Indiana BMV Permit Practice Test 22

  • Questions50
  • Correct to pass40
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age15 years

Minimum age: 15 years with proof of enrollment in a BMV licensed driver education program; 16 years otherwise

50 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 40 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. Another driver cuts you off and you feel your temper rising. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Take a breath, drop back and let it go, because the whole trip matters more

    Retaliation turns a moment of bad driving into a crash, and dropping back costs you only a few seconds.

  2. 2. The crossbuck, formed by two rectangular arms crossed in an X, is placed

    Show answer

    Answer D: on each highway approach to a railroad grade crossing

    The crossbuck marks the location of a highway-rail grade crossing and is required on each highway approach to that crossing.

  3. 3. Besides the traffic behind you, what else must you check before moving into the next lane?

    Show answer

    Answer D: That there is room ahead in the new lane for your normal following distance

    Moving into a gap that is too short leaves you tailgating the vehicle ahead with a vehicle close behind you.

  4. 4. A pedestrian signal changes to a flashing upraised hand. What does that indication mean?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Do not start crossing, but finish a crossing already begun

    The flashing upraised hand is the pedestrian change interval: nobody may start to cross, but a pedestrian already in the crosswalk may continue to the far side or to a median.

  5. 5. Someone has stepped into a marked crosswalk in the middle of a block ahead of you. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Slow down, stop before the markings and let the person cross the street

    A marked mid-block crosswalk carries the same duty as one at a corner: give way to the person crossing, stopping if that is what letting them cross safely takes.

  6. 6. You have strapped luggage to the roof rack for a long trip. What should you expect?

    Show answer

    Answer D: A higher center of gravity, so take the curves and lane changes gently

    Weight on the roof raises the center of gravity and makes the vehicle lean and respond more slowly to steering.

  7. 7. What does it mean to cover the brake, and when should you do it?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Hold your foot over the brake pedal without pressing it when a hazard seems likely

    Covering the brake cuts reaction time when you expect trouble, such as near children, parked cars or a vehicle that may pull out. Riding the brake wears it out and confuses drivers behind you.

  8. 8. How soon may an applicant retake a failed Indiana driving skills exam?

    Show answer

    Answer A: After seven days, and after two months following a third failure on a learner's permit

    Indiana requires a seven day wait after a failed driving skills exam, and a two month wait after a third failure while holding a learner's permit.

  9. 9. You are following a large truck on a two-lane road and cannot see past it. What should you do before deciding to pass?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Drop back so that your view of the road ahead opens up

    Distance is what buys you a view around a large vehicle, and no decision to pass can be made from a position where you cannot see.

  10. 10. The tire pressure monitoring symbol lights up on your dashboard. What is the system telling you?

    Show answer

    Answer A: At least one tire is significantly underinflated

    The system warns when a tire falls well below the recommended pressure. Check all four with a gauge and inflate to the placard figure while they are cold.

  11. 11. On an overhead guide sign, the small exit number panel sits above the left-hand end rather than the right. What does that placement tell you?

    Show answer

    Answer A: The exit leaves from the left side of the roadway

    The exit number plaque is placed on the side from which the ramp leaves, which gives advance notice of the unusual left-hand exit.

  12. 12. Why is parking too close to a street corner prohibited?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Because it hides approaching traffic and pedestrians

    A vehicle parked at a corner blocks the view that both drivers and pedestrians need before entering the intersection.

  13. 13. You have driven at 70 mph for an hour and then exit onto a town street. What is the common risk?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Your sense of speed adapts, so 35 mph feels slow and you drive too fast

    After a long stretch at high speed the brain adapts, so town speeds feel unnaturally slow; check the speedometer instead of trusting the feeling.

  14. 14. A large panel mounted on a trailer at the roadside displays a flashing arrow pointing left. What does it tell you?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Move into the lane to your left

    An arrow panel directs traffic out of a closed lane, so the arrow shows the direction you must move rather than the shape of the road ahead.

  15. 15. You know in advance that you will be drinking at an event. What is the most reliable plan?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Arrange a driver who will not drink, or another way home, before the event begins

    A decision made before drinking is not affected by alcohol, while judging your own fitness afterward relies on the very ability alcohol impairs first.

  16. 16. Is it acceptable to watch a video on a screen positioned where you can see it while driving?

    Show answer

    Answer B: No, the screen pulls your eyes and attention away from the road

    Moving pictures are among the strongest visual distractions. Video screens must be out of the driver's view while the vehicle is moving.

  17. 17. You are making a U-turn at a signal on a green left arrow. Who must you still watch for?

    Show answer

    Answer D: People in the crosswalk you will cross as you come around

    Even a protected arrow does not clear the crosswalk, and a U-turn sweeps across a crosswalk that pedestrians may already be using.

  18. 18. An orange sign reads RIGHT LANE CLOSED AHEAD. What is the correct response?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Move left in good time and keep a steady pace

    The sign is placed well before the taper so that drivers can merge smoothly rather than braking hard where the lane actually closes.

  19. 19. A single solid white line separates two lanes running in the same direction. What is it telling drivers?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Changing lanes there is discouraged

    A solid white lane line discourages lane changing, typically where merging or weaving would create a hazard.

  20. 20. A blue motorist service sign showing a fuel symbol and an arrow means that

    Show answer

    Answer D: fuel is available in the direction shown, and the sign imposes no obligation

    Service signs are informational: they tell the driver what is available and in which direction, but they create no requirement.

  21. 21. A large truck ahead of you swings toward the left just before turning right at an intersection. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Stay back and never try to move into the gap between the truck and the curb

    Long vehicles need extra room and often swing wide to complete a right turn, so the space that opens on their right closes again as the trailer sweeps through it.

  22. 22. You reach a red light with a sign reading NO TURN ON RED. What may you do?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Wait for the green; no turn is allowed while the light is red

    That sign removes the usual permission to turn on red at the intersection, so you must wait for a green indication.

  23. 23. You have entered a work zone where crews are working close to the open lane. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Slow down and be ready for workers and machines

    Workers and equipment cross the open lane without warning in a work zone, so reduced speed and attention on the road ahead are what keep them safe.

  24. 24. You enter a work zone at night where one lane is closed and a flagger is on duty. What is the safest approach?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Slow early, merge before the closure and be ready to stop

    Merging early at a reduced speed keeps the queue orderly and leaves you room to stop for equipment, workers or traffic that has halted ahead.

  25. 25. What offense does an Indiana driver commit by recklessly passing a school bus whose stop arm is extended?

    Show answer

    Answer D: A Class A misdemeanor

    Recklessly passing a stopped school bus with the arm signal extended is a Class A misdemeanor, rising to a Level 6 felony for bodily injury and a Level 5 felony for a death.

  26. 26. Rain is heavy enough that you have your windshield wipers running. What else should you switch on?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Your headlights, so you can see and others can see you

    Rain heavy enough to need wipers also cuts how far away you can be seen, so the headlights belong on. Many states write this into law as a wipers on, lights on rule.

  27. 27. You stop behind another vehicle at a traffic light. How much space should you leave?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Enough to see where its rear tires touch the pavement

    Seeing the rear tires on the road leaves room to steer around the vehicle if it stalls, and gives a cushion if you are struck from behind.

  28. 28. Another driver has pulled out to pass you. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Stay in your lane, keep your speed steady or ease off, and let the pass finish

    Accelerating while being passed forces the other driver to stay in the opposing lane longer, so the safe response is to hold or slightly reduce speed and stay right.

  29. 29. At highway speed, a large object suddenly appears in your lane and there is open space beside you. Which response is often the most effective?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Steer around it, since at speed you can often turn quicker than you can stop

    Above roughly 25 mph, stopping distance is long while a lane change takes only a moment. When space is available, a controlled steer around the hazard avoids the impact.

  30. 30. How often should the spare tire be checked?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Regularly, because a spare loses pressure while it sits unused

    Spares lose air slowly over months, and a flat spare is useless at the moment you need it.

  31. 31. A driver who wants to reverse direction arrives at this sign. What is allowed?

    A white square showing a U shaped arrow inside a red circle with a red diagonal line through it
    Show answer

    Answer C: Going on and reversing direction only where the maneuver is permitted

    The restriction removes that maneuver at that spot entirely, so the driver has to continue and turn the vehicle around at a place where it is not prohibited.

  32. 32. As a general rule, how far should you travel along a center two-way left-turn lane before you turn?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Only a short distance, just enough to slow down and wait for a gap

    The center lane is for making or preparing a left turn, so you enter it only shortly before the turn and never travel along it as a through lane; several states set a specific limit such as 200 or 300 feet.

  33. 33. A pedestrian steps off the curb without looking your way. What should you assume?

    Show answer

    Answer B: That the person has not seen you at all, and be ready to stop for them

    Defensive driving means assuming you have not been seen until there is clear evidence that you have.

  34. 34. You are stopped in traffic at a red light when an ambulance comes up behind you with its siren on. What is the correct action?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Stay put until you can move aside legally and safely

    You must not run a red light or make an unsafe move to yield; wait, then pull to the side once the way ahead lets you do it safely.

  35. 35. You want to pass on a two-lane road where several people are walking on the narrow shoulder ahead. What should you consider?

    Show answer

    Answer D: There is no escape room if the pass goes wrong, so wait for a better place

    A pass depends on having somewhere to go if it goes wrong, and a shoulder occupied by pedestrians removes that option for both vehicles.

  36. 36. You are passing a line of slow traffic in the lane beside you and you notice a gap in that line ahead. What should you expect?

    Show answer

    Answer A: A vehicle may pull out of that gap into your lane

    A gap in a slow line is an invitation to any driver waiting to turn out of a side street or to change lanes, and they are looking at the gap rather than at you.

  37. 37. A driver behind you on a two-lane road clearly wants to pass. Why should you not wave that driver past?

    Show answer

    Answer B: You cannot see the whole road ahead for them and they may rely on your signal

    Waving another driver out invites them to trust your judgment of a road you cannot see well enough, and the decision to pass belongs to the driver making it.

  38. 38. Why is it risky to brake hard and steer sharply at the same moment?

    Show answer

    Answer C: The tires have a limited amount of grip that braking and turning must share

    Each tire can deliver only so much grip, and asking it to slow the vehicle and change direction at once can exceed that limit and start a skid.

  39. 39. Traffic in a work zone is down to one lane in each direction, separated by a temporary double yellow line. May you pass?

    Show answer

    Answer C: No, temporary markings prohibit passing just as permanent ones do

    A temporary marking has the same legal force as a permanent one, and a work zone is the last place with room to spare for an overtaking vehicle.

  40. 40. What alcohol concentration puts an Indiana driver under 21 in violation of the zero tolerance rule?

    Show answer

    Answer A: At least 0.02 but less than 0.08

    A driver under 21 who operates with an alcohol concentration of at least 0.02 but less than 0.08 commits a Class C infraction.

  41. 41. You are circulating in the inner lane of a two-lane roundabout, your exit is next, and a vehicle is beside you in the outer lane. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Keep circulating around the island and take that same exit on your next time around

    You may not cut across a vehicle in the outer lane; if you cannot exit safely, continue around the circle and try again.

  42. 42. You are entering a marked work zone. What should you expect?

    Show answer

    Answer B: A reduced posted speed, narrowed or shifted lanes, and traffic that may stop suddenly

    Work zones change the geometry of the road and can bring traffic to a halt without warning, so the posted work zone speed and increased following distance both apply.

  43. 43. You are first in the queue at a red light with a marked crosswalk. Where should your vehicle stop?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Behind the stop line, so that the crosswalk stays clear

    Stopping short of the line keeps the crosswalk usable for people on foot and keeps your vehicle out of the path of turning traffic.

  44. 44. A police officer is directing traffic at an intersection and waves you through a red light. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Follow the officer, whose directions come before signs and signals

    Directions given by a police officer or an authorized flagger override signs, signals and pavement markings.

  45. 45. A sign with a yellow background and a black legend generally conveys

    Show answer

    Answer B: a general warning

    Yellow is the background color used for general warning signs, so a yellow sign tells the driver to expect something ahead rather than to obey a rule.

  46. 46. You are traveling beside a tractor-trailer and cannot see the truck driver's face in any of the truck's mirrors. What does that tell you?

    Show answer

    Answer A: The truck driver probably cannot see your vehicle

    Large trucks have deep blind spots on all four sides, so if the driver's face is not visible in a mirror the driver has no view of you. Move ahead or drop back until you are out of that area.

  47. 47. Rain is falling and the outside temperature reads close to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Why is that dangerous?

    Show answer

    Answer A: The rain can freeze on contact and glaze the road with ice

    Near freezing, rain landing on cold pavement can turn to a glaze of ice almost at once, so a road that looks merely wet may have no grip at all.

  48. 48. You are stopped at a red light ready to turn right when a person pushing a stroller steps into the crosswalk. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer A: Stay stopped until they have crossed your path

    A turn on red gives way to every pedestrian in the crosswalk, and someone pushing a stroller has even less room to react.

  49. 49. You are driving on a road covered with a layer of wet fallen leaves. What should you expect?

    Show answer

    Answer B: As little grip as on ice, plus hidden markings and hidden holes

    Wet leaves are as slippery as ice and they hide the lane lines and any potholes underneath, so slow well before curves and stops.

  50. 50. What should you do before leaving a parked vehicle unattended?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Set the parking brake, place the transmission in park or in gear, switch off the engine and take the key

    Securing the vehicle with the parking brake, the transmission and the ignition prevents it from rolling away and from being moved by someone else.