Tennessee TDOSHS Permit Practice Test 42
- Questions30
- Correct to pass24
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. Since when has Tennessee required a REAL ID or passport to board a commercial domestic flight, enter certain federal buildings, or enter a military base or nuclear power plant?
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Answer B: May 7, 2025
Beginning May 7, 2025, those federal purposes require a REAL ID compliant credential or a passport, though a standard Tennessee license remains valid for ordinary driving.
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2. How many points does Tennessee assess for driving 6 to 15 mph over the posted speed limit?
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Answer D: 3 points
The Tennessee schedule assigns 1 point for 1 to 5 mph over and 3 points for 6 to 15 mph over the limit.
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3. Which of these is never a legal place to park?
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Answer C: In a crosswalk, on a sidewalk or within an intersection
Crosswalks, sidewalks and intersections must stay clear so that pedestrians can cross and drivers can see approaching traffic.
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4. What does this sign warn a driver about?
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Answer A: Traffic from another roadway will enter the same lane ahead
Two traffic streams come together into one lane beyond this point, so drivers on both roadways have to adjust speed and spacing to fit together.
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5. The driver of a slow farm vehicle moves partly onto the shoulder and waves you past. Who is responsible for the pass?
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Answer A: You are, so pass only if you can see that the road is clear
A courtesy wave is not a traffic control, and the driver who changes lanes is the one answerable for the maneuver.
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6. When is a driver or rider most likely to need hand and arm signals instead of the vehicle turn signal lamps?
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Answer D: When the lamps have failed or cannot be seen because of glare or a load
Hand and arm signals replace or reinforce the lamps whenever the lamps do not work or cannot be seen clearly by other road users.
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7. In heavy stop-and-go traffic, why does using both lanes right up to a merge point help?
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Answer D: It stores the queue in two lanes, so the backup is shorter
Filling both lanes halves the length of the queue and keeps it away from the traffic upstream, which is why alternating at the merge point works better when traffic is slow.
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8. An oncoming driver flashes their headlights while you are waiting to turn left. What should you do?
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Answer D: Judge the situation yourself, since the flash may mean something else
A flash is not a legal signal and may mean many things, so the decision to turn stays yours and must be based on what you can see.
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9. In a work zone a flagger signals you to stop, but the sign beside the road says the lane is open. What should you do?
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Answer C: Obey the flagger
A flagger controls the work zone in real time and the instruction outranks the signs and markings, which cannot reflect what is happening at that moment.
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10. A traffic signal is dark and you reach the intersection at the same moment as a vehicle on your right. Who goes first?
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Answer A: The vehicle on your right, as at any all-way stop
A dark signal is treated as an all-way stop, and the usual tie-breaker then applies: the vehicle on the right goes first.
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11. You are making a legal U-turn at an intersection. Who has the right of way?
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Answer C: Everyone else, until your turn is complete
A U-turn crosses several paths at once, so you yield to oncoming vehicles, to crossing traffic and to pedestrians before starting it.
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12. Why is passing another vehicle a bad idea in dense fog?
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Answer C: You cannot see far enough ahead to know the passing lane is clear
A pass needs a clear view of the road well beyond the vehicle you are overtaking, and fog takes exactly that away.
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13. You have finished a distracting task and your eyes are back on the road. What is true?
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Answer A: Your full attention takes a while to come back
Studies of drivers show attention lags behind the eyes for many seconds after a phone or a screen task, so the danger continues after the task is over.
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14. About how far behind a tractor-trailer does the driver's rear blind spot reach?
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Answer C: Around 30 feet
The area behind a large truck is hidden for roughly 30 feet, so a driver tucked in there cannot be seen at all.
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15. In which situation should you increase your usual following distance?
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Answer B: On wet roads, at night, in fog, when towing a trailer, or when following a motorcycle
Reduced traction, reduced visibility, a heavier load and a vehicle that can stop faster than yours all require extra space to keep the same margin of safety.
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16. A person in a wheelchair is traveling in the roadway because the sidewalk is blocked by construction. What should you do?
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Answer B: Pass slowly with plenty of room, or wait
A blocked sidewalk leaves the person no choice but the road, and a chair cannot move aside quickly, so pass wide and slow or wait for room.
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17. At the scene of a crash you were part of, what are you required to do besides stopping?
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Answer B: Give your name, your address and vehicle details, and help anyone who is hurt
Every state requires drivers involved in a crash to identify themselves and to render reasonable aid to anyone injured.
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18. What is the safe way to carry a dog in a car?
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Answer C: In a secured crate, or in a harness attached to a seat belt anchor
An unrestrained animal distracts the driver and becomes a heavy projectile in a crash, so it should be crated or harnessed.
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19. You are approaching a marked school crossing and children have started to cross the roadway. What is required?
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Answer A: Stop and let the children finish crossing the roadway
Drivers give way to people in a marked crossing, stopping if that is what it takes, and children in particular may change direction without warning.
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20. You feel dizzy and get a headache while driving with the windows closed. What could be the cause and what should you do?
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Answer D: An exhaust leak letting carbon monoxide into the cabin, so open the windows and stop to get fresh air
Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, and headache, dizziness and drowsiness are early signs. Get fresh air at once and have the exhaust system inspected.
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21. What is meant by keeping a space cushion?
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Answer C: Keeping open space on all sides of your vehicle so you always have somewhere to go
Open space ahead, behind and to the sides gives you time to react and an escape path when a hazard appears, which is the core idea of defensive driving.
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22. On traffic control devices, the color green shows direction to a destination and also shows
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Answer C: that a movement is permitted
Green carries two assignments: guidance toward destinations, and the idea that the movement shown is allowed, as on a green arrow.
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23. Why does the speed of the right-hand lane of a freeway change so often?
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Answer B: Vehicles entering and leaving the highway all use that lane
Entrance and exit ramps feed into the right lane, so traffic there is constantly slowing to leave or speeding up to join.
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24. Traffic in your lane is backed up and the paved shoulder looks clear. May you drive along it to get past?
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Answer C: No, the shoulder is not a travel lane
Passing must be done within the roadway; driving on the shoulder to get around traffic is prohibited and surprises anyone entering from the right.
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25. A person with a guide dog is standing at the corner facing the street you are about to cross. What should you do?
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Answer D: Stop well back and wait quietly for them to decide
Blind pedestrians rely on engine sound to judge traffic, so stop back from the crossing and avoid the horn, which only confuses them.
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26. Your low beams light about 250 feet of road, but at your speed you would need more than that to stop. What is that called?
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Answer D: Overdriving your headlights
When your stopping distance is longer than the stretch of road your headlights show, you cannot react to anything you finally see. Slow down until you can.
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27. The brake warning light stays on even though the parking brake is fully released. What does it indicate?
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Answer B: A possible brake system problem, so have the brakes checked promptly
The brake warning light also signals low brake fluid or a failure in one part of the hydraulic system. Do not ignore it, because braking may be reduced.
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28. What is sensible when you drive in an unfamiliar town for the first time?
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Answer C: Drive a little slower and give yourself more time to read the signs
In unfamiliar surroundings you need longer to take in signs, junctions and markings, and lower speed buys that time.
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29. Who is legally responsible for a Tennessee child restraint violation, and what is the maximum fine?
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Answer C: The driver, fined up to 50 dollars
Tennessee holds the driver responsible for a child restraint violation, with fines reaching up to 50 dollars.
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30. 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.