Alaska DMV Permit Practice Test 17

  • Questions20
  • Correct to pass16
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age14 years

20 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 16 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. You are the second vehicle waiting to turn left on a green ball. Where should you wait?

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    Answer A: Behind the stop line, until the first vehicle has actually turned

    Only the lead vehicle should move into the intersection to wait; a second vehicle inside it is likely to be stranded there when the light changes.

  2. 2. A wide crosswalk you are turning across has a refuge island in the middle. What should you assume about people standing on it?

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    Answer D: They may step off the island into your path at any moment

    An island is a pause in a crossing, not the end of one, so treat anyone on it as a pedestrian who is still crossing.

  3. 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.

  4. 4. What is the minimum age to obtain a non-commercial instruction permit in Alaska?

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    Answer C: 14 years

    Alaska issues a non-commercial instruction permit from age 14, one of the earliest permit ages in the country.

  5. 5. 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.

  6. 6. What point totals require an Alaska provisional license holder to complete a driver improvement course?

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    Answer C: 6 or more points in 12 months, or 9 or more points in 24 months

    Alaska applies a stricter point trigger to provisional license holders, who must complete a driver improvement course at 6 points in 12 months or 9 points in 24 months.

  7. 7. How long is an Alaska non-commercial instruction permit valid, and how many times can it be renewed?

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    Answer B: Two years, renewable once

    Each type of Alaska non-commercial instruction permit is valid for two years and may be renewed only one time.

  8. 8. How can you check that you are keeping a safe following distance?

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    Answer A: Count at least three seconds between the vehicle ahead passing a fixed object and your reaching it

    Pick a fixed roadside object, start counting when the vehicle ahead passes it and make sure at least three seconds elapse before you reach it, adding more time in poor conditions.

  9. 9. 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.

  10. 10. What is the sensible way to handle a meal on a long drive?

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    Answer D: Eat before you leave or stop to eat

    Eating takes hands, eyes and attention, and the only version with no cost to your driving is the one that happens while the car is parked.

  11. 11. You must leave your vehicle beside a narrow rural road at night. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Get it right off the pavement and switch on the hazard lights

    A vehicle left on an unlit rural road is very hard to see, so move it completely clear of the traveled surface and mark it with the hazard lights.

  12. 12. You see an open curb space on the opposite side of a two-way street. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Drive on, turn around, and come back on that side

    You must park on the right, facing the direction of travel, so reaching a space on the other side means going around rather than crossing into it.

  13. 13. The stability control warning light flashes while you are driving through a curve. What does it mean?

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    Answer A: The system is actively working to keep the vehicle under control, so slow down

    A flashing stability control light means the system is braking individual wheels because you are near the limit of grip. Ease off and drive more gently.

  14. 14. Where among these is parking specifically prohibited?

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    Answer A: On a bridge, in a tunnel or on railroad tracks

    Bridges and tunnels have no safe refuge and cannot be widened, and a vehicle left on railroad tracks cannot be avoided by an approaching train.

  15. 15. What does black ice usually look like from the driver seat?

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    Answer C: A patch of pavement that simply looks wet or slightly glossy

    Black ice is clear, so you see the dark road through it and read it as a wet patch. In freezing weather, treat any wet looking patch as ice.

  16. 16. Two vehicles meet on a steep, narrow mountain road with no room to pass. Which driver should back up?

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    Answer C: The driver heading downhill, who has more control while reversing

    On a narrow mountain road the vehicle facing downhill yields, because backing uphill gives better control than reversing down a grade.

  17. 17. Which circumstance prevents an Alaska driver license from being renewed by mail or on the department website?

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    Answer B: The applicant is 69 or older on the expiration date of the license

    Alaska blocks renewal by mail or online when the most recent renewal was already done that way, or when the applicant is 69 years of age or older on the expiration date.

  18. 18. A deer suddenly steps onto the road ahead of you at night. What is the safest response?

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    Answer C: Brake firmly and stay in your lane rather than swerving

    Swerving at speed often leads to a rollover or a head-on crash that is far worse than hitting the animal. Brake hard, hold your lane and expect more deer to follow.

  19. 19. What should a driver expect a short distance beyond this sign?

    A yellow diamond showing a black cross
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    Answer C: Another road crossing the one being traveled

    Traffic may enter or cross from either side at the intersection ahead, so the driver should ease off, cover the brake and check both approaches.

  20. 20. How should a driver respond to this sign?

    A yellow diamond with black lettering
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    Answer C: Slow down before reaching the rough spot and cross it at a steady, low speed

    Losing speed before a sharp rise in the pavement keeps the vehicle settled, while braking or accelerating on top of it unsettles the suspension and costs grip.