Colorado DMV Permit Practice Test 2
Set two leans harder on road signs and pavement markings than any other set on this site. Roughly a third of the questions ask you to read a sign, a marking, or a signal and decide what it legally requires, which is the single largest block of the Colorado knowledge test and the block most people lose points on without noticing. The reason is simple: recognising a sign in a drawing is not the same as knowing what it obliges you to do, and the exam asks the second thing. You will see the pairs that trip people up, stop against stop ahead, merge against added lane, the two school signs, and the difference between a warning sign and a regulatory one. Work through this set after you have been through the sign gallery, and use the explanations to check whether you were reading the shape or reading the requirement.
What is in this set
- Questions
- 25
- same length as the real exam
- Difficulty
- 8 easy · 13 medium · 4 hard
- Topics
- Road signs 8 · Safe driving 4 · Alcohol and drugs 3 · Speed limits 3 · Vehicle equipment 2 · Emergencies 2 · Licence rules 2 · Right-of-way 1
Take this set as a quiz
One question at a time, immediate feedback, and a review page that sends you to the rule you missed. Your answers are saved in this browser only, so you can close the tab and come back.
Study mode — all 25 questions, answers shown
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Question 1 · Road signs · hard
Beneath a railroad crossbuck at a crossing, a small rectangular plate displays the number 2. What does this supplementary plate tell the driver?
- A Trains here travel at two times normal speed
- B The crossing was inspected two years ago
- C The crossing is two miles from the nearest town
- D There are two tracks at this crossing, and a train on one can hide a train on the other
Show the answer and why
D is correct. The number plate under a crossbuck states how many tracks cross the roadway.
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Question 2 · Alcohol and drugs · medium
A driver who feels impaired decides to drink strong coffee, take a cold shower and get some fresh air before driving home. What actually happens to their blood alcohol?
- A It continues to fall only at the body's fixed rate, roughly one standard drink per hour
- B It stops changing entirely until the driver sleeps
- C It rises briefly and then drops below where it started
- D It falls faster, because caffeine and cold accelerate metabolism
Show the answer and why
A is correct. Nothing available at a kitchen table changes the rate at which the liver clears alcohol.
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Question 3 · Road signs · easy
Along a highway you pass a rectangular blue sign with white symbols showing a fuel pump, a fork and knife, and a bed. What does the blue background tell you this sign is doing?
- A Warning of emergency vehicles operating ahead
- B Guiding you to motorist services such as fuel, food and lodging
- C Marking a rest area closure ahead
- D Regulating which vehicles may stop at the roadside
Show the answer and why
B is correct. Blue is the reserved colour for motorist services guidance: fuel, food, lodging, hospitals, rest areas and similar amenities.
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Question 4 · Speed limits · medium
A driver holds exactly the posted 45 mph limit through a heavy snowstorm in which visibility has dropped to half a block. Which statement is correct?
- A Perfectly legal, because the posted limit is the only speed rule there is
- B Still unlawful, because the basic speed law requires a speed reasonable for the conditions actually present
- C Required, since going slower would obstruct the traffic behind
- D Acceptable until something actually gets hit
Show the answer and why
B is correct. Posted limits describe a maximum under good conditions, not an entitlement.
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Question 5 · Vehicle equipment · medium
Which of these describes the correct way for an adult to wear a lap-and-shoulder belt?
- A As loose as is comfortable so you can reach the controls easily
- B Lap belt low across the hips with the shoulder strap flat across the chest
- C Lap belt only, since the shoulder portion is optional in the back seat
- D Shoulder strap tucked under the arm and lap belt across the stomach
Show the answer and why
B is correct. A restraint is engineered to load the skeleton rather than soft tissue, and the position is what decides which of those it gets.
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Question 6 · Safe driving · hard
You must cross railroad tracks that run almost parallel to the direction you are travelling. What is the safest way to cross them?
- A Move into a position that lets you meet the rails as close to a right angle as possible
- B Shift down a gear immediately before reaching the rails
- C Cross at whatever angle the lane naturally offers
- D Accelerate so the wheels do not catch
Show the answer and why
A is correct. Tracks running nearly alongside the road are treacherous because the crossing angle is so shallow that a tyre can follow the rail instead of crossing it...
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Question 7 · Emergencies · hard
Your engine stops while you are travelling at 35 mph, and the brake pedal immediately goes very hard with the steering suddenly heavy. What should you do?
- A Pump the brakes rapidly, because the brake system has failed
- B Press hard on the brake — the assistance is gone but the system still works — and steer to a safe place off the road
- C Shift to neutral and coast to wherever the car comes to rest
- D Switch the ignition off and engage the parking brake at once
Show the answer and why
B is correct. A stalled engine removes power assistance rather than stopping the car.
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Question 8 · Safe driving · medium
Your phone buzzes with a message while you are driving in steady traffic. What is the safest response?
- A Take a quick look, since one glance is enough to read a short message
- B Leave it until you have pulled somewhere safe and stopped
- C Hold it low against the wheel where nobody can see it
- D Read it at the next red light
Show the answer and why
B is correct. The arithmetic settles it: at fifty miles per hour you travel roughly seventy-five feet every second, so a two-second look means guiding a car blind for...
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Question 9 · Road signs · easy
Nearly entering a ramp, a driver sees a red rectangular sign carrying white lettering and a white bar. What does it mean?
- A The road is temporarily closed further along
- B Proceed slowly, but no left turns are permitted
- C The lane ends ahead — merge to the left
- D Traffic may not enter this roadway travelling in the driver's direction
Show the answer and why
D is correct. Do not enter is among the small number of signs built for instant rejection: red in colour, rectangular in shape, and carrying a prohibition rather than...
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Question 10 · Right-of-way · medium
You are pulling out of a private drive onto a busy road. There is no stop sign or signal at the exit. Who must yield?
- A Neither driver, since neither one has a stop sign
- B Traffic already using the road — you must wait for a gap that will still be a gap once you have finished the manoeuvre
- C Whoever reaches the exit first
- D The approaching driver, because a private access carries its own right of way
Show the answer and why
B is correct. Every driver who enters a roadway from a private drive, an alley or a parking aisle enters against traffic that already has the right to be there, and t...
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Question 11 · Safe driving · medium
You are driving along a city street with a row of parked cars on your right. Which lane position gives you the most room to react?
- A As close to the parked cars as the lane allows
- B Weaving gently between both edges so you stay visible
- C Toward the left of your lane, away from the parked cars
- D In the exact centre of the lane under all conditions
Show the answer and why
C is correct. Position is a form of space management that costs nothing and buys time.
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Question 12 · Safe driving · hard
A large truck ahead signals a right turn but first swings out noticeably toward the left. Why does the driver do that, and what should you do?
- A The driver has mis-signalled — move up on the right and go past
- B The driver is looking for a wider lane — pass on the left immediately
- C It is nothing unusual; treat it exactly like a car making a right turn
- D The truck needs that extra width to complete the turn; stay well back and never squeeze into the gap on its right
Show the answer and why
D is correct. A long vehicle physically cannot turn right from the kerb lane the way a car does.
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Question 13 · Road signs · easy
Facing a yield sign, when is a driver actually required to come to a complete stop?
- A Only where the road being entered is a through highway
- B Always, before entering the roadway ahead
- C Only when other traffic or pedestrians are present; otherwise reduce speed and proceed
- D Stop first, then proceed without checking a second time
Show the answer and why
C is correct. A yield sign transfers right of way rather than imposing a stop, and the distinction has consequences: a driver who treats it as a stop sign creates a h...
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Question 14 · Road signs · easy
You are approaching a five-sided sign shaped like the profile of a house, coloured fluorescent yellow-green. What category of warning does this shape mark?
- A A school zone or school crossing, which this shape is reserved for
- B A railway crossing, which uses house-shaped signs to stand out at distance
- C A no-passing zone, marked by the pentagon instead of a pennant
- D A hospital or emergency services location nearby
Show the answer and why
A is correct. The pentagon shape is reserved exclusively for school-related warnings: advance school zone signs, school crossings and school area speed limits.
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Question 15 · Road signs · easy
You pass a round yellow sign carrying a black X and the letters RR. What does it warn you about, and what should you do?
- A A pedestrian crossing lies ahead — slow and watch for people
- B A railroad crossing lies ahead — slow, look both ways and listen, and be ready to stop even with no train visible
- C A road junction is ahead — signal your intended turn
- D A no-passing zone begins here — stay in your lane
Show the answer and why
B is correct. The circular yellow advance warning sign is unique in the whole sign system, and that uniqueness is deliberate: the hazard it describes is the one most...
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Question 16 · Alcohol and drugs · easy
Which statement correctly reflects what counts as roughly the same amount of pure alcohol?
- A A bottle of beer contains half the alcohol found in any other drink
- B A regular beer, a standard pour of wine and a single measure of spirits are close to equivalent
- C Spirits always contain far more alcohol per serving than beer can
- D Wine barely counts, because it is mostly water
Show the answer and why
B is correct. The standard-drink concept exists because servings differ dramatically in volume while carrying nearly identical amounts of pure alcohol.
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Question 17 · Alcohol and drugs · medium
Two drivers drink the same number of standard drinks over the same evening and end up with noticeably different blood alcohol concentrations. Which factor best explains the difference?
- A Nothing explains it — the count of drinks settles the concentration
- B Only a difference in personal tolerance can explain it
- C The type of drink matters most, since spirits absorb faster than beer
- D Body composition, sex and whether they ate change how concentrated the alcohol becomes
Show the answer and why
D is correct. Blood alcohol concentration is a ratio: alcohol divided by the body water it can dissolve into.
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Question 18 · Licence rules · easy
You move from Colorado to another state and become a resident there. What must you do about your driver licence?
- A Keep both licences so you can drive in either state
- B Wait until the Colorado licence expires and then renew it by mail
- C Surrender it and apply for a licence in your new home state within that state's deadline
- D Nothing, provided the Colorado licence is still valid
Show the answer and why
C is correct. A driver licence belongs to the state where you actually live, not simply to the state that issued it.
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Question 19 · Speed limits · medium
A minimum speed is posted on the interstate you have just joined, but a mechanical fault means your car cannot sustain it. What is the right response?
- A Keep to the right lane and press on regardless
- B Sound the horn so faster traffic knows to go around you
- C Use hazard lights, take the next exit or pull fully off the roadway, and get the fault repaired
- D Nothing — minimum limits bind commercial vehicles only
Show the answer and why
C is correct. Minimum limits exist because a large speed differential is itself a crash mechanism.
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Question 20 · Emergencies · medium
One of your front tyres fails suddenly at highway speed. What is the correct immediate response?
- A Grip the wheel firmly, ease off the accelerator, and wait before braking gently
- B Steer sharply for the shoulder immediately
- C Accelerate briefly to stabilise the vehicle
- D Brake firmly straight away to bring the car under control
Show the answer and why
A is correct. A failed front tyre pulls hard toward its own side and adds heavy rolling drag, and neither problem is fixed with violence.
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Question 21 · Road signs · medium
You arrive at an intersection where the traffic signal is showing a steady flashing red light in every direction. What does a flashing red require?
- A Stop completely, then proceed when the way is clear, treating the junction as an all-way stop
- B Stop and remain stopped until the signal returns to normal operation
- C Treat it as a flashing yellow and slow to half speed through the junction
- D Proceed through with caution, because flashing means the signal has no authority
Show the answer and why
A is correct. A flashing red converts the intersection into a stop-controlled one: every driver stops fully, then proceeds in turn when no conflicting traffic or pede...
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Question 22 · Licence rules · medium
Your licence has been suspended for accumulated violations. What happens if you are caught driving during the suspension?
- A Nothing beyond serving out the suspension you already have
- B It is a separate violation that brings its own penalties and additional loss of driving privileges
- C You may drive to work or medical appointments without penalty
- D The suspension simply restarts from the date you were caught
Show the answer and why
B is correct. Driving on a suspended licence is charged as its own violation rather than treated as a technical glitch in the suspension already being served.
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Question 23 · Speed limits · medium
You are merging onto an interstate using the acceleration lane. What should you be doing along that lane?
- A Build speed to match the traffic flow, then merge into the first safe gap
- B Signal and push into the lane to make a gap appear
- C Stop at the end of it and wait for a gap to open
- D Merge at the speed you arrived with, whatever that is
Show the answer and why
A is correct. An acceleration lane has exactly one job: to let you reach the merge point already travelling near the speed of the traffic you are joining.
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Question 24 · Vehicle equipment · medium
A driver switches on the turn indicator at the same instant they begin moving the wheel into the turn. Why is this unsafe?
- A Indicators are only needed when a vehicle is visible behind you
- B Turn signals are advisory, much like hazard flashers
- C A signal only works if the other road user receives it before the manoeuvre begins
- D It is not unsafe — signalling within the manoeuvre is sufficient
Show the answer and why
C is correct. A turn signal is communication, and communication that arrives as the event begins arrives too late.
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Question 25 · Road signs · easy
A rectangular brown sign with white lettering appears at an interchange, pointing toward a state park and a historic site. What does the brown colour convention indicate?
- A Recreational and cultural interest areas, which brown signs are reserved for
- B Commercial advertising purchased by the attraction's operators
- C Construction activity, since brown is a variant of the orange work-zone colour
- D A warning that the road to the attraction is unpaved
Show the answer and why
A is correct. Brown is the standard colour for public recreation and cultural interest guidance: parks, forests, historic sites, campgrounds and similar destinations.