Tennessee Permit Practice Test 4
A fourth full-length Tennessee practice test: 30 more questions with zero repeats from Tests 1–3 — 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. 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.
2. In Tennessee, an under-21 driver can face a license suspension for alcohol at a much lower level than an adult DUI. That zero-tolerance level is which of these?
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Correct answer: D. Reaching 0.02% can cost a driver under 21 their license in Tennessee, even when they show no obvious impairment. The state treats underage drinking and driving as a license issue first, aiming to stop the habit early.
3. A freeway lane is marked with white diamond symbols, and a sign says the lane is for high-occupancy vehicles (HOV 2+). Who may drive in it during the posted hours?
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Correct answer: B. Diamond-marked HOV lanes are reserved for vehicles meeting the posted occupancy, like two or more people in an HOV 2+ lane. Rewarding shared rides moves more people in fewer cars. The diamond means special rules, so read the sign before entering.
4. After two drinks at a barbecue in Tennessee, you consider driving home. For a driver 21 or older, that becomes illegal starting at which BAC?
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Correct answer: A. Driving in Tennessee becomes a per-se DUI at a BAC of 0.08%. Drinks affect people differently, so you cannot reliably guess your number. When you have been drinking, the smart decision is simply to skip driving.
5. A properly identified Tennessee funeral procession is on a two-lane road. What must other drivers avoid?
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Correct answer: A. Tennessee says vehicles following a funeral procession on a two-lane roadway may not attempt to pass it, and no operator may drive between vehicles in a properly identified procession except when directed by a police officer. Common courtesy also has oncoming traffic pull to the side as a sign of respect.
6. On its fastest highways, Tennessee allows a top posted speed limit of which value?
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Correct answer: A. The highest speed limit in Tennessee is 70 mph, and only certain highways are posted that high. Most roads carry lower limits, so drive by the signs in front of you, and slow down when conditions worsen.
7. Your Tennessee windshield wipers are in constant use because of rain, mist, or snow. What does state law require?
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Correct answer: A. Tennessee requires headlights when rain, mist, snow, or other precipitation requires constant use of windshield wipers, and from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise. The manual says headlights with wipers is not just a precaution—it is the law.
8. Your younger sibling asks when they can get a learner's permit in Tennessee. What age do you tell them?
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Correct answer: A. Tell them 15; that is when Tennessee allows a learner's permit application. Until then, driving on public roads is off the table. Graduated licensing phases in privileges so new drivers gain experience under lower-risk conditions.
9. 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.
10. Where does modern guidance tell you to place your hands on the steering wheel?
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Correct answer: D. Hold the wheel near the 9 and 3 o'clock positions, level on each side. This grip gives balanced control and keeps your arms out of the path of a deploying airbag. Think low and wide, clear of the bag.
11. How does the alcohol in a regular beer compare with a standard glass of wine or a single shot of liquor?
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Correct answer: B. A standard beer, glass of wine, and shot of liquor each deliver about the same alcohol, so switching drinks does not protect you. Your body counts drinks, not drink types. One is one, whatever the glass looks like.
12. Which official NHTSA NDR code records driving with an expired or missing license?
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Correct answer: A. Official 23 CFR 1327 Appendix A lists B51 Expired or no driver license (includes DL, CDL, and Instruction Permit). The leftover impound-and-delay sentence is state sanction wording; this nearby official national code is.
13. An 18-year-old in Tennessee has one beer at a graduation party and then drives. At what BAC could this driver already be violating the zero-tolerance law?
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Correct answer: C. One beer can push a young driver to 0.02%, the level where Tennessee's zero-tolerance law kicks in. The rule protects new drivers, whose crash risk rises quickly with alcohol. Skip every drink if you plan to drive.
14. Traffic ahead suddenly stacks up on a freeway. What is the safest speed choice?
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Correct answer: B. The posted limit is a maximum, not a target. In dense or slowing traffic you must drop to a speed that lets you stop in the space you can see. Basic speed law: do not drive faster than conditions allow.
15. Can you be convicted of DUI in Tennessee even when your blood alcohol concentration is below the legal limit?
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Correct answer: B. Tennessee can convict impaired drivers regardless of BAC — even a 0.00 reading — when drugs, including prescriptions, affect driving. Officers act on erratic driving they observe, so impairment itself is the offense; the number is only one kind of proof.
16. In Tennessee, 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 Tennessee, that number is 0.08%. No other proof of bad driving is needed at that level, and alcohol can still impair you below it.
17. While driving, you notice a brown sign with white letters pointing toward a destination. What kind of place does a brown sign identify?
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Correct answer: A. Brown signs guide you to recreational and cultural spots such as parks, campgrounds, monuments, and historic sites. The earthy brown color hints at outdoor places. When you are hunting for scenery or history, follow the brown signs.
18. What does official NHTSA Move Over guidance tell you to do when flashing lights are stopped on the shoulder?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA Move Over guidance says All states require drivers to move over and slow down for emergency vehicles with flashing lights. Drivers approaching the vehicle should change into a lane not immediately adjacent to the vehicle, or slow down to a reasonable speed if you’re unable to safely make a lane change.
19. What is parallel parking, according to the official CA handbook wording used nationwide?
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Correct answer: A. Official California Driver Handbook wording says Parallel parking is when you park in line with the road and other parked vehicles. State inch-from-curb finish numbers differ, so this leftover uses that nationally applicable definition instead of inventing a national inch rule.
20. An ice-cream truck is stopped ahead and children are gathered around it. How should you drive past?
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Correct answer: C. Slow way down and cover your brake near children or a stopped ice-cream truck, because kids chase treats and forget traffic completely. Expect someone small to dart out. Around children, drive as if one already has.
21. 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.
22. You are counting down the days until you can start driving in Tennessee. The earliest age you can hold a learner's permit is which of these?
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Correct answer: D. The countdown ends at 15, the minimum learner's permit age in Tennessee. Starting at the minimum is smart: more months of supervised practice before licensure means more experience with traffic, weather, and night driving while coached.
23. Unless a different limit is posted, what is the speed limit on Tennessee's primary and secondary state and federal highways?
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Correct answer: D. On Tennessee primary and secondary state and federal highways, the limit is 55 mph unless signs say otherwise. Interstates run faster, but ordinary highways default to double nickels — when no sign is in sight, think fifty-five.
24. A solid white line, instead of a broken one, separates your lane from the next lane going the same way. What is it telling you?
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Correct answer: A. A solid white line between same-direction lanes discourages lane changes, and it appears where drifting is risky, such as near intersections and ramps. The firmer the line looks, the firmer the message: hold your lane.
25. Setting cruise control on a rural Tennessee interstate posted at the state maximum, you should set it no higher than which speed?
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Correct answer: B. The state maximum in Tennessee is 70 mph, so cruise control should not be set above it where that limit is posted. Think of the posted limit as a ceiling for ideal conditions, not a required speed.
26. Several vehicles reach a four-way stop at different times. Who has the right-of-way?
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Correct answer: B. At an all-way stop, the vehicle that arrives and stops first proceeds first, with others following in arrival order. This first-come, first-served system prevents confusion. Think of it as taking a number at a busy counter.
27. Unless a local sign posts a different number, how far must you stay from a fire hydrant when you park?
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Correct answer: B. Most state handbooks use a 15-foot keep-clear zone at hydrants so firefighters can hook up hoses without moving cars. Fifteen is the number social-study threads keep missing. If you can touch the hydrant from the door, you are too close.
28. A brown sign with white recreation symbols appears beside the highway. What kind of information is it giving?
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Correct answer: B. Brown signs point to cultural and recreation destinations. They do not change the speed limit or right-of-way. Use them to find the park; keep obeying the white and yellow signs for the rules.
29. You want to turn left on a circular green light with no arrow. Oncoming cars are coming straight through. Who goes first?
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Correct answer: B. A circular green lets you turn left only after yielding to oncoming traffic and to pedestrians. It is not a protected green arrow. Wait in the intersection if your state allows, then complete the turn without cutting anyone off.
30. If coffee is not enough, what short-term drowsy-driving step does NHTSA list?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA drowsy-driving guidance says Drinking coffee or energy drinks alone is not always enough. They might help you feel more alert, but the effects last only a short time. Pull over for a short 20-minute nap in a safe place.
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