District of Columbia DC DMV Permit Practice Test 30
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. A traffic signal ahead is showing a flashing red light. What does it require?
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Answer C: Stop completely, then go when the way is clear, as at a stop sign
A flashing red light has the same meaning as a stop sign: stop completely, yield to traffic and pedestrians, then proceed when it is safe.
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2. You see a shield for a three-digit Interstate whose first digit is even. What does that tell you about the route?
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Answer C: It loops around a city and rejoins its parent route
A three-digit Interstate beginning with an even digit is a loop or beltway that connects back to the main route at both ends, while an odd first digit marks a spur.
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3. You are driving on a rural road with no sidewalk. Where should you expect to meet pedestrians?
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Answer A: Walking toward you on your side of the road
Where there is no sidewalk, pedestrians are taught to walk facing traffic, so they appear on your side of the road coming toward you.
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4. A driver's blood alcohol concentration is below the legal limit, but the driver is visibly impaired. Can the driver be arrested?
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Answer C: Yes, driving while impaired by alcohol is an offense at any concentration
The per se figure, 0.08 percent in most states and 0.05 percent in Utah, is the level at which impairment is presumed. Impairment shown by driving behavior and field tests is enough on its own, because alcohol affects skills well before that number.
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5. You are the second vehicle waiting to turn left on a green ball. Where should you wait?
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Answer A: Behind the stop line, until the first vehicle has actually turned
Only the lead vehicle should move into the intersection to wait; a second vehicle inside it is likely to be stranded there when the light changes.
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6. A loaded truck is coming up an entrance ramp as you approach in the right lane of the freeway. What is the most helpful action?
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Answer A: Adjust your speed to open a gap for it
A heavy vehicle accelerates slowly, so opening a gap or moving over costs you seconds and saves the truck driver from being forced to stop on the ramp.
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7. The crossbuck, formed by two rectangular arms crossed in an X, is placed
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Answer D: on each highway approach to a railroad grade crossing
The crossbuck marks the location of a highway-rail grade crossing and is required on each highway approach to that crossing.
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8. How many hours of night driving practice must a DC applicant certify for a full license with conditions?
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Answer D: 10 hours
DC requires a signed certification of at least 10 hours of night driving practice with a driver aged 21 or older holding a valid full license.
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9. What fine does DC set for using a mobile telephone without a hands-free accessory while driving?
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Answer C: 100 dollars
DC sets a 100 dollar fine for distracted driving offenses, including handheld use of a mobile telephone.
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10. For an alert driver, about how long is the reaction time once a hazard has been recognized?
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Answer A: About three quarters of a second
Reaction alone takes roughly three quarters of a second for an alert driver, and perception takes about as long again, so a second and a half of travel is added before the brakes bite.
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11. May you park at the curb immediately next to a railroad crossing?
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Answer A: No, you must leave the crossing and its approach clear
Parking beside a crossing hides the tracks and the signals from approaching drivers and leaves no room for a vehicle that has to clear the rails.
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12. How should tire pressure be checked and set?
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Answer B: When the tires are cold, set to the pressure specified by the vehicle manufacturer
Driving heats the air and raises the reading, and the sidewall number is a maximum rather than a recommendation, so check cold and use the figure on the vehicle placard or in the owner's manual.
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13. This sign comes into view ahead of a driver who has already started along a ramp. What should the driver do?
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Answer B: Pull clear where it is safe, then turn around and leave the ramp traveling properly
The driver is traveling against the legal flow, so the safest response is to stop clear of the lanes, turn the vehicle around and get off the ramp before meeting traffic head on.
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14. A large truck is passing you on a two-lane road. What is the safest thing to do?
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Answer C: Keep right in your lane and ease off the gas a little
Staying in your own lane and easing off shortens the pass without forcing you onto a soft shoulder or into the truck's path.
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15. The traffic signal is green, but the crossing lights on the tracks inside the intersection begin to flash. What must you do?
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Answer C: Stop clear of the tracks and wait, even though the signal is green
Active crossing warning devices outrank the green indication, so you stop short of the rails and wait until the warning stops.
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16. The word SCHOOL is painted in large letters across the roadway. What is it doing?
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Answer D: Backing up the signs marking a school zone
Word markings on the pavement reinforce a message that is already signed, and a driver looking at the road ahead cannot miss them.
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17. What happens if a DC applicant fails the knowledge test six times within 12 months?
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Answer D: The seventh attempt is blocked until 12 months after the first failure
After six failures in a 12-month period, the seventh test cannot be taken until 12 months have passed since the first failure.
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18. When is a driver or rider most likely to need hand and arm signals instead of the vehicle turn signal lamps?
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Answer D: When the lamps have failed or cannot be seen because of glare or a load
Hand and arm signals replace or reinforce the lamps whenever the lamps do not work or cannot be seen clearly by other road users.
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19. What is a driver being warned about here?
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Answer B: The pavement ahead carries vehicles traveling in the opposite direction
Beyond this point vehicles come the other way on the same pavement, which commonly happens where a one-way section or a separated stretch comes to an end.
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20. You are backing straight down a driveway while looking over your right shoulder. Where should your left hand be?
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Answer C: At the top of the steering wheel, holding it with a firm grip
With one hand at the top of the wheel you can hold a straight course and make small corrections while your body is turned to look behind.
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21. You are driving at night on an unlit road using low beams. How should you choose your speed?
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Answer C: So you could stop within the distance your headlights light up
Driving faster than you can stop within the lit area is called overdriving your headlights. Anything beyond the beam is invisible until it is too late to react.
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22. You are pulling out of a farm entrance onto a rural highway. What is your obligation?
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Answer C: Yield to every vehicle already on the highway before you enter the roadway
A driver entering a highway from a private road or driveway yields to every vehicle already on the highway.
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23. What does the traffic law actually say about the right of way?
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Answer B: It says who must yield; no driver is ever entitled to take the right of way
The law describes who must yield. Right of way is something you give; insisting on it when another driver does not yield causes crashes.
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24. Why is parking too close to a street corner prohibited?
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Answer D: Because it hides approaching traffic and pedestrians
A vehicle parked at a corner blocks the view that both drivers and pedestrians need before entering the intersection.
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25. The queue for an exit ramp has backed up into the right lane of the highway. What should you do if you want that exit?
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Answer B: Join the back of the queue in the lane instead of cutting in later
Passing a queue and forcing in at the front stops the whole line, and using the shoulder puts you where broken-down vehicles are expected to be.