Virginia Road Signs Practice Test
Sharpen the skill the Knowledge Exam (two-part: traffic signs, then general knowledge; multiple choice, with oral exams available on request) 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. 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.
2. You are driving past a school crossing just as classes let out. What must you be prepared to do?
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Correct answer: C. Near school crossings you must slow to any posted school speed and stop whenever children or crossing guards are in the crosswalk. Kids are small, quick, and unpredictable, so extra caution is required. Expect the unexpected wherever students gather.
3. You see a white square sign showing a curved U-shaped arrow inside a red circle with a slash through it. What is prohibited?
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Correct answer: B. The slashed U-arrow bans U-turns at that location, usually because oncoming drivers cannot see you turn around in time. Continue to a spot where reversing direction is legal and safe. Red circle plus slash means the pictured move is forbidden.
4. Orange signs, cones, and barrels suddenly appear along the highway. What does the color orange tell you?
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Correct answer: B. Orange is reserved for temporary traffic control, meaning construction and maintenance zones. Workers, machines, and lane shifts may appear with little warning, so slow down and stay alert. When you see orange, think people at work.
5. A fluorescent pink diamond is posted after a storm, showing a landslide symbol. What does the unusual color mean?
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Correct answer: B. Fluorescent pink is the MUTCD color for incident and emergency management, used for crashes, floods, or slides. Slow down and expect workers, debris, or a sudden close. Pink means something urgent just happened.
6. At the top of a ramp you see a square sign with a red circle and a white horizontal bar reading DO NOT ENTER. What does it mean?
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Correct answer: A. DO NOT ENTER marks a roadway where traffic flows toward you, such as an exit ramp or one-way street. Entering it risks a head-on crash. If you have already turned in and see WRONG WAY, pull over and turn around safely.
7. 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.
8. A diamond-shaped orange sign with black markings is posted ahead of a lane shift. What class of message is that?
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Correct answer: B. Orange diamonds are reserved for temporary traffic-control in work zones. They warn that the road, lanes, or workers ahead are not in their usual place. When the background turns orange, expect cones, narrowed lanes, and people on foot.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. You plan to leave the freeway at exit 12. How will you know which ramp is yours?
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Correct answer: B. Freeway exits carry green guide signs topped with a numbered exit panel, and the number usually matches the nearest milepost. Match the posted number to your planned exit, then move into the exit lane early.
13. Along a curb you see a white sign with a large letter P inside a red circle and slash. What does it tell you?
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Correct answer: C. A P covered by a red circle and slash is the international no-parking symbol, banning parking where the sign applies. It keeps curbs clear for visibility, hydrants, and traffic flow. Any symbol wearing the red slash is something you cannot do.
14. 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.
15. You are low on fuel on a long highway drive. Signs of which color point you to services such as gas, food, lodging, and hospitals?
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Correct answer: B. Blue signs mark motorist services, including fuel, food, lodging, rest areas, and hospitals. They let travelers plan a stop before leaving the highway. When your body or your car needs something, look for blue.
16. A yellow diamond sign shows a truck tilted nose-down on a black slope. You are about to descend a long, steep grade. What is the proper technique?
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Correct answer: C. On a steep downgrade, shift to a lower gear before descending so engine braking holds your speed, and use the brakes sparingly. Constant braking overheats the pads until they fade and fail. Gears save brakes; brakes alone can quit.
17. You approach a red circle with a slash over a U-turn arrow. What is prohibited?
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Correct answer: B. The slashed U-turn symbol bans reversing direction at that location, usually because sight distance or oncoming traffic makes the turn dangerous. Find a safer place — a driveway or a later intersection — to turn around.
18. A white regulatory sign reads NO TURN ON RED. You have a circular red light and want to go right. What must you do?
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Correct answer: B. NO TURN ON RED cancels the usual after-stop right turn. Wait for green. Cities post this where pedestrians or poor sightlines make a red-light turn dangerous. The sign overrules the general permission.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. A horizontal black sign with a white arrow and the words ONE WAY points to the left at an intersection. What does it tell you?
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Correct answer: C. A ONE WAY sign means every vehicle on that street must travel in the arrow's direction. Driving against it puts you head-on into traffic. Before turning onto any city street, glance for the arrow and follow where it points.
22. 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.
23. 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.
24. 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.
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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