Washington DOL 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 32 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real Washington test.
- Questions40
- Correct to pass32
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. At what age can a Washington resident apply for an instruction permit if enrolled in a driver training course?
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Answer B: 15 years old
A Washington applicant enrolled in a driver training course can apply for the instruction permit as early as 15 years old, while an applicant not enrolled can take the knowledge exam after turning 15 and a half.
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2. You find yourself in a lane that must turn, you wanted to go straight, and you cannot change lanes safely. What should you do?
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Answer D: Make the required turn and find another route
Going straight from a mandatory turn lane surprises everyone around you, while a wrong turn costs only a few extra minutes.
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3. Which of these vehicles is exempt from Washington's occupant restraint statute for child passengers?
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Answer C: A school bus
Washington's occupant restraint statute exempts school buses from its seat belt and child restraint requirements.
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4. What triggers habitual traffic offender status for a Washington driver?
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Answer A: Three serious convictions, or twenty moving violations, within five years
Washington defines a habitual traffic offender as a driver with three or more serious offense convictions, or twenty or more moving violation convictions, within a five-year period.
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5. 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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6. Why does this warning matter more on a motorcycle than in a car?
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Answer B: Because a sudden jolt can unsettle a two-wheeled machine and the rider can lose control
A jolt can push a motorcycle off line or lift a wheel, so a rider slows early, comes slightly off the seat and keeps a relaxed but firm hold on the handlebars.
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7. The vehicle in front of you has stopped and is waiting to turn left, and there is a paved shoulder to the right. May you use it to get by?
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Answer D: No, in most states a pass may not be made by leaving the paved travel lanes
Passing on the right is normally lawful only inside the marked travel lanes, and most states prohibit driving onto the shoulder to get around a turning vehicle; the few states that allow it attach strict conditions.
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8. How much should you normally reduce your speed on a road covered with packed snow compared with dry conditions?
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Answer C: By about half
Packed snow roughly doubles the distance needed to stop, so a common guideline is to cut speed by about half. On ice, slow to a crawl.
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9. Your green left-turn arrow goes out and a steady green ball stays lit. What may you do?
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Answer A: Continue turning left, but only after yielding to oncoming traffic
When the arrow ends and a green ball remains, the turn changes from protected to permissive, so it is still allowed but oncoming traffic goes first.
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10. Some states allow a left turn against a red light. Which movement is it?
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Answer A: A left turn from a one-way street onto another one-way street
The movement generally allowed on red is one-way to one-way, because the turn does not cross any lane of oncoming traffic; a few states also extend it to a two-way street turning onto a one-way street.
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11. Your vehicle has a backup camera. What is the right way to use it?
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Answer C: Use it as an aid, but still turn and look behind you
A camera has a limited field of view and can be dirty or wet, so it supplements looking over your shoulder and using the mirrors rather than replacing them.
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12. You reach a one-lane bridge and a vehicle is already partway across it coming toward you. What should you do?
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Answer D: Stop before the bridge and let it come through
A vehicle already on a one-lane bridge has the right of way, and the driver who has not yet entered waits at the approach.
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13. Why does even a small reduction in speed matter so much where people are walking?
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Answer D: Because a pedestrian struck at a lower speed is far more likely to survive
The chance that a pedestrian survives falls steeply as impact speed rises, so a few miles per hour can decide the outcome.
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14. You are stopped at a T-intersection and a driver on the through road is signaling a right turn into your road. What is the safe assumption?
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Answer B: The driver may not actually turn, so wait until the vehicle slows and starts turning
A blinking signal may have been left on by mistake or may be for the next street, so wait until the vehicle actually slows and turns.
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15. What does Washington do to the fine for passing a stopped school bus?
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Answer A: It is doubled
Washington doubles the fines for anyone who passes a stopped school bus.
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16. A deer suddenly steps onto the road ahead of you at night. What is the safest response?
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Answer C: Brake firmly and stay in your lane rather than swerving
Swerving at speed often leads to a rollover or a head-on crash that is far worse than hitting the animal. Brake hard, hold your lane and expect more deer to follow.
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17. On a Washington roadway with four or more lanes, what does the move-over law require when a qualifying emergency or work zone vehicle is stopped ahead?
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Answer A: Change lanes away from the vehicle, or slow down if unsafe
On a roadway with four or more lanes, Washington's move-over law requires changing lanes away from the qualifying vehicle, or slowing down if a lane change is not safe.
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18. Which use of a personal electronic device is exempt from Washington's driving ban?
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Answer B: Contacting emergency services to report an incident
Washington's electronic device law exempts using the device to contact emergency services.
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19. A driver who wants to reverse direction arrives at this sign. What is allowed?
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Answer C: Going on and reversing direction only where the maneuver is permitted
The restriction removes that maneuver at that spot entirely, so the driver has to continue and turn the vehicle around at a place where it is not prohibited.
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20. A wide crosswalk you are turning across has a refuge island in the middle. What should you assume about people standing on it?
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Answer D: They may step off the island into your path at any moment
An island is a pause in a crossing, not the end of one, so treat anyone on it as a pedestrian who is still crossing.
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21. A yellow sign shows a truck on a slope with the legend 7 PERCENT GRADE. What should a driver of a heavy vehicle do?
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Answer A: Select a lower gear before starting down
The percentage shows how steep the descent is, and choosing a low gear at the top lets the engine hold the vehicle back instead of the brakes overheating.
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22. How far before and after a qualifying stationary vehicle does Washington's move-over law define the protected zone?
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Answer C: 200 feet
Washington's move-over law defines the protected emergency or work zone as the adjacent lanes 200 feet before and after the qualifying vehicle.
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23. What is the safest way to handle an unrestrained pet or a child who needs attention while you are driving?
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Answer D: Secure pets before the trip and pull over safely before attending to a child
A loose animal or an urgent situation in the back seat can capture a driver's attention completely, so restrain pets beforehand and stop in a safe place when someone needs help.
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24. Someone appears seriously injured after a crash. What should you generally do?
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Answer C: Call for emergency help and avoid moving the person unless there is an immediate danger such as fire
Moving an injured person can worsen spinal or internal injuries, so summon trained help and leave the person in place unless staying there is more dangerous than moving.
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25. How does Washington law define a moped in terms of engine size and top speed?
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Answer C: 50cc or less, 2 horsepower or less, capped at 30 miles per hour
Washington defines a moped as having an engine no larger than 50cc, producing no more than 2 horsepower, and capable of no more than 30 miles per hour on level ground.
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26. What do flashing yellow lights on a school bus mean?
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Answer A: The bus is about to stop to load or unload, so prepare to stop
The amber lights are the warning phase that comes before the red lights and the stop arm, so drivers should slow down and get ready to stop.
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27. At which location is this sign normally installed?
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Answer D: Facing traffic that could turn into a one-way roadway or ramp against the flow
It is posted where a driver could otherwise enter a ramp or a one-way roadway from the wrong end, so it faces exactly the traffic that has to be kept out.
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28. You arrive at an intersection with no signs, no signals and no markings at the same time as a vehicle on the road to your right. What must you do?
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Answer B: Yield to the vehicle on your right
At an uncontrolled intersection you must yield to a vehicle already in the intersection or approaching from your right.
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29. What distinguishes negligent driving in the first degree from negligent driving in the second degree under Washington law?
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Answer D: First degree also requires evidence of alcohol or drug impairment
Negligent driving in the first degree is a misdemeanor requiring both negligent operation and evidence the driver was affected by alcohol, cannabis or another drug, unlike the impairment-free second degree infraction.
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30. It is dark, it is raining and you are towing a trailer. How should you set your following gap?
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Answer B: Add extra seconds for each condition, well beyond three
Each factor that lengthens your stopping distance or shortens your view calls for another second or more, and they add up when several occur together.
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31. A freeway sign reads BUSES ONLY ON SHOULDER 6 AM TO 9 AM. Who may drive on the shoulder then?
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Answer A: Only the vehicles named on the sign, during the hours shown
Shoulder running is granted by the sign to the class of vehicle and the hours the sign names, and it does not turn the shoulder into a general travel lane.
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32. When is it appropriate to use cruise control?
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Answer B: On a dry, open highway with light traffic
Cruise control suits steady conditions where you rarely need to change speed. It is a poor choice in traffic, on curves, on slippery roads or when drowsy, because it removes you from the speed decision.
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33. You are approaching a yield sign and no other vehicle is anywhere in sight. What does the sign require?
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Answer A: Slow down and be ready to stop, but stop only if needed
A yield sign requires you to slow and give way, and to stop only when traffic or pedestrians make stopping necessary.
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34. You feel drowsy, so you open a window and turn the radio up. What does that achieve?
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Answer B: Very little, because the drowsiness comes back
Cold air and loud music are not sleep, so the alerting effect lasts a minute or two and the driver is soon just as sleepy and closer to a lapse.
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35. How does a NO OUTLET sign differ from a DEAD END sign?
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Answer B: It warns that a whole group of streets has no way out
No Outlet is posted where the road leads into a network of streets from which there is no through route, while Dead End refers to the single street itself.
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36. Why does a dirty windshield matter much more at night than during the day?
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Answer C: Dust and streaks scatter oncoming light and increase glare
Film and streaks on the glass spread every oncoming headlight into a star of glare, so clean the inside as well as the outside before a night trip.
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37. How can a cited Washington driver avoid the administrative cost when later proving insurance coverage to the court?
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Answer B: By mailing proof to the court before the hearing date
Washington waives the administrative cost when a cited driver mails proof of coverage to the court before the scheduled hearing date.
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38. You are inside a tunnel with no shoulder when an ambulance comes up behind you with lights and siren. What should you do?
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Answer D: Keep going at a safe speed and pull over once you are clear of the tunnel
Stopping in a tunnel or on a narrow bridge blocks the only lane, so continue at a safe speed to the first place where you can pull clear.
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39. It is dusk and a jogger in dark clothing is running along the edge of the road. What should you do?
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Answer D: Slow down and scan the edges of the road
Dusk is the hardest light for spotting people, and dark clothing removes most of your warning, so lower speed and a careful scan of the roadsides are the answer.
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40. How long after expiration can a Washington driver still renew online before having to reapply as a brand-new applicant?
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Answer C: Eight years
Washington allows online renewal for up to eight years after a license expires before the driver must start over as a new applicant.