California
DMV Practice Test

Few states offer more to explore than California and having a California driver’s license is one of the keys to enjoying everything the state has to offer. If you want to earn your license you’ll need to pass the California driving test. The test has two parts, a knowledge test and a skills test. In our practice knowledge tests, you will have to answer test questions that are very similar to the official California Driving written knowledge test. You will be presented with 36 questions and you must answer 30 questions correctly to pass. If you are over 18, our California DMV practice test will match the number of questions that you’ll see on the official test. If you are under 18, the official license test you take will contain 46 questions and you’ll need 38 correct answers to pass. To begin your practice test, click the “Start Test” button below.

1 / 36

What conditions should you be aware of when driving on gravel roads?

Shorter stopping distance.

Improved traction.

Increased risk of skidding.

Better visibility.

2 / 36

What is the DMV's standard vision requirement?

20/100

20/40

30/90

20/80

3 / 36

What is a safety zone?

The median in a divided highway.

An area for construction workers.

The road's shoulder.

A space set aside for pedestrians.

4 / 36

This sign means that you must not pass:

Any other vehicle for any reason.

Until it seems safe to do so.

On two lane roads only.

Until you pass this sign.

5 / 36

A road with a solid yellow line next to a broken yellow line means that vehicles

In both directions may pass

Are not allowed to pass

Next to the solid line may pass

Can pass if they are on the side with the broken line

6 / 36

This sign means:

Slower traffic must exit on the right

You should pass anyone in the right lane

Stay in the right lane if other traffic is moving faster than you

You should slow down and move to the right lane

7 / 36

An orange-colored sign like this means:

There is road work ahead

You must change lanes ahead

Be prepared to stop

Traffic delays are ahead

8 / 36

Any time you merge with other traffic, you:

Must come to a complete stop.

Need a gap of at least four seconds.

Should speed up and insist on the right-of-way.

Must accelerate to a speed faster than other vehicles.

9 / 36

Within 100 feet of a railroad crossing, assuming you cannot see the tracks for 400 feet in both directions, what is the speed limit?

10 mph.

15 mph.

30 mph.

25 mph.

10 / 36

When approaching a school zone while children are outside, you must drive no faster than 25 mph if you are within ________ feet of the school.

50-100

100-200

400-600

500-1000

11 / 36

If you are involved in a collision, you should not _____.

Stop.

Speed away without stopping.

Call 9-1-1 to report the accident.

Share your information with others involved in the accident.

12 / 36

While driving up a mountain road, you come up to another vehicle and there is not enough room for you to pass. What should you do?

Wait for the other vehicle to reverse back up the hill until there is room for you to pass.

Reverse down the hill until you find a place to pull off the road.

Discuss your options with the other driver.

Park your car and walk.

13 / 36

Studies show that speeding ______.

Saves a moderate amount of time, about ten minutes out of an hour of driving.

None of the listed answers.

Saves only a few minutes in the course of an hour, making it dangerous and not worthwhile.

Can sometimes cut a long commute in half.

14 / 36

If you are caught cheating on the California drivers test, what are the consequences?

You will be given a warning and a new date to take the test.

The test will be marked a "failure" and the DMV may take action against your driving privilege and anyone who assisted you.

Any testing aids will be confiscated, and your score on the test will be lowered by a certain amount.

You will be given one chance to take the test again.

15 / 36

When driving within 500 to 1,000 feet of a school while children are outside, what is the speed limit?

10 mph unless otherwise posted.

15 mph unless otherwise posted.

5 mph unless otherwise posted.

25 mph unless otherwise posted.

16 / 36

If a street has a center left turn lane, a person should not drive more than _________ in the center left turn lane.

100 feet

75 feet

50 feet

200 feet

17 / 36

This sign means:

Right turn permitted on green arrow only

Turn right to exit

Slow down

There is a sharp turn to the right ahead

18 / 36

What does this sign mean?

A hospital is ahead.

There is a side road ahead.

Prepare to stop.

You must turn left or right ahead.

19 / 36

If a 19 year old is caught in their vehicle with an open alcoholic beverage, which of the following can happen?

All of the listed answers.

The court may fine them up to $1,000.

The vehicle may be impounded for 30 days.

Their driving privilege may be revoked for one year, or issuance of their license may be suspended for one year.

20 / 36

For which of the following traffic lights must you always stop your vehicle:

Solid red lights, red arrows and flashing yellow lights

Solid red lights, flashing red lights and blacked out traffic signals

Flashing yellow arrows, solid red lights and flashing red lights

Solid red lights, flashing red lights and yellow lights

21 / 36

Driving under the influence of any medication which impairs your driving is permitted

with written permission from a medical professional

if it is prescribed by a physician

under no circumstances

as long as you are not on a highway

22 / 36

Due to their size, trucks often appear to be driving

recklessly.

the wrong direction.

faster.

slower.

23 / 36

If your vehicle has broken down but you are unable to move it from the road, where should you stop?

In a spot where your vehicle can be seen from behind

In the middle of the road

In an intersection

Near a stop sign

24 / 36

During which of the following situations should you turn on your headlights?

You should only use your headlights at night.

You should turn on your headlights only when it's foggy outside.

On hilly or mountain roads, as well to help avoid head-on collisions.

You should turn on your headlights whenever it is past noon.

25 / 36

When can a left turn be made at a red light?

When turning from a one-way street onto another one-way street

Never

In rural areas

When turning from a two-lane road onto a one-lane road

26 / 36

If your vehicle is parked on a level street, in which direction should the tires point?

Toward the curb

Away from the curb

Parallel to the curb

To the left

27 / 36

You should signal for at least _____ before changing lanes on the freeway.

1/4 mile

3 seconds

5 seconds

50 feet

28 / 36

This sign means:

Merging Traffic ahead

One lane ahead

Lane ends ahead

Exit ahead on the left

29 / 36

To make a U-turn on a highway with multiple lanes, you must start from:

The shoulder.

The far left lane.

The far right lane.

Any lane.

30 / 36

If you start to skid,

all answers are correct.

turn in the direction of the skid.

stop braking.

ease off the gas pedal.

31 / 36

Why should you always check for motorcycles before changing lanes?

Motorcycles have different speed limits.

They can be difficult to see.

Motorcycles can change lanes without signaling.

Motorcycles always have the right of way.

32 / 36

You are driving on a city street and see an emergency vehicle with flashing lights behind you. What should you do?

Drive to the right edge of the road and stop

Make the first available turn

Stay in your lane, slow down, and let it pass

Stop immediately

33 / 36

What is the maximum speed limit on most of the highways in California?

65 mph.

75 mph.

50 mph.

60 mph.

34 / 36

The California "Basic Speed Law" means that

you should never drive faster than the posted speed limit.

you should always drive the speed limit.

the speed limit is the same throughout the state.

you must never drive faster than what is safe for current road conditions.

35 / 36

This sign means:

Be prepared to stop if the light is flashing

A traffic light is out

There is a traffic signal ahead

Three lane road ahead

36 / 36

In which of these situations should you leave extra space between your vehicle and the one in front of you?

When driving on slick roads

When following a semi

When the driver behind you is trying to pass

All of the listed answers are correct

Your score is

The average score is 80%

3.7/5 - (12 votes)

How To Get A California Driver's License

There are certainly some hoops that you need to jump through to get a California driver’s permit or license. While there is some legwork to do to earn your license, it’s not an insurmountable task. We’ll walk you through the necessary steps and documentation to help you get comfortable with the process and ready to hit the road.

What are the age requirements for getting a California instruction permit and driver’s license? You can apply for your permit at age 15 ½ by going to your local California DMV location. At this age, you’ll need to complete a licensed driver’s education course, pass the DMV written knowledge test and pass the vision test to earn an instruction permit.

What are the steps for obtaining an instruction permit in California? For aspiring drivers under the age of 18, they will be required to complete an application. You can receive a permit if a parent or legal guardian signs your driver’s license or ID application. You will also need some documents and information:

Proof of insurance
Social security number
Legal proof of ID - such as a birth certificate or passport
Proof of residency

For minors less than 17.5 years old, they will also need to prove that they have completed or are in the process of completing a state-approved driver’s education program. People between 17.5 and 18 years old can obtain an instruction permit without driver’s ed certification, but will still need to turn 18 before they can take the driver’s test to earn their license.

For those who have moved to California after completing driver’s training out of state, California’s DMV will acknowledge the training if the school provides the necessary information on official letterhead, signed by a school official from the California DL33 form.

How To Pass the California Driver's License Test

Practice makes perfect, and that certainly holds true when it comes to preparing for your driving test. The number one piece of study material you’ll need to spend time with is the California Driver’s Manual. The manual contains everything you’ll need to know to pass the test, but it can be hard to digest so you’ll definitely want to supplement it with other tools. It can be worthwhile to utilize free resources like this site’s California permit practice test, which contains questions similar in format and content to what you’ll see on the official DMV test. As you progress through the driver’s manual, take these practice tests and record your scores to see how you’re progressing. If you’re struggling with questions related to signs, you can try our road signs practice test and work to improve in that area as well.

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Where to find a California driver’s manual?

Any DMV office should have a free copy on hand for you, or you can also find downloadable copies in a number of languages on the California DMV website here.

California License Frequently Asked Questions

You can renew your license in person at any California DMV location, by mail, or online. There are some stipulations for the latter two options. You can only renew by mail if your license expires in less than 60 days, are under age 70, do not have any current suspensions, and have not had two consecutive mail-in renewals. You can renew online if you received a renewal ID number by mail, can pay via credit card, and still have the same address from your previous license.

While some states require additional testing or an eye test during a license renewal, California does not require these unless a physician specifies the need for an eye test.

All is not lost if you fail your first attempt at the road test. California does require that you wait at least two weeks before scheduling your next test, however. You are allowed three attempts to pass the test before the DMV will require you to start the entire application process over again.

More than anything, you need to convince your evaluator that you are a safe and confident driver who can manage a vehicle on your own. Common skills you’ll be expected to demonstrate during your road test typically include:

Maintaining an acceptable speed - not too fast, and not too slow.
Understanding of right of way.
Completely stopping and proceeding at intersections.
Using proper driving mechanics, like keeping both hands on the wheel.
Safely parking the vehicle.
Stopping behind crosswalks.
Safely moving the car while in reverse.
Changing lanes and merging into traffic.

If you have a valid out of state license you have ten days to apply for a California license. If you have a current copy of your license, you can surrender it and you can avoid taking the California driver’s test. If you don’t have your current license, you’ll be required to take the California DMV test.

Additional Information

Information on the California Department of Motor Vehicles

Student testing and licensing in California is handled by the California DMV. Use the information below to contact them for any questions you have about licensing, or scheduling testing and training.

Website: https://www.dmv.ca.gov
Phone: 800.368.4327

To find the California DMV location nearest you please visit: https://drivingtestsample.com/dmv-locations/california/

Additional California Drivers License Helpful Links

The links below can help you answer common questions people have about the California driver’s license test or other California driver’s license-related topics.

Even More California Drivers Tests

We have put together ten additional tests to help you practice for your California Driver's License. Click below and get practicing!

California DMV Practice Test

How To Get A California Driver's License

How To Pass the California Driver's License Test

California License Frequently Asked Questions

Additional Information

Information on the California Department of Motor Vehicles

Additional California Drivers License Helpful Links

Even More California Drivers Tests

California
DMV Practice Test