West Virginia Permit Practice Test — DMV Written Test, 25 Questions
Free 10-question West Virginia permit practice test, then full 25-question tests like the DMV exam (19 to pass), each question cited to the West Virginia manual.
The exam
The West Virginia Department of Transportation knowledge test is 25 questions, and 19 correct is a pass. Everything on it comes out of West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook. Officially it is the knowledge test; most people call it the written test, or the permit test.
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.
Ask a question about West Virginia road law
Easier than searching the manual: ask in your own words — how far from a fire hydrant you may park, when you must stop for a school bus — and the answer comes from West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook or West Virginia’s code, with the page or the section it is in. When neither says, the answer says so rather than guess. Or tick Nationwide and compare every state on one question.
What it costs
- One payment, once — not a subscription. Nothing renews and there is nothing to cancel, for an exam you sit one time.
- Free to start: a 10-question test and the first section of cards. No sign-up and no account.
- Paying opens the rest of the cards, unlimited full-length practice tests, and retests built from exactly the questions you got wrong.
- Every level up to Prepared — 3 tests passed in a row.
- Do the work, fail the real exam, and we refund you.
What West Virginia tests
37 concepts, 195 separate rules. Each one is a page of its own.
- Regulatory signs — 9 laws
- Stopping — 1 law
- Warning signs — 12 laws
- Signs by description — 8 laws
- Railroad signs — 2 laws
- Work zone signs — 2 laws
- Guide signs — 3 laws
- Traffic signals — 8 laws
- Pavement markings — 10 laws
- Speed limits — 9 laws
- Driving signals — 5 laws
- Turning — 5 laws
- Changing direction — 1 law
- Backing up — 2 laws
- Parking — 10 laws
- Following distance — 4 laws
- Tailgating — 1 law
- Changing lanes — 2 laws
- Passing — 8 laws
- Right of way — 8 laws
- Pedestrians — 3 laws
- School buses — 5 laws
- Headlights — 8 laws
- Motorcycles — 5 laws
- Slow and heavy vehicles — 6 laws
- Animals and bicycles — 5 laws
- Alcohol and driving — 7 laws
- Under 21 alcohol — 4 laws
- Implied consent — 3 laws
- Other drugs — 2 laws
- GDL permit — 9 laws
- Testing — 5 laws
- Defensive driving — 6 laws
- Emergencies — 5 laws
- Intersection flashers — 3 laws
- Hazardous weather — 5 laws
- Vehicle emergencies — 4 laws
Questions from the West Virginia test
What must you do at this sign?
Stop completely and yield before moving on. The full stop is the moment you get to look; a rolling stop spends it. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.34: “These eight-sided signs are reserved for stop signs. These signs mean you must stop completely. Give the right-of-way to pedestrians and to all cross traffic before moving again.”
Where must you stop at a stop sign with no markings?
Where you can see traffic from every direction. Stopping where you cannot see is the same as not stopping at all. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.34: “If there are no pavement markings or cross walks you must stop before entering an intersection. Stop at a place where you can see traffic coming from all directions.”
What does a sign of this shape do?
Warn of possible danger ahead. You read the shape long before any words, which is what buys you time to slow. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.36: “They warn of possible danger ahead and may have symbols or written warnings.”
What colors are advisory speed signs?
Black on yellow. The number is set for the ramp itself, which will carry you off well under the posted limit. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.35: “These advisory signs are black on yellow.”
What does the sign below this one tell you when there are two or more?
How many tracks the crossing has. A train needs a mile to stop, so the whole job of stopping falls to you. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.39: “black letters on white bars in the shape of an X called a crossbuck. A sign below the crossbuck indicates the number of tracks when there are two 2 or more.”
What do construction and maintenance signs warn about?
Dangerous conditions near work areas. The people in that zone have nothing between them and your car. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.37: “Construction and maintenance signs are used to notify drivers of unusual or potentially dangerous conditions in or near work areas. Most signs in work areas are diamond-shaped.”
What do guide signs tell you?
Where you are and how to get on. Knowing your exit early saves crossing three lanes at the last second. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.38: “These signs tell you WHERE you are WHAT road you are on and HOW to get where you want to go.”
What may you do at a circular green light?
Go straight or turn, unless a sign forbids it. A green light gives you the intersection, not the space inside it somebody is still crossing. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.39: “Circular Green / GO - Drivers facing this signal may enter the intersection and go straight through turn right or left unless other traffic control devices signs or pavement markings prohibit certain movements.”
What do yellow lines separate?
Lanes moving in opposite directions. The color tells you at a glance whether anything is coming the other way. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.41: “WHITE lines separate traffic lanes moving in the same direction. YELLOW lines separate traffic lanes moving in the opposite direction.”
What is the maximum interstate speed limit in West Virginia?
70 miles an hour. It is the default the law sets for an interstate when no sign says otherwise. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.42: “Interstate - Maximum Speed 70 mph unless otherwise posted”
How far before a turn should you signal?
At least 100 feet. Other drivers expect you to keep going straight, and the signal is the only thing that changes that. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.43: “Signal at least 100 feet before you plan to turn.”
What must you check before entering a turning lane?
The mirrors and the blind spot. A turn begins with a lane change, and that is where the car beside you disappears. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.44: “Before entering the turning lane signal look in the mirrors and check the blind spot by glancing over the proper shoulder.”
Within what distance must an approaching driver be able to see you before you turn around near a hill crest?
500 feet. In both places the driver who would hit you cannot see you until it is too late. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.45: “it is against the law to turn your vehicle around near a curve, near the crest of a hill where you cannot be seen by another vehicle approaching within 500 feet in either direction”
What must you not depend on when backing up?
Your mirror alone. A mirror shows the view from the driver's seat, and a small child is below it. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.45: “Before backing, check completely around your vehicle for people and/or other obstacles. You should look to the front, sides and rear and continue to look to the rear while backing. Do not depend on your mirror.”
Which way must a parked vehicle face?
The same way traffic moves on that side. Parking against the flow means driving against it to get there and to leave. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.45: “Vehicles must always be parked in the same direction as the movement of traffic on that side of the street”
What rule does the handbook give for following distance?
The three-to-four second rule. The space ahead of you is the easiest on the road to control, which is why the rule is about it. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.47: “The best way to assure proper following distance is to use the three-to-four second rule.”
What should you do first about a driver following you too closely?
Tap your brakes gently to warn them. Braking hard at somebody already too close leaves them nowhere to go. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.51: “Tap your brakes gently to flash the brake lights and warn the tailgater.”
What must you check besides your mirrors before changing lanes?
Over your shoulder, for your blind spot. Two drivers can pick the same empty lane at the same moment. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.48: “Check over your left or right shoulder head check to make sure no one is in your blind spot.”
What does the handbook say about needing to speed in order to pass?
If you must speed, you probably need not pass. A pass that needs speeding is a pass the road has not given you room for. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.48: “Decide if passing is necessary. If you have to speed to pass you probably do not need to pass.”
What does the handbook say about right of way?
It is something to be given, not taken. Being right does not stop the other car, and insisting on it is how a crash happens. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.49: “Remember, in every situation, right-of-way is something to be given, not taken.”
About what share of traffic deaths involve someone on foot?
Nearly 20 percent. One in five people killed on the road was not in a vehicle at all. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.50: “Vehicle-pedestrian collisions account for nearly 20% of traffic fatalities.”
Where must traffic in both directions stop for a school bus with red lights flashing?
On every road, lot and driveway. Children walk around the front of the bus where the driver behind cannot see them at all. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.50: “On all highways streets parking lots private roads or driveways traffic in both directions must stop before reaching a school bus that has its red lights flashing which is receiving or discharging students.”
At what distance of poor visibility must you turn on headlights?
When you cannot see clearly at 500 feet. The lights are as much about being seen as about seeing. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.51: “Turn on your headlights from sunset to sunrise during fog smoke rain or at any other time when persons and vehicles cannot be seen clearly at a distance of 500 feet.”
What is the key to sharing the road with motorcycles?
Space. A motorcycle is narrow enough that a driver looking for a car does not register it. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.51: “Space is the key to sharing the road with motorcycles.”
What must a slow moving vehicle display?
A triangular emblem. A triangle is used for nothing else on the back of a vehicle, so it reads at a distance. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.52: “Slow-moving vehicles are required to display a special triangular emblem sign which means "Slow Moving Vehicle" to warn approaching drivers.”
What rights do people riding animals have on the road?
The same rights as drivers, under the same rules. They are traffic, with the same claim to the road that you have. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.53: “Persons riding animals have the same rights as motor vehicle users and are subject to the same rules.”
About what share of fatal crashes in West Virginia involved a driver under the influence?
About 28 percent. More than a quarter of the deaths on these roads begin with a drink. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.21: “Studies show that in recent years about 28% of the fatal crashes in West Virginia involved drivers who had been driving under the influence of alcohol.”
What happens to a driver under 21 with any measurable alcohol?
They lose their driver's license. The line for a young driver is set as close to zero as a test can measure. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.21: “This means that if you are under the age of 21 and any amount of alcohol is found in your system, you will lose your driver's license.”
How long is your driving privilege revoked for refusing the breath test?
One year, and up to life. You agreed to it when you took the license, so the refusal has its own penalty. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.22: “If you refuse to take the Breathalyzer, your privilege to operate a motor vehicle will be revoked for a period of one (1) year and up to life.”
Which drugs can affect your driving?
Prescribed and shop-bought alike. A medicine that makes you sleepy at home does the same thing at the wheel. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.22: “Using drugs, even if prescribed by a physician or bought over the counter, can cause drowsiness, loss of coordination, hallucinations or total body malfunctions.”
Who must sit beside a Level 1 permit holder?
A licensed driver at least 21 years old. The supervising driver is there to catch what a beginner misses, which only works from the next seat. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.9: “You may only drive with a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old in the right front passenger seat.”
How many of the 25 knowledge questions must you answer correctly?
19 of them. Everything the test can ask is somewhere in the book you were given. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.24: “You must answer 19 out of the 25 questions correctly to pass the test.”
Where do bad driving habits come from, according to the handbook?
Laziness, impatience and arrogance. A habit only counts if you keep it on the trips that seem too short to matter. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.61: “Bad driving habits result from laziness, impatience, inattention, arrogance, and aggressiveness.”
How far should the brake pedal go down when you check it?
No more than halfway to the floor. A pedal that sinks is the warning you get before the brakes are gone entirely. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.70: “Push the pedal down. It should not go more than halfway to the floor.”
What does a circular flashing yellow light mean?
Proceed through with caution. The flasher is there because the intersection is quiet enough not to need a full signal, not because it is safe. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.40: “Proceed through the intersection with caution”
When is a wet road at its most slippery?
At the start of a light rain. The road is at its worst before the rain has had time to wash it, which is the opposite of what most people expect. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.63: “Rain and wet pavement are dangerous particularly at the start of a light rain when a mixture of oil dirt and water form a slippery film on the road.”
What should you do first in a skid?
Steer, and stay off the brakes. Braking is what locked the wheels in the first place, and a locked wheel will not steer. West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.71: “If your vehicle begins to skid, stay calm. Do not use your brakes unless you are in danger of hitting something. Concentrate on steering out of trouble.”
Where these come from
Every rule here is checked against West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, published by the West Virginia Department of Transportation, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-09-06.