South Carolina SCDMV Permit Practice Test 21

1. You are leaving a freeway at an exit that has a deceleration lane. Where should you slow down?

• A On the shoulder just past the exit
• B Only after you reach the end of the ramp
• C After you have moved fully into the exit lane
• D In the through lane, before you reach the exit lane

2. You are behind three slow vehicles on a two-lane road and the way ahead looks clear. What is the sound decision?

• A Pass all three at once, since a single long pass takes less time than three
• B Pass on the right where the shoulder is wide enough to hold your vehicle
• C Follow closely behind the last one so that you are ready when a gap appears
• D Pass one vehicle at a time, if the road allows it

3. You reach a red light with a sign reading NO TURN ON RED. What may you do?

• A Turn right after a full stop, since the sign only warns against turning too fast
• B Turn right if no other vehicle is waiting behind you at the same red light
• C Turn right during the hours when the intersection is not busy with traffic
• D Wait for the green; no turn is allowed while the light is red

4. A car is coming straight at you in your lane and there is no time for it to move back. What should you do?

• A Brake, sound the horn and steer to the right, toward the shoulder or ditch
• B Steer left into the lane the other car has left, and hope that it stays there
• C Hold your lane and brake hard, so that the impact happens front to front
• D Flash your headlights and keep your speed, so that the other driver reacts

5. How is the yield sign shaped and colored?

• A A yellow diamond with a black legend and a black border, the same as a warning sign
• B A red octagon with a white legend and a narrow white border all around
• C A downward-pointing triangle with a wide red border and a red legend on white
• D A blue square with a white legend and a white reflective border

6. In which crash must the police always be notified?

• A Only crashes between two vehicles that are both still drivable afterwards
• B Only crashes that happen on a road with a speed limit above forty-five
• C Only crashes where the drivers cannot agree about who was at fault
• D Any crash in which somebody has been injured or killed, whatever the damage

7. There is a driveway and a side street between you and the corner where you will turn right. When should you signal?

• A Before the driveway, so that nobody at all is surprised by the turn
• B Only after you have passed the corner and begun to slow down
• C After passing the openings, so nobody pulls out in front of you
• D At the same moment that you begin to turn the steering wheel

8. Is it a good idea to shift into neutral and coast down a long hill to save fuel?

• A Yes, as long as you keep your foot resting near the brake pedal the entire way down
• B No, you lose engine braking and some control of the vehicle
• C Yes, on dry roads with little traffic
• D Yes, but only in a vehicle with automatic transmission

9. A flashing red lamp is mounted above a stop sign at a rural intersection. What does it add?

• A A warning that cross traffic does not have to stop
• B Permission to roll through when nothing is coming
• C Emphasis, while the required stop stays the same
• D A duty to stop only while the lamp is flashing

10. You reach an uncontrolled intersection at the same moment as a vehicle approaching from your left. What should you do?

• A Proceed, but only once you see that driver slowing
• B Stop and wave the other driver through the intersection ahead of you
• C Yield, because at an open intersection the vehicle on the left goes first
• D Accelerate through so the other driver has plenty of time to react

11. Federal law lets a state open its high-occupancy vehicle lanes to certain vehicles carrying only one person. Which of these is covered by that allowance?

• A Rental cars and other vehicles that are not registered in the state
• B Motorcycles
• C Delivery vans making local stops during their working hours
• D Any vehicle that is towing a trailer or a boat behind it

12. Why do bridges and overpasses deserve extra caution when temperatures are near freezing?

• A They lose heat from above and below, so they ice over before the surrounding road
• B They are always built with a smoother pavement surface that offers less grip than the road
• C They collect more road salt than the pavement on either side of them
• D They are always banked toward the outside of a curve, which throws vehicles wide

13. The lane you are in is marked with a straight arrow and a right-turn arrow together. What does that mean?

• A Drivers in that lane must turn right and may not continue straight ahead from it at all
• B The lane becomes a right turn lane during the hours shown on the sign posted beside it
• C Traffic going straight has to give way to every vehicle turning right out of that lane
• D Drivers in that lane may either go straight or turn right

14. A curb sign reads No Standing. What does it allow you to do?

• A Wait at the curb with the engine running while a passenger goes shopping
• B Stop only long enough to pick up or drop off passengers
• C Park for up to fifteen minutes as long as the driver stays in the vehicle
• D Nothing at all, since a vehicle may not even slow down at that curb

15. What color scheme does a standard stop sign use?

• A Black legend and border on a white background
• B White legend and border on a red background
• C White legend on a green background
• D Black legend on a yellow background

16. Your vehicle has a blind spot warning light in the door mirror. What should that mean for your habits?

• A You no longer need to look over your shoulder, since the sensor covers exactly that area
• B You still check the blind spot yourself, because the system can miss a rider
• C You may change lanes without signaling whenever the warning light is not lit up at all
• D You should watch the warning light instead of the mirrors while the vehicle is in motion

17. You are circulating in the inner lane of a two-lane roundabout, your exit is next, and a vehicle is beside you in the outer lane. What should you do?

• A Cross the outer lane at once, because exiting vehicles always have priority
• B Stop inside the roundabout and wait for the other driver to let you across
• C Keep circulating around the island and take that same exit on your next time around
• D Signal left and move across the outer lane before you reach the exit ramp

18. How many points does a reckless driving conviction add in South Carolina?

• A Two points
• B Four points
• C Six points
• D Eight points

19. Beyond this sign, cones and temporary signs lead traffic along a path that does not agree with the lines painted on the pavement. Which one must the driver follow?

• A The painted lines, because a permanent pavement marking always outranks a temporary arrangement
• B Whichever of the two gives the shorter path through the work area
• C The temporary arrangement, because it replaces the permanent layout while the work lasts
• D Either one, provided the driver reduces speed through the whole of the work area

20. You are waiting to enter a two-lane roundabout and traffic is circulating in both lanes. What must you do?

• A Yield to traffic in both circulating lanes before you enter
• B Yield only to the outer lane, because the inner lane has to exit later on
• C Enter as soon as the outer lane is clear and then merge toward the inside
• D Enter first, since joining traffic has priority

21. A yield sign is posted where an entrance ramp meets the highway. What must you do?

• A Come to a complete stop at the sign every time before entering the highway travel lanes
• B Enter the highway first, because a vehicle on a ramp has priority at the point of the merge
• C Give way to the traffic already on the highway and merge into a gap
• D Hold your ramp speed and expect the highway traffic to change lanes in order to make room

22. You are turning left from a two-way street onto a one-way street. Which lane should you enter?

• A Any lane on the one-way street, because all of its lanes run the same way
• B The lane nearest the right curb, so that following drivers can pass on your left
• C The first lane open to traffic on the left side of the one-way street
• D The center lane, which keeps you clear of vehicles entering from both sides

23. At 45 mph you look at a navigation screen for four seconds. Roughly how far do you travel unseeing?

• A About 60 feet, which is a couple of car lengths
• B About 500 feet, or almost two city blocks of road
• C About 1,000 feet, which is about a fifth of a mile
• D About 260 feet

24. Why is parking too close to a street corner prohibited?

• A Because vehicles parked near a corner are more likely to be damaged there
• B Because the pavement near a corner is reserved for delivery vehicles only
• C Because a parked vehicle wears down the curb where it is thinnest
• D Because it hides approaching traffic and pedestrians

25. Where should you be looking as you steer through a turn?

• A At the front corner of your own hood, to judge how close you are to the curb
• B At the vehicle waiting on the cross street, so you can react if it moves
• C Toward the point on the new road where you want to end up
• D At the painted center line, to keep an exact distance from it during the turn

26. The crossbuck, formed by two rectangular arms crossed in an X, is placed

• A at the start of a no-passing zone on a two-lane road
• B at the entrance to a rest area beside the main roadway
• C at the end of a divided highway where the median ends
• D on each highway approach to a railroad grade crossing

27. When should you arrange your way home if you plan to drink?

• A After you see how the evening turns out for everyone
• B As soon as you start to notice the effects of drinking
• C Before the first drink
• D Once the party is over and you know who is still sober

28. You are descending a long steep grade with a loaded truck close behind you. What should you do?

• A Hold a steady speed and let it pass when it can
• B Tap the brakes several times to warn the driver to fall back
• C Move to the left lane and match its speed until the grade ends
• D Stop on the shoulder and wait until the truck has gone past

29. How long does a parallel parking space need to be for the car you are driving?

• A Exactly the same length as your vehicle, measured from bumper to bumper
• B About half a car length longer than the vehicle you happen to be driving
• C At least three times the overall length of the vehicle you are parking
• D About five or six feet longer than your vehicle

30. A stop sign at a busy corner has a stop line and a crosswalk, but buildings block your view of the cross street. What is the correct sequence?

• A Stop only once, at the point where you can finally see the cross street
• B Roll slowly up to the crosswalk and cross it if nothing is in sight
• C Stop at the line first, then edge forward and stop again to see
• D Stop on the crosswalk itself, which is the closest legal viewing point