Indiana BMV Permit Practice Test 27
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. A law enforcement officer is directing traffic and waves you forward while the signal facing you shows red. What should you do?
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Answer A: Follow the officer's direction and proceed
Directions given by an officer controlling traffic take priority over signals, signs and pavement markings.
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2. What is wrong with slowing to a crawl at a stop sign and then rolling on through?
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Answer C: It is not a stop, and you may miss a pedestrian or cross traffic
A rolling stop is a violation and it also cuts short the moment you need in order to look carefully in each direction before entering.
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3. A sign with a black legend on a fluorescent pink background is used for
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Answer A: traffic incident management
Fluorescent pink is set aside for signing that manages traffic around a crash, a spill or another unplanned incident, so it stands apart from routine work zone orange.
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4. A school bus ahead of you has its red lights flashing and its stop arm extended. What are you required to do?
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Answer A: Stop and stay stopped until the lights stop flashing and the bus starts moving
Flashing red lights and an extended stop arm mean children are getting on or off, so traffic must stop and wait until the bus withdraws the signals and moves again.
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5. You are about to pass a long tractor-trailer on a two-lane road. What should you expect?
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Answer B: You will need more clear road, since the vehicle is much longer
A tractor-trailer can be 70 feet long, so passing it takes more distance and more time than passing a car at the same speed difference.
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6. An Indiana vehicle is 86 feet long. What maximum speed applies to it?
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Answer B: 55 miles per hour
A vehicle exceeding 10 feet 6 inches in width, 13 feet 6 inches in height, or 85 feet in length may not be driven faster than 55 miles per hour.
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7. A school crossing guard steps into the roadway and holds up a stop paddle. What must you do?
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Answer D: Stop and stay stopped until the guard and the children have left the road
A crossing guard directs traffic with legal authority; you must remain stopped until both the guard and the children are clear of the roadway.
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8. You reach an intersection showing a steady red light, and a stop line is painted across your lane. Where must you bring the vehicle to a complete stop?
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Answer C: Before the stop line
A steady red requires a complete stop before the marked stop line. Where there is no stop line you stop before the crosswalk, and where there is neither, before entering the intersection.
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9. When is a driver or rider most likely to need hand and arm signals instead of the vehicle turn signal lamps?
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Answer D: When the lamps have failed or cannot be seen because of glare or a load
Hand and arm signals replace or reinforce the lamps whenever the lamps do not work or cannot be seen clearly by other road users.
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10. Your right wheels have dropped onto a soft shoulder. Why should you not steer straight back onto the pavement?
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Answer A: The tires can catch the pavement edge and throw you across the road
A tire pressed against the edge of the pavement climbs it suddenly, and at speed that jolt can send the vehicle across the center line.
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11. Another vehicle is passing you on a two-lane road. What should you do with your speed?
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Answer A: Hold your speed or ease off slightly to shorten the pass
Speeding up strands the passing driver in the oncoming lane, while a steady speed or a slight lift lets the pass finish quickly and safely.
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12. What is the basic rule for entering a roundabout?
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Answer B: Traffic already circulating goes first, and you wait for a gap
Entering traffic yields to vehicles already going around the circle, which is what keeps a roundabout moving instead of locking up.
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13. You are entering a marked school zone during the posted hours. What should you do?
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Answer A: Slow to the school zone limit and watch for children
The school zone limit applies throughout the posted hours, whether or not you can see any children at that moment.
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14. You are turning left across tracks that run along the center of the street. What should you do before crossing them?
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Answer B: Look along the tracks in both directions and cross only when clear
Rail vehicles running in the street can arrive from either direction and cannot stop quickly, so look along the tracks before you turn across them.
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15. Where is a strong crosswind most likely to hit you suddenly?
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Answer D: Coming out of a tunnel or a cut onto an open bridge
Gusts arrive the moment you leave shelter, which is why bridge approaches and the ends of cuts and tunnels catch drivers out.
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16. A school sign paired with a plaque showing a diagonal downward-pointing arrow is installed
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Answer D: at the school crossing itself, or as close to it as possible
The diagonal downward arrow points at the crossing, so this assembly is placed at the crossing location rather than in advance of it.
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17. You are towing a trailer and turning right at an intersection. What must you allow for?
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Answer D: The trailer cuts the corner, so swing wider than usual
A trailer follows a shorter path than the towing vehicle, so its wheels track inside your line and can mount the curb unless you take the turn wide.
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18. How does the blood alcohol standard for a driver operating a commercial vehicle compare with the one for a car driver?
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Answer D: It is lower, set at 0.04
Commercial drivers are held to a stricter standard of 0.04 because of the size of their vehicles and the risk they carry.
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19. The inside of your windshield keeps fogging up on a cold, damp day. What clears it best?
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Answer B: The defroster with the air conditioning on, which dries the air
Fog on the inside is moisture from the cabin air. The air conditioner dries that air, and the defroster warms the glass, so together they clear it and keep it clear.
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20. A flashing red lamp is mounted above a stop sign at a rural intersection. What does it add?
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Answer C: Emphasis, while the required stop stays the same
A stop beacon makes an easily missed stop sign more visible, but it neither adds to nor takes away from the obligation the sign already imposes.
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21. What are painted curb markings mainly used for?
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Answer D: Conveying parking and stopping regulations
Colored curbs tell drivers where waiting or parking is restricted, and because the exact color meanings are set locally a driver should also read the posted signs.
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22. A driver ahead brakes for no reason you can see, again and again. What should you do?
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Answer B: Increase your following distance and be ready for yet another stop
Unexplained braking tells you the driver is unsure or distracted, so the safe answer is more room, not less.
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23. Where is signing of this kind normally placed along a freeway?
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Answer D: Ahead of the interchange and again at the exit, so a driver can reach the correct lane in time
Guide information for an interchange is repeated on the approach and at the ramp, because a driver who learns about the exit only at the last moment has no room left for a safe lane change.
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24. May you use a relative's accessible parking placard to park in a marked accessible space?
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Answer D: No, only when the placard holder is being transported in the vehicle
A placard belongs to the person, not to the car, so it is valid only when that person is being transported; using it otherwise takes a space from someone who needs it.
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25. A shared-use path crosses the road ahead at a marked crossing and people are already crossing on it. What should you do?
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Answer C: Yield and let them finish crossing the road
People already crossing at a marked crossing have the right of way, and a path crossing is a crossing of the roadway like any other.
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26. After completing a turn you notice your signal is still flashing. What should you do?
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Answer A: Switch it off at once, before other drivers act on it
A signal left on after a turn is a false message, and drivers waiting to pull out may move into your path because of it.
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27. What does Indiana law make of aggressive driving in the immediate vicinity of a highway worksite when workers are present?
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Answer A: A Class A misdemeanor
Engaging in aggressive driving near a highway worksite when workers are present is a Class A misdemeanor, and it rises to a felony if a worker is injured or killed.
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28. Unless a sign says otherwise, what is the Indiana speed limit in an urban district?
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Answer D: 30 miles per hour
The statutory maximum in an urban district is 30 miles per hour unless a different limit has been posted.
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29. Your vehicle has stalled on railroad tracks and no train is in sight. After getting everyone away, whom should you call first?
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Answer B: The railroad emergency number posted on the blue sign at the crossing, giving the crossing number
Every public crossing has a blue emergency notification sign with a phone number and a crossing identification number. That call lets the railroad stop or slow trains before they reach you.
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30. In plain words, what is oversteer?
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Answer C: The rear of the vehicle slides out and the car turns too sharply
Oversteer means the rear tires have lost grip first, so the tail swings out and the vehicle turns more than you asked it to.
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31. Why is repeatedly changing lanes to work through heavy traffic a poor idea?
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Answer A: It raises the crash risk and saves almost no time
Each lane change adds a conflict with another vehicle, and in congestion the lanes move at similar average speeds, so the gain is negligible.
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32. You have started to pass and you see the no-passing zone beginning ahead. What should you do?
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Answer D: Ease off, drop back and return to your own lane
A pass must be completed before the no-passing zone starts. If it will not fit, abandon it and slot back in behind.
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33. You are starting from a stop on a snowy, icy street and the drive wheels begin to spin. What should you do?
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Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and start again more gently
Spinning tires polish the surface and dig in. Very gentle pressure on the accelerator, and a higher gear if you have one, gives the tires the best chance to grip.
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34. Your right wheels drop off the edge of the pavement onto a soft shoulder. What should you do?
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Answer C: Ease off the accelerator, hold the wheel straight and steer back gently once you have slowed
Yanking the wheel while the tires are pressed against a pavement lip can throw the vehicle across the road, so slow down first and then make a gentle correction.
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35. Your vehicle stalls on a railroad crossing and will not restart. What should you do first?
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Answer A: Get everyone out and away from the tracks immediately
Everyone must leave the vehicle and move well clear of the tracks at once, walking toward the train at an angle so that debris from an impact travels away from you.
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36. In a work zone a flagger is directing traffic in a way that conflicts with the posted signs. Whom do you follow?
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Answer B: The flagger's directions
A flagger controls traffic through a work area that changes from day to day, and those instructions take precedence over the fixed signs and markings in that zone.
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37. The blue signs mounted before a freeway interchange that carry the logos of individual businesses are
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Answer C: specific service signs, which show the brands available at that exit
Specific service signs, often called logo signs, list eligible businesses for categories such as gas, food, lodging, camping, attractions and 24-hour pharmacies at the upcoming interchange.
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38. School warning signs use which background and legend colors?
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Answer A: A black legend and border on a fluorescent yellow-green background
School warning signs carry a black legend and border on a fluorescent yellow-green background, a shade chosen so they stand out from ordinary yellow warning signs.
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39. A sign on a freeway restricts trucks to the two right-hand lanes. What should a car driver expect in those lanes?
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Answer A: More heavy vehicles and slower changes of speed
A truck lane restriction concentrates heavy vehicles on the right, and those vehicles accelerate, brake and change lanes far more slowly than cars.
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40. You are the second vehicle waiting to turn left on a green ball. Where should you wait?
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Answer A: Behind the stop line, until the first vehicle has actually turned
Only the lead vehicle should move into the intersection to wait; a second vehicle inside it is likely to be stranded there when the light changes.
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41. A driver disregards this sign and turns so as to travel against the direction it establishes. What is the immediate danger?
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Answer D: The driver will face traffic head on, because every lane comes the other way
Turning against the established direction puts the vehicle nose to nose with all the traffic on that street, which is why the mistake has to be corrected at once.
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42. What is true about driving away from a crash you were involved in?
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Answer B: It is a serious offense, even if the other driver has driven away too
Leaving the scene is a criminal offense in every state, and the behavior of the other driver does not excuse it.
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43. When are you expected to switch from high beams to low beams?
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Answer D: When a vehicle approaches from ahead or you come up behind another vehicle
High beams blind other drivers, both those coming toward you and those you follow through their mirrors. Dim them whenever another vehicle is within range.
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44. Beyond the point this sign refers to, which movement becomes unlawful?
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Answer D: Driving on the far side of the separation, against the flow
Once the two directions are separated, each roadway carries one-way traffic, so crossing to the other side means driving into oncoming vehicles.
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45. A child seat was in the car during a moderate crash. What should be done with it?
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Answer A: Replace it, because a seat that has been through a crash may be weakened
Crash forces can damage a seat in ways you cannot see, so a seat involved in anything but the mildest crash is replaced.
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46. You find yourself in a lane that must turn, you wanted to go straight, and you cannot change lanes safely. What should you do?
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Answer D: Make the required turn and find another route
Going straight from a mandatory turn lane surprises everyone around you, while a wrong turn costs only a few extra minutes.
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47. What are front fog lights for?
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Answer D: Adding a low, wide beam close to the car when visibility is poor
Fog lights throw a low, wide beam under the fog, which is why they are mounted low and are used only in poor visibility.
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48. How soon may an Indiana applicant retake a failed knowledge exam?
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Answer D: The next business day
Indiana requires an applicant who fails the knowledge exam to wait until the next business day before retaking it, while a failed driving skills exam requires a seven-day wait.
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49. When may the Indiana BMV order a driver who is at least 21 to complete a Driver Safety Program?
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Answer D: After two or more traffic offense convictions within a twelve month period
The BMV may require a driver 21 or older who is convicted of two or more traffic offenses within twelve months to complete an approved Driver Safety Program.
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50. A freeway sign shows a minimum speed limit. What does it require?
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Answer B: That you keep up with it unless conditions make that unsafe
A minimum speed limit keeps very slow vehicles off the highway, but weather, traffic or a mechanical problem may make a lower speed necessary and lawful.