Virginia Permit Practice Test 1
This free Virginia practice test has 30 multiple-choice questions covering road signs, right-of-way, speed limits, and safe driving — the same topics the DMV tests. Check the DMV site for the current question count and passing score.
Question 1 of 30
1. Part two of the Virginia knowledge exam has 30 general knowledge questions. How many must you answer correctly to pass?
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Correct answer: C. Virginia requires at least 24 correct answers on the 30-question general knowledge part, which works out to 80%. Unlike the signs section, a few misses are allowed here. Think 24 of 30, or simply four-fifths.
2. A passenger claims some Virginia highways have unlimited speed like the German autobahn. In reality, the state's highest legal limit is which of these?
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Correct answer: D. Every road in Virginia has a limit, and the statewide ceiling is 70 mph on designated highways. Higher speeds multiply crash energy dramatically, so no US state allows unlimited speed. Follow whatever limit is actually posted.
3. Before turning left across oncoming traffic, why should you look twice for motorcycles?
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Correct answer: A. A motorcycle's narrow profile fools your eyes: it looks farther away and slower than it really is. Many rider deaths happen when cars turn left across their path. Look twice and judge twice before you commit.
4. What happens when a car hydroplanes on a wet road?
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Correct answer: C. Hydroplaning happens when tires ride up on a layer of water instead of the pavement, erasing steering and braking grip. Higher speeds make it far more likely. Ease off the gas smoothly; think of tires turning into water skis.
5. You pass a round yellow sign marked with a large black X and the letters R R. What is it telling you?
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Correct answer: A. The round yellow RXR sign is the advance warning for a railroad crossing, posted well before the tracks. It gives you time to slow, quiet distractions, and scan for trains. Round and yellow means railroad ahead, not at, the sign.
6. A traffic light turns steady yellow as you approach the intersection. What does this signal tell you?
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Correct answer: A. A steady yellow light warns that the signal is about to turn red. Stop if you can do it safely; if you are too close to stop smoothly, continue through with caution. Yellow means prepare, not race.
7. In Virginia, a driver who is 21 or older breaks the law by driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above what level?
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Correct answer: A. Virginia law makes it illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.08% or higher. Alcohol slows judgment and reaction time, and impairment can begin well below that number. Treat 0.08% as a legal line, never a safe target.
8. What should you do when you approach an intersection with a flashing yellow light?
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Correct answer: C. A flashing yellow light does not require a stop; it tells you to slow down, scan the intersection, and proceed carefully. It marks spots with extra risk, so treat flashing yellow as a caution flag, not a green light.
9. BAC measures the percentage of alcohol in a person's blood. For drivers 21 and older in Virginia, what BAC puts them at or over the legal limit?
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Correct answer: C. BAC stands for blood alcohol concentration. In Virginia, adult drivers reach the illegal level at 0.08%. Remember the rule as a hard line: at 0.08% you are over, and skills like reaction time fade even sooner.
10. Before you can get a Virginia driver's license as a teen under 18, how much practice driving must your parent or guardian certify?
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Correct answer: D. Virginia parents or guardians must certify at least 45 practice hours, 15 of them after sunset, before an under-18 driver is licensed. Night driving is riskier, so a third of practice happens after dark — remember 45 and 15.
11. How does the alcohol in a regular beer compare with a standard glass of wine or a single shot of liquor?
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Correct answer: B. A standard beer, glass of wine, and shot of liquor each deliver about the same alcohol, so switching drinks does not protect you. Your body counts drinks, not drink types. One is one, whatever the glass looks like.
12. If you are convicted of a first DUI in Virginia, what level of offense is it and what is the minimum fine?
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Correct answer: B. A first DUI in Virginia is a Class 1 misdemeanor carrying a mandatory minimum $250 fine, and very high blood alcohol readings add mandatory jail days. It is a criminal record, not a ticket — even on offense number one.
13. You and another driver stop at a four-way stop at exactly the same time, and the other car is on your right. What should you do?
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Correct answer: D. When two drivers stop at the same moment, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. This tiebreaker gives everyone the same answer without guessing. Remember the phrase: right goes right away.
14. Your rear wheels begin sliding sideways on a slippery road. How do you regain control?
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Correct answer: A. In a skid, ease off both pedals and look and steer where you want the front of the car to go, correcting gently as it straightens. Sudden braking or gas makes sliding worse. Eyes up, feet off, steer.
15. What is the safest way to handle your speed through a sharp curve?
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Correct answer: B. Slow to a safe speed before the curve begins, then hold steady or gently accelerate through it. Braking mid-curve can break tire grip and cause a skid. Do your slowing on the straightaway, your steering in the bend.
16. What is double parking, and why is it against the rules?
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Correct answer: D. Double parking means standing or parking in the roadway alongside a vehicle already parked at the curb. It blocks a travel lane, hides pedestrians, and pins in the parked car, so the practice is prohibited on public streets.
17. What do financial responsibility laws require of you before you drive?
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Correct answer: D. Every state requires drivers to show they can pay for harm they cause, and auto insurance is the usual proof. Crashes create huge bills in seconds, so the rule protects victims. Simple memory hook: no coverage, no keys.
18. In which situations should you add extra following distance behind the vehicle ahead?
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Correct answer: C. Add following distance whenever stopping gets harder or seeing gets worse: slick roads, tailgaters behind you, big trucks blocking your view, or motorcycles that can stop quickly. More risk always calls for more room ahead of you.
19. Leaving a one-way street, you see a yellow diamond sign with two vertical arrows pointing in opposite directions. What is it warning you about?
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Correct answer: A. The two-way traffic sign warns that the one-way section is ending and vehicles will now come toward you. Keep to the right and use extra care when passing. Two opposite arrows mean the road now flows both ways.
20. You hold only a learner's permit and your supervising adult is unavailable. When may you drive by yourself?
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Correct answer: C. A permit never allows solo driving; a qualified supervisor must ride with you every time. Getting caught alone can mean tickets, permit suspension, and a longer wait for your license. Shortcuts here only stretch out the process.
21. A classmate insists everyone must wait until 18 to start driving in Virginia. The real minimum age for a learner's permit is which of these?
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Correct answer: D. Your classmate is wrong: Virginia grants learner's permits at 15½. Starting earlier gives you months of supervised practice while risk is lowest. When rules feel fuzzy, confirm them in the official state driver handbook.
22. Only one road sign is shaped like a sideways pennant, a triangle with its point aimed to the right. Which sign is it?
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Correct answer: A. The sideways yellow pennant is used for one message only: NO PASSING ZONE. It stands on the left side of the road where passing begins to be unsafe. One shape, one meaning makes it instantly recognizable.
23. You are heading to a party where you plan to drink. What is the safest plan for getting home?
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Correct answer: B. The safest plan is decided before the first drink: a sober designated driver, rideshare, taxi, or staying over. Once alcohol dulls your judgment, you cannot trust yourself to choose wisely. Plan the ride first, then the party.
24. A yellow diamond sign shows two arrows curving apart around an oval island. What is this sign telling you about the road ahead?
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Correct answer: D. The divided highway begins sign means opposing traffic will soon be separated by a median or barrier. Stay right of the divider and do not cross it. Picture the two arrows as lanes splitting around an island you must not enter.
25. You are driving through a residential district in Virginia and see no speed limit signs. What is the default speed limit?
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Correct answer: C. Where no sign is posted, Virginia's default residential limit is 25 mph. Homes mean driveways, pets, and kids near the road, so the default stays low. A posted sign always overrides the default, so watch for one.
26. An 18-year-old in Virginia has one beer at a graduation party and then drives. At what BAC could this driver already be violating the zero-tolerance law?
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Correct answer: C. One beer can push a young driver to 0.02%, the level where Virginia's zero-tolerance law kicks in. The rule protects new drivers, whose crash risk rises quickly with alcohol. Skip every drink if you plan to drive.
27. You reach a stop sign at an intersection that has a painted stop line. Where must you bring your vehicle to a complete stop?
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Correct answer: A. At a stop sign you must stop completely before the stop line; with no line, stop before the crosswalk or the intersection edge. Stopping short protects people in the crosswalk. If you need a better view, creep forward only after the full stop.
28. Under Virginia's zero-tolerance law, what BAC level counts as a violation for a driver under 21?
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Correct answer: B. Virginia's zero-tolerance law sets the under-21 threshold at 0.02%, far stricter than the adult standard. Underage drinking is illegal to begin with, so the safest and simplest rule is zero alcohol before driving, always.
29. Graduated driver licensing (GDL) in Virginia moves teens through permit, intermediate, and full-license stages. Entry into the first stage, the learner's permit, begins at what age?
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Correct answer: A. GDL entry in Virginia starts with a learner's permit at 15½. Each stage lifts restrictions as skill grows, because crash risk is highest in a driver's first solo months. The ladder starts at 15½; climb it patiently.
30. You are 19 and convicted in Virginia of driving after illegally consuming alcohol. Which penalty applies?
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Correct answer: D. Virginia's zero-tolerance law makes underage drinking and driving a Class 1 misdemeanor: the license is forfeited for one year, plus a mandatory minimum $500 fine or 50 hours of community service. Underage drinking costs a year.
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