Illinois SOS Permit Practice Test 31
- Questions35
- Correct to pass28
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. You are traveling in the same direction as a funeral procession and want to get ahead of it. What should you not do?
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Answer B: Driving in between the vehicles of the procession
Most states prohibit driving into or through a funeral procession, and cutting into the line leaves the drivers behind with no lead vehicle to follow, so go around only where passing is permitted.
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2. You are turning right from a one-way street onto a two-way street. Where should the turn end?
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Answer A: In the lane nearest the right curb of the street you are entering
A right turn starts and finishes as close to the right as practical, so you leave the one-way street from the right lane and arrive in the lane nearest the right curb.
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3. What is the basic rule for entering a roundabout?
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Answer B: Traffic already circulating goes first, and you wait for a gap
Entering traffic yields to vehicles already going around the circle, which is what keeps a roundabout moving instead of locking up.
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4. Approaching the point this sign refers to, which hazard is most likely?
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Answer A: A vehicle pulling out from the entering road into the driver's path
The main risk is a driver on the entering road who misjudges the gap and pulls out, so covering the brake and being ready to slow is the sensible response.
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5. A parking space is marked with the international symbol of access. Who may use it?
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Answer A: Only a vehicle displaying the required placard or plate
Accessible spaces may be used only by a vehicle that displays a valid disability placard or plate, no matter how short the stop would be.
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6. When a new Illinois resident applies for an Illinois driver's license, what must they do with their previous out-of-state license?
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Answer D: Surrender it before the Illinois license can be issued
Illinois requires new residents to surrender all out-of-state licenses or ID cards before an Illinois driver's license or ID card is issued.
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7. What is the safest way to handle an unrestrained pet or a child who needs attention while you are driving?
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Answer D: Secure pets before the trip and pull over safely before attending to a child
A loose animal or an urgent situation in the back seat can capture a driver's attention completely, so restrain pets beforehand and stop in a safe place when someone needs help.
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8. You have just returned to your own lane after passing. Why should you not slow down straight away?
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Answer A: The vehicle you passed is close behind and needs room to stop
Returning and then braking leaves the driver you just overtook with almost no following distance, which is how a pass turns into a rear-end collision.
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9. Why is backing up on a freeway or on its shoulder prohibited?
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Answer A: Traffic arrives far too fast to expect a vehicle moving the wrong way
Freeway traffic closes on a stopped or reversing vehicle at highway speed and has almost no time to react to something moving against the flow.
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10. Two people drink the same amount of alcohol at the same time. Why might their blood alcohol concentrations differ?
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Answer C: Body weight, gender and food in the stomach affect the concentration
Smaller people and, on average, women reach higher concentrations from the same amount of alcohol, and an empty stomach speeds absorption. Counting drinks alone does not tell you your level.
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11. Why is heavy braking a poor idea while two wheels are still on a soft shoulder?
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Answer B: The two sides have different grip, so the vehicle can pull sharply
With one pair of wheels on pavement and the other on loose material, hard braking slows one side more than the other and swings the vehicle around.
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12. A driver in the leftmost lane reaches this sign at an intersection. What must the driver do?
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Answer B: Go straight on or turn right, and reach the destination another way
The restriction holds whatever the traffic or the signal is doing, so the driver has to pass the intersection and plan a different route.
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13. A yellow pennant, an isosceles triangle with its long axis horizontal, is reserved for which message?
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Answer D: No passing zone
The pennant shape is used only for the no passing zone sign, which marks the point where overtaking is no longer allowed.
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14. Besides police, fire, and ambulance vehicles, which of the following is also explicitly covered by Illinois' Scott's Law when displaying flashing lights?
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Answer C: Tow trucks and highway maintenance or road repair vehicles
Illinois' Scott's Law explicitly covers tow trucks and construction, highway maintenance, and road repair vehicles, not just police, fire, and ambulance vehicles.
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15. A large truck is passing you on a two-lane road. What is the safest thing to do?
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Answer C: Keep right in your lane and ease off the gas a little
Staying in your own lane and easing off shortens the pass without forcing you onto a soft shoulder or into the truck's path.
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16. You have begun to move into the next lane when the gap you were aiming for closes. What is the safest action?
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Answer C: Return to your own lane, cancel the signal and wait for a better gap
An unfinished lane change leaves you in a space that no longer exists, and the lane you came from is still yours.
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17. An officer directing traffic faces you and holds one hand up with the open palm toward your vehicle. What does the gesture mean?
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Answer D: Stop before reaching the officer
A raised open palm shown toward a driver is the standard signal to stop.
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18. A fire truck with lights and siren has just passed you and is heading down the same road. How closely may you follow it?
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Answer B: Well back, because following a responding emergency vehicle closely is illegal
Following a responding emergency vehicle closely is prohibited; the exact minimum distance is set by each state, so stay far enough back to keep the scene and other responders clear.
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19. How does alcohol affect a driver's ability to handle several things at once?
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Answer B: It cuts the ability to divide attention between tasks
Driving means watching the road, the mirrors and the instruments together, and alcohol narrows attention so that one of those tasks is dropped without the driver noticing.
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20. How does eating a large meal before drinking affect impairment?
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Answer D: It slows absorption but the alcohol still reaches the blood and impairs you
Food delays how quickly alcohol enters the bloodstream, which can make the peak arrive later, but all of the alcohol is eventually absorbed.
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21. Can an Illinois driver be convicted of DUI with a blood alcohol concentration below .08?
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Answer C: Yes, if driving ability is impaired
Illinois makes it illegal to drive at .08 or more, but a driver whose ability is impaired can still be convicted of DUI at a lower reading.
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22. Which occupants must wear a safety belt under Illinois law?
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Answer D: All drivers and passengers age 8 and older, in both the front and back seats
Illinois requires every driver and passenger age 8 and older to wear a safety belt in the front and back seats, and passengers under 8 must be in an appropriate child restraint.
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23. A snow squall cuts visibility to almost nothing while you are on a highway. What must you not do?
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Answer D: Stop in a travel lane and wait for the squall to blow through
A vehicle stopped in a lane in a whiteout is invisible until someone hits it. Slow gradually and keep moving until you can leave the roadway completely.
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24. Is it safe to check your phone while stopped at a red light?
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Answer B: No, you may miss the signal change and hazards around you
Attention does not return instantly when the light changes, and emergency vehicles, pedestrians or a rear-end threat can appear while you are stopped. Stay focused on the road.
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25. How much more energy must your brakes absorb if you double your speed?
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Answer D: About four times as much, since energy rises with the square of speed
Kinetic energy grows with the square of speed, so twice the speed means about four times the energy and a far longer braking distance.
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26. You back into an unattended parked car in a lot and cause visible damage. What must you do?
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Answer A: Try to find the owner, or leave a note with your name and contact details, and report the crash
Hitting an unattended vehicle carries the same duties as any crash. Leaving without identifying yourself is a hit-and-run offense.
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27. Your right-turn lane shows a green arrow while the through lanes face a red ball. What does that mean?
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Answer C: Only the right turn is allowed, and it is protected while the arrow lasts
A green arrow gives a protected movement in that direction only; the red ball still stops the through traffic in the other lanes.
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28. You want to move into the right lane just as an entrance ramp joins the highway at that point. What is the better choice?
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Answer B: Wait until you are past the merge area so you do not squeeze the entering traffic
The merge area is where ramp traffic has to find a gap, so adding a lane change of your own into the same space creates a conflict.
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29. Why is it worth planning your route before a long drive?
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Answer B: So that you are not reading a map or a screen while the car is moving
A driver who knows the route is not navigating at the wheel, which is one of the commonest sources of distraction.
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30. A sign at the approach to a bridge reads WEIGHT LIMIT 10 TONS. What does the figure set?
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Answer B: The heaviest vehicle the bridge may legally carry
A weight limit sign is a regulation based on what the structure can bear, and it applies to the loaded weight of the whole vehicle.
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31. If an Illinois driver is convicted of DUI in another state, what happens to their Illinois driving record and privileges?
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Answer B: The out-of-state conviction is entered on their Illinois record and can result in revocation
Illinois enters an out-of-state DUI conviction on the driver's Illinois record, and it can result in revocation of Illinois driving privileges.
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32. A yellow diamond in which one line joins another at an angle warns that
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Answer B: traffic from another roadway will merge into the driver's lane ahead
The merge sign warns that another traffic stream will join the same lane ahead, so drivers on both roadways must adjust speed and spacing.
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33. Which of these places should never be used to turn your vehicle around?
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Answer C: The driveway of a fire station or the roadway in front of it
Turning around in or in front of a fire station driveway can block emergency vehicles leaving, and most states prohibit it.
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34. You reach an intersection showing a steady red light, and a stop line is painted across your lane. Where must you bring the vehicle to a complete stop?
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Answer C: Before the stop line
A steady red requires a complete stop before the marked stop line. Where there is no stop line you stop before the crosswalk, and where there is neither, before entering the intersection.
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35. What is the main function of the guide sign series?
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Answer D: To identify routes and lead road users to their destinations
Guide signs identify routes, name destinations and give distances, so drivers can navigate without stopping to consult a map.