Driver's License Test Prep
California Practice Road Signs

What does a 5-sided (pentagon) road sign mean?

  1. A.
    You are near a school; drive slowly and stop for children in the crosswalk. Correct
  2. B.
    You are approaching a railroad crossing; slow down and prepare to stop.
  3. C.
    You are entering a work zone; slow down and merge when it is safe.
The Why

The answer is "You are near a school; drive slowly and stop for children in the crosswalk."

A pentagon (5-sided) sign marks a school zone; drive slowly and stop for children in the crosswalk. Learners who reach for choice B swap sign categories, matching the meaning of the round yellow railroad-crossing sign to the pentagon they see less often.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. You are approaching a railroad crossing; slow down and prepare to stop.

A railroad crossing is marked by a round yellow sign with a black X and the letters RR, not a five-sided pentagon. This answer pairs the railroad-crossing meaning with the pentagon because both signs are yellow warnings met on residential streets.

C. You are entering a work zone; slow down and merge when it is safe.

Work zones use orange signs and different shapes; the yellow pentagon is reserved for school warnings only. This answer reads any warning-shaped sign as construction because caution shapes and colors blur together in memory.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Road Signs in California. Source: California Driver Manual, "5-sided Sign," p.38..

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