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Pennsylvania DMV Practice Test 2026

25 free questions for the Pennsylvania written permit test. Choose an answer to see right away whether it is correct and why. No sign-up.

Question 1 of 25

Besides nighttime hours, what other specific condition does Pennsylvania's practice-hour requirement set aside time for?

All 25 questions with answers

Open a question to see the correct answer and the explanation.

Besides nighttime hours, what other specific condition does Pennsylvania's practice-hour requirement set aside time for?
  1. Highway merging only
  2. Parallel parking only
  3. Bad weather driving
  4. Nighttime parking only

Correct answer: Bad weather driving. Five of the practice hours must specifically take place in bad weather conditions.

Source: Pennsylvania Driver Handbook, p.6, Non-Commercial Learner's Permit Information

What must a Pennsylvania permit holder do if their learner's permit expires or they fail the road test three times?
  1. Simply wait one full year and take absolutely no further action
  2. They are permanently and completely barred from any further testing at all
  3. Absolutely nothing further is ever legally required of them at all
  4. File a new learner's permit application to add, extend, or replace it

Correct answer: File a new learner's permit application to add, extend, or replace it. In that situation, the manual directs the applicant to file a new learner's permit application.

Source: Pennsylvania Driver Handbook, p.6, Non-Commercial Learner's Permit Information

As you leave the highway on an exit ramp, what should you do with your speed?
  1. Maintain full highway speed all the way until you reach the stop sign or the traffic light
  2. Speed up as much as possible to clear the exit ramp quickly before other traffic arrives
  3. Speed does not matter at all on an exit ramp as long as you signal beforehand
  4. Reduce your speed on the ramp, since ramps often have a lower limit than the highway

Correct answer: Reduce your speed on the ramp, since ramps often have a lower limit than the highway. Exit ramps often have a lower posted speed limit than the highway. Slow down on the ramp itself so you are at a safe speed by the time you reach surface streets.

Source: Texas Driver Handbook, Ch9 Leaving the Highway, p.54

In Pennsylvania, a driver operating a vehicle that requires a commercial driver's license (CDL) is considered intoxicated once their BAC reaches:
  1. 0.10%
  2. 0.01%
  3. 0.04%
  4. 0.02%

Correct answer: 0.04%. Commercial drivers in Pennsylvania are held to a stricter BAC standard of 0.04%, lower than the standard adult limit, because of the added responsibility of operating large vehicles.

A motorcyclist ahead is slowing down, but the driver behind does not see a brake light come on. Why might this happen?
  1. Motorcycles are not equipped with brake lights
  2. It means the motorcyclist is actually speeding up, not slowing
  3. The rider may be slowing by downshifting, and the brake light is also easy to miss
  4. State law does not require motorcycle brake lights to work

Correct answer: The rider may be slowing by downshifting, and the brake light is also easy to miss. A motorcyclist can slow down by downshifting or rolling off the throttle without the brake light ever coming on, and because motorcycle tail lights are smaller, even a lit brake light can be easy to miss. A driver should not assume a motorcycle isn't slowing just because no brake light is visible.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, Motorcycles and Mopeds-Rules for Motorists, p.95

What hazard or condition ahead is this sign warning you about?
  1. A new lane is being added to the roadway ahead, so merging is not required
  2. Traffic from a lane or ramp on the side is merging into your lane ahead
  3. The lane shown on the sign is for exiting only ahead, not for continuing through
  4. A multi-lane road ahead narrows down to a single lane, so drivers must merge

Correct answer: Traffic from a lane or ramp on the side is merging into your lane ahead. This sign tells drivers that traffic from a lane or ramp on the side is merging into your lane ahead. Watch carefully and adjust your speed before you reach it.

Source: Pennsylvania Driver Handbook, PDF p.18-19, Merging Traffic, Added Lane, Lane Ends Merge Left

In Pennsylvania, a driver who is 21 years old or older is considered legally intoxicated once their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reaches:
  1. 0.08%
  2. 0.20%
  3. 0.12%
  4. 0.15%

Correct answer: 0.08%. In Pennsylvania, a BAC of 0.08% or higher is legal evidence of intoxication for a driver 21 or older.

How close to a stop sign or traffic signal may you legally park in Pennsylvania?
  1. No closer than 10 feet
  2. No closer than 30 feet
  3. No closer than 15 feet
  4. No closer than 50 feet

Correct answer: No closer than 30 feet. Parking too close to a stop sign or signal in Pennsylvania — within 30 feet — can block sight lines for other drivers, so it's prohibited.

On snow or ice, how should a driver approach the idea of a 'safe' speed?
  1. Drive the posted speed limit exactly, since it already fully accounts for weather and road surface conditions today
  2. Drive 10 mph under the posted limit and no slower
  3. Speed does not need to change if you have good tires
  4. There is no fixed safe speed for snow or ice; reduce speed, judge traction, and increase following distance

Correct answer: There is no fixed safe speed for snow or ice; reduce speed, judge traction, and increase following distance. There is no single safe speed for snow or ice. Drivers must be extremely cautious, reduce speed substantially, and increase following distance until they can judge how much traction their tires have.

Source: Texas Driver Handbook, Ch9 Winter Driving, Table 23-Reduce speed to correspond with conditions, p.55

What can cancel a Pennsylvania junior driver's increase to three passengers?
  1. Simply turning 17 years old sometime that year
  2. Driving more than 10 miles away from their home
  3. Being responsible for a crash or convicted of a violation
  4. Simply switching to a completely different vehicle

Correct answer: Being responsible for a crash or convicted of a violation. A crash the junior driver is partly or fully responsible for, or any conviction, removes the increased passenger allowance.

Source: Pennsylvania Driver Handbook, p.8, Junior Driver's License Information

If you miss your exit while driving through a roundabout, what should you do?
  1. Stop and carefully back up to the exit lane
  2. Make a full U-turn in the middle of the roundabout
  3. Cut across several lanes to reach the exit
  4. Keep circling until you reach your exit again

Correct answer: Keep circling until you reach your exit again. If you miss your exit in a roundabout, keep circling around until you come back to it; do not stop, reverse, or cut across lanes.

Source: California Driver Handbook, PDF p.48, if you miss your exit, continue around

Why should you never try to drive around a lowered railroad crossing gate or cross while the warning lights are still flashing, even if you don't see a train?
  1. A train may come from either direction on any track, closer and faster than it looks, so always obey the gates and lights
  2. It is only a general suggestion drivers can choose to follow, not a real traffic rule
  3. Gates at a crossing are only ever lowered for scheduled maintenance work on the tracks themselves, never for an approaching train
  4. It is fine to cross as long as you drive through the crossing quickly and confidently

Correct answer: A train may come from either direction on any track, closer and faster than it looks, so always obey the gates and lights. Trains can run on any track, in either direction, at any time, and are closer and faster-moving than they appear. Never drive around a lowered gate or cross while lights are flashing.

Source: New York Driver Handbook, Ch10 Railroad Crossings, p.60: "never drive around lowered gates"

Unless a sign prohibits it, what must a driver normally do before turning right on a red light in Pennsylvania?
  1. Wait for the light to turn green
  2. Turn only if another car is already stopped in the lane
  3. Come to a full stop and yield to pedestrians and cross traffic first
  4. Wait for a police officer to wave them through

Correct answer: Come to a full stop and yield to pedestrians and cross traffic first. In Pennsylvania, a driver may turn right at a red light only after stopping completely and making sure pedestrians and crossing traffic are clear, unless a sign specifically bans the turn.

Which of the following is a recognized warning sign of drowsy driving?
  1. Feeling slightly hungry partway through a long afternoon drive on the highway
  2. Driving noticeably faster than the posted speed limit on purpose the whole trip
  3. Listening to upbeat music on a long trip to help pass the time comfortably
  4. Not remembering the last few miles you drove, or drifting between lanes

Correct answer: Not remembering the last few miles you drove, or drifting between lanes. Memory gaps, lane drifting, and frequent yawning are classic signs that a driver's brain is losing the fight to stay awake.

Source: New York Driver Handbook, Ch8 Defensive Driving-Drowsy and Fatigued Driving p.51 - 'You do not remember driving the last few miles...You drift between lanes, tailgate or miss traffic signs.'

This shield or shape, which varies by state, identifies what kind of route?
  1. An Interstate highway
  2. A U.S. Route
  3. A state highway route
  4. A private toll road

Correct answer: A state highway route. This marker identifies a state highway route. Its exact shape and design vary from state to state, unlike the standardized Interstate and U.S. Route shields.

Source: MUTCD 2009 Sec. 2D.11

A dog is riding loose in the car, moving between the front and back seats while the driver is on the road. Why is this a safety concern?
  1. It is only a concern for the pet's own comfort, not driver safety
  2. Pets are not considered a distraction under any driving law
  3. It only matters if the pet is larger than the driver
  4. An unsecured pet can distract the driver and interfere with vehicle controls

Correct answer: An unsecured pet can distract the driver and interfere with vehicle controls. An unsecured pet moving around inside a vehicle is a recognized driving distraction, since it can pull the driver's attention away from the road or physically interfere with the pedals or steering.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, Distracted Driving-Categories of Distraction, p.42

What is a reversible lane, commonly used on some busy roads during rush hour?
  1. A lane reserved permanently only for city buses
  2. A center lane whose direction changes by time of day
  3. A lane that is always closed to all traffic
  4. A lane used only for police and emergency vehicles

Correct answer: A center lane whose direction changes by time of day. A reversible lane changes its direction of travel at set times of day, for example toward the city in the morning and away in the evening, to help handle rush-hour traffic; always check the overhead signal before entering.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, PDF p.54, Reversible Lanes: direction of traffic is normally reversed at set times

Why is a driver generally not ticketed for disobeying a guide sign, such as an exit or distance sign?
  1. Because they are optional decorations with no legal status
  2. Because only regulatory signs are printed by the government
  3. Because guide signs are never checked by law enforcement
  4. Because they provide information rather than a command or prohibition

Correct answer: Because they provide information rather than a command or prohibition. Guide signs simply give helpful information to drivers; unlike regulatory signs, they do not create a legal command or prohibition that can be enforced.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, PDF p.54, Green: guide or directional information

At a T-shaped intersection where your street ends and there is no stop or yield sign, who has the right-of-way?
  1. Whoever is turning left at the intersection
  2. The vehicle approaching from your left
  3. Traffic already moving on the through road
  4. Whoever arrives first, no matter which road they are on

Correct answer: Traffic already moving on the through road. At an unmarked T-intersection, the road that continues through has the right-of-way; traffic on the street that ends must yield.

Source: California Driver Handbook, PDF p.46, T intersections

Why is parking in front of a private driveway generally illegal?
  1. It has no real effect on anyone nearby.
  2. It can block the owner from entering or leaving.
  3. It is only illegal on weekends and holidays.
  4. It's allowed as long as you leave a short note behind.

Correct answer: It can block the owner from entering or leaving.. Blocking a private driveway can trap the property owner's vehicle inside or keep them from pulling in, which is why it's treated as illegal parking.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Parking-Illegal Parking p.68-77

Which shape is used only for the STOP sign and no other sign?
  1. An octagon, which has eight sides
  2. A diamond shape with four sides
  3. A triangle shape with three sides
  4. A rectangle shape with four sides

Correct answer: An octagon, which has eight sides. The octagon (8-sided) shape is reserved exclusively for the STOP sign, so you can recognize it by shape alone even at a distance.

Source: California Driver Handbook, PDF p.36, Octagon: Exclusively for stop signs

Before pulling out of a parallel parking space back into traffic, what must a driver do?
  1. Immediately reverse without checking, since other drivers should watch for you.
  2. Only check the rearview mirror.
  3. Pulling out from a parked position does not require a turn signal.
  4. Signal and check for a safe gap in traffic before pulling out.

Correct answer: Signal and check for a safe gap in traffic before pulling out.. Before merging back into traffic from a parked position, a driver must signal and check for a safe gap, since other drivers aren't expecting a parked vehicle to suddenly pull out.

Source: New York Driver Handbook, Ch7 Parallel Parking p.39

What happens to Move Over law fines for violations that occur inside a highway work zone in Pennsylvania?
  1. They are cut in half
  2. They stay exactly the same
  3. They are waived entirely
  4. They are doubled

Correct answer: They are doubled. Fines for traffic violations, including Move Over violations, are doubled when they occur in work zone areas.

Source: Pennsylvania Driver Handbook, p.63, Move Over Law

You are driving toward a school bus from the opposite direction on a two-lane, undivided road. The bus has stopped and is displaying flashing red lights. What should you do?
  1. Continue driving since you're going the opposite direction
  2. Stop, just as if you were behind the bus instead
  3. Slow down but you do not need to stop fully
  4. Only stop if you see children on the road

Correct answer: Stop, just as if you were behind the bus instead. On an undivided road, a driver approaching from either direction must stop for a school bus displaying flashing red lights, not only drivers behind the bus.

Source: Texas Driver Handbook, Ch4 Yield Right-of-Way to School Buses, p.29: "If you approach a school bus from either direction and the bus is displaying alternately flashing red lights, you must…

Which of these is one condition for converting early from a junior to a regular license in Pennsylvania?
  1. Personally owning a second registered vehicle
  2. Passing a state-approved driver training course
  3. Currently living in a completely different county
  4. Having an older sibling who already has a license

Correct answer: Passing a state-approved driver training course. A state-approved driver training course is one of the listed requirements for the early switch.

Source: Pennsylvania Driver Handbook, p.8, Junior Driver's License Information

Pennsylvania permit test: common questions

How many questions are on the Pennsylvania permit test?

18 questions, pass with 15 correct.

Are these the real Pennsylvania test questions?

No. They are practice questions that cover the same topics: traffic laws, road signs and safe driving. The real test is set by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) – Bureau of Driver Licensing.

Is this practice test free?

Yes. There is nothing to sign up for. The DriveFinch app has the full question bank, works offline and is free (one small banner ad).