Virginia Permit Practice Test 4
A fourth full-length Virginia practice test: 30 more questions with zero repeats from Tests 1–3 — including extra Virginia-specific rules. 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 30
1. 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.
2. When a vehicle with flashing lights is stopped on or next to a roadway, what does official NHTSA Move Over guidance say drivers should do?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA Move Over guidance says all 50 states have Move Over laws. When a vehicle with flashing lights is stopped on or next to a roadway, 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.
3. How far from other traffic must you drop high beams in Virginia?
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Correct answer: A. Virginia says use high beams on highways unless a vehicle is within 500 feet coming toward you, and dim when you are within 200 feet of the vehicle ahead. If oncoming high beams stay on, glance toward the side of the road instead of staring into the lights.
4. A classmate in Virginia claims the adult DUI line is 0.10%. The official per-se BAC for drivers 21 and older is which value?
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Correct answer: C. Your classmate is using an outdated number. Virginia treats 0.08% as the adult per-se line. Memorize the current figure from the official handbook, not a rumor from an older relative.
5. May you drive unsupervised on a learner’s permit, according to NHTSA?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA GDL guidance says A learner’s permit allows driving only while supervised by a fully licensed driver. GDL reduces the amount of unsupervised driving by 16-year-olds. The leftover empty-road exception is not on that page.
6. A yellow diamond sign ahead shows a plus symbol, like a small cross. What is this sign warning you about?
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Correct answer: A. The crossroad symbol warns that a full intersection is ahead, so vehicles may pull out or turn from the left or right. Slow down and scan both directions. Picture the plus sign as two roads meeting.
7. Virginia traffic signals are out of service because of a power outage or other problem and are not displaying signal indications. How should you treat the intersection?
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Correct answer: A. Virginia’s out-of-service-signal rule tells you that when traffic signals are not working because of a power outage or other problem and are not displaying indications, you must stop and proceed only when it is safe. Do not assume the main street still has a free green.
8. 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.
9. A truck ahead signals a right turn but first swings out toward the left. What should you do?
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Correct answer: C. Long vehicles swing wide to make right turns, and the tempting gap on their right closes like a trap once the trailer comes around. Hold back and wait. Do not slide into the right side of a turning truck.
10. You are 25 and had wine at a dinner party in Virginia. Before driving home, you check the law. At what BAC does driving become illegal for you?
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Correct answer: D. For adult drivers in Virginia, driving is illegal at a BAC of 0.08% or above. Because impairment starts before the limit, the safest plan after drinking is a ride share, taxi, or sober designated driver.
11. A 17-year-old in Virginia 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. Virginia's zero-tolerance law applies at 0.02% 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.
12. Why is it illegal to park on a sidewalk or in a crosswalk?
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Correct answer: B. Sidewalks and crosswalks are reserved walking space; a parked car there pushes pedestrians, strollers, and wheelchairs out into traffic lanes. The law keeps walking paths continuous and safe. If people walk there, your car does not belong there.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. You turn off a busy road into a quiet subdivision in Virginia and see no speed limit sign on the new street. Your maximum legal speed is now which value?
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Correct answer: D. Once you enter an unposted residential street in Virginia, the limit drops to the default of 25 mph. Slow down as you turn in; the quiet look of a subdivision hides driveways, cyclists, and children near the pavement.
16. A Virginia “No Left Turn” sign is posted. How does Virginia treat a U-turn there?
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Correct answer: A. Virginia’s manual says U-turns are considered as two left turns and are illegal if a No Left Turn sign is posted. Drivers who only read the U-turn plaque miss the trap. If Virginia bars the left, it also bars the turnaround that is built from two lefts.
17. 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.
18. Traffic around you on a Virginia highway posted at the state maximum starts flowing faster than the signs allow. Your personal legal limit remains which speed?
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Correct answer: C. Other drivers speeding does not raise your limit; on Virginia's fastest highways it stays 70 mph. Move right and let them pass instead of matching them. Speed limits bind each driver individually, whatever the surrounding traffic does.
19. An 18-year-old in Virginia 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 Virginia'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.
20. While you wait to turn, the green arrow changes to a steady yellow arrow. What is the signal telling you?
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Correct answer: D. A steady yellow arrow warns that the protected turning phase is about to end. Stop if you can do so safely; drivers already at the point of no return may finish the turn cautiously. Yellow arrow means wrap up, not speed up.
21. You are 16 and fail the Virginia knowledge exam. How long must you wait before you can take it again?
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Correct answer: B. Applicants under 18 who fail Virginia's knowledge exam must wait a full 15 days before retesting, while adults may test once per day. The pause pushes teens to restudy the manual — fail as a teen, wait fifteen days.
22. 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.
23. You hit a stretch of heavy rain and patchy fog on the highway. How should you adjust your speed?
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Correct answer: B. In rain or fog, reduce speed until you could stop within the distance you can actually see, since wet pavement stretches stopping distance and fog hides hazards. Drive by sight distance: if you cannot see it, slow for it.
24. A pedestrian has stepped into a marked crosswalk on your street, and the light is green for you. What must you do?
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Correct answer: B. Pedestrians in a crosswalk have the right-of-way even when your light is green. Stop or slow until they are clear. A green light does not let you run someone over. People in the stripes go first.
25. You are counting down the days until you can start driving in Virginia. 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 15½, the minimum learner's permit age in Virginia. Starting at the minimum is smart: more months of supervised practice before licensure means more experience with traffic, weather, and night driving while coached.
26. You park facing downhill on a street with a curb. Where should your front wheels point?
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Correct answer: C. When parking downhill with a curb, turn your front wheels toward the curb; if the car rolls, the tire wedges against the curb instead of drifting into traffic. Think downhill, dive toward the curb, and set the brake.
27. How does NHTSA say a lap and shoulder belt should sit?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA seat-belt guidance says Place the shoulder belt across the middle of your chest and away from your neck. The lap belt rests across your hips, not your stomach. NEVER put the shoulder belt behind your back or under an arm.
28. If your vehicle catches fire, what first steps does the U.S. Fire Administration list?
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Correct answer: A. Official USFA vehicle-fire guidance says Pull over as quickly as you can when it is safe. Once you have stopped, turn off the engine. Get everyone out of the vehicle. Never return to a burning vehicle. Move everyone at least 100 feet from the burning vehicle and well away from traffic. Call 911.
29. 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.
30. Your younger sibling asks when they can get a learner's permit in Virginia. What age do you tell them?
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Correct answer: A. Tell them 15½; that is when Virginia 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.
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