California DMV Sample Test Class C 2025 UPDATED

California DMV Sample Test Class C 2025. Passing the knowledge test is California’s way of proving you can translate textbook rules into real-world decisions before they turn you loose on a six-lane boulevard.

Even if you aced driver’s ed, the official exam’s wording, timer, and small legal twists can undo anyone who treats it casually. Practising with the DMV’s sample tests is the fastest route to seeing—and thinking—precisely the way Sacramento will grade you.

Test basics for 2025

Applicant	# of Questions	Correct to Pass	Time Limit
Under 18	46	38 (≈83 %)	60 min
18 and older	36	30 (≈83 %)	45 min

California DMV Sample Test Class C

/36

California DMV Sample Test Class C
Total Items: 36 Questions
Passing Percentage: 83%
Time Limit: 60 Minutes

1 / 36

1) You are at a red traffic signal. The traffic light turns green, but there are still other vehicles in the intersection. You should:

A) Move ahead only if you can go around the other vehicles safely

B) Enter the intersection and wait for traffic to clear

C) Wait until the vehicles clear the intersection before entering

2 / 36

2) If your cell phone rings while you are driving and you do not have a hands-free device, you should:

A) Check the incoming number before answering the call

B) Let the call go to voice mail

C) Answer the call go to voice mail

3 / 36

This red and white sign means:

A) Make a complete stop before asserting your right-of-way

B) Give the right-of-way to other drivers

C) Other drivers must yield to you

4 / 36

4) When driving in fog or mist, never put your headlights on the high beam setting because:

A) Approaching vehicles might not see you

B) Vehicles behind you may follow too closely.

C) The light will reflect back into your eyes.

5 / 36

5) Which statement is true about motorcyclists and motorists?

A) Motorcyclists are not allowed to drive faster than other traffic during congested road conditions

B) Motorcycles are heavier than other vehicles and are less affected by wind/ rain

C) Motorcyclists have the same rights/ responsibilities as other motorists

6 / 36

6) Before driving into an intersection from a stop, you should look:

A) Left and right only

B) Straight ahead and to the left

C) Left, right, and left again

7 / 36

7) Always look carefully for motorcycles before changing lanes because:

A) It is illegal for motorcycles to share traffic lanes

B) They usually have the right-of-way at intersections

C) Their smaller size makes them harder to see

8 / 36

8) Parking is NEVER permitted:

A) In a bicycle lane, unless otherwise posted

B) In a crosshatched (diagonal) pattern space

C) Twenty feet from a railroad track

9 / 36

9) You should dim your lights for oncoming vehicles or when you are within 300 feet of a vehicle:

A) Approaching from behind

B) You are approaching from behind

C) You have already passed

10 / 36

10) When passing another vehicle, it is safe to return to your lane if you:

A) Cannot see the vehicle directly to your right.

B) Have passed the other vehicle’s front bumper.

C) See the vehicle’s headlights in your rearview mirror.

11 / 36

11) If you have a collision, the law requires you to exchange your driver license information with:

A) Security guards

B) Others involved in the collision

C) Witnesses

12 / 36

12) When driving in traffic at night on a dimly lit street, you should:

A) Keep instrument lights bright to be more visible to other drivers

B) Turn on your high beam headlights to better see the vehicles directly ahead of you

C) Drive slowly enough so you can stop within the area lighted by your headlights

13 / 36

13) You must yield the right-of-way to an emergency vehicle by:

A) Moving into the right lane and driving slowly until it has passed

B) Stopping immediately, even if you are in an intersection

C) Driving as near to the right edge of the road as possible and stopping

14 / 36

14) Two sets of solid double yellow lines spaced two feet or more apart:

A) May only be crossed to make a left turn or U-turn

B) May be used to begin or end left-hand turns

C) Should be treated like a solid wall and not be crossed

15 / 36

15) When you enter traffic from a stop (e.g. pulling away from the curb), you:

A) Need a large enough gap to get up to the speed of traffic

B) Should drive slower than other traffic for 200 feet

C) Should wait for the first vehicle to pass, then pull into the lane

16 / 36

16) Generally speaking, you are in a large truck's blind spot if you:

A) Drive close to the large truck's left front wheel

B) Cannot see the truck driver in the truck's side mirrors

C) Follow no closer than ten feet behind the large truck

17 / 36

17) Which way should your front wheels be turned when parked uphill next to a curb?

A) Away from the curb

B) Toward the curb

C) Parallel to the curb

18 / 36

18) What is a safety zone?

A) The meridian strip on a divided highway

B) An empty lane next to the freeway dividers

C) A space set aside for pedestrians

19 / 36

19) Following closely behind another vehicle (tailgating):

A) Is a common cause of rear-end collisions

B) Increases fuel efficiency

C) Helps keep traffic moving

20 / 36

20) If the roadway is wet and your vehicle starts to skid, you should:

A) Slowly ease your foot off the gas pedal

B) Slow down by pumping the brakes quickly and firmly

C) Slow down by shifting to a lower gear

21 / 36

21) To make a right turn onto a two-way street from a two-way street, start in the right-hand lane and end in:

A) The left lane

B) Any lane that is available

C) The lane closest to the curb

22 / 36

22) A law enforcement officer notices that one of your passengers is not wearing a seat belt and writes a citation. Which of the following is true?

A) You can receive the citation if the passenger is younger than 16

B) Your passenger will receive the citation, regardless of his or her age

C) Both you and your passenger will receive a citation

23 / 36

23) If you see orange construction signs or cones on a freeway, you must:

A) Slow down because the lane ends ahead

B) Change lane and maintain your current speed

C) Be prepared for workers and equipment ahead

24 / 36

24) You should always turn on your emergency flashers when:

A) Your vehicle has broken down on the road way

B) You stop near a curb painted red

C) You are driving in heavy fog

25 / 36

25) You want to make a right turn at the corner. A pedestrian with a guide dog is at the corner ready to cross the street in front of you. Before making your right turn, you should:

A) Tell the pedestrian when to cross the street

B) Turn off your engine until the person crosses the street

C) Wait until the person crosses the street

26 / 36

26) You may legally drive in any freeway carpool lane if:

A) All the other lanes are stopped with heavy traffic

B) You carry the minimum number of persons shown on the sign

C) It is between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.

27 / 36

27) This road sign means:

A) A road join from the right

B) Sharp right turn ahead.

C) The road ahead turns sharply right then sharply left.

28 / 36

28) You are going to make a left turn from a dedicated left-turn lane when a yellow arrow appears for your lane. You should:

A) Stop and not turn under any circumstances

B) Be prepared to obey the next signal that appears

C) Speed up to get through the intersection

29 / 36

29) If a pedestrian is in a crosswalk in the middle of a block:

A) The pedestrian has the right-of-way

B) The pedestrian must yield the right-of-way

C) Vehicle have the right-of-way, but drivers must legally take

30 / 36

30) You have consented to take a test for the alcohol content of your blood, breath, or urine:

A) Only if a collision has occurred

B) Only if you have been drinking alcohol

C) Whenever you drive in California

31 / 36

31) At night, if an oncoming vehicle fails to dim its high beams, look:

A) Toward the center of the roadway

B) Toward the right edge of your lane

C) Straight ahead in your lane

32 / 36

32) When passing another vehicle, it is safe to return to your lane if youL:

A) Cannot see the vehicle directly to your right

B) See the vehicle's headlights in your rearview mirror

C) Have passed the other vehicle's front bumper

33 / 36

33) When you back up in a passenger vehicle:

A) Rely on your rearview mirror

B) Only use your side and rearview mirrors

C) Look over your right shoulder through your rear window

34 / 36

34)

This red and white sign means:

A) The road ahead is closed to traffic in your direction

B) The road ahead is closed to traffic in all direction

C) Do not enter the road ahead unless it is safe to do so

35 / 36

35) The "three-second rule" applies to the space _______ of your vehicle.

A) In back

B) Ahead

C) To the sides

36 / 36

36) Before getting out of you parked vehicle on the traffic side of the street, you should:

A) Turn on your left turn signal

B) Look for passing vehicles, bicyclists, and motorcyclists

C) Give an arm signal that you are exiting your vehicle

Your score is

All questions are multiple-choice or “mark-all-that-apply.” The exam is administered on a touchscreen kiosk; audio and large-type modes are available upon request. You get three attempts within 12 months; each failure triggers a retest fee and a minimum one-day wait.

Read the 2025 Driver Handbook once, cover to cover.
It’s dry, but every question the pool writers use must trace back to a handbook sentence.
Run the four official Class C sample tests.
They use real retired questions and the same touch interface. Each run shuffles the order, so loop until you consistently hit 95%+ accuracy.
Switch to “Exam Mode” on a third-party simulator.
Sites like Driving-Tests.org mirror the 46/36-question formats and lock the clock—a perfect dress rehearsal.
Use the CA DMV Mobile App in idle moments.
Daily micro-quizzes are more effective than cramming; the app syncs with your MyDMV account and identifies weak areas. California DMV
Drive shotgun and narrate.
Ride with a licensed driver, describe every sign, hazard, and rule you see; it wires the static text into moving traffic.