Indiana BMV Permit Practice Test 20
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. A driver is thinking about overtaking a slower vehicle and sees this sign a short distance ahead. What does it mean for that pass?
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Answer B: The pass must be finished before the restricted section begins
The sign marks the start of a section where passing is prohibited, so a driver may not be on the left side of the road beyond it; any pass has to be completed before that point or not started at all.
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2. Loose gravel has been swept into the middle of your lane on a downhill bend. Which controls are affected most?
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Answer D: Steering and braking, since the loose stones roll under the tires
Gravel rolls between rubber and pavement, so the tires can neither turn the vehicle nor slow it as they would on a clean surface.
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3. The vehicle ahead of you has pulled out to pass a truck. May you follow it out and pass as well?
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Answer B: No, wait until it is done and judge the road for yourself
You cannot see past the vehicle ahead of you, and if it has to abort the pass there is nowhere for either of you to go.
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4. Two solid white lines separate your lane from the lane beside it. What do they mean?
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Answer B: Crossing from one lane to the other is prohibited
A solid double white line marks a boundary that road users may not cross, such as the entrance to a preferential lane.
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5. A mixed drink is made with two shots of spirits. How much alcohol is that?
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Answer C: About two standard drinks
A standard drink is a fixed amount of pure alcohol, so a glass poured with two measures counts as two drinks however it is served.
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6. You are stopped at a stop sign where your road ends at a two-way through street and you plan to turn left. What must you yield to?
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Answer B: Traffic from both directions and any pedestrians crossing
A left turn from the stem of a T crosses the near lane and joins the far one, so you give way to traffic in both directions and to pedestrians.
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7. Apart from giving you room to stop, what else does a longer following gap do for you?
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Answer D: It widens your view of the road and the traffic ahead
Sitting further back lets you see past and around the vehicle in front, so hazards reach your eyes seconds earlier.
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8. At a four-way stop another driver pulls out ahead of you when it was clearly your turn. What is the correct response?
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Answer B: Let that driver go through, then take your turn when the way is clear again
Right of way is something you give, never something you take, so yielding to a driver who takes it wrongly avoids a crash you would otherwise share.
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9. What maximum speed does Indiana law set for driving in an alley?
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Answer A: 15 miles per hour
The statutory maximum in an alley is 15 miles per hour, and a local authority may raise it only as far as 20.
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10. Your light turns green and a driver on the cross street enters against a red. What should you do?
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Answer D: Hold back and let that vehicle go through
Giving up a right of way you are entitled to is the only way to avoid a crash with a driver who has already failed to yield.
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11. You are parking facing uphill on a street with a curb. What is the correct wheel position?
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Answer B: Turn the front wheels away from the curb and let the vehicle roll back until a tire touches it
Facing uphill the vehicle would roll backward, so the wheels point away from the curb and the tire is rested against it to act as a block.
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12. A driver ahead of you extends the left arm straight out horizontally through the window. What is being signaled?
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Answer C: A left turn
The left arm held straight out is the standard hand signal for a left turn.
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13. Heavy rain has left standing water on the road where this sign is posted. What does the law expect of the driver?
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Answer C: Driving below the posted figure, at a speed that suits the conditions
Drivers must adapt to conditions, so in rain, fog, snow or dense traffic the safe speed falls below the posted maximum and keeping to that maximum can itself be an offense.
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14. You want to move into the right lane just as an entrance ramp joins the highway at that point. What is the better choice?
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Answer B: Wait until you are past the merge area so you do not squeeze the entering traffic
The merge area is where ramp traffic has to find a gap, so adding a lane change of your own into the same space creates a conflict.
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15. What should you do as you approach your exit from a roundabout?
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Answer A: Signal right and check the crosswalk for pedestrians before leaving
A right signal tells following drivers and waiting drivers that you are leaving, and pedestrians cross at the exit leg, so the crosswalk must be checked.
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16. A small plaque mounted under this sign shows a numeral such as 2 or 3. What does that numeral report?
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Answer A: How many sets of tracks the crossing carries
The plaque states the number of tracks at that location, which is a warning that a second train may be running on another track behind the first.
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17. You are approaching a yield sign and no other vehicle is anywhere in sight. What does the sign require?
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Answer A: Slow down and be ready to stop, but stop only if needed
A yield sign requires you to slow and give way, and to stop only when traffic or pedestrians make stopping necessary.
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18. When is a child ready to use a vehicle seat belt without a booster seat?
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Answer A: When the lap belt lies across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt crosses the chest
Belt fit, not age, decides readiness. Until the child is tall enough for the lap belt to sit on the thighs and the shoulder belt on the chest, a booster is needed.
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19. You are turning left at an intersection and an oncoming bicyclist is approaching in the bike lane. What must you do?
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Answer B: Yield and complete the turn only after the bicyclist has passed
A bicycle in the roadway has the same right of way as a vehicle, so a left-turning driver must yield to an oncoming rider just as to an oncoming car.
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20. What condition does this sign warn a driver about?
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Answer B: Another road joins the road being traveled, from one side
It announces a side road entering the main roadway, so the driver should expect vehicles waiting to pull out and other vehicles slowing to turn in.
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21. Why is it often safer to back into a parking space than to back out of one?
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Answer D: Because you leave the space going forward, with a clear view
Backing into the space puts the difficult maneuver where you are stopped and looking around, and lets you drive out facing the traffic and pedestrians.
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22. Which steering method gives the most control when you must turn the wheel a long way at low speed?
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Answer C: Hand over hand, feeding the wheel from one hand to the other
Hand over hand keeps both hands on the wheel through a large turn, so you never lose the ability to correct quickly.
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23. Why should the shoulder belt never be worn under the arm or behind the back?
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Answer C: In a crash it could not hold your upper body and could cause severe injury
The shoulder belt restrains your chest and head. Placed under the arm it concentrates crash force on the ribs and organs; behind the back it does nothing at all.
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24. You are turning right on a red light where that is permitted. What does the law require first?
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Answer B: A full stop, then yielding to traffic and pedestrians
A right turn on red is allowed only after stopping completely and giving way to everyone who has the green, including people in the crosswalk.
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25. Why does a dirty windshield matter much more at night than during the day?
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Answer C: Dust and streaks scatter oncoming light and increase glare
Film and streaks on the glass spread every oncoming headlight into a star of glare, so clean the inside as well as the outside before a night trip.
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26. You are stopped at a T-intersection and a driver on the through road is signaling a right turn into your road. What is the safe assumption?
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Answer B: The driver may not actually turn, so wait until the vehicle slows and starts turning
A blinking signal may have been left on by mistake or may be for the next street, so wait until the vehicle actually slows and turns.
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27. Indiana's hand-held device ban applies to a driver in which situation?
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Answer C: While the motor vehicle is moving
The statute prohibits holding or using a telecommunications device while operating a moving motor vehicle, with exceptions for hands free use and 911 calls.
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28. On a divided highway you see a median opening marked for authorized vehicles only. May you use it to turn around?
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Answer D: No, those openings are for emergency and maintenance vehicles
Official crossovers are reserved for emergency and highway maintenance use; turning there puts a slow vehicle across high-speed traffic.
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29. A snow squall cuts visibility to almost nothing while you are on a highway. What must you not do?
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Answer D: Stop in a travel lane and wait for the squall to blow through
A vehicle stopped in a lane in a whiteout is invisible until someone hits it. Slow gradually and keep moving until you can leave the roadway completely.
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30. How should a head restraint be adjusted?
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Answer D: So the top is at least as high as the back of your head and close behind it
A restraint set at head height and close behind limits how far the head snaps backward in a rear impact, which is what reduces neck injury.
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31. How should you handle a prescription or over the counter medicine before driving?
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Answer D: Read the label and ask a pharmacist or doctor whether it affects driving
Many common medicines, including allergy and cold remedies, cause drowsiness or slowed reactions, and the label or a pharmacist can tell you whether driving is safe.
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32. You are approaching an uncontrolled intersection on a residential street where parked cars hide the cross street. What is the correct approach?
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Answer B: Slow enough to stop and creep out until you can see
Without a sign or signal you still have to be able to yield, and you cannot yield to traffic you have not seen.
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33. In Indiana, how long are driving privileges suspended for failing a chemical test compared with refusing one?
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Answer A: 180 days for failing the test and one year for refusing it
Indiana suspends driving privileges for 180 days when a motorist fails a chemical test and for one year when a motorist refuses it, rising to two years for a refusal by someone with a previous operating while intoxicated conviction.
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34. You are about to pass a bicyclist on a narrow two-lane road. What is the correct way to do it?
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Answer A: Wait for a clear gap and move well left, giving the rider wide space
Pass a cyclist as you would a car: wait for clear road, change lane position to leave generous clearance, and return only when the rider is well behind you.
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35. How should a turn at an intersection be taken on a wet road?
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Answer C: Slow earlier than usual and steer smoothly through the corner
Wet pavement leaves less grip, so the speed must come off before the turn and the steering must be gentle enough not to break traction.
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36. You see a shield for a three-digit Interstate whose first digit is even. What does that tell you about the route?
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Answer C: It loops around a city and rejoins its parent route
A three-digit Interstate beginning with an even digit is a loop or beltway that connects back to the main route at both ends, while an odd first digit marks a spur.
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37. What is the correct order of steps as you finish parking an automatic on a grade?
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Answer C: Turn the wheels, set the parking brake, then select park
Setting the parking brake before shifting into park lets the brake take the load, instead of leaving the whole weight of the car on the parking pawl.
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38. A sign showing a figure with an outstretched thumb inside a red circle with a slash means that
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Answer B: soliciting a ride is prohibited there
The no hitchhiking sign bars standing beside the road to solicit a ride, and it is common along freeway ramps and shoulders.
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39. The circular sign shape is reserved for which warning?
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Answer C: Advance warning of a highway-rail grade crossing
A round yellow sign with a black X and the letters RR is the grade crossing advance warning sign, and the circular outline is used for no other message.
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40. You are stopped at an intersection where bushes block your view of cross traffic. What should you do?
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Answer A: Edge forward slowly until you can see, then proceed when clear
Creeping forward a little at a time lets you gain a view without committing to the crossing. Never enter an intersection you cannot see into.
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41. A driver hunting for an on-ramp meets this sign at the mouth of the pavement ahead. What is the correct action?
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Answer C: Keep out of that roadway and look for the proper approach elsewhere
The restriction is absolute and does not depend on how much traffic is present, so the driver has to reach the highway by an approach built for entering vehicles.
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42. Why are drivers required to turn the front wheels when parking on a grade?
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Answer A: So that a vehicle that starts to roll leaves the traffic lanes instead of entering them
The wheel position is a last line of defense if the parking brake or transmission fails, directing the vehicle into the curb or off the roadway.
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43. You have parked a manual transmission car facing downhill. Which gear should you leave it in?
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Answer D: Reverse, along with the parking brake set firmly
Facing downhill the car would roll forward, so reverse gear opposes that movement while the parking brake and turned wheels back it up.
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44. A freeway sign reads BUSES ONLY ON SHOULDER 6 AM TO 9 AM. Who may drive on the shoulder then?
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Answer A: Only the vehicles named on the sign, during the hours shown
Shoulder running is granted by the sign to the class of vehicle and the hours the sign names, and it does not turn the shoulder into a general travel lane.
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45. A sign on a long descent points to a RUNAWAY TRUCK RAMP a mile ahead. What is that ramp for?
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Answer C: Stopping a vehicle whose brakes have failed
An escape ramp climbs into deep gravel or sand to bring a vehicle with failed brakes to a halt, so no one should stop or park in it.
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46. Why is this restriction so common beside fire hydrants, crosswalks and intersection corners?
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Answer C: To keep sight lines open and leave access for emergency crews
A vehicle left in those places hides pedestrians from approaching drivers, blocks the path of turning vehicles and can keep firefighters from reaching a hydrant.
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47. A sign reads MINIMUM SPEED 40. What does it require of a driver?
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Answer C: Not to drive below that speed when conditions allow
A minimum speed limit keeps unnecessarily slow vehicles from obstructing traffic, but it never overrides the duty to slow down for weather or congestion.
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48. A wide crosswalk you are turning across has a refuge island in the middle. What should you assume about people standing on it?
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Answer D: They may step off the island into your path at any moment
An island is a pause in a crossing, not the end of one, so treat anyone on it as a pedestrian who is still crossing.
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49. What is the sensible way to handle a meal on a long drive?
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Answer D: Eat before you leave or stop to eat
Eating takes hands, eyes and attention, and the only version with no cost to your driving is the one that happens while the car is parked.
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50. How should you position your vehicle for a right turn from a two-way street?
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Answer B: As close as practical to the right curb or edge, then turn into the nearest right lane
Right turns are made from the lane nearest the right edge into the nearest available lane, which keeps the turn tight and prevents a wide sweep into other traffic.