Ohio permit practice test/Free questions
Ohio BMV knowledge test · 20 free questions
Free Ohio BMV Permit practice questions
Every free question with its answer, the reason and where it comes from in the Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws. Tap an answer to check yourself, or print the page.
- Pass mark
- 75%
- Questions on the test
- 40
- Correct to pass
- 30
- Free here
- 20
Road signs questions5
- 01Road signs
An octagonal red sign always means what?
Answer: B, Stop. An octagon is reserved for one meaning: stop. Bring the vehicle to a complete halt at the limit line or before entering the intersection, then proceed only when safe. Other shapes carry different jobs — a triangle yields, a diamond warns — so shape alone is a reliable clue when paint is faded.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Traffic Signs — Regulatory signs
- 02Road signs
A sign shaped like an inverted triangle (point down) tells you to:
Answer: A, Yield the right-of-way. The upside-down triangle is the yield sign. Slow down, give the right-of-way to vehicles and pedestrians in or approaching the intersection, and stop only if needed. It is the only standard sign with this shape, so the outline still communicates yield when the legend is unreadable.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Traffic Signs — Regulatory signs
- 03Road signs
What does a yellow diamond with a black curving arrow warn about?
Answer: D, Curve ahead. A curving arrow on a yellow diamond warns the road bends ahead, showing the curve's direction. Slow before the bend, avoid passing, and keep control on wet or icy surfaces. Warning signs give advance notice so you adjust speed early rather than braking hard mid-curve when grip is lowest.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Traffic Signs — Warning signs
- 04Road signs
A red circle with a white horizontal bar (DO NOT ENTER style) means:
Answer: B, No vehicles may enter this way. DO NOT ENTER and the red no-entry symbol prohibit vehicles from entering one-way streets or exit ramps in that direction — the classic wrong-way trap. Entering against the sign risks a head-on collision. If you see both after turning, stop safely and leave the way you came.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Traffic Signs — Regulatory signs
- 05Road signs
A white X-shaped crossbuck sign reading Railroad Crossing tells you:
Answer: D, Slow down and be prepared to stop for a train. A round yellow warning sign with an X and RR letters, or a white X-shaped crossbuck sign, marks a highway-railroad grade crossing, sometimes with train-activated flashing red lights with or without a gate. These signs caution you to slow down and be prepared to stop on seeing or hearing a train. Stop no closer than 15 feet when a train approaches, and never stop on the tracks.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Section 5: Learning to Drive — Railroad Crossings
Ohio BMV Permit alcohol and drug questions2
- 06Alcohol and drugs
In Ohio, operating a vehicle while impaired is called OVI, and the per se limit for 21+ is:
Answer: A, 0.08%. Ohio calls it OVI — operating a vehicle impaired. At 0.08% BAC or higher, a driver 21 or older is per se guilty — no other proof of impairment needed. Lower levels still support charges when ability is impaired. Because impairment begins with the first drink, the only safe choice is a sober ride planned ahead.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Alcohol and Drugs — OVI law
- 07Alcohol and drugs
An Ohio driver under 21 with measurable alcohol faces:
Answer: D, License suspension and penalties under zero-tolerance rules. Ohio holds under-21 drivers to 0.02% — an OVUAC conviction brings three months to two years of suspension, a remedial driving course, reinstatement fees, a retaken examination, and possible jail time. At 0.08% young drivers face full OVI charges. For young drivers any alcohol plus a car means losing the privilege to drive.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Alcohol and Drugs — Under-21 rules
Intersections and turns questions2
- 08Intersections and turns
At an all-way stop, if two vehicles arrive at the same time, who goes first?
Answer: B, The driver on the right. When arrival is simultaneous at an all-way stop, the driver on the right has the right-of-way. Size, impatience, and signaling do not change that rule. If you arrived clearly first, you proceed first. Take turns visibly and never assume the other driver will yield correctly.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Intersections and Right-of-Way — All-way stops
- 09Intersections and turns
Before turning left at a green light, you should:
Answer: C, Yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, then turn when safe. A left turn is allowed only when you can complete it without conflicting with oncoming vehicles, cyclists, or pedestrians. Signal early, position safely, wait for a clear gap, and never assume oncoming traffic will slow. A green light permits the turn but gives no priority over those lawfully in the intersection.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Turning — Left turns
Licensing (GDL) questions2
- 10Licensing (GDL)
Ohioans may take the temps knowledge test starting at age:
Answer: B, 15 years and 6 months. At fifteen and a half, applicants may test online through BMV Online Services or in person at exam stations — plus a vision screening — to begin the TIPIC process. Pass both and purchase the TIPIC at a deputy registrar agency within sixty days. Testing early starts the supervised-learning clock sooner.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Licensing — Temporary permit
- 11Licensing (GDL)
If you fail the Ohio knowledge test, you must:
Answer: D, Wait at least 24 hours before retesting. A failed test requires at least a day's wait — you may only take it once in any day, while in-person attempts are otherwise unlimited. Use the interval to study the missed sections rather than rushing back. Repeated failures signal unread manual chapters, not bad luck.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Licensing — Retesting
Parking questions2
- 12Parking
When parking downhill next to a curb, you should turn your front wheels:
Answer: B, Toward the curb. The Ohio Driver Manual gives one rule for any hill or grade: turn the front wheels toward the curb-side of the road to stabilize the vehicle, shift from drive to park, set the parking brake and turn the engine off. Downhill, wheels turned toward the curb let the curb catch a rolling vehicle instead of letting it drift into traffic. The wheels, the gear and the brake back each other up, so never skip one.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Parking — Hills
- 13Parking
Before opening your door into traffic after parking, you must:
Answer: B, Check mirrors and blind spot for cyclists and vehicles. Dooring injures cyclists and motorcyclists who cannot anticipate a sudden steel wall. Shoulder-check before every traffic-side exit, open slowly, and step out only when clear. Your door's swing is your responsibility — a moment's check prevents injuries no apology can undo.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Parking — Entering and exiting
Passing a school bus questions2
- 14Passing a school bus
Before passing on a two-lane road, you must be sure:
Answer: B, The way is clear, the zone allows it, and you can return safely. Legal passing needs all three: a permitted zone, full sight distance past hills and curves, and room to complete the pass and return before oncoming conflict. Signal, pass decisively without exceeding the limit, and return only when you see both headlights of the passed vehicle in your mirror.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Passing — How to pass
- 15Passing a school bus
When being passed by another vehicle, you should:
Answer: A, Hold steady or slow slightly and stay right. Help the passer complete safely: maintain or ease speed, hold your lane right, and never accelerate to block. Competing with a passing car creates a three-wide disaster with oncoming traffic. Courtesy here is survival — the pass ends quickest when you cooperate.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Passing — Being passed
Sharing the road questions2
- 16Sharing the road
A school bus with flashing red lights is stopped ahead. On a road with fewer than four lanes, traffic must:
Answer: C, Stop at least 10 feet away and remain stopped until the bus moves or the driver signals. A stopped bus with flashing reds requires traffic from both directions to halt at least 10 feet away on roads with fewer than four lanes. The manual says to remain stopped until the bus begins to move or the bus driver signals motorists to proceed. Only same-direction traffic must stop on roads with four or more lanes. Rolling past risks lives and severe penalties.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Sharing the Road — School buses
- 17Sharing the road
When passing a cyclist with no bike lane, you should:
Answer: A, Wait until you can leave safe clearance, then pass wide. Cyclists hold the same lane rights as motor vehicles, and Ohio requires at least three feet of clearance when you pass a bicycle — you may even cross a solid yellow line for a slow bicycle going under half the posted limit without exceeding it. Pass only with generous clearance, since wobble, gusts and potholes move riders sideways, then return without cutting back sharply.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Sharing the Road — Bicycles
Special conditions questions1
- 18Special conditions
In an Ohio work zone, you must slow down:
Answer: C, Even when no workers are visible — narrow lanes and rough pavement still endanger you. Orange signs with black letters mark work zones: reduce speed on approach even with no workers present, because narrowed lanes and rough pavement are hazards on their own. Keep a space cushion for workers and equipment and never tailgate. Speeding in a work zone brings doubled fines and possible jail time — the most expensive impatience on Ohio roads.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Section 4: Rules of the Road — Work Zones
Speed and space questions1
- 19Speed and space
Ohio posts 70 mph on applicable freeways, and drivers must:
Answer: C, Reduce speed for weather, traffic, and road conditions. Seventy is the freeway maximum for ideal conditions — rain, snow, fog, congestion, and work zones all demand slower speeds. Lower defaults and posted zones govern other roads. The limit caps speed; conditions dictate the safe one. Out-of-state plates do not change Ohio numbers.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Speed Limits — Maximums and conditions
Traffic signals and markings questions1
- 20Traffic signals and markings
A steady yellow traffic light means:
Answer: D, The signal is about to turn red — stop if you can do so safely. Yellow warns the green phase is ending: stop if you can do so safely, and proceed only when stopping would be unsafe or you already entered. It is not an extension of green. Racing yellows trains you into red-light running, and the seconds saved never justify the angle-crash risk.
Source: Ohio Driver Manual — Traffic Signals — Signal meanings