Driver's License Test Prep
Oregon Practice Regulatory Signs

What is the shape of a stop sign?

  1. A.
    Octagon. Correct
  2. B.
    Rectangle.
  3. C.
    Triangle.
  4. D.
    Square.
The Why

The answer is "Octagon."

The stop sign is the only octagon used in U.S. traffic control, and the shape itself is the cue. You can read it from any angle, even when snow or dirt covers the lettering. Triangles mean yield. Squares carry Do Not Enter. Rectangles cover other regulatory signs like Speed Limit and One Way. Drivers who pick C are reaching back to the yield sign's downward triangle and swapping it for the stop sign's octagon.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. Rectangle.

Rectangles are used for other regulatory signs like Speed Limit and One Way, not for stop. The manual describes those signs as rectangular with black words on a white background, while Stop is an octagon. This answer confuses the rectangular shape of other regulatory signs (Speed Limit, One Way) with the octagonal stop sign.

C. Triangle.

A downward-pointing triangle is the yield sign, not a stop sign. The manual lists Yield as Triangle and Stop as Octagon, two different regulatory shapes. This answer confuses the yield sign's triangle (the manual's Yield entry) with the stop sign's octagon.

D. Square.

The square shape is used for the Do Not Enter sign, not for stop. The manual lists Do Not Enter as Square and Stop as Octagon. This answer confuses the Do Not Enter sign's square shape (the manual's Do Not Enter entry) with the stop sign's octagon.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Regulatory Signs in Oregon. Source: Oregon Driver Manual, "Signs / Regulatory Signs Prohibitive," p.7..

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