PermitPal
California Permit Practice Test
20 real questions from our handbook-verified California bank · Updated July 12, 2026
The official California knowledge test has 36 questions — you can miss 6 and still pass (83%). That 83% bar ties California with 1 other state at #4 strictest of the 50 states. Under-18 applicants get a different version — 46 questions (miss up to 8). California offers the real exam in Spanish — practica en español aquí.
The real California exam format — this practice test scores you against the same 83% bar.
Answer each question to see the explanation. Your score is tallied against the real passing bar at the end.
1. What is the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for a driver 21 or older in California?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: 0.08%
It is illegal for a driver 21 or older to operate a vehicle with a BAC of 0.08% or higher.
2. If your brake pedal suddenly feels like it has no resistance, you should first:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: Pump the brake pedal firmly and repeatedly
Pumping the brakes can build up enough hydraulic pressure to slow the car, especially if the failure is only partial.
3. How old must you be to apply for an instruction permit in California?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: 15½ years old
Minors must be at least 15½ years old to apply for a Class C instruction permit (the permit itself is issued after passing the knowledge and vision tests).
4. A white curb means you may stop only to:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: Pick up or drop off passengers for a brief time
White curbs mark a brief stop to pick up or drop off passengers — not general parking.
5. For most ordinary moving violations, such as an illegal turn or running a stop sign, a conviction adds how many points to your driving record?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: 1 point
Standard moving violations are weighted at 1 point on your DMV record; more dangerous offenses are weighted higher.
6. You reach an intersection with no stop signs, yield signs, or traffic signals, and another car arrives at the same moment from the cross street. Who has the right-of-way?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: The vehicle to your right
At an uncontrolled intersection, if two vehicles arrive at the same time, the driver must yield to the vehicle approaching from the right.
7. Driving through fog, you should use:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: Low-beam headlights, never high beams
High beams reflect off fog and bounce the glare back into your eyes, reducing visibility. Low beams cut under the fog layer instead.
8. Under California’s Three Feet for Safety law, how much room must you give a bicyclist when passing?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: At least 3 feet of clearance
To pass a bicyclist in the travel lane, change to another lane when you can. When you cannot change lanes, California law requires you to leave at least three feet of space — and if you can’t give three feet, you must wait until you can before passing.
9. A driver extends their left arm straight out the window. They are signaling:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A left turn
Left arm straight out means left turn. Bent upward means right turn; pointing down means slowing or stopping.
10. The only sign on the road shaped like an octagon is:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: The STOP sign
The eight-sided shape is reserved for STOP so you can recognize it even from behind or when covered in snow.
11. California's Basic Speed Law says you must never drive faster than:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: What is safe for current traffic, weather, and road conditions
The Basic Speed Law makes it illegal to drive faster than is safe for existing conditions, even if you're under the posted limit.
12. Before making a right turn, you should position your vehicle:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: In the lane closest to the right curb or edge of the road
Right turns must start and end as close as practical to the right-hand curb or edge, unless signs or lane markings direct otherwise.
13. California’s Zero Tolerance Law sets the BAC limit for drivers under 21 at:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: 0.01%
Drivers under 21 face license suspension for a BAC of just 0.01% or more — essentially any measurable alcohol at all.
14. If pumping the brakes does not slow the car, what should you do next?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: Downshift to a lower gear and apply the parking brake gradually
Downshifting uses engine braking to slow the car, and easing on the parking brake adds further braking without locking the wheels suddenly.
15. You hold an instruction permit and are under 18. Who must ride with you while you practice?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A licensed parent, guardian, spouse, or adult 25 or older
Permit holders under 18 must be accompanied by a California-licensed parent or guardian, spouse, driving instructor, or an adult who is 25 or older, seated close enough to take control.
16. A green curb indicates:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: Parking is allowed only for a limited time shown on a nearby sign
Green curbs limit how long you may park there — the exact time limit is usually posted on a sign or painted on the curb.
17. Which of these is weighted as a 2-point violation instead of the usual 1 point?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: Reckless driving or driving under the influence
Serious violations like reckless driving, DUI, and hit-and-run count as 2 points because of the greater danger they create.
18. You arrive at a four-way stop just after another car has already stopped at a different stop sign. Who should go first?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: The vehicle that stopped first
At a stop-sign controlled intersection, the first vehicle to stop is the first to go, regardless of which street it is on.
19. Roads are often at their most slippery:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: During the first rain after a dry spell, before oil and grime wash away
The first rain after a dry stretch lifts oil and dust to the surface, making pavement extremely slick until the rain washes it away.
20. If a lane is too narrow for a car and a bicycle to safely ride side by side, the bicyclist may:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: Take the full lane so drivers must change lanes to pass
On a substandard-width lane, a bicyclist is allowed to ride in the center of the lane rather than hug the edge, since there isn’t enough room to share safely.
📱 These 20 questions are a warm-up. PermitPal for iPhone and iPad drills the full handbook-verified California bank of 236 questions with spaced repetition, and runs mock exams in the real 36-question format (both age versions) — plus motorcycle and CDL tracks. Free to start, $29.99 once.
California test facts
How many questions are on the California permit test?
36 questions for 18 or older applicants; 46 if you're under 18. You need 30 correct (83%) — you can miss 6. Full details in the passing-score calculator.
What happens if I fail?
You must wait 7 days before retaking if you are under 18. There's a limit of 3 attempts per application before extra steps apply.
Can I take the California test in Spanish?
Yes — California offers the knowledge test in Spanish. Try the Spanish practice test. See which states test in Spanish.
What age can I get my permit in California?
The minimum learner's permit age is 15½. Full ladder in the permit-age lookup.