Highway & Freeway Driving — Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania permit practice test: 355 free practice questions (140 official sample questions · Official driver handbook). Official test format: 18 Q, pass 15. Highway & Freeway Driving: 36 questions.
Entering and exiting freeways, lane changes, overtaking and HOV lane rules.
This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines.
| Topic / Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Topic | Highway & Freeway Driving |
| License test | Pennsylvania Car learner's permit test |
| Topic questions | 36 (10% of 355 total) |
| Review status | This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines. |
Official handbook
pa.gov ✓ Verified from official source
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Questions (36)
1. BEFORE CHANGING LANES ON A MULTI-LANE HIGHWAY YOU SHOULD:
- Sound your horn
- Turn on your headlights
- Reduce your speed
- Check your mirrors and blind spots ✓
Answer: D. Check your mirrors and blind spots
Before changing lanes on a multi-lane highway, check your mirrors and blind spots. The Pennsylvania manual says to check behind you when you plan a lane change. It tells you to signal, look in the rearview and side mirrors, and then glance over your shoulders because mirrors or sensors alone can miss a vehicle in a blind spot. It also says to check all lanes on roads with three or more lanes, since another driver may aim for the same space. That makes checking mirrors and blind spots the step tied to seeing whether the lane is clear.
2. ON A TWO-LANE ROAD, YOU MAY PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE RIGHT WHEN:
- Driving on a single lane entrance ramp
- The driver you are passing is travelling slower than the posted speed limit
- Never
- The driver you are passing is making a left turn ✓
Answer: D. The driver you are passing is making a left turn
You may pass on the right when the driver you are passing is making a left turn. The handbook allows passing on the right in specific situations. One is when the vehicle ahead is turning left or signaling that turn; in that case, the passing driver must stay on the berm or shoulder. Another is a roadway with at least two marked lanes in each direction. A driver simply going under the speed limit does not create a right-passing allowance. So the left-turning driver is the condition that fits the question.
3. BEFORE PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE YOU SHOULD:
- Flash your headlights to alert the driver
- Turn on your four-way flashers to warn the driver
- Give the proper turn signal to show you are changing lanes ✓
- Sound your horn to get the drivers attention
Answer: C. Give the proper turn signal to show you are changing lanes
Before you pass another vehicle, give the proper turn signal to show you are changing lanes. The Pennsylvania manual's passing steps say that before passing you must make sure the passing lane is clear and signal your lane change. It also says to signal early so others know your plans. Checking mirrors and blind spots comes with that step. The signal is what tells other drivers what you intend to do before you move over, so it is the required action listed here.
4. WHEN EXITING A HIGHWAY, YOU SHOULD SLOW DOWN:
- On the main road, just before the exit lane
- Once you see the toll booth
- Once you have moved into the exit lane ✓
- When you first see the exit sign
Answer: C. Once you have moved into the exit lane
You should slow down only after you have moved into the exit lane. The Pennsylvania manual gives a direct instruction for leaving a highway: do not reduce speed until after you are in the exit lane. The highway section also notes that crashes there are severe because traffic moves fast, and it says exit ramps have a warning sign showing the maximum safe speed. That places the slowing in the exit lane, after you have left the main road, rather than before it.
5. “HIGHWAY HYPNOSIS” IS A DRIVER CONDITION THAT CAN RESULT FROM:
- Staring at the roadway for long periods of time ✓
- Frequent rest stops
- Too much sleep the night before your trip
- Short trips on expressways
Answer: A. Staring at the roadway for long periods of time
Highway hypnosis can result from staring at the roadway for long periods of time. The Pennsylvania Driver's Manual describes highway hypnosis as inattention that happens when you stare straight ahead at the roadway for long periods and stop actively scanning ahead, behind, and around your vehicle. It warns that zoning out this way makes you very likely to crash into traffic that is slowing or stopping ahead. The key cause is the long stretch of staring, not resting often, getting extra sleep, or taking short expressway trips.
6. BEFORE PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE, YOU SHOULD SIGNAL:
- Just before changing lanes
- At any time
- After changing lanes
- Early enough so others know your plans ✓
Answer: D. Early enough so others know your plans
You should signal early enough so others know your plans before passing another vehicle. The Pennsylvania manual's passing steps say that before you move into the passing lane, you must give the proper turn signal and do it early enough that other drivers understand what you intend. That is why the correct choice is to signal early enough so others know your plans. A signal sent just before the lane change gives people less time to react, and one sent afterward does not announce the pass at all.
7. WHEN TRAVELING BELOW 40 MILES PER HOUR ON A LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY, YOU SHOULD:
- Drive on the shoulder
- Use your high beams
- Sound your horn to warn others
- Use your four-way flashers ✓
Answer: D. Use your four-way flashers
8. WHEN DRIVING ON A FREEWAY ENTRANCE RAMP, YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR A GAP IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC BY:
- Looking in the inside rearview mirror only
- Looking in the sideview mirror only
- Looking in both rearview and sideview mirrors
- Looking in your mirrors and turning your head to look over your shoulder ✓
Answer: D. Looking in your mirrors and turning your head to look over your shoulder
When driving on a freeway entrance ramp, look for a gap by checking your mirrors and turning your head to look over your shoulder. The handbook treats entering a highway from an entrance lane as a lane change. Before you change lanes you signal, then check your rearview and side mirrors to see that nobody is about to pass you. But the manual says not to rely on mirrors or sensors alone, so you also glance over your left and right shoulders to clear the blind spots, keeping the look quick and your eyes on the road. That combination is how you find a safe gap.
9. IF YOUR CAR BREAKS DOWN ON A HIGHWAY, YOU SHOULD:
- Sit in your car and wait for help
- Use your four-way flashers to warn other drivers ✓
- Sound your horn at passing motorists
- Flash your headlights at oncoming traffic
Answer: B. Use your four-way flashers to warn other drivers
Use your four-way flashers to warn other drivers. The Pennsylvania manual covers breakdowns under emergency signals. It says to signal, move carefully off the road, and switch on your hazard flashers so other drivers can see that your vehicle is disabled. It also tells you to get as far off the road as possible and lift the hood. The flashers are the warning device the manual names for this situation, so they are the right action among these choices.
10. WHEN A TRUCK DRIVER BEHIND YOU WANTS TO PASS YOUR VEHICLE, YOUR SPEED SHOULD:
- Remain steady or decrease ✓
- Change lanes
- Change
- Increase
Answer: A. Remain steady or decrease
When a truck driver behind you wants to pass, keep your speed steady or ease off the throttle slightly to help them get by. The handbook's truck-passing section says you should make it easier for the truck driver by slowing down a little and then holding that steady speed. It also says plainly not to speed up while the truck is passing you. So of the choices offered, staying steady or dropping your speed a bit is the one that matches the manual. Keeping a predictable, slightly slower pace lets the truck clear you instead of leaving you sitting alongside it in a spot where the driver cannot see you.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · 140 official sample questions · Official driver handbook