Pennsylvania Permit Test (PennDOT Knowledge Test) — All Questions

A red, eight-sided (octagonal) sign means you must:

• a.Come to a complete stop✓
• b.Yield to traffic then continue
• c.Merge to the right
• d.Reduce speed for a curve

An octagonal red sign is a STOP sign; stop completely at the stop line or crosswalk, then proceed only when the way is clear.

A downward-pointing triangle sign (red and white) tells you to:

• a.Stop and wait for a signal
• b.Prepare to exit
• c.Yield the right of way✓
• d.Enter a one-way street

A three-sided YIELD sign means slow down, be ready to stop, and give the right of way to traffic and pedestrians before you proceed.

In Pennsylvania, what color and shape are most warning signs, such as a curve or merge ahead?

• a.Red octagon
• b.Yellow diamond✓
• c.Green rectangle
• d.Blue circle

Warning signs are usually yellow diamonds with black symbols; they alert you to conditions ahead so you can slow down and react safely.

A steady yellow traffic light means:

• a.Go faster to beat the red
• b.The signal is out of order
• c.Stop only for cross traffic
• d.The light is about to turn red, so stop if you can do so safely✓

A steady yellow light warns that red is coming; prepare to stop and do so unless you are too close to the intersection to stop safely.

Orange-colored signs and cones in Pennsylvania usually indicate:

• a.A construction or work zone ahead✓
• b.A hospital nearby
• c.A recreation area
• d.A dead-end street

Orange is the color for construction and maintenance work zones; slow down, watch for workers and equipment, and obey posted work-zone limits.

At a four-way stop where two vehicles arrive at the same time, who has the right of way?

• a.The faster vehicle
• b.The vehicle turning left
• c.The vehicle on the right✓
• d.The larger vehicle

When vehicles reach a four-way stop at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.

In Pennsylvania, a right turn on a red light is:

• a.Never permitted
• b.Permitted after a full stop and yielding, unless a sign prohibits it✓
• c.Permitted without stopping if traffic is clear
• d.Permitted only at night

You may turn right on red after coming to a complete stop and yielding to pedestrians and cross traffic, unless a posted sign prohibits the turn.

You approach a school bus stopped with its red lights flashing and stop arm out on a two-lane road. You must:

• a.Stop at least 10 feet away, whether behind or meeting the bus, until the red lights stop flashing✓
• b.Slow to 15 mph and pass carefully
• c.Pass on the left if no children are seen
• d.Continue if you are in the oncoming lane

Pennsylvania law requires all traffic in both directions to stop at least 10 feet from a school bus with flashing red lights and an extended stop arm, and remain stopped until the lights stop flashing.

When you are making a left turn at an intersection, you must yield to:

• a.Only vehicles behind you
• b.No one if you have a green light
• c.Only large trucks
• d.Oncoming traffic and pedestrians crossing your path✓

A left-turning driver must yield to oncoming vehicles and to pedestrians in the crosswalk before completing the turn, even on a green light.

A solid yellow line on your side of the center of a two-way road means:

• a.Passing is encouraged
• b.You may not cross it to pass✓
• c.The road is one-way
• d.You must exit at the next ramp

A solid yellow center line on your side means passing is prohibited there; you may cross it only where a broken line appears and it is safe.

Pennsylvania's 'Steer Clear' / Move Over law requires you to do what near a stopped emergency response vehicle with flashing lights?

• a.Move over to a farther lane if possible, or slow down if you cannot✓
• b.Stop in your lane and wait
• c.Speed up past the scene
• d.Turn on your high beams

The Steer Clear / Move Over law requires drivers to move into a lane farther from a stopped emergency response area when possible, and to slow down when moving over is not possible.

When passing a bicyclist on a Pennsylvania road, you must leave:

• a.No particular distance
• b.One foot of space
• c.At least four feet of space✓
• d.At least ten feet of space

Pennsylvania law requires drivers to give bicyclists at least four feet of clearance when passing, and to pass at a careful, reduced speed.

The large areas around a tractor-trailer where the driver cannot see other vehicles are called:

• a.Safety zones
• b.Merge lanes
• c.Comfort zones
• d.No-zones (blind spots)✓

Trucks have wide blind spots, or no-zones, at the front, rear and sides; avoid driving in them, and if you cannot see the truck driver's mirrors, they cannot see you.

In Pennsylvania, seat belt and child-restraint rules require that:

• a.Only the driver must buckle up
• b.The driver and front-seat passengers must buckle up, and young children must ride in an appropriate child seat or booster✓
• c.No one needs a seat belt on local roads
• d.Belts are required only above 55 mph

Pennsylvania requires the driver and front-seat occupants to wear seat belts, and children must be secured in age- and size-appropriate car seats or booster seats, with the youngest children in the back.

Unless otherwise posted, the general maximum speed limit on most Pennsylvania roads is:

• a.35 mph
• b.45 mph
• c.55 mph✓
• d.75 mph

The default maximum speed limit in Pennsylvania is 55 mph unless a different limit is posted; some interstates and the turnpike are posted higher, up to 70 mph.

The 'basic driving rule' for speed means you must:

• a.Never drive faster than is safe for current conditions✓
• b.Always match the posted limit exactly
• c.Drive at least 45 mph on any highway
• d.Keep up with the fastest traffic

You must always drive at a speed that is safe for road, weather and traffic conditions, which may be well below the posted limit in rain, snow, fog or heavy traffic.

In Pennsylvania, when your wipers are on continuously due to rain or snow, you must also:

• a.Turn on your hazard lights
• b.Turn on your headlights✓
• c.Reduce your following distance
• d.Use your high beams in fog

State law requires headlights to be on whenever your wipers are in continuous use because of weather, which also helps other drivers see you.

If your vehicle starts to hydroplane on a wet road, you should:

• a.Brake hard immediately
• b.Accelerate to push through the water
• c.Turn the wheel sharply
• d.Ease off the gas and keep the wheel steady until you regain traction✓

During hydroplaning the tires ride on water and lose grip; gently release the accelerator, avoid hard braking or turning, and hold the wheel steady until the tires regain contact.

A driver age 21 or older in Pennsylvania is considered driving under the influence (DUI) at a blood alcohol concentration of:

• a.0.08% or higher✓
• b.0.02% or higher
• c.0.05% or higher
• d.0.12% or higher

For drivers 21 and over, a BAC of 0.08% or higher is DUI in Pennsylvania; higher BAC tiers carry stiffer penalties.

For a Pennsylvania driver under age 21, the DUI blood alcohol limit is:

• a.0.08%
• b.0.05%
• c.0.02%✓
• d.0.10%

Drivers under 21 are held to a lower limit of 0.02%, reflecting the state's stricter standard for underage drinking and driving.

Under Pennsylvania's Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) rules, a learner's permit holder must complete how many hours of supervised, skill-building practice before the road test?

• a.20 hours
• b.65 hours, including night and bad-weather driving✓
• c.10 hours
• d.No supervised hours are required

Permit holders under 18 must complete 65 hours of supervised driving, including 10 hours at night and 5 in poor weather, certified by a parent or guardian before taking the road test.

A Pennsylvania junior driver's license carries a nighttime driving restriction that generally prohibits driving between:

• a.9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
• b.12 a.m. and 4 a.m.
• c.10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
• d.11 p.m. and 5 a.m.✓

Junior license holders may not drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. except for limited reasons such as employment or an emergency, and passenger limits also apply in the first months.