Wisconsin WisDOT DMV Permit Practice Test 4
Test 4 of 10. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 40 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real Wisconsin test.
- Questions50
- Correct to pass40
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. How does being tired change your total stopping distance?
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Answer A: It lengthens it, because you take longer to notice and react
Fatigue stretches perception and reaction time, and every extra fraction of a second is added distance before the brakes even begin to work.
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2. About how far ahead do low beam headlights let you see on a dark road?
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Answer B: About 250 feet
Low beams light roughly 250 feet of road, and high beams roughly 350 to 500 feet, which sets the limit on a safe night speed.
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3. Why is it dangerous to make a left turn from the second lane from the center?
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Answer C: Because a driver in the lane beside you is turning into the same space
Drivers in the proper turn lane are entitled to that space, and turning across them puts two vehicles into one path through the intersection.
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4. What color scheme does a standard stop sign use?
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Answer B: White legend and border on a red background
The stop sign carries a white legend and border on a red background, the color set aside for stop, yield and prohibition messages.
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5. Cones and drums mark a shifted lane through a work zone. What should you do?
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Answer A: Follow the path that they mark and stay inside it
Channelizing devices define the temporary travel path, and the space on the other side of them belongs to the workers.
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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. You have just returned to your own lane after passing. Why should you not slow down straight away?
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Answer A: The vehicle you passed is close behind and needs room to stop
Returning and then braking leaves the driver you just overtook with almost no following distance, which is how a pass turns into a rear-end collision.
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8. You are stopped inside an intersection waiting for a gap to turn left. How should your front wheels be positioned?
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Answer C: Pointing straight ahead until you actually begin the turn
If your wheels are already turned left and another vehicle strikes you from behind, you would be pushed into oncoming traffic.
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9. A flagger turns the paddle to the orange face reading SLOW. What does that tell approaching drivers?
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Answer D: Reduce speed and continue through the work area with care
The SLOW face keeps traffic moving at a reduced speed while workers or equipment are close to the travel lanes.
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10. What is the safest way to pass a bicyclist on a road with two lanes going your way?
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Answer D: Change lanes completely, as you would for a car
A bicycle is entitled to the room a vehicle needs, and moving into the next lane gives the rider space to swerve around a drain or a pothole.
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11. Who may sponsor a Wisconsin instruction permit applicant under 18, and at what age?
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Answer D: A parent, guardian or spouse aged 19 or older, or any other adult aged 21 or older
Wisconsin allows a parent, guardian or spouse aged 19 or older to sponsor a permit applicant, while a non-relative sponsor must be at least 21.
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12. You are on a country road with no sidewalk and two people are walking toward you on your side of the shoulder. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow down and move over to give them room
Where there is no sidewalk, people are expected to walk on the shoulder facing traffic, and drivers must slow and give them space.
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13. When does Wisconsin require you to turn on your low beam headlights?
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Answer D: From half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, or when you cannot see 500 feet ahead
Wisconsin requires low beams from half an hour after sunset until half an hour before sunrise, and any time you cannot see a vehicle or person 500 feet away.
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14. On a busy multilane highway, where is the best place to travel?
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Answer B: In a gap in the traffic, with space open on both sides
Travelling in a gap keeps escape routes open on both sides, while riding alongside other vehicles removes the room you would need to swerve.
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15. When a Wisconsin driver is arrested on a first OWI charge, what happens to their operating privilege immediately, before the case is resolved in court?
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Answer B: It is administratively suspended for six months
Wisconsin administratively suspends the operating privilege for six months upon a first OWI arrest, ahead of and separate from whatever the court later orders.
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16. A sign on a freeway restricts trucks to the two right-hand lanes. What should a car driver expect in those lanes?
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Answer A: More heavy vehicles and slower changes of speed
A truck lane restriction concentrates heavy vehicles on the right, and those vehicles accelerate, brake and change lanes far more slowly than cars.
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17. In heavy fog at night on a rural two-lane road, which marking best helps a driver hold position?
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Answer C: The solid white line along the right edge
Steering by the right edge line keeps a driver clear of oncoming traffic, while watching the center line tends to pull the vehicle toward it.
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18. Every signal head at an intersection is flashing red in all directions. How should you treat the intersection?
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Answer C: As an all-way stop, stopping and then going in turn
Red flashing in every direction means each approach must stop, so the intersection works exactly like an all-way stop.
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19. May you park across the entrance to a fire station?
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Answer D: No, an emergency exit must never be blocked
Emergency vehicles must be able to leave the moment a call comes in, so their entrances and exits are kept clear at all hours.
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20. You are about to pass a long tractor-trailer on a two-lane road. What should you expect?
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Answer B: You will need more clear road, since the vehicle is much longer
A tractor-trailer can be 70 feet long, so passing it takes more distance and more time than passing a car at the same speed difference.
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21. What is the safest way to deal with the situation this sign announces?
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Answer B: Match the speed of the other traffic stream and open a gap so vehicles can blend without hard braking
Blending works when speeds are matched and gaps are opened, so nobody has to brake hard or swerve where the two streams come together.
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22. What does a steady yellow traffic light tell the driver facing it?
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Answer A: The green movement is ending and a red indication is about to appear
A steady yellow warns that the related green movement is being terminated and that red will follow, so you should stop if you can do so safely.
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23. When should you arrange your way home if you plan to drink?
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Answer C: Before the first drink
Judgment is the first thing alcohol weakens, so the plan has to be made while you can still make a good one.
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24. Your car is sinking after leaving the road into deep water and two children are in the back. In what order should you act?
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Answer D: Free yourself from the belt first, then release the children, the oldest one first
You cannot help anyone while you are still belted in, and the oldest child released first needs the least help getting out.
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25. In the outlying parts of a Wisconsin city or village where no speed limit is posted, what is the maximum speed?
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Answer C: 35 miles per hour
Wisconsin sets a maximum of 35 miles per hour in the outlying parts of cities and villages when nothing is posted.
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26. At which location is this sign normally installed?
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Answer D: Facing traffic that could turn into a one-way roadway or ramp against the flow
It is posted where a driver could otherwise enter a ramp or a one-way roadway from the wrong end, so it faces exactly the traffic that has to be kept out.
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27. What will the driver have to do at the point this sign refers to?
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Answer C: Slow down and let conflicting traffic go first, stopping if that is what it takes
Further along, the driver has to let conflicting traffic and pedestrians go first, reducing speed and stopping whenever that is necessary to avoid interfering with them.
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28. You arrive at an intersection where the traffic signals are completely dark after a power failure. What should you do?
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Answer A: Treat the intersection as an all-way stop and take turns
When a signal is dark or out of order, drivers on every approach must stop and proceed in turn, exactly as at a four-way stop.
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29. Does Wisconsin law require a helmet for someone operating a moped?
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Answer A: No, Wisconsin does not require moped operators to wear a helmet
Wisconsin does not require moped operators to wear a helmet, though the state recommends one and notes that head injuries are common in moped crashes.
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30. Another driver has pulled out to pass you. What should you do?
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Answer A: Stay in your lane, keep your speed steady or ease off, and let the pass finish
Accelerating while being passed forces the other driver to stay in the opposing lane longer, so the safe response is to hold or slightly reduce speed and stay right.
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31. A square sign with a red field, a wide white horizontal bar and the words DO NOT ENTER tells a driver that
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Answer B: the roadway ahead must not be entered from that point
The do not enter sign is posted at the end of a one-way roadway or ramp to keep traffic from driving into it against the flow.
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32. You are waiting to turn left across two oncoming lanes when a driver in the near lane stops and waves you through. What should you do?
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Answer D: Turn only after checking the far lane yourself
The waving driver cannot give away the right of way of the traffic in the second lane, which may not be stopping at all.
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33. How long must a Wisconsin applicant under 18 hold the instruction permit before taking the skills test for a probationary license?
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Answer D: At least six months
A Wisconsin applicant under 18 must hold the instruction permit for at least six months, and be at least 16, before receiving a probationary license.
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34. A police officer in the intersection raises a hand toward you although your signal is green. What should you do?
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Answer B: Stop and wait for the officer to wave you on
An officer directing traffic overrides signals and signs, and drivers must follow the officer even when the light says otherwise.
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35. On a long, straight highway you feel your attention fading. What helps you stay alert?
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Answer A: Keep your eyes moving, scan mirrors and signs, and take regular breaks
Staring at one point brings on highway hypnosis. Active scanning keeps the mind engaged, and a break every couple of hours restores alertness.
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36. A driver's destination lies along the street to the right, and this sign stands at that corner. How should the driver reach it?
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Answer D: By going on and using a later intersection where turning is allowed
When a movement is barred at one corner the driver has to reroute, normally by continuing and coming back to the destination from a permitted approach.
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37. You leave a brightly lit service area onto a dark rural road. Why should you slow down for a while?
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Answer C: Your eyes need time to adjust, so at first you see less
Eyes take a few minutes to adapt from bright light to darkness, and during that time you can see much less than your headlights actually show.
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38. Your light turns green, but a vehicle from the cross street is still finishing a turn inside the intersection. What should you do?
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Answer B: Wait until that vehicle has cleared the intersection
A green indication lets you proceed only after yielding to pedestrians in the crosswalk and to vehicles already lawfully within the intersection.
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39. Why are tall vehicles such as SUVs and vans at extra risk in sudden steering maneuvers?
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Answer B: Their higher center of gravity makes them more likely to roll over
The higher a vehicle's mass sits, the more it leans in an abrupt turn, and a sharp swerve can tip it over. Smooth, gradual steering inputs are essential in tall vehicles.
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40. Which of these is an early warning that you are too tired to keep driving?
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Answer C: Not remembering the last few miles you drove
Memory gaps, repeated yawning, heavy eyelids and drifting are the body signaling that sleep is winning, and they mean stop rather than push on.
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41. What is the format of the separate Wisconsin highway signs test?
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Answer D: 15 questions, 12 correct to pass
Wisconsin gives a highway signs test of 15 questions that requires 12 correct answers, or 80 percent, to pass.
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42. In a work zone the temporary lane lines conflict with the old lines still visible on the pavement. Which do you follow?
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Answer C: The temporary markings, which show the current traffic pattern
Temporary markings define the traffic pattern in force, and the old lines are simply the layout that no longer applies.
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43. A flashing red lamp is mounted above a stop sign at a rural intersection. What does it add?
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Answer C: Emphasis, while the required stop stays the same
A stop beacon makes an easily missed stop sign more visible, but it neither adds to nor takes away from the obligation the sign already imposes.
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44. You park on level ground in a lot. Where should the front wheels be pointing?
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Answer C: Straight ahead, so the car would not veer if it moved
On the level the wheels go straight so that the car stays in its own space, and so that a shunt from behind does not send it across a lane.
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45. A high truck ahead of you hides the traffic signal as you approach the intersection. What should you do?
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Answer A: Drop back so you can see the signal and the truck's brake lights
Extra following distance restores your view of the signal, so you are reacting to the light yourself rather than copying the truck driver.
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46. Must a Wisconsin law enforcement officer personally witness a driver illegally passing a stopped school bus to issue a citation?
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Answer A: No, the bus driver's report to law enforcement within 24 hours is enough
Wisconsin allows a vehicle owner to be cited for illegally passing a school bus based solely on the bus driver's report, made to law enforcement within 24 hours, without an officer witnessing it.
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47. When may a Wisconsin instruction permit or probationary license holder use a cell phone while driving?
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Answer C: Only to report an emergency
Wisconsin permit and probationary license holders may use a cell phone while driving only to report an emergency.
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48. You and an opposing driver reach a four-way stop at the same time and both of you are turning right. What should happen?
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Answer C: Both may turn at the same time into their own lanes
Two opposing right turns take drivers into different lanes without crossing, so both can proceed together once pedestrians are clear.
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49. As a driver keeps drinking, in what order are driving abilities usually lost?
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Answer C: Judgment, then vision, reaction time and coordination
Alcohol reaches the parts of the brain that handle judgment first, and only later does it visibly affect sight, reactions and muscle control.
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50. You are turning onto a street that has two lanes going your way. Which lane should you enter?
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Answer B: The lane closest to you, changing lanes later if you need to
Turn into the nearest lane going your direction and make any lane change afterwards, when you have signaled and checked that it is clear.