Virginia Practice Test

Virginia Practice Test (40 questions). Correct answers and explanations are noted under each question.

1. 1. What does the number on this state route marker identify?

   

   1. The route number of a state highway. (correct)
   2. A U.S. route number shown on a U.S. route shield.
   3. The posted speed limit for this stretch of highway.
   4. The distance in miles to the next state line.

   Why: The state route marker names a state highway by its route number, and that is the only piece of information it carries: no speed, no distance, no federal designation. The trap is the U.S. route shield answer; both signs carry a black number on a white ground, so a driver working from memory of the more familiar U.S. shield reaches for it before noticing that this circle marks a state route instead.

   Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign M1-5 (State Route Marker).

2. 2. A bicycle symbol topped by two white chevron arrows is painted in the middle of a travel lane. What does this marking tell a driver?

   

   1. Bicyclists share the lane with cars; expect bikes and pass with care. (correct)
   2. The lane is reserved for bicycles and closed to motor vehicles.
   3. Bicyclists must ride to the far right edge of the lane at all times.
   4. A bike route crosses the road ahead, so watch for cyclists from the side.

   Why: A sharrow tells drivers that bicyclists share the same travel lane. Pass only when you can give the rider a safe buffer, and change lanes if the lane is too narrow to share side by side. A bike lane is a separate bicycle space marked by lane lines; a sharrow sits in a general travel lane that bikes and cars share. The bike-only reading is the trap for drivers who spot the painted bike symbol and skip past the chevrons on top that mark the lane as shared.

   Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3C.04 (Shared-Lane Marking (Sharrow)).

3. 3. What does this Turn Right sign warn a driver about the road ahead?

   

   1. A sharp right turn ahead where the road changes direction abruptly and a reduced speed is needed (correct)
   2. A gentle right curve ahead that can be rounded at the posted speed limit
   3. A right lane ending soon where drivers must merge left before it closes
   4. A right-turn-only lane ahead that through traffic must move out of

   Why: The W1-1R diamond warns of a sharp right turn: an abrupt change in roadway alignment that cannot be taken safely at the approach speed, so slow before the bend and stay in your lane through it. The trap is the choice that reads this as a gentle curve; a curve at a speed you can already hold is warned by the W1-2 series, whose arrow bends smoothly rather than turning at a right angle like the arrow on this sign.

   Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign W1-1R (Turn Right).

4. 4. You see this yellow diamond sign on approach. What should you be prepared to do at the intersection ahead?

   

   1. Slow down and yield to vehicles already in the circle (correct)
   2. Come to a full stop before entering the circle
   3. Enter first because circle traffic must yield to you
   4. Continue at speed since the sign only marks the exit

   Why: The yellow diamond warns of a roundabout ahead, so slow on approach and be ready to obey the entry yield control that gives priority to vehicles already circulating counterclockwise. Drivers carrying the four-way-stop habit into every intersection pick the full-stop answer, reading any yellow warning as a signed halt when the diamond only announces what is coming.

   Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign W2-6 (Circular Intersection (Roundabout)).

5. 5. What does this Telephone sign tell a driver about the road ahead?

   

   1. A public telephone is available ahead. (correct)
   2. A rest area with restrooms is ahead.
   3. Cellular phone use is not allowed here.
   4. An emergency call box requires you to stop.

   Why: The white handset on a blue square is a motorist service symbol, and blue services signs point drivers to something helpful ahead: here, a public telephone. The sign marks the phone itself, not any larger facility around it. The rest-area answer is the trap. Because the phone symbol often appears at rest stops, a reader can expect the sign to advertise the whole facility rather than the single service actually pictured on it.

   Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign D9-1 (Telephone).

6. 6. What do short white T-shaped, L-shaped, or similar marks painted on the pavement along a curb indicate?

   

   1. The boundaries of angled parking spaces along the curb.
   2. The ends of on-street parallel parking spaces. (correct)
   3. The edges of a commercial loading zone.
   4. A no-parking area beside a fire hydrant.

   Why: T- and L-shaped marks sit at the corners of on-street parallel parking spaces so you can see where one space begins and the next ends. Park entirely between a pair of marks and parallel to the curb. A driver whose only curbside parking has been in striped diagonal lots picks the angled-bay choice because every painted parking guide they have used ran the full length of the bay, not just at its ends.

   Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3B.20 (Parking Space T-Marks).

7. 7. What does this Slow Traffic Ahead sign require of a driver approaching it?

   

   1. Ease off the throttle now because traffic ahead is moving much slower. (correct)
   2. Come to a complete stop before reaching the marked line.
   3. Yield to workers entering the roadway from the shoulder.
   4. Merge into the adjacent lane before reaching the sign.

   Why: Traffic ahead is moving much slower than you are, so start easing off now. Cover the brake, check your mirror so the driver behind you has time too, and be ready to brake harder or stop if the queue ahead is standing still. The pick that treats this as a stop order comes from a driver carrying the red-octagon reflex to any orange work-zone message; the sign gives you an early cue to slow down, not a fixed point to halt at.

   Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign W23-1 (Slow Traffic Ahead).

8. 8. An extra-wide solid white line runs along the right side of the roadway. What does it tell you as a driver?

   

   1. Keep the line on your left and stay off the shoulder. (correct)
   2. Cross the line to pass slower traffic on the right.
   3. Stop your vehicle before crossing the line ahead.
   4. The lane is reserved for bicycles only.

   Why: An extra-wide solid white edge line marks where the travel lane ends on the right, and the driver keeps it on the left while treating the shoulder beyond it as off-limits for normal driving. The tempting wrong choice reads the line as a broken lane divider that a driver may cross to move right, a rule that belongs to dashed white lines between two through lanes, not to an edge line whose whole job is to mark the outer boundary of the lane you are already in.

   Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3B.06 (Wide Solid White Edge Line).

9. 9. What does this orange diamond sign warn of ahead?

   

   1. Two-way traffic shares the roadway ahead through the construction area. (correct)
   2. Your lane ends ahead and traffic must merge to the left.
   3. A detour begins ahead and directs traffic off the roadway.
   4. Passing is prohibited through the construction zone ahead.

   Why: The orange diamond warns that through the construction area the roadway carries vehicles in both directions, so oncoming traffic will share the same pavement and a driver has to stay right of the centerline. The no-passing answer is the pull here because two-way work zones often do restrict passing, and a learner who has driven through one associates the two ideas; this sign warns of the two-way condition itself, and a separate device carries any passing prohibition.

   Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign CW6-3 (Two-Way Traffic (Work Zone)).

10. 10. What does this Be Prepared To Stop sign require of a driver approaching it?

    

    1. Reduce speed and be ready to brake because traffic ahead may stop without warning. (correct)
    2. Stop at the sign and wait for a flagger to wave you through.
    3. Merge left immediately because the right lane is closing ahead.
    4. Yield to workers and equipment entering the roadway from the shoulder.

    Why: The orange diamond warns that traffic ahead may halt without notice at a flagger, a signal, or the back of a queue. Ease off the accelerator, open up your following distance, and cover the brake so you can stop firmly if a stopped line appears around the next curve. The trap is the answer that treats the words 'prepared to stop' as an order to halt at the sign itself; a diamond flags what is coming, not the point where the driver actually stops.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign CW3-4 (Be Prepared To Stop).

11. 11. What does this crossbuck sign require of a driver approaching the tracks?

    

    1. Yield to any approaching train and cross only when the tracks are clear. (correct)
    2. Come to a complete stop before every crossing, whether or not a train is approaching.
    3. Proceed without slowing because the crossbuck only marks the location of the tracks.
    4. Yield to cross traffic on the road that intersects at this location.

    Why: The crossbuck acts as a yield device at a highway-rail grade crossing: slow down, look and listen both ways, and cross only when no train is coming. The trap is the answer that treats every crossing as a mandatory stop, which carries a stop-sign habit over to a device that only demands a stop when a train is actually there.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign R15-1 (Railroad Crossing (Crossbuck)).

12. 12. What does this yellow-green pentagon sign tell you about the road ahead?

    

    1. A school zone or school crossing is ahead; slow down and watch for children. (correct)
    2. A pedestrian crosswalk is ahead; yield to any pedestrian already in the road.
    3. You are entering a school speed zone; the reduced limit applies whenever you see this sign.
    4. A stopped school bus with flashing lights is ahead; prepare to stop until the lights go off.

    Why: The pentagon shape and fluorescent yellow-green color mark the school advance warning: a school zone or a school crossing is ahead, so slow down and watch for children stepping into the road. The trap is the plain pedestrian-crosswalk reading. Fluorescent yellow-green is also used on general pedestrian warnings, so a driver who keys on color alone and skips over the pentagon outline reaches for the crosswalk answer, when the five-sided shape is reserved for schools.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign S1-1 (School Advance Warning).

13. 13. What does the number on this milepost tell a driver?

    

    1. Miles along the route from where it entered the state. (correct)
    2. The route number assigned to this highway.
    3. How many miles are left until the state line.
    4. The distance to the next numbered exit.

    Why: Green milepost panels count up from the point where the route enters the state, giving a running mile count along the route rather than a distance to anywhere ahead. Depending on direction of travel the numbers may rise or fall, but they are not a countdown to the next border or exit. The "miles left until the state line" answer is the trap for drivers used to watching a GPS clock down to a destination. They expect the milepost to work the same way and read the panel as miles remaining rather than miles counted since entering.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign D10-1 (Reference Location Sign (Milepost)).

14. 14. A solid yellow line runs down the middle of a two-way roadway, separating your lane from oncoming traffic. What does it require of you?

    

    1. Stay right of the line and do not cross it to pass slower vehicles. (correct)
    2. Pass slower vehicles ahead when the way looks clear.
    3. Cross the line at will to reach any driveway, alley, or side road.
    4. Make no left turn across the line at any point.

    Why: A solid yellow line down the center of a two-way road separates opposing traffic and closes passing on your side. You keep to the right of it and cross it only to make a permitted left turn into a driveway, alley, or side road, and only when it is safe. The trap is the choice that reads the marking as a broken yellow line and treats a clear road ahead as permission to overtake. A solid stroke has already settled the passing decision against you, regardless of how clear the road looks at the moment.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3B.01 (Solid Yellow Center Line).

15. 15. What does this crosswalk require of a driver approaching it?

    

    1. Yield to pedestrians within or entering the crosswalk. (correct)
    2. Stop before the bars only when a school crossing guard is on duty.
    3. Slow to 15 mph and continue if no pedestrian is on your side.
    4. Come to a full stop at the first bar and wait three seconds.

    Why: The ladder pattern is high-visibility, but the underlying rule is the same as any crosswalk: yield to pedestrians within or entering it. The trap is the answer that treats the heavy painted bars as a stop line demanding a fixed count; the design is meant to be seen from further away, not to convert the crosswalk into a stop-controlled point.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3B.18 (Ladder (Continental) Crosswalk).

16. 16. A single green rectangular sign at an intersection lists three destinations, each next to its own arrow. How should a driver use the sign?

    

    1. Follow all three arrows in the order they appear on the panel.
    2. Read the line for your destination and follow that line's arrow. (correct)
    3. Take the top destination first because straight-ahead arrows sit above turns.
    4. Yield to any traffic turning toward the destinations shown on the sign.

    Why: A destination guide panel packs up to three places onto one green sign, and each destination carries its own arrow. Find the line for the place you're going and follow only that arrow. The choice that says to follow all three arrows in order traps drivers carrying the habit of reading stacked turn-by-turn navigation prompts, where each line is the next move in one trip rather than a separate destination to pick from.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign D1-3 (Destination Sign (Three Destinations)).

17. 17. Two lanes of same-direction traffic are separated by a solid white line. What does this marking tell drivers?

    

    1. Lane changes through the marked area are discouraged. (correct)
    2. The marking is an absolute prohibition on crossing under any circumstances.
    3. Traffic on the other side of the line moves in the opposite direction.
    4. Vehicles may pass slower traffic whenever the road ahead is clear.

    Why: A solid white line between same-direction lanes discourages lane changes through the marked area, so drivers should hold their lane through the solid section and cross only when necessary. The "absolute prohibition" answer traps drivers who confuse a solid white lane line with a solid yellow centerline, reading any solid line as an unconditional ban rather than as the passing or lane-change restriction it actually marks.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3B.04 (Solid White Lane Line).

18. 18. What does a lane with this pavement marking indicate?

    

    1. Restricted to buses only during posted hours.
    2. Reserved for high-occupancy vehicles during posted hours. (correct)
    3. Reserved for bicycles at all times.
    4. Closed to all traffic during posted hours.

    Why: The white diamond marks a lane reserved for high-occupancy vehicles during the hours posted on the accompanying sign. The HOV category covers carpools, vanpools, and buses. Drivers who've watched buses use the lane on their daily commute pick the buses-only choice, treating one qualifying vehicle type as the whole HOV category.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3D.01 (HOV Lane Diamond Symbol).

19. 19. What does this D9-11b sign tell a driver about services available ahead?

    

    1. A public electric vehicle charging station is ahead. (correct)
    2. Gasoline is sold at a fuel pump ahead.
    3. A diesel truck stop is located ahead.
    4. A rest area for drivers is available ahead.

    Why: The blue square with a fuel pump icon and the letters EV marks a public electric vehicle charging station ahead. The trap is the plain gasoline pump reading, taken by a driver who registers the pump icon and stops there without noticing that the letters on the pump are what name the fuel; on this sign those letters read EV, so the service ahead is charging, not gasoline.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign D9-11b (Electric Vehicle Charging).

20. 20. You are following a light rail vehicle on a shared street and see this R15-5a sign as the train stops at a station. What does it require of you?

    

    1. Pass on the left once the opposing track looks clear of trains.
    2. Wait behind the stopped train until it moves and passengers finish crossing. (correct)
    3. Sound the horn and pass slowly once riders have boarded the train.
    4. Go around the train as you would any stalled vehicle blocking the lane.

    Why: The R15-5a marker forbids overtaking a light rail or transit train stopped at a station while passengers are loading, unloading, or crossing the roadway, so you hold position until the train pulls away and riders have cleared the street. Drivers who fall back on the everyday reflex of easing around a stalled vehicle in the lane are the ones who steer past a halted transit train and cross straight through the boarding zone.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign R15-5a (Do Not Pass Stopped Train).

21. 21. What does this No Right Turn sign require of a driver in the lane where it is posted?

    

    1. Stop before turning right, then proceed when the way is clear.
    2. Continue straight or use another approved movement instead of turning right. (correct)
    3. Yield to any crossing traffic before completing a right turn.
    4. Turn right only when a green arrow signal is showing.

    Why: The sign forbids a right turn at that intersection or driveway from the lane where it's posted, so a driver in that lane continues straight or uses another approved movement. The stop-then-turn answer pulls at drivers who carry a stop-sign habit into a white regulatory sign, treating a full stop as permission to complete the turn; the R3-1 is an outright prohibition, and no amount of stopping first satisfies it.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign R3-1 (No Right Turn).

22. 22. You enter a ramp and see a large white arrow painted on the pavement pointing straight back toward your vehicle. What does this marking tell you?

    

    1. You are going the wrong way; stop and turn around when safe. (correct)
    2. The lane ahead ends and you must merge into the next lane.
    3. Continue in the direction the arrow points at the next intersection.
    4. The lane can carry traffic in either direction at certain hours.

    Why: A white arrow aimed back at the driver marks the correct direction of traffic on a one-way road or exit ramp, so seeing the arrowhead means the vehicle has entered against the flow and must stop and turn around as soon as it is safe. The tempting wrong pick is the lane-ending reading, chosen by a driver used to reading every pavement arrow as a movement instruction; the lane-reduction arrow angles diagonally into an open lane rather than aiming straight back at the vehicle.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3B.24 (Wrong-Way Arrow).

23. 23. The white word legend SCHOOL XING is painted in your travel lane. What does it warn you to do as you approach?

    

    1. Slow down, scan both sides for children, and be ready to stop for a pedestrian or crossing guard. (correct)
    2. Stop at the legend and wait for a crossing guard to wave you through.
    3. Reduce speed only after a child steps into the roadway ahead.
    4. Change into a non-adjacent lane before reaching the school property.

    Why: The SCHOOL XING legend warns that a school crossing is just ahead. Slow down, scan both sides of the road for children, and be ready to stop for a pedestrian or crossing guard using the crosswalk. Drivers who wait until a child steps into the roadway are treating the marking as a reactive brake cue, when a legend printed ahead of the crossing exists to prepare you before anyone appears.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3B.21 (SCHOOL XING Pavement Legend).

24. 24. What should a driver do after seeing this Reduced Speed Limit Ahead sign near a work zone?

    

    1. Slow to the posted number before reaching the regulatory sign it announces (correct)
    2. Drop to the shown speed immediately as soon as this sign is visible
    3. Come to a complete stop before the marked work zone begins
    4. Keep the current speed until workers are visible in the zone

    Why: An orange diamond warns of what is ahead, not what is required now. The number posted on this sign starts where the regulatory sign it announces is placed, so you slow through the gap and arrive at that regulatory sign already at the new limit. Drivers who read any sign carrying a speed number as the limit itself brake the moment they see this one, applying the reduction before the zone it belongs to.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign W3-5 (Reduced Speed Limit Ahead).

25. 25. What does this Divided Highway Begins sign tell a driver about the road ahead?

    

    1. Two same-direction lanes ahead merge into a single travel lane.
    2. The road splits into two separate one-way roadways separated by a median. (correct)
    3. The divided highway ends ahead and traffic returns to two-way.
    4. The road ahead ends at a dead end with no through route.

    Why: The sign warns that the road splits into two separate one-way roadways separated by a median or barrier, so from that point you keep right of the divider and treat each direction as its own one-way street. The trap is the choice that reads the sign as the divided highway ending and traffic returning to two-way; that meaning belongs to the mirror-image W6-2 sign, whose symbol on the same yellow diamond points the opposite way.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign W6-1 (Divided Highway Begins).

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

    

    1. The exact crosswalk where children cross the road. (correct)
    2. The direction to the nearest school building.
    3. A school zone somewhere ahead on the road.
    4. The side of the road where children walk to school.

    Why: 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.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign S1-1+W16-7P (School Crossing Assembly).

27. 27. You pass a Flagger Ahead sign and enter the work zone. A flagger in the zone waves you through the intersection while the traffic light ahead shows red. What are you required to do?

    

    1. Stop for the red light; the traffic light has final authority.
    2. Follow the flagger's signal and proceed through the intersection. (correct)
    3. Stop and wait until the signal turns green, then proceed.
    4. Proceed only if the flagger and the signal both permit it.

    Why: A flagger's directions legally override even a traffic light, so when the flagger in the work zone waves you through, you drive past the red. Drivers who stop for the red anyway fall back on the everyday rule that a steady red is always absolute, and miss that the orange diamond warned of a flagger whose directions now outrank the light.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign W20-7 (Flagger Ahead).

28. 28. After the wheels have fully stopped at a stop sign, when may the driver proceed?

    

    1. After yielding to pedestrians and cross traffic with the right-of-way (correct)
    2. As soon as the vehicle's wheels have fully halted
    3. When a traffic light or officer waves the driver through
    4. After the driver on the right has gone first

    Why: The stop is only the first step; after halting, drivers yield to pedestrians and any cross traffic that already has the right-of-way, then move when the way is clear. Drivers who learned "stop means stop" as the whole rule pull forward the moment the wheels halt and skip the yield step the octagon requires next.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign R1-1 (Stop).

29. 29. A city street lane is painted solid red across its full width and posted as a bus and transit-only lane. What does this require of you in a private car?

    

    1. Stay out of the lane except for a permitted right turn or to enter or leave a driveway. (correct)
    2. Use the lane whenever you're carrying two or more passengers as a high-occupancy vehicle.
    3. Use the lane during off-peak hours when transit service is running lightly.
    4. Treat the red pavement as a warning of construction or roadwork ahead.

    Why: A red-colored lane is reserved for buses and other authorized transit vehicles, and a private driver stays out except for the brief moment needed to make a permitted right turn or to enter or leave a driveway. What counts as permitted is set by the regulatory signs at the lane and by any dotted or broken section of the red pavement; you cross only where those mark the entry as allowed, not on a private judgment about traffic being light. The pull toward the HOV answer comes from carrying over the diamond-lane habit that occupancy alone earns access, but a red transit lane is controlled by its transit-only signs and markings, and the number of passengers on board changes nothing about who may drive there.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3D.02 (Red-Colored Bus / Transit-Only Lane).

30. 30. The word BIKE is painted in white inside a travel lane. What does this pavement legend identify?

    

    1. A lane designated for the preferential use of bicyclists (correct)
    2. A lane where motorists and bicyclists share the space
    3. A crossing where bicyclists ride across the roadway
    4. A curbside space reserved for bicycle parking

    Why: The BIKE word legend marks a bicycle lane, the portion of the roadway set aside for the preferential use of riders. Drivers who pick the shared-lane answer are confusing this word legend with the sharrow, the bicycle symbol topped by two white chevron arrows used when motorists and bicyclists share the same lane.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3C.02 (BIKE Pavement Legend).

31. 31. What should you do when this Hill sign warns of a downgrade ahead?

    

    1. Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before starting down. (correct)
    2. Stop completely at the crest before beginning the descent.
    3. Yield to any vehicles climbing the grade from below.
    4. Hold your speed and rely on the brakes throughout the descent.

    Why: The Hill sign warns that a steep downgrade is ahead, and the safe response is to slow down and shift to a lower gear before you start down so engine braking helps control your speed. The answer that says to hold your speed and rely on the brakes is the trap: it borrows the everyday habit of tapping the brakes on a mild slope, which lets the brakes overheat and fade on a real grade.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign W7-1 (Hill).

32. 32. What should you do when you approach this Pedestrian Crossing sign?

    

    1. Reduce speed and be ready to yield to pedestrians crossing the roadway ahead. (correct)
    2. Come to a full stop at the sign before continuing through the area.
    3. Pass the vehicle stopped at the crosswalk if no pedestrian is visible from your lane.
    4. Slow only when school-aged children are present in the crossing area.

    Why: The yellow-green diamond warns that pedestrians may enter the roadway ahead, so slow down and be ready to yield to anyone stepping into or already in the crosswalk. Drivers who fall back on the red-octagon habit of halting at every serious-looking sign pick the come-to-a-full-stop answer instead.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign W11-2 (Pedestrian Crossing).

33. 33. You approach this No U-Turn sign and need to reverse your direction of travel. What does the sign require?

    

    1. Continue past and use a designated turnaround or another intersection. (correct)
    2. Complete the U-turn only when the road is clear of oncoming traffic.
    3. Complete the U-turn only from the leftmost lane on a green signal.
    4. Turn left here instead, since the sign forbids only left turns.

    Why: A No U-Turn sign forbids reversing direction by turning 180 degrees through this intersection or median opening, so a driver who needs to turn around continues past and uses a designated turnaround or another intersection where U-turns are allowed. Drivers who read the sign as a yield-style caution pick the answer that waits for a clear oncoming lane; the sign is a prohibition, not a caution about traffic, and a clear lane does not make the U-turn legal here.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign R3-4 (No U-Turn).

34. 34. What does this Reverse Curve sign warn of ahead?

    

    1. A single curve bending to the right.
    2. Two consecutive curves in opposite directions, first right then left. (correct)
    3. A curve to the right followed by a straight section.
    4. Two sharp right-angle turns, first right then left.

    Why: The W1-4R Reverse Curve sign warns of two consecutive curves in opposite directions, the first bending right and the second bending left. Approach at a reduced speed with steady steering; the advisory speed plaque, when posted, states the recommended speed for the pair. Drivers reach for the right-angle answer because they carry over the look of the Reverse Turn sign (W1-3R), which uses angular arrows for sharper turns in opposite directions rather than the smooth curves shown here.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign W1-4R (Reverse Curve (Right)).

35. 35. A stop sign requires a driver to do what at the marked location?

    

    1. Come to a complete stop at the line, crosswalk, or intersection before proceeding (correct)
    2. Slow down and yield only if other traffic or pedestrians are present
    3. Stop only when cross traffic is visibly approaching the intersection
    4. Reduce speed and proceed carefully through the intersection

    Why: The octagon calls for a full halt at the stop line, crosswalk, or intersection edge, and the driver moves again only when the way is safe. Drivers who slow, glance around, and roll through when the way looks clear are treating the octagon as a yield sign. That habit fails the road test.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign R1-1 (Stop).

36. 36. A green rectangular sign posted at the point where an off-ramp splits from the freeway shows EXIT with a number and an arrow. What does this sign identify?

    

    1. The exit number of the ramp you are entering at the point of separation. (correct)
    2. The distance in miles to the next numbered exit ahead.
    3. The mileage from the state line along this freeway.
    4. The route number of the highway the ramp connects to.

    Why: The E5-1a combines EXIT and the number at the point the ramp splits from the through lanes, so a driver leaving the freeway sees the ramp identified as they enter it. The distance-based pick is the one to watch: it borrows the mileage from an advance guide sign posted a mile or two before the exit, and a reader who pictures that earlier sign carries the mileage across to the gore. The gore sign carries no distance figure.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign E5-1a (Exit Gore Sign With Exit Number).

37. 37. You are driving on a through street and approach an intersection with a green horizontal rectangle sign posted overhead. What does this D3-1 street name sign identify?

    

    1. The name of the cross street you are about to reach at the intersection. (correct)
    2. The name of the street you are currently traveling along right now.
    3. The remaining distance to the next town along your current route.
    4. The number of a numbered highway route you are approaching soon.

    Why: A D3-1 street name sign is a guide sign posted at an intersection, and on a through street it names the cross street you are about to reach so you know which turn is coming up. The tempting wrong pick is the choice about the street you're currently on, which mirrors how a passenger reads a street sign on a residential block as confirmation of the road the car is already on; at a through-street intersection the D3-1 label goes to the crossing roadway instead.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign D3-1 (Street Name Sign).

38. 38. A paved area outlined in white and filled with white diagonal stripes sits between a through lane and an off-ramp. What does this marking require of a driver approaching it?

    

    1. Steer around it and stay in a defined lane on one side. (correct)
    2. Drive across it only when changing lanes to merge.
    3. Stop at the stripes and yield to through traffic.
    4. Use it as an extra travel lane during heavy congestion.

    Why: A painted channelizing island marks a neutral area, and the rule is to keep out of it: steer around the stripes the way you would a raised island and settle into a defined lane on one side before you reach the point. The trap is the answer that treats the striped gore as pavement to drive across on the way into an exit. Gore stripes and merge markings sit next to each other in the same places, so a driver who has watched cars cut across one reads the other as fair use, when the stripes are telling them to stay out.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3B.25 (Painted Channelizing Island).

39. 39. What does this Flagger Ahead sign require of a driver approaching the work zone?

    

    1. Obey the hand signals of the flagger directing traffic ahead. (correct)
    2. Follow the pavement markings through the work zone until they end.
    3. Follow the traffic light at the next intersection ahead.
    4. Merge left because a lane is closed ahead of the sign.

    Why: The sign warns that a person is directing traffic in the work zone ahead, and their hand signals govern how you move through it. The trap is the answer that keeps you obeying the next traffic light; the entry is explicit that a driver takes direction from the flagger rather than from the signal or the markings when both are present.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign W20-7a (Flagger Ahead (Word Message)).

40. 40. The word STOP is painted in white across your travel lane. What does this pavement legend tell you?

    

    1. A stop sign or signal is ahead, and you must prepare to come to a complete stop. (correct)
    2. The legend itself is the stop line where the front wheels must halt.
    3. Cross traffic ahead has the right of way at an uncontrolled intersection.
    4. A rolling stop is allowed when the intersection ahead is clear.

    Why: The STOP legend on the pavement reinforces an upcoming stop sign or signal and warns you to prepare to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. The trap is the choice that treats the painted word as the stop line itself; the legend typically appears just before a transverse stop bar, so the line you halt behind is that bar, not the word painted on the approach.

    Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3B.20 (STOP Pavement Legend).