District of Columbia DC DMV Permit Practice Test 9
Test 9 of 10. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 20 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real District of Columbia test.
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
-
1. Heavy trucks have worn deep ruts into a highway lane and rain has filled them. What is the danger?
Show answer
Answer D: Water collects in them, so the tires can lose contact with the road
Ruts hold standing water long after the rest of the lane has drained, which makes them the most likely place to start hydroplaning.
-
2. Which handling of a mobile telephone does DC law leave outside the hands-free restriction?
Show answer
Answer D: Initiating or terminating a call, or turning the telephone on or off
DC law places initiating or terminating a call, and switching the telephone on or off, outside the restriction on handheld use.
-
3. How may a licensed adult driver use a mobile phone while driving in the District of Columbia?
Show answer
Answer C: Only with a hands-free accessory, without holding the device
DC law bars both using a device without a hands-free accessory and holding or attempting to hold the device while driving.
-
4. What is the minimum fine for a second DC impaired driving conviction?
Show answer
Answer D: 2,500 dollars
A second DC impaired driving conviction carries a fine of at least 2,500 dollars and no more than 5,000 dollars, or up to a year of incarceration, or both.
-
5. What is the correct order of steps as you finish parking an automatic on a grade?
Show answer
Answer C: Turn the wheels, set the parking brake, then select park
Setting the parking brake before shifting into park lets the brake take the load, instead of leaving the whole weight of the car on the parking pawl.
-
6. A vehicle ahead of you displays a reflective orange triangle on its rear. What does that emblem tell you?
Show answer
Answer B: The vehicle is built to travel at 25 mph or less
The orange triangle is the slow moving vehicle emblem used on farm and construction equipment designed for 25 mph or less, warning you that you are closing on it much faster than it appears.
-
7. How long may a new District resident drive on an out-of-jurisdiction license before a DC license is required?
Show answer
Answer B: Up to 60 days of residency
A person who has lived in the District for 60 days or more and drives on public roads must obtain a DC DMV driver license.
-
8. A signal on an entrance ramp changes from red to green and lets one vehicle at a time onto the highway. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Stop on the red and go on the green, one vehicle for each green
A ramp meter spaces vehicles out so they join the highway one at a time instead of arriving as a group, and it is a traffic signal like any other.
-
9. Why is passing another vehicle a bad idea in dense fog?
Show answer
Answer C: You cannot see far enough ahead to know the passing lane is clear
A pass needs a clear view of the road well beyond the vehicle you are overtaking, and fog takes exactly that away.
-
10. When are you expected to switch from high beams to low beams?
Show answer
Answer D: When a vehicle approaches from ahead or you come up behind another vehicle
High beams blind other drivers, both those coming toward you and those you follow through their mirrors. Dim them whenever another vehicle is within range.
-
11. How long is a DC DMV REAL ID learner permit valid for a US citizen?
Show answer
Answer C: Two years, and it cannot be renewed
A DC DMV REAL ID learner permit is valid for two years for US citizens and is non-renewable.
-
12. Beside an accessible parking space there is an area painted with diagonal stripes. What is it for?
Show answer
Answer C: It is an access aisle for wheelchairs and lifts, and no vehicle may park or stop in it
The striped access aisle gives the room a ramp or lift needs to deploy, so blocking it makes the adjacent accessible space unusable.
-
13. You want to move into the right lane just as an entrance ramp joins the highway at that point. What is the better choice?
Show answer
Answer B: Wait until you are past the merge area so you do not squeeze the entering traffic
The merge area is where ramp traffic has to find a gap, so adding a lane change of your own into the same space creates a conflict.
-
14. What is the minimum property damage liability coverage required in the District of Columbia?
Show answer
Answer B: 10,000 dollars
DC requires at least 10,000 dollars of property damage liability coverage for any one accident.
-
15. At what speed above the limit does DC law treat driving as aggravated reckless driving on that ground alone?
Show answer
Answer A: 30 mph or more above the limit
Driving 30 mph or more above the speed limit is aggravated reckless driving in DC, an offense that carries up to 180 days for a first or second conviction.
-
16. Crossing a parking lot on a hot day, you see a young child alone in a locked car. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Call 911 right away and stay with the vehicle
The inside of a parked car can reach lethal temperatures within minutes, so a child left alone in one is an emergency.
-
17. After passing the DC knowledge test, how long does an applicant have to visit a service center with the required documents?
Show answer
Answer B: 14 business days
A passing knowledge test result must be followed by a service center visit within 14 business days.
-
18. May you use a relative's accessible parking placard to park in a marked accessible space?
Show answer
Answer D: No, only when the placard holder is being transported in the vehicle
A placard belongs to the person, not to the car, so it is valid only when that person is being transported; using it otherwise takes a space from someone who needs it.
-
19. How many hours of night driving practice must a DC applicant certify for a full license with conditions?
Show answer
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.
-
20. Which drivers take part in the DC GRAD license program?
Show answer
Answer D: Drivers aged 16 to 20
The DC graduated license program applies to drivers aged 16 through 20.
-
21. You have stopped on an uphill grade close behind a large truck at a traffic signal. What is the risk?
Show answer
Answer B: The truck may roll back into you when it starts to move
Heavy vehicles can roll backward a short distance when the driver moves from the brake to the accelerator on a hill. Leave extra room when stopped behind a truck on a grade.
-
22. A deer has just crossed in front of you on a stretch signed for animal crossings. What is the best assumption?
Show answer
Answer B: More animals are likely to follow the first one
Deer travel in groups, so one animal crossing usually means others are about to follow, and a driver should slow and keep scanning both shoulders.
-
23. Does using a hands free device remove the risk of distraction?
Show answer
Answer A: No, the conversation still takes attention away from driving
Hands free equipment removes the manual part of the distraction but not the mental part, and a driver deep in conversation can look straight at a hazard without registering it.
-
24. School warning signs use which background and legend colors?
Show answer
Answer A: A black legend and border on a fluorescent yellow-green background
School warning signs carry a black legend and border on a fluorescent yellow-green background, a shade chosen so they stand out from ordinary yellow warning signs.
-
25. What device rule applies to a DC learner permit holder or a driver under 18?
Show answer
Answer A: No mobile phone or electronic device may be used at all, even hands-free, except in an emergency
DC bans all mobile phone and electronic device use by learner permit holders and drivers under 18 while the vehicle is moving, except in an emergency.