Iowa DOT Permit Practice Test 44
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
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1. The accelerator sticks open while you are driving. What is the first thing to do?
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Answer A: Shift into neutral and brake while steering off the road
Neutral disconnects the engine from the wheels so the vehicle can be braked normally, while shutting off the ignition may lock the steering and remove power assistance.
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2. How should a turn at an intersection be taken on a wet road?
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Answer C: Slow earlier than usual and steer smoothly through the corner
Wet pavement leaves less grip, so the speed must come off before the turn and the steering must be gentle enough not to break traction.
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3. You are circulating in a roundabout and a vehicle is waiting to enter ahead of you. What should you do?
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Answer D: Keep going, because circulating traffic does not stop for entering vehicles
Stopping in the circle to be polite surprises the drivers behind you and defeats the design; entering traffic is the side that waits.
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4. At a four-way stop another driver pulls out ahead of you when it was clearly your turn. What is the correct response?
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Answer B: Let that driver go through, then take your turn when the way is clear again
Right of way is something you give, never something you take, so yielding to a driver who takes it wrongly avoids a crash you would otherwise share.
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5. You leave a brightly lit service area onto a dark rural road. Why should you slow down for a while?
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Answer C: Your eyes need time to adjust, so at first you see less
Eyes take a few minutes to adapt from bright light to darkness, and during that time you can see much less than your headlights actually show.
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6. Where does the restriction that starts at this sign come to an end?
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Answer D: Where the centerline markings show that overtaking is allowed again
The sign marks the start of the restricted section, and the centerline markings along the road show how far it runs and where overtaking becomes lawful again.
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7. What is the main danger when you back out of an angle parking space?
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Answer A: Parked vehicles beside you hide the traffic coming along the aisle
You have to edge out blind past the vehicles on either side, so back very slowly and be ready to stop as soon as any part of the aisle comes into view.
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8. You have loaded the trunk heavily. Why might oncoming drivers flash their lights at you at night?
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Answer D: The rear sits lower, so your headlights point higher and dazzle them
Weight in the back tips the vehicle nose up and lifts the beam pattern, so low beams shine into the eyes of drivers coming the other way.
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9. You arrive at a four-way stop after two other vehicles have already stopped there. When is it your turn?
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Answer A: After both of the earlier vehicles have gone
Vehicles clear a four-way stop in the order they arrived, so the third driver to stop is the third to go.
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10. Why is passing on a curve prohibited even when the traffic seems light?
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Answer C: You cannot see far enough around it to know the lane is clear
A pass is only as safe as the distance you can see, and a curve hides the very lane the maneuver uses.
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11. You are passing a line of slow traffic in the lane beside you and you notice a gap in that line ahead. What should you expect?
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Answer A: A vehicle may pull out of that gap into your lane
A gap in a slow line is an invitation to any driver waiting to turn out of a side street or to change lanes, and they are looking at the gap rather than at you.
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12. A sign warns that the right lane ends ahead, and traffic is still flowing freely. What should you do if you are in that lane?
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Answer C: Signal, adjust your speed and move left in good time before the lane ends
When traffic is moving freely there is room to merge early and smoothly, which avoids the last-second lane change at the closure point.
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13. You are about to pull out from a stop sign. Which scanning habit is correct?
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Answer A: Look to the left, then to the right, then to the left again before moving
Traffic from the left reaches you first, and a second look left catches anything that arrived while you were looking right.
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14. A sign with a green background and a white legend normally provides
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Answer A: directions, distances and destinations
Green is the background color of the guide sign series, which names routes and destinations and gives the distance to them.
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15. You have strapped luggage to the roof rack for a long trip. What should you expect?
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Answer D: A higher center of gravity, so take the curves and lane changes gently
Weight on the roof raises the center of gravity and makes the vehicle lean and respond more slowly to steering.
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16. Well before an intersection, an overhead sign shows a diagram of the lanes with an arrow above each one. What is its purpose?
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Answer C: To let drivers pick the correct lane in good time
Advance intersection lane control signs display the lane assignment far enough back that drivers can move over calmly instead of at the last moment.
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17. An officer directing traffic faces you and holds one hand up with the open palm toward your vehicle. What does the gesture mean?
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Answer D: Stop before reaching the officer
A raised open palm shown toward a driver is the standard signal to stop.
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18. On a long uphill grade a second lane opens on the right and a sign directs slower traffic into it. You are towing a trailer and holding up a line of vehicles. What should you do?
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Answer A: Move into the right-hand lane and let the faster traffic use the left lane
A climbing lane exists so that slow vehicles can be passed safely, and the slower vehicle is the one that belongs in it.
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19. Where is a three-point turn most clearly a bad idea?
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Answer A: On a busy street near a curve, where approaching drivers cannot see you
The maneuver leaves you blocking the road for several seconds, so it needs light traffic and a long clear view; a blind curve gives neither.
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20. You are parking facing uphill on a street with a curb. What is the correct wheel position?
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Answer B: Turn the front wheels away from the curb and let the vehicle roll back until a tire touches it
Facing uphill the vehicle would roll backward, so the wheels point away from the curb and the tire is rested against it to act as a block.
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21. Under Iowa law, how is a breach of the restrictions on an instruction permit or intermediate license classified?
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Answer C: It is not considered a moving violation
Iowa Code section 321.180B provides that a citation is issued under that section rather than under section 321.193, and that a violation of the graduated licensing restrictions is not considered a moving violation.
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22. You reach a one-lane bridge and a vehicle is already partway across it coming toward you. What should you do?
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Answer D: Stop before the bridge and let it come through
A vehicle already on a one-lane bridge has the right of way, and the driver who has not yet entered waits at the approach.
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23. How do stimulant drugs such as amphetamines or cocaine typically affect driving?
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Answer D: They can make the driver overconfident and more willing to take risks
Stimulants create a false sense of alertness and encourage aggressive, risky driving. When they wear off, sudden fatigue can follow.
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24. A lane along the right edge is set off by a solid white line and marked with a bicycle symbol. How should a driver treat it?
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Answer B: Stay out of it except for the short distance needed to turn or cross where that is allowed
A marked bicycle lane is set aside for bicycle traffic, and motor vehicles may enter it only briefly where turning or crossing is permitted.
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25. Which of these does NOT affect how fast alcohol reaches the bloodstream?
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Answer A: How confident the drinker feels
Food, the strength of the drinks and the speed of drinking all change how fast alcohol is absorbed, but a drinker's confidence changes nothing at all.