At what age can you apply for a learner's permit in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania is one of the later states.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- B 15 is Texas, Florida, Illinois and Georgia.
- C 15½ is California and Ohio.
- D You do not have to wait until 17.
How many questions are on the Pennsylvania knowledge test?
It is one of the shortest permit tests, so each mistake counts.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A That is Illinois.
- C That is not Pennsylvania's format.
- D That is New York.
How many supervised driving hours does Pennsylvania require before a junior license?
A parent or guardian signs the skills-builder log.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A 40 hours is Georgia.
- C 50 hours is common elsewhere, not in Pennsylvania.
- D 30 is far too few.
When may a Pennsylvania junior license holder NOT drive unsupervised?
Exceptions exist for work, volunteer and school activities with proof.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- B It starts an hour earlier than midnight.
- C The curfew starts at 11 p.m.
- D Sunset is not the rule.
How long must a Pennsylvania permit holder under 18 wait before the road test?
Plus the 65 logged hours.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Twelve months is Florida and Georgia.
- B Nine months is Illinois.
- C One month is too short.
What does this sign mean?
Only stop signs are octagons. Stop at the line, then go when it is safe.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Do Not Enter is a red circle with a bar.
- B Slow down is not what an octagon means.
- C Yield signs are triangles.
What shape is a yield sign?
Yield signs are red and white downward-pointing triangles.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- B Diamonds are warning signs.
- C Circles are for railroad advance warnings.
- D Pentagons are for schools.
What does a five-sided (pentagon) sign warn you about?
Pentagon signs are used only for schools.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Hospitals use a blue sign with an H.
- B No-passing zones use a pennant.
- C Railroad crossings use a round sign or crossbuck.
What does this sign mean?
It is the advance warning sign for a railroad crossing.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Roundabouts use a circular-arrow sign.
- B Rest areas use blue signs.
- C Road closures use rectangles or barricades.
You are the blue car. A solid yellow line is on your side of the center line. What does it mean?
A solid line on your side means no passing.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Yellow lines are not parking marks.
- B Lane endings use signs and dashed lines.
- D A solid line on your side means you may not pass.
Two cars arrive at a four-way stop at the same time. Who goes first?
Yield to the vehicle on your right.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Size does not decide.
- C Speed does not decide.
- D Yield to the car on the right, not the left.
A school bus has its red lights flashing and stop arm out on a two-lane road. What should you do?
Stay stopped until the lights stop flashing and the arm is pulled in.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- B You must not pass a stopped school bus.
- C On a two-lane road, both directions stop.
- D Honking doesn't let you pass.
What does a flashing yellow traffic light mean?
A flashing red light means stop, then go when it is safe.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A It doesn't restrict turns.
- B A broken light is treated as a four-way stop, not green.
- C A flashing red means stop.
In most states, what is the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers 21 and over?
Utah uses 0.05%. Drivers under 21 face zero-tolerance limits in every state.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A 0.02% is used for drivers under 21 in many states.
- B 0.15% is far over the limit.
- D 0.10% was the old limit in some states.
A driver holds their left arm straight down out of the window. What does this signal mean?
Arm straight out means left; arm up means right.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Left is the arm straight out.
- B There is no separate signal for parking.
- D Right is the arm bent up.
How far behind the car ahead should you stay in good conditions?
Pick a fixed point and count; leave more time in bad weather.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A A car length is too little at most speeds.
- B 10 seconds is far more than needed in good conditions.
- D 1 second is too close.
An ambulance with its siren and lights on comes up behind you. What should you do?
Stay stopped until it has passed.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Stopping in the lane blocks it.
- C Speeding up is dangerous.
- D You must yield.
Your car starts to hydroplane on a wet road. What should you do?
Let the car slow down until the tires grip the road again.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Speeding up makes it worse.
- B Hard braking can make you skid.
- D Sharp turns can cause a spin.
Can you turn right on a red light?
This is allowed in all states, though New York City bans it unless a sign allows it.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- B You must stop first.
- C Most places allow it after a full stop.
- D There is no such time rule.
How should you enter a freeway from an on-ramp?
Freeway traffic has the right of way; use the ramp to reach its speed.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Merge into the nearest lane, not the left.
- B Driving slowly makes merging harder.
- C Stopping on the ramp is dangerous.
What does this sign mean?
Drive slower when the road, weather or traffic calls for it.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A It applies to all vehicles.
- B Advisory speeds are on yellow signs.
- C Minimum speeds are marked "minimum".
You see this sign at the end of a ramp. What should you do?
Do Not Enter signs mark one-way roads and the wrong end of freeway ramps.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A You must not drive in at all.
- C Stopping doesn't make it legal.
- D Turning around there is still going the wrong way.
What does this sign tell you?
It usually comes after a Do Not Enter sign. Pull over and turn around when it is safe.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Road closures use other signs.
- B Police checks are not signed like this.
- C One-way signs are horizontal rectangles with an arrow.
Where is this pennant-shaped sign placed?
It faces you on the left so you see it while thinking about passing.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Railroads use crossbucks.
- B It is on the left, not the right.
- D Toll booths use overhead signs.
What does this sign warn you about?
Adjust your speed so merging drivers can fit in safely.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Road endings use other signs.
- B Curves show a bent arrow.
- C Divided highways use their own sign.
What does this sign warn you about?
Be ready to stop.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Railroads use a round sign or crossbuck.
- B Road work signs are orange.
- C Fire stations have their own sign.
What should you do at this sign?
The crossbuck works like a yield sign for trains, which always have the right of way.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A You must yield even when gates are up.
- B Speeding up is dangerous.
- C It is a yield sign for trains, not a station marker.
What does this sign tell you?
Slow down and watch for children. School zone speed limits are often 15 to 25 mph.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Park crosswalks use pedestrian signs.
- B Bus stops use rectangles.
- C Playgrounds use a different sign.
What does this sign warn you about?
Slow down on wet roads and avoid sudden braking or steering.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Chains are shown with a separate sign.
- B Winding roads show a squiggly arrow.
- C Road work signs are orange.
What does this sign warn you about?
Be ready to stop for people crossing.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Trails use brown signs.
- B Shopping areas aren't shown by warning signs.
- C Bus stops use other signs.
What does this sign warn you about?
Slow down before the curve, not in it.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Lane endings show merging lanes.
- B Side roads show a T or branch.
- C Turn only signs are regulatory rectangles.
What does this sign mean?
Never turn into a one-way street against the arrow.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Keep right shows an arrow around an obstacle.
- B Detours are orange.
- C Turn signs show a bent arrow in a rectangle.
What does a steady yellow arrow mean?
A flashing yellow arrow means you may turn but must yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- B Turns are not banned.
- C Steady yellow means stop if you can.
- D It doesn't tell oncoming traffic to stop.
What does a broken yellow center line mean?
Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Yellow center lines mean two-way traffic.
- B A solid line on your side means no passing.
- D School zones are marked by signs.
What does a double solid yellow line mean?
Neither side may cross it to pass.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A That is a broken line.
- C No one may pass across it.
- D It is a no-passing marking, not a closure.
What do white lines between lanes show?
Solid white lines mean lane changes are discouraged or not allowed.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Bike lanes are marked with a bicycle symbol.
- C Yellow lines separate opposite traffic.
- D Parking spaces have their own markings.
What does a yellow diamond-shaped sign usually mean?
Warning signs tell you about curves, crossings and hazards.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- B Recreation signs are brown.
- C Regulatory signs are usually white rectangles or red.
- D Guide signs are green.
What do orange signs mean?
Fines are often doubled in work zones.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Highway direction signs are green.
- B School signs are fluorescent yellow-green or yellow.
- C Hospital signs are blue service signs.
What do green signs tell you?
Blue signs show services such as gas, food and hospitals.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- B Warnings are yellow.
- C Speed limits are white with black letters.
- D Work zones are orange.
What do brown signs show?
They point to parks, historic sites and scenic areas.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A School signs are yellow or yellow-green.
- B Road work signs are orange.
- C Railroad signs are yellow and round, or the white crossbuck.
When must you turn on your headlights?
Many states also require them when you use your wipers.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Fog is only one case of poor visibility.
- B Headlights are needed on all roads at night.
- C They are needed from sunset.
When should you dim your high beams for an oncoming vehicle?
Also dim them when you follow another vehicle closely.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- B High beams blind oncoming drivers.
- C Dim them whether or not the other driver flashes.
- D 50 feet is far too late; the glare blinds the other driver.
Which lights should you use in fog?
High beams reflect off the fog and make it harder to see.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Parking lights are not bright enough to be seen.
- B Hazard lights are for stopped or very slow vehicles.
- C High beams bounce back off the fog.
Before changing lanes, how do you check your blind spot?
Mirrors leave areas you can't see beside and behind the car.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A A horn does not show you if the lane is clear.
- C Side mirrors leave a blind spot.
- D The rear-view mirror misses the sides.
What does a flashing red traffic light mean?
Treat it like a stop sign.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A That is a flashing yellow light.
- B All drivers must stop.
- C A flashing red light does not change on a cycle.
What does a steady green arrow mean?
This is a protected turn, but still watch for people in the crosswalk.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- B You still yield to pedestrians, but you may turn.
- C A green arrow allows the turn.
- D That is a flashing yellow arrow or a green light without an arrow.
What is a two-way center left-turn lane for?
Enter it only just before your turn.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Never use it to pass.
- B Parking is not allowed in it.
- C Anyone may use it to turn left.
Who may use a lane marked with a white diamond?
Signs tell you how many people and which hours apply.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Signs set the rules for who can use it.
- B Trucks are often barred from HOV lanes.
- C Motorcycles may often use it, but it is not only for them.
When you see a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights on the shoulder, what should you do?
Every state has a Move Over law.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Speeding past puts the workers at risk.
- C Stopping in the lane can cause a crash.
- D Honking does not make them safer.
How much space should you give when passing a cyclist?
Many states set 3 feet by law; give more at higher speeds.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- B Space to the side is what matters when you pass.
- C Cyclists need room in case they swerve.
- D 1 foot is far too close.
At a railroad crossing with a train coming, where should you stop?
Never start across until there is room on the other side.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A The rule is 15 to 50 feet.
- B Never stop on the tracks.
- C 5 feet is too close to a passing train.
You park facing uphill next to a curb. Which way should you turn your front wheels?
If the car rolls, the back of the front tire catches the curb. Downhill, turn the wheels toward the curb.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Toward the curb is for parking downhill.
- C The wheel angle stops the car rolling away.
- D Straight wheels let the car roll into traffic.
Your car starts to skid on a slippery road. What should you do?
Avoid sudden moves until the tires grip again.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Hard braking makes a skid worse.
- C Steering the wrong way makes the car spin.
- D Speeding up makes the skid worse.
Your brakes suddenly stop working. What should you do first?
Shift to a lower gear and look for a safe place to stop.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- B Reverse can damage the transmission and spin the car.
- C Never jump from a moving car.
- D Turning off the engine can lock the steering.
A front tire blows out. What should you do?
Brake gently only once the car has slowed and is under control.
Why the other answers are wrong:
- A Speeding up makes it harder to control.
- B Hard braking can make you lose control.
- D Sharp turns can roll the car.
Answer key
About the Pennsylvania permit test
- You can apply for a learner's permit at 16.
- The knowledge test has 18 questions; you need 15 correct (83%).
- Under 18, you must hold the permit for 6 months and log 65 hours of supervised driving, including 10 at night and 5 in bad weather.
- A junior license holder may not drive alone between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
- Our 5 Pennsylvania questions come first, then the general US questions on signs and road rules that every state tests. These are our own practice questions, not official PennDOT questions: always study the Pennsylvania Driver's Manual.
Official sources: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation: Pennsylvania Driver's Manual and permit rules. Exam facts last checked .
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