Driver's License Test Prep
US Road Signs Warning Signs

This school crossing assembly has a downward diagonal arrow plaque mounted beneath the pentagon. What does the arrow indicate?

Fluorescent yellow-green pentagon sign showing two children walking, mounted above a fluorescent yellow-green rectangular plaque with a black arrow angled down and to the left
  1. A.
    The exact crosswalk where children cross the road. Correct
  2. B.
    The direction to the nearest school building.
  3. C.
    A school zone somewhere ahead on the road.
  4. D.
    The side of the road where children walk to school.
The Why

The answer is "The exact crosswalk where children cross the road."

The arrow on this assembly points to the exact crosswalk where children cross the road, which is why the assembly is posted at the crossing itself rather than in advance of it. The wrong answer to watch for is the one that treats the sign as a warning of a zone somewhere ahead; that describes the plain pentagon school sign posted before you reach the area, not this arrow-plaque version posted at the crosswalk.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. The direction to the nearest school building.

The arrow marks a pedestrian crossing point, not a route to a building. This answer reads the diagonal arrow as a wayfinding pointer toward the school itself rather than the location of the crosswalk.

C. A school zone somewhere ahead on the road.

The plain pentagon warns of a zone ahead; adding the arrow plaque pins the sign to the crosswalk right there. This answer applies the meaning of the plain school sign to the assembly and ignores the added arrow plaque underneath.

D. The side of the road where children walk to school.

The plaque identifies where children cross the roadway, not which sidewalk they use to reach the school. This answer treats a downward diagonal arrow as showing pedestrian travel direction along the road instead of the crossing point.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Warning Signs on the roads of every US state . Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign S1-1+W16-7P (School Crossing Assembly)..

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