Texas Permit Practice Test 1
This free Texas practice test has 30 multiple-choice questions covering road signs, right-of-way, speed limits, and safe driving — the same topics the DPS tests. You need 70% correct to pass the real DPS Class C knowledge exam (also called the written exam).
Question 1 of 30
1. A sign at an intersection shows a left-curving arrow inside a red circle with a diagonal slash. What must you do there?
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Correct answer: D. A slashed left arrow forbids left turns at that intersection, often because turning across oncoming traffic there causes crashes or blocks flow. Plan another route, such as continuing straight and circling the block. The slash cancels only the movement shown.
2. 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.
3. In Texas, 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. Texas 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.
4. A wide white bar is painted across your lane just before an intersection with a stop sign. Where must you stop?
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Correct answer: D. A stop line marks the exact place to stop: bring your vehicle to a halt before the bar, not on or past it. It keeps you clear of crosswalks and cross traffic. The bar is the boundary.
5. 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.
6. An ice-cream truck is stopped ahead and children are gathered around it. How should you drive past?
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Correct answer: C. Slow way down and cover your brake near children or a stopped ice-cream truck, because kids chase treats and forget traffic completely. Expect someone small to dart out. Around children, drive as if one already has.
7. You are turning left at an intersection on a green light while an oncoming car heads straight toward the intersection. What is the rule?
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Correct answer: C. A driver turning left must yield to oncoming vehicles going straight or turning right, crossing only when there is a safe gap. Straight traffic keeps its speed and path, so the turning driver waits. Left turn equals lower priority.
8. You come to an intersection where the signal is flashing red. How should you treat it?
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Correct answer: D. A flashing red light works exactly like a stop sign: stop fully, yield to traffic and pedestrians, then proceed when the way is clear. Flashing red still means red, so a complete stop is always required.
9. In Texas, what fine do you face for a first conviction of passing a school bus that has its red lights flashing?
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Correct answer: B. Passing a Texas school bus with flashing red lights costs $500 to $1,250 for a first conviction; repeat offenses within five years can reach $2,000 plus possible suspension. Hook: red flash means stop, or pay four figures.
10. Children are playing near the curb on an unposted neighborhood street in Texas. Unless a sign says otherwise, the fastest you may legally drive here is which speed?
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Correct answer: A. The default residential limit in Texas is 30 mph unless otherwise posted. With children nearby, you should often go slower still, because stopping distance grows quickly with speed and kids can dart into the street without warning.
11. 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.
12. What is the maximum fine for a first DWI conviction for an adult driver in Texas?
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Correct answer: D. A first DWI conviction in Texas brings a fine of up to $2,000, 72 hours to 180 days in jail, and a 90-to-365-day license suspension. Penalties climb steeply on repeat offenses. Hook: first DWI, two grand cap.
13. You take a breath test in Texas that shows a BAC of 0.08 or more. For a first offense, how long may your license be suspended under the Administrative License Revocation program?
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Correct answer: A. Under Texas Administrative License Revocation, failing a breath or blood test at 0.08 or higher triggers a 90-day suspension for a first offense, and up to 365 days for later ones. Hook: fail the test, lose ninety.
14. When you finish parallel parking, how should your car be positioned?
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Correct answer: A. End a parallel park close to the curb and parallel with it, so your vehicle does not poke into the traffic lane. A car sticking out invites sideswipes and mirror strikes. Tuck in tight; the lane belongs to traffic.
15. Drivers under 21 in Texas are held to a stricter alcohol standard than adults. What is the BAC threshold for these younger drivers?
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Correct answer: B. Adults have a higher per-se number, but the under-21 standard in Texas is any detectable amount. Alcohol is already off-limits for minors, so the driving rule matches: for young drivers, the practical limit is zero drinks.
16. Besides nighttime, when should you turn on your headlights?
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Correct answer: D. Turn on your headlights whenever conditions cut visibility, including rain, fog, snow, dusk, or dawn, because lights help other drivers spot you as much as they help you see. Handy habit: wipers on or gray sky means lights on.
17. You have been driving through a no-passing zone. Which sign tells you the zone has ended and passing is allowed again when safe?
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Correct answer: D. A white regulatory sign reading PASS WITH CARE marks the end of a no-passing zone. You may pass again, but only when the road ahead is clear. The word CARE reminds you the choice is still yours to judge.
18. You are passing a slower vehicle on a two-lane road. May you go over the speed limit to finish the pass quickly?
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Correct answer: D. The speed limit applies at all times, including while passing another vehicle. If you cannot complete a pass legally and safely, do not start it. Passing is a choice; speeding is never the tool that makes it legal.
19. A tire blows out while you are driving at highway speed. What is the safest response?
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Correct answer: B. During a blowout, hold the wheel firmly, lift off the gas, and let the car slow on its own before easing off the road. Hard braking on three good tires invites a spin. Steady hands beat fast feet.
20. You are approaching an intersection and the traffic light turns steady red. What must you do?
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Correct answer: C. A steady red light requires a full stop before the stop line or crosswalk, or before entering the intersection if there is no line. Stopping at the line protects people crossing. Remember: red means stop, every time.
21. You are 19, and a breath test after a Texas traffic stop shows a detectable amount of alcohol below 0.08. For a first offense, how long is your driver license suspended?
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Correct answer: C. Texas zero tolerance: a driver under 21 whose test confirms any detectable alcohol loses the license for 60 days on a first offense. The state treats any sip as too many for minors. Hook: first slip, sixty days.
22. Traffic around you on a Texas highway posted at the state maximum starts flowing faster than the signs allow. Your personal legal limit remains which speed?
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Correct answer: C. Other drivers speeding never raises your limit; on Texas's fastest highways it stays 85 mph. Move right and let them pass instead of matching them. Speed limits bind each driver individually, whatever the surrounding traffic does.
23. In Texas, supervised behind-the-wheel practice with a permit can begin once a teen reaches which age?
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Correct answer: C. Supervised practice starts at 15 in Texas, once the teen holds a learner's permit. Every practice hour with a licensed adult builds judgment that classroom study alone can never teach, which is why the permit stage exists.
24. During a practice drive in Texas, your mom asks: 'No sign here, so how fast can you legally go on this residential street?' What is the correct answer?
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Correct answer: B. With no sign posted, the residential default in Texas is 30 mph. A good habit for new drivers: entering any neighborhood, assume the default, scan for signs, and let posted limits override it whenever they appear.
25. 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.
26. Under zero-tolerance laws, what happens to a driver under 21 caught with any measurable alcohol in their system?
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Correct answer: A. Every state enforces zero tolerance: drivers under 21 face penalties, typically license loss, for any measurable amount of alcohol. Because underage drinking is illegal, no level is acceptable. For young drivers, the only safe number is zero.
27. A 30-year-old driver in Texas takes a chemical test after a crash. Prosecutors can prove DUI from the test result alone once the BAC is at least which value?
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Correct answer: D. A test showing 0.08% or higher proves per-se DUI in Texas without any other evidence of impairment. Lawmakers chose that threshold because crash risk climbs sharply near it, though alcohol degrades driving skills at lower levels too.
28. In Texas, what is the youngest age at which you can apply for a learner's permit?
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Correct answer: B. Texas issues learner's permits starting at age 15. The permit opens the first stage of graduated licensing, where you build skills with a supervising adult before earning fuller privileges. Know your state's number; it varies nationwide.
29. A solid white line, instead of a broken one, separates your lane from the next lane going the same way. What is it telling you?
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Correct answer: A. A solid white line between same-direction lanes discourages lane changes, and it appears where drifting is risky, such as near intersections and ramps. The firmer the line looks, the firmer the message: hold your lane.
30. Why is it illegal to park on a sidewalk or in a crosswalk?
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Correct answer: B. Sidewalks and crosswalks are reserved walking space; a parked car there pushes pedestrians, strollers, and wheelchairs out into traffic lanes. The law keeps walking paths continuous and safe. If people walk there, your car never belongs there.
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