A compact California reading view of 20 existing sourced practice explanations. Each card keeps the original question, correct answer and explanation together so that a qualified rule is not detached from its scenario.
A short sample of car driving questions. Read the handbook to cover the other topics you need.
Use this as a review aid after reading the handbook. It is not a state exam aid or a complete list of driving laws. Printing may use several pages; the layout does not shrink the text to promise a single sheet.
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Under 18: The question count is not confirmed in the reviewed agency sources. Agency passing statement: 80%.
DMV publishes an 80% passing score but does not state the current question count on its learner-permit page. Our 46-question practice length follows the under-18 DL 5T format described on printed page 1 of the December 2006 report about 2005 tests; it is not a current exam-length claim. Practice requires 37 of 46 correct to reach the published 80% threshold. Current correct-answer and mistake counts, duration and early-stop policy remain unconfirmed.
Retained facts checked 2026-10-12.
18+: The question count is not confirmed in the reviewed agency sources. Agency passing statement: 80%.
DMV publishes an 80% passing score but does not state the current question count on its learner-permit page. Our 36-question practice length follows the adult original DL 5 format described on printed page 1 of the December 2006 report about 2005 tests; it is not a current exam-length claim. Practice requires 29 of 36 correct to reach the published 80% threshold. Renewal tests are outside this practice format.
Retained facts checked 2026-10-12.
Review 1 · Road signs
You come to a red octagonal sign at a corner. What does California require?
Correct answer: Bring the car to a full stop
Halt fully at the white limit line. Without a line, stop ahead of the crosswalk, and without either, stop before you enter the intersection. Merely slowing and rolling through does not count.
Source: Section 7 — Signs: STOP Sign · Original question review: 2026-09-09
Review 2 · Speed and space
A wet curve is ahead. Why should you reduce speed before entering it?
Correct answer: Too much speed can exceed the tires' grip in the curve
Slippery pavement reduces traction. Entering more slowly helps prevent a skid and avoids needing sudden braking while turning. Steer smoothly and keep your speed safe throughout the curve.
Source: Section 8 — Slippery Surface Skids: approaching curves; Slippery Roads · Original question review: 2026-09-23
Review 3 · HOV lanes
How should you enter or leave an HOV lane bordered by double solid lines?
Correct answer: Use a designated entrance or exit
Enter and exit only through designated openings. Do not cross the double solid boundary.
Source: Section 6 — Carpool/High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes · Original question review: 2026-09-09
Review 4 · Turns
After stopping at a solid circular red light, which left turn may be allowed if no sign prohibits it and the way is clear?
Correct answer: From a one-way street onto another one-way street
Only the one-way-to-one-way case qualifies. Stop and yield before turning; a red arrow does not allow the turn.
Source: Section 6 — Left Turn Against a Red Light · Original question review: 2026-09-09
Review 5 · Freeway driving
You are already in the proper lane to leave a freeway. How many seconds before the exit should you signal?
Correct answer: About five seconds
Once in the proper exit lane, signal about five seconds before leaving the freeway. This gives drivers behind you notice of your intended exit; it does not replace checking before any earlier lane change.
Source: Section 6 — Merging And Exiting: Exiting · Original question review: 2026-09-09
Review 6 · Night driving
Where should you look when oncoming headlights are too bright?
Correct answer: Toward the right edge of your lane
Avoid staring at the lights. Use the right edge of your lane as a visual guide.
Source: Section 8 — Understand the Road Conditions: Darkness · Original question review: 2026-09-09
Review 7 · Regulatory signs
What shape is the sign shown?
Correct answer: Octagon
An eight-sided red sign is used only for STOP. Because no other sign uses that outline, drivers can identify it even when the word is hidden by snow, grime or a low sun.
Source: Section 7 — Signs: STOP; YIELD; shapes; prohibitions · Original question review: 2026-09-10
Review 8 · Regulatory signs
What does this sign tell an approaching driver?
Correct answer: Do not enter this road or ramp
DO NOT ENTER is posted where traffic would be heading the wrong way, such as the far end of an off-ramp or a one-way street. Turning in there puts you face to face with oncoming vehicles.
Source: Section 7 — Signs: STOP; YIELD; shapes; prohibitions · Original question review: 2026-09-10
Review 9 · Construction signs
What should you expect beyond this sign?
Correct answer: Road workers or maintenance activity
The worker-with-shovel symbol warns of workers ahead. Adjust speed for conditions and watch for people and equipment.
Source: MUTCD 2009 Section 6F.33 — Workers (W21-1) ↗ · Original question review: 2026-09-10
Review 10 · Warning signs
How should you drive in wet conditions after seeing this sign?
Correct answer: Reduce speed and avoid sudden maneuvers
Wet pavement may reduce traction, so slow down and steer or brake smoothly.
Source: Section 8 — Slippery Roads: reduce speed and avoid sudden maneuvers · Original question review: 2026-09-10
Review 11 · Intersections
Your light turns green, but stopped traffic leaves no space beyond the intersection. What should you do?
Correct answer: Wait until you can clear the intersection
Green does not guarantee room to exit. Waiting prevents your vehicle from blocking crossing traffic or pedestrians if the queue stays stopped.
Source: Section 7 — Solid Green Light; Right-of-Way Rules: Intersections, entering traffic · Original question review: 2026-09-23
Review 12 · Emergency vehicles
What minimum following distance is required behind an emergency vehicle using its siren or flashing lights?
Correct answer: 300 feet
California prohibits following within 300 feet of an emergency vehicle using sirens or flashing lights.
Source: Section 7 — Emergency Vehicles · Original question review: 2026-09-09
Review 13 · Speed limits
You are driving through an alley in California. Unless a sign says otherwise, how fast may you go?
Correct answer: 15 mph
California caps alley speed at 15 mph. Alleys are narrow, and doors, garages, and pedestrians can appear at very close range, so the low limit leaves you room to stop in time.
Source: Section 7 — Alleys · Original question review: 2026-09-09
Review 14 · Railroads
Near an uncontrolled railroad crossing with limited visibility, when does the 15 mph rule apply?
Correct answer: Within 100 feet when you cannot see 400 feet in both directions
Drive no faster than 15 mph within 100 feet when track visibility is under 400 feet both ways, unless the crossing is controlled.
Source: Section 7 — Near Railroad Tracks; Buses, Streetcars, and Trolleys; Large Vehicles; Bicycles · Original question review: 2026-09-09
Review 15 · Transit vehicles
A bus, streetcar, or trolley has stopped at a safety zone or a traffic signal. What is the highest speed at which California allows you to go by it?
Correct answer: 10 mph
Riders may step off a stopped transit vehicle and cross in front of you without warning. California caps your speed at 10 mph while passing in this situation, which gives you time to stop for anyone walking to or from the safety zone.
Source: Section 7 — Near Railroad Tracks; Buses, Streetcars, and Trolleys; Large Vehicles; Bicycles · Original question review: 2026-09-09
Review 16 · ABS
Your car has four-wheel ABS. How should you brake in an emergency?
Correct answer: Apply firm, steady pressure to the brake pedal
Keep firm pressure on the pedal instead of pumping it. DMV gives different instructions for vehicles without ABS, so know which system your vehicle has before an emergency.
Source: Teen Driver Tips — Handling Special Problems & Emergencies: What if I have to stop quickly or my vehicle skids? · Original question review: 2026-09-23
Review 17 · DUI
For how long does California keep a DUI conviction on your driving record?
Correct answer: Ten years
A DUI stays on a California record for a full decade, so a second offense anywhere in that window is treated as a repeat conviction.
Source: Section 9 — Blood Alcohol Concentration; DUI Arrests; Alcohol Containers · Original question review: 2026-09-09
Review 18 · Large vehicles
If you cannot see a truck driver in the truck's side mirror, what should you assume?
Correct answer: The truck driver probably cannot see your vehicle
Large vehicles have extensive blind spots. If you cannot see the driver in the mirror, the driver likely cannot see you.
Source: Section 7 — Blind Spots; Braking · Original question review: 2026-09-09
Review 19 · Parking
May you park in an area marked with diagonal crosshatch lines beside a disabled space?
Correct answer: No, the crosshatched access area must remain clear
Crosshatched access aisles are not parking spaces and must remain available for accessibility.
Source: Section 6 — Parking at Colored Curbs; Illegal Parking · Original question review: 2026-09-09
Review 20 · Insurance
What standard minimum bodily-injury liability limits does the California handbook list?
Correct answer: $30,000 for one person and $60,000 for more than one person
California DMV lists minimum bodily-injury coverage of $30,000 for one death or injury and $60,000 for more than one.
Source: Section 10 — Insurance Requirements; Reporting a Collision; Driving Without Insurance · Original question review: 2026-09-09
