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

This sign means:

A) School zone

B) No passing zone

C) Railroad ahead

2 / 36

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B) Come to a complete stop until the red lights stop flashing and the stop arm is withdrawn

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

3 / 36

This road sign means:

A) Intersection ahead.

B) Winding road.

C) Steep grade ahead.

4 / 36

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

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

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

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

5 / 36

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

A) Sell or transfer your vehicle

B) Fail a smog test

C) Get a new prescription for lenses or contacts

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

A) Improve traffic flow

B) Interfere with traffic and receive a ticket

C) Demonstrate defensive driving techniques

8 / 36

8) 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) Parking lights

B) Headlights

C) Emergency flashers

9 / 36

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

A) Speed up

B) Challenge them

C) Get out of their way

10 / 36

10)

This sign means

A) Roadwork or maintenance is present

B) stop ahead

C) Do not enter

11 / 36

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

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

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

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

12 / 36

12)

This yellow sign means:

A) There is a traffic signal ahead

B) Be prepared to stop if the light is flashing

C) Controlled railroad ahead

13 / 36

13) You may not park your vehicle:

A) Within 100 feet of an elementary school

B) On the side of the freeway in an emergency

C) Next to a red painted curb

14 / 36

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

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

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

C) Slow down and cross the intersection carefully

15 / 36

15) 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

16 / 36

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

A) The outside rearview mirror

B) The inside rearview mirror

C) Over your shoulders

17 / 36

17) 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 solid line.

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

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

18 / 36

18)

This sign means:

A) No right turn

B) All traffic must turn right at next intersection

C) Right turn on red light permitted with caution

19 / 36

19) 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

20 / 36

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

A) You help reduce traffic congestion

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

C) Your actions cannot result in a traffic citation.

21 / 36

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

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

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

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

22 / 36

22)

This road sign means:

A) Intersection ahead

B) steep hill ahead

C) Merging traffic

23 / 36

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

A) If you drive more slowly than 15 mph

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

C) Whenever bicyclists are not present

24 / 36

24) U-turns in residential districts are legal:

A) When there are no vehicles approaching nearby

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

C) Across sets of solid double yellow lines

25 / 36

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

A) The stop arm is retracted

B) All students are off the bus

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

26 / 36

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

A) And focus on the middle of the road

B) Because it is a legal requirement

C) To see potential hazards early

27 / 36

27) 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.

28 / 36

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

A) In any marked crosswalk or intersection

B) In a marked crosswalk

C) Crossing any street

29 / 36

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

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

B) Park five feet from the curb

C) Park with your reverse lights on

30 / 36

30) You should allow an extra cushion of space:

A) When following a station wagon

B) When following a small passenger car

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

31 / 36

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

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

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

C) Yes, it is a good defensive driving technique

32 / 36

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

A) Tank trucks marked with hazardous materials placards

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

C) Motor homes or pickup trucks towing a boat trailer

33 / 36

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

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

B) Up to six months in jail

C) Up to 12 months in jail

34 / 36

34) This sign means:

A) No left turn can be made here.

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

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

35 / 36

35) 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.

36 / 36

36)

This sign means:

A) Yield the right-of-way

B) Do not enter

C) Reserved parking for persons with disabilities

Your score is

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