South Carolina Car / Permit Exam Simulation
30 questions · 24 correct to pass. You won't see any feedback until you finish — just like the real test.
South Carolina Car / Permit questions with answers
20 sample questions from the South Carolina Car / Permit question bank — each with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the section of the official handbook it comes from.
1. A flashing red traffic signal should be treated the same as a:
Correct answer: Stop sign requiring a complete stop
A flashing red light works like a stop sign: come to a full stop, check both directions, and yield before proceeding.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Traffic Signals, Flashing Red
2. The safest advice about drinking and driving offered by the manual is to:
Correct answer: Not drive at all after drinking
The best advice is not to drive any kind of vehicle after consuming alcohol or other drugs, and never let an impaired friend drive.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving
3. When you are making a left turn at an intersection, you must yield to:
Correct answer: Oncoming traffic approaching the intersection
A left-turning driver must give way to oncoming traffic that has the right-of-way before completing the turn.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Turning, Left Turns / Yielding Right-of-Way
4. Hydroplaning, when your tires ride on a film of water, is best prevented by:
Correct answer: Slowing down in wet conditions
The best defense against hydroplaning is to slow down in the rain or where water has pooled on the road.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Speed Management, Hydroplaning
5. What does a red sign with eight sides and white lettering require a driver to do?
Correct answer: Come to a full stop, then proceed only after yielding to others
The octagon is reserved for stop signs. You must halt completely, look every direction for traffic and pedestrians, and yield before going on.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Traffic Signs, Stop Sign
6. A motorcycle's turn signal is flashing ahead of you. You should:
Correct answer: Wait to confirm the rider is really turning
Motorcycle signals may not cancel automatically, so wait until you are sure the rider is actually turning before you act.
7. As your speed increases, the distance needed to stop your vehicle:
Correct answer: Increases
The faster you drive, the more time and distance it takes to stop, which is why speed strongly affects stopping distance.
8. For a driver 17 or older, the license is suspended once the point total reaches:
Correct answer: 12 points
A driver 17 or older gets a warning letter at six points, and the license is suspended when the total reaches 12 or more.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Loss of Driving Privileges
9. A shoulder harness on your safety belt should be worn:
Correct answer: Across your shoulder and chest
The shoulder strap belongs across the shoulder and chest; wearing it under the arm or behind the back can cause serious internal injury in a crash.
10. Before you leave a parallel parking space and pull into traffic, you should:
Correct answer: Signal, check traffic, and yield before pulling out
Signal, use your mirrors, look over your shoulder to check traffic, and yield the right-of-way before moving out.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Exiting a Parallel Parking Space
11. If your right wheels drop off the edge of the pavement onto an uneven shoulder, you should:
Correct answer: Slow gradually, then ease gently back on
Avoid panic steering; slow down gradually when safe, then steer gently back onto the pavement with only slight wheel movement.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Uneven Surface Drop-Offs
12. Yellow lines painted down the center of a road separate:
Correct answer: Traffic traveling in opposite directions
Yellow markings divide traffic moving in opposite directions, while white lines separate lanes going the same way.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Pavement Markings, Yellow Lane Markings
13. A driver under 21 who refuses the test for intoxicants will lose driving privileges for at least:
Correct answer: Six months
Refusing the required breath, blood, or urine test causes an immediate loss of driving privileges for at least six months.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Alcohol and the Law
14. Two vehicles reach a four-way stop at the same moment. Which driver should yield?
Correct answer: The driver on the left yields to the one on the right
When two drivers arrive together at a four-way stop, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Yielding Right-of-Way
15. Before entering an intersection you have stopped at, the recommended visual scan is to:
Correct answer: Look left, then right, then left again
Look left, then right, then left again before moving into an intersection to be sure the path stays clear.
16. Green, brown, or blue signs shaped like squares or rectangles usually serve what purpose?
Correct answer: They direct you to towns, routes, and roadside services
Guide signs point you toward cities, intersecting roads, and services like fuel, food, lodging, and hospitals.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Traffic Signs, Guide Signs
17. When you approach and pass a bicyclist, you should:
Correct answer: Slow down and allow plenty of room
Slow down and give the bicyclist as much space as possible, considering the cyclist's speed as you pass.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Bicyclists / Passing
18. When driving through a work zone, you should always:
Correct answer: Reduce your speed
Reduce your speed in every work zone, even when no workers are present, because narrow lanes and rough pavement create hazards.
19. The minimum age to obtain a beginner's permit in South Carolina is:
Correct answer: 15 years old
The minimum age is 15; applicants must also pass the eyesight and written exams to receive the permit.
20. When you approach a stopped emergency vehicle with its lights on, the Move-Over law tells you to:
Correct answer: Change lanes away from it and slow down when safe
You must slow down and move into a lane farther from the emergency vehicle when it is safe; if changing lanes is unsafe, reduce speed and pass cautiously.