to go straight, change lanes before the marking. Lane-control signs win over habit; follow the arrow you are sitting under.
19. You see a red-and-white triangular sign reading YIELD as you approach a traffic circle. What should you do?
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Correct answer: B. A yield sign tells you to slow down, check for traffic with the right-of-way, and stop only when necessary to let it pass. It keeps merges smooth without forcing pointless stops. Think of yield as give way, not a full stop every time.
20. 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.
21. You are driving in a lane with a large white arrow painted on the pavement curving to the right. What does this marking require?
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Correct answer: B. A curved lane-use arrow makes that lane turn-only: follow the arrow or change lanes before the intersection. The arrows sort traffic early so drivers do not swerve at the last second. The pavement is telling you your path.
22. A yellow diamond sign shows a car with wavy skid marks trailing behind its tires. When does this warning matter most?
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Correct answer: D. The skidding-car sign warns that the road ahead becomes slippery when wet, so slow down and avoid sudden braking or sharp steering in rain, snow, or ice. The first minutes of rain are often the slickest, as water lifts oil off the pavement.
23. On a highway you pass a white regulatory sign reading MINIMUM SPEED 40. Why is that sign posted?
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Correct answer: D. A minimum speed sign requires you to travel at least the posted speed when conditions allow. Highways post it because vehicles moving far below the flow cause rear-end and lane-change crashes. Too slow can be as dangerous as too fast.
24. You stop at a red light planning to turn right, and a white sign beside the signal reads NO TURN ON RED. What does the sign change?
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Correct answer: A. Many places allow a right turn on red after a complete stop, but a NO TURN ON RED sign removes that option. It appears where crosswalks or sight lines make red-light turns risky. When posted, red simply means wait.
25. A white sign shows a black number 25 inside a red circle. In the US, what does that usually indicate?
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Correct answer: C. A red circle around a number is the international speed-limit format, used in some US areas to show kilometers per hour. Do not treat it as 25 mph unless a miles-per-hour plaque says so. Check the unit before you match the number.
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