CA DMV Written Test Trick Questions (2025)

CA DMV Written Test Trick Questions (2025). Nearly one out of every two Californians flunks the knowledge test on the first try. A DMV study shared by driver-ed platform Zutobi indicates that the first-time failure rate is over 44%. Ask anyone who’s walked out with that red “Fail” slip and you’ll hear the same complaint: “Those questions were tricky!”

Below you’ll find a plain-English guide to the CA DMV written test trick questions that trip people up—plus a study plan to make sure they don’t trip you.

CA DMV Written Test Trick Questions

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CA DMV Written Test
Total Trick Questions: 36 Questions
Passing Percentage: 83%
Time Limit: 60 Minutes

1 / 36

1) You may not park your vehicle:

A) Next to a red painted curb

B) On the side of the freeway in an emergency

C) Within 100 feet of an elementary school

2 / 36

2) When you tailgate other drivers (drive closely to their rear bumper):

A) Your actions cannot result in a traffic citation.

B) You can frustrate the other drivers and make them angry.

C) You help reduce traffic congestion

3 / 36

3) Water on the road can cause a vehicle to hydroplane. Your car may hydroplane at spends as low as:

A) 45 miles per hour

B) 40 miles per hour

C) 35 miles per hour

4 / 36

This road sign means:

A) Winding road.

B) Steep grade ahead.

C) Intersection ahead.

5 / 36

5) Which child would require a child passenger restraint system?

A) A 7-year-old who is 4 feet 8 inches tall

B) A 10-year-old who is 5 feet 3 inches tall

C) A 9-year-old who is 4 feet 10 inches tall

6 / 36

6) Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit in a residential area is:

A) 25 mph

B) 20 mph

C) 30 mph

7 / 36

7) U-turns in residential districts are legal:

A) When there are no vehicles approaching nearby

B) Across sets of solid double yellow lines

C) On a one-way street on a green arrow

8 / 36

8) You see a flashing yellow traffic signal at an upcoming intersection. The flashing yellow light means:

A) Slow down and cross the intersection carefully

B) Stop before entering the intersection, as long as you can do so safely.

C) Stop, yield to all cross traffic before crossing the intersection

9 / 36

9) If you must park your vehicle in an area not usually used for parking:

A) Park five feet from the curb

B) Park with your reverse lights on

C) Make sure your vehicle is visible to drivers approaching from any direction

10 / 36

10) If you are convicted of driving with an excessive blood alcohol concentration (BAC), you may be sentenced to serve:

A) Up to 12 months in jail

B) No jail time, but you must pay a fine of $500

C) Up to six months in jail

11 / 36

11)

This yellow sign means:

A) There is a traffic signal ahead

B) Controlled railroad ahead

C) Be prepared to stop if the light is flashing

12 / 36

12)

This road sign means:

A) Merging traffic

B) steep hill ahead

C) Intersection ahead

13 / 36

13) You must notify the DMV within five days if you:

A) Fail a smog test

B) Get a new prescription for lenses or contacts

C) Sell or transfer your vehicle

14 / 36

14) You are driving in the far right lane of a four-lane freeway and notice thick broken white line on the left side of your lane. You are driving in:

A) At exit lane

B) A special lane for slow-moving vehicles

C) The carpool lane and must merge into the next lane

15 / 36

15) You may cross a double yellow line to pass another vehicle if the yellow line next to:

A) The other side of the road is a broken line.

B) The other side of the road is a solid line.

C) Your side of the road is a broken line.

16 / 36

16)

This sign means

A) stop ahead

B) Do not enter

C) Roadwork or maintenance is present

17 / 36

17) Which of these vehicles must always stop before crossing railroad tracks?

A) Tank trucks marked with hazardous materials placards

B) Motor homes or pickup trucks towing a boat trailer

C) Any vehicle with three or more axles and weighing more than 4000 pounds

18 / 36

18) Should you always drive more slowly than other traffic?

A) Yes, it is a good defensive driving technique

B) Yes, it is always safer than driving faster than other traffic

C) No, you can block traffic when you drive too slowly

19 / 36

19) When driving on a multilane street with two-way traffic:

A) You should drive ahead of or behind the other vehicles

B) Drive alongside other vehicles so the drivers can see you

C) It is safest to drive in the lane next to the centerline

20 / 36

20) If you encounter an aggressive driver, you should:

A) Get out of their way

B) Speed up

C) Challenge them

21 / 36

21) When a school bus is stopped on the road ahead to load or unload children, you must:

A) Come to a complete stop until all the children have left the bus

B) Change lanes, drive slowly, and pass the bus cautiously

C) Come to a complete stop until the red lights stop flashing and the stop arm is withdrawn

22 / 36

22)

This sign means:

A) Right turn on red light permitted with caution

B) All traffic must turn right at next intersection

C) No right turn

23 / 36

23) This sign means:

A) All traffic must turn right at the next intersection.

B) No left turn can be made here.

C) A left turn can be made only after stopping.

24 / 36

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

A) Let the call go voicemail

B) Check the incoming number before answering the call

C) Answer the call because it may be an emergency.

25 / 36

25) Which of these statements is true about drinking alcohol and driving?

A) If you can walk in a straight line after drinking. It is safe to drive

B) Alcohol affects judgement, which is needed to drive safely

C) If you are under the legal blood alcohol concentration limit, your driving isn’t impaired

26 / 36

26) California’s “basic speed law” says you must:

A) Always drive at the posted speed limit.

B) Keep your speed close to that of other traffic.

C) Never drive faster than is safe for current conditions.

27 / 36

27)

This sign means:

A) Reserved parking for persons with disabilities

B) Yield the right-of-way

C) Do not enter

28 / 36

28) While driving, you should look 10 to 15 seconds ahead of you:

A) And focus on the middle of the road

B) To see potential hazards early

C) Because it is a legal requirement

29 / 36

29) To see vehicles in your blind spots, you should check:

A) The outside rearview mirror

B) Over your shoulders

C) The inside rearview mirror

30 / 36

30) You may drive a motor vehicle in a bike lane:

A) Whenever bicyclists are not present

B) If you drive more slowly than 15 mph

C) No more than 200 feet before making a right turn

31 / 36

31) You should allow an extra cushion of space:

A) When following a driver who cannot see the rear of their vehicle

B) When following a small passenger car

C) When following a station wagon

32 / 36

32)

This sign means:

A) Railroad ahead

B) School zone

C) No passing zone

33 / 36

33) Vehicles stopped behind a school bus with its red lights flashing must remain stopped until:

A) The stop arm is retracted and the bus resumes motion

B) All students are off the bus

C) The stop arm is retracted

34 / 36

34) Give the right-of-way to any pedestrians who is:

A) In a marked crosswalk

B) In any marked crosswalk or intersection

C) Crossing any street

35 / 36

35) If you drive more slowly than the flow of traffic, you will most likely:

A) Demonstrate defensive driving techniques

B) Improve traffic flow

C) Interfere with traffic and receive a ticket

36 / 36

36) If you have trouble seeing other vehicles because of dust or smoke blowing across the roadway, you should drive more slowly and turn on your:

A) Headlights

B) Parking lights

C) Emergency flashers

Your score is

California DMV Practice Tests & Hard Sets

CA DMV Test 1	CA DMV Test 2	CA DMV Test 3	CA DMV Hard 1
CA DMV Test 4	CA DMV Test 5	CA DMV Test 6	CA DMV Hard 2
CA DMV Test 7	CA DMV Test 8	CA DMV Test 9	CA DMV Hard 3
CA DMV Test 10	CA DMV Test 11	CA Road‑Sign Test	CA DMV Hard 4

Five Categories With the Sneakiest Questions

1. Numbers & Distances

Expect feet, inches and seconds:

Dim high-beams for oncoming traffic at 500 ft
Stop 15 – 50 ft from a railroad track when lights flash
Parallel-park within 18 in of the curb
Most failures come from swapping one of those numbers for another that sounds right.

2. Speed-Limit Exceptions

Everyone knows “25 mph in a residential zone,” but the test loves exceptions:

15 mph in an alley or blind intersection
10 mph past a stopped streetcar at a safety zone
55 mph max for any vehicle towing on a two-lane undivided highway

Memorize these special limits; they appear in far more questions than you’d guess.

3. Right-of-Way Curveballs

Four-way stop? Easy. But what about:

A T-intersection with no signs (driver on the terminating road must yield)
A steep, single-lane mountain road (vehicle facing downhill backs up)

Flashing yellow arrow vs. flashing yellow round light (yield vs. caution)

4. Teen & Cell-Phone Rules

Under-18 drivers face restrictions that adults often forget: no passengers under 20 (unless accompanied by a 25-year-old licensed driver), no phone use except in true emergencies, and a curfew of 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Questions blend those rules into multiple-choice traps.

5. Alcohol, BAC & Penalties

The legal limit is 0.08 %—but 0.01 % for anyone under 21 and 0.04 % for commercial drivers. Throw in test “gotchas” like open-container storage (only in the trunk) and administrative license-suspension lengths, and it’s easy to mis-click.

How Many Questions? How Many Can You Miss?

46 questions for first-time under-18 applicants, 36 for adults.
Passing score is 83 %—that’s 38 right answers (or 30 on the shorter test).
Three attempts per application, with a 7-day wait after each failure