Tennessee Permit Practice Test 3
A third full-length Tennessee practice test: 30 more questions with zero repeats from Tests 1 or 2 — including extra Tennessee-specific rules. The real TDOSHS Driver License Knowledge Test has 30 questions, and you need 24 correct (80%) to pass.
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. Why does Tennessee tell you not to leave high beams on when other traffic is near?
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Correct answer: A. Tennessee says high beams make it difficult for oncoming drivers to see, and the glare may reflect blindingly in the rear-view mirror of vehicles you are following. Dim for other traffic. Daytime running lights on some newer cars are not a reason to skip real headlights in weather.
2. You are driving on a road with few traffic lights when you see a yellow diamond sign showing a traffic signal symbol. Why is this sign posted, and how should you respond?
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Correct answer: B. Signal-ahead warnings are posted where a traffic light may surprise drivers, such as after a long stretch without one or where a hill blocks the view. Ease off the gas early so a sudden red light cannot catch you.
3. A freeway on-ramp has a recommended speed of 35 mph on a yellow plaque. The freeway is posted 65. What should you do on the ramp curve?
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Correct answer: B. Yellow advisory speeds mark ramps and curves that cannot be taken at the highway limit. Slow for the curve, then speed up in the acceleration lane. Advisory plaques are the voice of physics, not decoration.
4. 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.
5. A parent in Tennessee wants to start permit practice as soon as the law allows. The earliest learner's-permit age is:
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Correct answer: C. Tennessee opens the learner's-permit door at 15. Starting then, with a supervising adult, is how GDL is supposed to work. Younger than that, the answer is still wait.
6. You enter a Tennessee roundabout, traffic circle, rotary, or town square. Who has the right-of-way?
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Correct answer: A. Tennessee’s right-of-way list says that when you enter a roundabout, traffic circle, or rotary — also called town squares — you must yield to traffic already in the roundabout. Keep moving with the flow once you are inside. Do not stop in the circulating lane to argue the gap.
7. On any road sign, what does the color red signal to drivers?
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Correct answer: D. Red is reserved for the strongest commands: stop, yield, do not enter, and wrong way. It marks actions that are forbidden or must halt. When red appears, something about your movement has to change right now.
8. How long must you hold a Tennessee learner permit before you can move up to the Intermediate Restricted license?
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Correct answer: C. Tennessee requires a 180-day permit hold before the Intermediate Restricted license, giving new drivers roughly six months of supervised practice. Think 'six months on a permit' — about half a year behind the wheel before you drive with fewer limits.
9. A tire blows out at highway speed. What should you do first?
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Correct answer: B. A blowout pulls the car; your job is to keep it pointed straight while speed drops. Hard braking can spin you. Once you are slow and under control, signal and move off the pavement. Hold, ease, then brake.
10. An ambulance with flashing lights and a siren comes up behind you on a two-way street. What should you do?
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Correct answer: C. When an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren, pull to the right edge of the road and stop, avoiding blocking intersections. A predictable move to the right opens a clear lane. Everyone right, everyone stopped, help gets through.
11. The posted limit is unchanged, but traffic, weather, and light have all gotten worse. What does the basic speed rule require?
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Correct answer: C. The basic speed rule says you may not drive faster than conditions safely allow, no matter what the sign posts. Rain, darkness, and crowds shrink your margin for error. Conditions set the real limit; the sign sets the ceiling.
12. Before turning left across oncoming traffic, why should you look twice for motorcycles?
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Correct answer: A. A motorcycle's narrow profile fools your eyes: it looks farther away and slower than it really is. Many rider deaths happen when cars turn left across their path. Look twice and judge twice before you commit.
13. If your car stalls on a railroad track, what does NHTSA say to do first?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA railroad-crossing guidance says If your car stalls on a track, quickly get everyone out — even if you don’t see a train coming. Run away from the tracks and your car to avoid being hit by flying debris. Call the number on the blue emergency notification system sign.
14. Why do most GDL programs limit teen passengers in the first months of licensure?
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Correct answer: A. Crash data show that extra teen passengers raise risk more than almost any other GDL factor. The limit is a safety rule, not a punishment. Fewer friends in the car means more attention on the road.
15. The traffic signal is dark at an intersection because of a power failure. How should you treat it?
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Correct answer: A. A dark signal is treated like a stop sign in every direction so nobody assumes they have a green. Come to a full stop, then apply the usual all-way-stop order. No lights means nobody has a free pass.
16. An officer stops an adult driver in Tennessee and a breath test is given. At what BAC reading can that driver be charged with driving under the influence, even if their driving looked steady?
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Correct answer: C. A BAC of 0.08% or more is enough by itself for a DUI charge in Tennessee. The law uses a fixed number because alcohol impairs everyone, and drivers are poor judges of their own impairment behind the wheel.
17. One sign shape is so important that it is reserved for a single message: STOP. Which shape is it?
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Correct answer: B. The eight-sided octagon belongs to the stop sign alone, so you can recognize a stop even when the face is snow-covered or faded. Count eight sides, prepare to stop. No other sign may borrow this shape.
18. In Tennessee, a driver who is 21 or older breaks the law by driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above what level?
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Correct answer: A. Tennessee law makes it illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.08% or higher. Alcohol slows judgment and reaction time, and impairment can begin well below that number. Treat 0.08% as a legal line, not a safe target.
19. An emergency vehicle is using a Tennessee road. When may you enter the next intersection?
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Correct answer: A. Tennessee says do not enter an intersection unless you can get through it without having to stop. If you are already in the intersection when an emergency vehicle approaches, drive through, then pull over. Do not trap the emergency vehicle in the box.
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 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.
22. What first responsible-driver step does NHTSA list if you plan to drink?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA drunk-driving guidance says Plan your safe ride home before you start the party, choose a non-drinking friend as a designated driver. If you drink, do not drive for any reason.
23. How far from a stop sign or traffic signal should you stay when you park, unless signs say otherwise?
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Correct answer: B. Thirty feet from a stop sign or signal keeps the sign visible and the corner open for turning vehicles. Parking closer creates a blind box. Testers bundle this with 15 / 20 / 50 as the parking-distance set.
24. Signs on Tennessee highways vary from road to road, but the law sets one absolute top limit for the fastest routes. That limit is which value?
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Correct answer: D. By statute, 70 mph is the fastest any Tennessee road can be posted. Below that ceiling, engineers set each road's limit for its design and traffic, which is why the posted sign on your road governs.
25. Which pair of official NHTSA NDR codes records driving while a license is revoked versus suspended?
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Correct answer: A. Official 23 CFR 1327 Appendix A (NHTSA NDR) lists B25 Driving while license revoked and B26 Driving while license suspended as separate codes. The leftover temporary-versus-erased definition is state terminology; this nearby official national code pair is.
26. On a multilane highway, white lines separate the lanes. What does the white color tell you about the traffic around you?
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Correct answer: B. White lines divide lanes of traffic that flow the same way, while yellow divides opposing flows. Reading line color at a glance tells you instantly where oncoming cars can be. White means with you, yellow means toward you.
27. A classmate insists everyone must wait until 18 to start driving in Tennessee. The real minimum age for a learner's permit is which of these?
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Correct answer: D. Your classmate is wrong: Tennessee grants learner's permits at 15. Starting earlier gives you months of supervised practice while risk is lowest. When rules feel fuzzy, confirm them in the official state driver handbook.
28. Tennessee enforces 'zero tolerance' for underage drinking and driving. In practice, a driver under 21 violates this law at what BAC?
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Correct answer: A. Zero tolerance in Tennessee means the under-21 line sits at 0.02%, so even one drink can end in a suspended license. The memory hook is simple: under 21 means zero drinks before you drive.
29. A passenger claims some Tennessee highways have unlimited speed like the German autobahn. In reality, the state's highest legal limit is which of these?
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Correct answer: D. Every road in Tennessee has a limit, and the statewide ceiling is 70 mph on designated highways. Higher speeds multiply crash energy dramatically, so no US state allows unlimited speed. Follow whatever limit is actually posted.
30. A 19-year-old driver in Tennessee says a single sip cannot matter. Under the under-21 rule, the limit is which of these?
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Correct answer: B. Tennessee applies a zero-tolerance rule for drivers under 21: 0.02%. A sip can be enough. If you are under 21, the only safe plan is no alcohol before driving.
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