South Carolina SCDMV Permit Practice Test 3
Test 3 of 10. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 24 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real South Carolina test.
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. How much does South Carolina charge for a duplicate driver's license issued to replace a lost or damaged one?
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Answer C: 10 dollars
Section 56-1-200(A) sets the duplicate license fee at 10 dollars.
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2. How many points on a South Carolina driving record indicate disrespect for traffic laws and allow the SCDMV to suspend a full license?
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Answer C: Twelve points
State law treats a total of twelve points as the trigger for suspension of a South Carolina driver license.
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3. You are joining a highway from a short ramp that has no acceleration lane. What should you do?
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Answer A: Stop or slow at the end of the ramp and wait for a safe gap
Without an acceleration lane there is no room to match speed, so you must yield at the end of the ramp and enter only when a gap allows it.
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4. Under South Carolina's implied consent warning, what is the minimum suspension for refusing the breath test?
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Answer C: Six months
A driver who refuses must be told that the privilege to drive is suspended or denied for at least six months, with the option of ending the suspension by enrolling in the Ignition Interlock Device Program.
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5. The inside of your windshield keeps fogging up on a cold, damp day. What clears it best?
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Answer B: The defroster with the air conditioning on, which dries the air
Fog on the inside is moisture from the cabin air. The air conditioner dries that air, and the defroster warms the glass, so together they clear it and keep it clear.
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6. Heavy trucks have worn deep ruts into a highway lane and rain has filled them. What is the danger?
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Answer D: Water collects in them, so the tires can lose contact with the road
Ruts hold standing water long after the rest of the lane has drained, which makes them the most likely place to start hydroplaning.
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7. The motorcyclist ahead of you keeps moving from one side of the lane to the other. What should you understand?
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Answer B: The rider is avoiding surface hazards and staying where drivers can see the bike
Riders shift their lane position to avoid debris, grease strips and potholes and to be seen. That movement is normal and never an invitation to share the lane.
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8. How does South Carolina's basic speed law describe an unlawful driving speed, apart from posted numeric limits?
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Answer D: A speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions then existing
Section 56-5-1520(A) defines the basic speed law as prohibiting a speed greater than reasonable and prudent under existing conditions.
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9. What does a broken line indicate, whatever color it is painted?
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Answer C: That crossing it is permitted
A broken line always describes a permissive condition, and the color then tells the driver whether the traffic beyond it runs the same way or the opposite way.
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10. You reach a stretch of road covered by moving flood water of unknown depth. What is the correct decision?
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Answer D: Turn around and take another route
About a foot of moving water is enough to carry away most cars, and the roadbed under the water may already be washed out, so the only safe choice is to turn around.
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11. Why is dusk one of the harder times of day to drive?
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Answer B: The failing light blurs shapes into the background
In fading light there is not enough contrast to pick objects out, yet it is not dark enough for headlights to do the work, so pedestrians and cyclists disappear.
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12. A member of the armed services (or a dependent) becomes a permanent resident of South Carolina and already holds a valid license from another state. What does state law provide?
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Answer C: The person has 90 days to apply and may be issued a South Carolina license without a road test, only a vision test
Section 56-1-35 gives service members and dependents 90 days to apply, issuing the license without an exam except for the vision test.
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13. You have a green light at a school crossing, but the crossing guard steps out and holds up a stop sign toward you. What must you do?
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Answer A: Stop, because the crossing guard controls this crossing and outranks the signal
Directions from a crossing guard or a police officer take priority over signals and signs.
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14. When will South Carolina waive the license reinstatement fee that normally follows a suspension for lack of motor vehicle liability insurance?
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Answer D: When the department determines the licensee actually had liability coverage at the time the license was suspended or revoked
Section 56-1-245 waives the reinstatement fee when the suspension or revocation was based on a lack of insurance the licensee actually had at the time.
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15. Traffic in your lane is backed up and the paved shoulder looks clear. May you drive along it to get past?
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Answer C: No, the shoulder is not a travel lane
Passing must be done within the roadway; driving on the shoulder to get around traffic is prohibited and surprises anyone entering from the right.
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16. An overhead sign shows that the right lane is EXIT ONLY. What does that mean if you intend to stay on the highway?
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Answer B: You have to move out of that lane before the exit
An exit only lane leaves the highway completely, so a driver continuing on the highway has to change lanes before it does.
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17. Where should your hands normally rest on the steering wheel?
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Answer C: On opposite sides of the wheel, near the 9 and 3 positions
Hands placed opposite each other near the middle of the wheel give smooth, balanced control and keep the arms clear of a deploying air bag.
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18. What penalty applies in South Carolina to driving a vehicle that lacks the lighting equipment otherwise required, during hours when lighted lamps are required?
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Answer D: A fine of up to 200 dollars, or imprisonment up to 60 days, or both
Section 56-5-4470 punishes driving such a vehicle at those hours without complying lighting equipment with a fine up to 200 dollars or imprisonment up to 60 days, or both.
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19. Lights set into the pavement along both edges of a crosswalk start to flash yellow as you approach. What do they tell you?
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Answer D: Someone is crossing and has to be given way
In-roadway warning lights flash only when a pedestrian activates the crossing, so a flashing pattern means somebody is in or entering the crosswalk.
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20. How long must a South Carolina beginner's permit be held before a road test, according to SCDMV?
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Answer A: 180 days if you are under 18 and a minimum of 30 days if you are 18 or older
SCDMV states that applicants under 18 must hold the permit for 180 days, while applicants 18 and older need a minimum of 30 days.
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21. A pedestrian steps off the curb without looking your way. What should you assume?
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Answer B: That the person has not seen you at all, and be ready to stop for them
Defensive driving means assuming you have not been seen until there is clear evidence that you have.
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22. How does the penalty change for a second or later conviction of illegally passing a stopped South Carolina school bus?
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Answer C: The fine rises to between 2,000 and 5,000 dollars, with 30 to 60 days imprisonment
Section 56-5-2780(A) raises a second or subsequent offense to a 2,000 to 5,000 dollar fine and 30 to 60 days imprisonment.
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23. You have fitted the small temporary spare tire after a flat. What should you keep in mind?
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Answer C: It is meant for low speed and short distances until the regular tire is repaired
Compact spares have limited grip, handling and durability. Follow the speed and distance limits printed on the tire and get the regular tire fixed soon.
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24. A sign with a green background and a white legend normally provides
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Answer A: directions, distances and destinations
Green is the background color of the guide sign series, which names routes and destinations and gives the distance to them.
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25. What is the rule about leaving a child or a pet in a parked vehicle?
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Answer A: Never do it; the inside can turn deadly hot very quickly
The inside of a parked vehicle heats far faster than the air outside, and cracking a window does not prevent it, so a child or animal must never be left there.
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26. Besides a chemical test, what else supports an impaired driving charge?
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Answer B: The officer's observations of the driving and the driver
Weaving, slow responses, speech and balance observed by the officer are evidence in their own right, which is why a driver can be charged on behavior alone.
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27. Who must wear a safety belt in a moving vehicle in South Carolina?
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Answer D: The driver and every occupant of the vehicle
State law requires the driver and every occupant to wear a fastened safety belt, and the driver is responsible for occupants aged 17 or younger being belted or properly restrained.
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28. No plaque stating days or hours accompanies this sign at the intersection. When does the restriction apply?
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Answer D: At all times, since nothing limits it to particular periods
A regulatory restriction runs continuously unless a supplemental plaque states the days or hours during which it applies.
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29. A bus stopped at the corner hides the crosswalk you are about to turn across. What should you do?
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Answer C: Turn slowly, ready to stop for anyone stepping out in front of it
People often step into the road from in front of a stopped bus, so approach the hidden crosswalk slowly and be ready to stop.
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30. What does a tire with worn tread do on a wet road?
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Answer B: It loses grip and it hydroplanes at a lower speed than a good tire
Tread grooves carry water away from the contact patch, and a worn tire cannot do that, so it floats on the water sooner.