Pennsylvania Learner's Permit Practice Test

177 Pennsylvania permit laws, one at a time: read the rule and why it exists, then answer a question on it straight away. Practice tests match the real 18-question exam.

The exam

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation knowledge test is 18 questions, and 15 correct is a pass. Everything on it comes out of Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual.

How this works

Most practice tests hand you a bank of questions and leave the manual somewhere else. This one puts them together.

You read one law and the reason behind it, then answer a question on that law while it is still fresh. Get it right and you move on; get it wrong and you have found the gap while it is cheap to fix, not on the morning of the exam.

Learning one rule at a time, and proving it immediately, is what turns a manual you skimmed into something you actually know — and it makes studying feel like getting somewhere rather than like waiting to find out.

What Pennsylvania tests

34 concepts, 177 separate rules. Each one is a page of its own.

Questions from the Pennsylvania test

What is the minimum age to apply for a Pennsylvania learner’s permit?

16 years old. Below this age there is no permit, so there is no lawful way to drive on the road at all.

What does a steady red signal require of a driver?

Stop before the line and wait for permitted movement. Stopping short of the line leaves the crossing clear for people on foot and the road clear for cross traffic.

Two drivers reach an uncontrolled intersection at the same moment. What does each owe the other?

Yield to the driver approaching from the right. Two drivers who arrive together each think they were first, so one fixed rule settles it without eye contact.

Below 35 mph, how far ahead of a turn must a driver signal?

100 feet. Early signaling gives nearby road users enough time to react to the planned speed and direction change.

What is the speed limit in an active Pennsylvania school zone?

15 mph. The reduced limit gives drivers more time to see and stop for children near the roadway.

What following distance should a driver keep in normal conditions?

4 seconds. A time gap grows with speed and preserves room to perceive, decide, and brake.

When has a driver gone far enough past a vehicle to return to the right lane?

Return after the passed vehicle appears in the mirror. Seeing the whole vehicle in the mirror is a practical check that enough space has opened.

How should a driver use an acceleration lane to join a highway?

Accelerate to traffic speed and merge into a safe gap. Joining at the speed of traffic lets the others shift over a little, instead of standing on the brakes.

How far from a fire hydrant must a driver park?

15 feet. A fire crew that has to drag hose around a parked car loses the minutes this rule is there to save.

What blood alcohol level is the per-se DUI threshold for a driver of 21 or older?

.08 percent. This is the line a breath test is read against, and it is reached sooner than most drivers think.

A driver’s phone rings on the move. What does Pennsylvania law require?

Put the device away or use permitted hands-free features. Looking at or holding a device removes attention or control when traffic can change in a fraction of a second.

How must a child under four ride in a vehicle?

An approved child passenger restraint system. A grown-up belt crosses a small child at the neck and the belly, where it does harm in a crash.

How much clearance must a driver leave when passing a bicycle?

4 feet. The buffer protects a rider from mirrors, wind, and small steering changes while the vehicle passes.

How far back must a driver stop from a school bus with red lights flashing and its stop arm out?

10 feet. The space keeps the bus’s loading area visible and protects children crossing near it.

A railroad gate is down and the signals are flashing. What should a driver do?

Wait for the gate to rise and the signals to stop. A second train can be hidden by the first, and the gate protects the whole active crossing.

What does an emergency-response area ahead require of a passing driver?

Change away when safe, or drive at least 20 mph below the limit. An empty lane between fast traffic and the people working is worth more than any speed limit.

Headlights become mandatory when conditions stop a driver seeing others at what distance?

1000 feet. Lights are worn to be seen as much as to see, and this is the point where being seen fails.

How should a driver adjust to a wet road?

Slow down, add space, and use smooth control inputs. Water reduces tire grip, so extra space and gentle control help prevent skids and hydroplaning.

The right wheels drop off the pavement edge. What should the driver do?

Slow gradually and steer gently back when the lane is clear. A sharp correction can make the tires catch the pavement edge and send the vehicle across traffic.

What must a driver do after a crash?

Stop, help, exchange information, and make required reports. Stopping gets help to anyone hurt, and the details are what any claim is later built from.

What does this sign mean?

Stop fully and check the intersection before entering it. A full stop is the only way to see traffic that a corner building or a parked car hides until you are level with it.

What does this sign mean?

Adjust speed and space for entering traffic. Two streams becoming one need somebody to yield, and knowing it is coming decides who.

What overnight period is generally restricted for a Pennsylvania junior driver?

11 p.m. to 5 a.m.. Late at night the roads are dark and full of tired drivers, which is a lot to ask of a new one.

Who has priority when a driver approaches a roundabout entrance?

Traffic already circulating in the roundabout. Cars already in the circle have nowhere to go if you pull out, so the waiting is done at the edge.

What traffic movements are separated by yellow center lines?

Traffic moving in opposite directions. Yellow tells you the cars past that line are coming at you, which changes what you may do.

What does this sign mean?

The distinctive outline identifies a stop requirement. This shape is used for one sign and one only, so you can read it from behind or in the dark.

What vehicle lighting is required in a signed Pennsylvania work zone?

Full headlights rather than daytime running lights alone. Full lights make both ends of the car show up to workers among plant and dust.

Where must a driver yield to a pedestrian when no operating signal controls the crossing?

In marked crosswalks and unmarked intersection crosswalks. People still have to cross when the lights are out, and the crossing is where they will do it.

When may a driver cross a double yellow line while passing a bicycle?

When necessary and safe to provide four feet of clearance. A rider needs four feet of room, and the line matters less than leaving it.

Why should drivers make an extra check for motorcycles before changing direction?

Their smaller profile makes speed and distance harder to judge. A motorcycle can be hidden in a blind spot or appear farther away than it is, creating a serious path conflict.

At what point total does PennDOT begin corrective action?

6 points. Six points is where the state steps in, while there is still a license left to save.

What license suspension follows driving around or under a lowered railroad gate?

30 days. The gate is down because a train is coming, and going under it is a choice rather than a slip.

Which medicines or drugs can make driving unsafe?

Prescription, nonprescription, and illegal drugs. A drug from the drugstore slows you down just as one from the street does; the label is worth reading.

What should a driver do after becoming drowsy behind the wheel?

Stop at a safe place and rest before continuing the trip. A tired driver can fall asleep for a second without knowing it, and no trick on the road stops that.

Where these come from

Every rule here is checked against Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual, published by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-08-31.