Regulatory, Work Zone and Guide Signs Practice Test
What is in this test
Tap an option and the page marks it and opens the explanation. Nothing is timed and nothing is stored, so you can work through it in one sitting or come back to it. If you would rather not tap through, every answer is also listed in the answer key at the bottom.
| Subject | Questions |
|---|---|
| Traffic signs | 25 |
Difficulty mix: 7 easy, 14 medium, 4 hard. The questions run easiest first.
The 25 questions
What must you do when you reach this sign?
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Correct answer: A. Come to a full stop, then go when it is safe
An octagonal red STOP sign requires a complete stop behind the stop line, crosswalk, or edge of the intersection. Rolling through at low speed is still a violation. After stopping, yield to pedestrians and cross traffic, then proceed when the way is clear.
This sign tells you to:
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Correct answer: D. Slow down and give the right-of-way to traffic and pedestrians ahead
A downward-pointing red and white triangle means yield. Slow down, be ready to stop, and let cross traffic and pedestrians go first. You only have to come to a full stop if traffic or pedestrians make it necessary.
What does this sign mean?
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Correct answer: B. Do not drive into this roadway from your direction
DO NOT ENTER marks a roadway you may not drive into, most often a freeway off-ramp or the wrong end of a one-way street. If you see it, you are about to travel against traffic. Stop and turn around safely.
You are approaching this sign. What is the correct action?
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Correct answer: D. Stop behind the line, look both ways, then go when it is clear
A rolling stop is still a violation. Stop fully behind the stop line, then creep forward only far enough to see cross traffic before proceeding.
You see this sign on the roadside. What is it telling you?
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Correct answer: B. Where an exit leads and how far away it is
Green guide signs give destinations, exit numbers, and distances. They do not regulate your driving, so read them early and get into the correct lane in good time.
You are entering a roadway and see this sign facing you. It means:
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Correct answer: C. You are about to drive against oncoming traffic
WRONG WAY usually appears beyond a DO NOT ENTER sign on a freeway ramp. Stop, put on headlights and hazards, and get off the roadway. Never reverse along a ramp.
You want to turn around and see this sign. You should:
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Correct answer: D. Continue to a location where turning around is permitted
U-turns are prohibited where sight distance is short or traffic volumes are high. Carry on to a legal turning point rather than making the maneuver where it is banned.
You are driving on a ramp and see a WRONG WAY sign. You should:
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Correct answer: C. Stop, then turn around when it is safe and leave the ramp the way you came
WRONG WAY means you are heading into oncoming traffic. Stop, turn on your headlights and hazards to make yourself visible, and get off the roadway as soon as you safely can. Never reverse along a freeway ramp.
What does this sign mean?
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Correct answer: B. You may not make a U-turn here
A U-shaped arrow inside a red circle with a slash prohibits U-turns at that location. Continue to a place where turning around is permitted, such as an intersection without the restriction.
A DO NOT PASS sign or a solid yellow line on your side of the center means:
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Correct answer: D. You may not cross the line to pass in that section
A solid yellow line on your side of the center marking, or a NO PASSING ZONE sign, means passing is prohibited there because sight distance is inadequate. Wait for a broken line on your side before you pass.
What does this sign mean?
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Correct answer: B. Traffic flows in one direction only, in the direction of the arrow
A ONE WAY sign shows the only legal direction of travel on that roadway. Entering against the arrow puts you head-on into traffic, which is one of the most dangerous mistakes a new driver can make.
What does this sign mean?
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Correct answer: C. You may not park here
The red circle and slash over the P prohibits parking. You may still stop briefly to let a passenger out unless a sign also forbids standing or stopping.
This blue sign appears before a highway exit. It means:
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Correct answer: A. Motorist services such as fuel, food, or lodging are available at that exit
Blue is reserved for motorist services. Brown marks parks and recreation areas, green gives general destinations, and orange handles work zones.
A brown sign like this points the way to:
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Correct answer: D. A park, campground, or other recreational or cultural site
Brown is the recreational and cultural interest color. Seeing it tells you the destination is a park or historic site rather than a service or a town.
This sign appears in a work zone. What must you do?
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Correct answer: B. Follow the marked alternative route
Orange detour signs mark a temporary route around a closure. Follow the signed route rather than improvising a shortcut through side streets, which are often not built for the traffic.
You see this sign in a work zone. Whose instructions take priority?
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Correct answer: A. The flagger directing traffic
The order of authority is: a person directing traffic, then signals, then signs, then markings. A flagger’s paddle or hand signal overrides everything else in the zone.
You are looking for an address and see this sign on the street you want to enter. You must:
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Correct answer: C. Only enter traveling in the direction of the arrow
The arrow shows the only lawful direction of travel. Entering against it puts you head-on into traffic, and on a busy one-way street the closing speed is very high.
This sign is posted at the entrance to a freeway off-ramp. Seeing it means:
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Correct answer: B. You are about to enter a roadway from the wrong end
DO NOT ENTER faces the direction traffic must never come from. If it is facing you, stop and turn around safely rather than continuing to see what happens.
You approach this sign and cross traffic does not stop. What does that mean for you?
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Correct answer: C. The entire responsibility for judging a safe gap is yours
Yield means give way. Enter only when you can complete the maneuver without making anyone else brake or swerve. If in doubt, wait for a clearly larger gap.
Which color combination identifies a regulatory sign you are legally required to obey?
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Correct answer: D. Black lettering on a white rectangle
Regulatory signs use black on white, sometimes with a red circle and slash for prohibitions. Yellow diamonds warn, green guides, and brown marks recreational sites.
A pavement marking shows a left arrow with the word ONLY. If you are in that lane you must:
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Correct answer: B. Turn left
Pavement lane-use markings carry the same legal force as an overhead sign. Pick your lane early, because changing your mind at the stop line forces an unsafe last-second move.
A yellow sign with the word EXIT and a number such as 35 MPH below a curved arrow on a ramp means:
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Correct answer: D. 35 mph is the safe speed for the ramp curve
Advisory speed plates on ramps and curves are yellow because they are a warning, not a regulation. The figure is the speed at which the curve can be taken safely in good conditions, and it is often well below the highway limit.
You approach a yellow sign showing an arrow that splits, with the right branch ending. This means:
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Correct answer: A. The right lane ends ahead and traffic must merge left
The lane ends sign tells drivers in the ending lane to merge before the taper. Signal early, match the speed of the through lane, and move over well before the lane runs out.
A sign is completely covered in snow, but you can see it is an octagon. You should:
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Correct answer: D. Treat it as a stop sign and come to a full stop
Sign shapes are standardized precisely so they stay readable when dirty, damaged, or snow-covered. The octagon is reserved for STOP and nothing else.
You see an orange sign in a work zone but no workers are visible. The reduced speed limit:
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Correct answer: A. Still applies until an END ROAD WORK sign
Work zone limits stay in force through the whole zone regardless of whether workers are on site at that moment, and most states increase fines throughout.
Answer key
Every answer in one place, in question order.
| No. | Ans | The correct option |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Come to a full stop, then go when it is safe |
| 2 | D | Slow down and give the right-of-way to traffic and pedestrians ahead |
| 3 | B | Do not drive into this roadway from your direction |
| 4 | D | Stop behind the line, look both ways, then go when it is clear |
| 5 | B | Where an exit leads and how far away it is |
| 6 | C | You are about to drive against oncoming traffic |
| 7 | D | Continue to a location where turning around is permitted |
| 8 | C | Stop, then turn around when it is safe and leave the ramp the way you came |
| 9 | B | You may not make a U-turn here |
| 10 | D | You may not cross the line to pass in that section |
| 11 | B | Traffic flows in one direction only, in the direction of the arrow |
| 12 | C | You may not park here |
| 13 | A | Motorist services such as fuel, food, or lodging are available at that exit |
| 14 | D | A park, campground, or other recreational or cultural site |
| 15 | B | Follow the marked alternative route |
| 16 | A | The flagger directing traffic |
| 17 | C | Only enter traveling in the direction of the arrow |
| 18 | B | You are about to enter a roadway from the wrong end |
| 19 | C | The entire responsibility for judging a safe gap is yours |
| 20 | D | Black lettering on a white rectangle |
| 21 | B | Turn left |
| 22 | D | 35 mph is the safe speed for the ramp curve |
| 23 | A | The right lane ends ahead and traffic must merge left |
| 24 | D | Treat it as a stop sign and come to a full stop |
| 25 | A | Still applies until an END ROAD WORK sign |
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