General Driving Knowledge — Washington
Washington motorcycle permit practice test: 337 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. General Driving Knowledge: 104 questions.
Questions that do not fit a single topic: lane use, turning, signalling and other rules of the road.
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 | General Driving Knowledge |
| License test | Washington Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 104 (31% of 337 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
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Questions (104)
1. When riding a motorcycle, you should:
- Assume the motorcycle is as easy to see as other vehicles.
- Assume other drivers can’t see you. ✓
- Not be concerned with taking steps to ensure that other drivers see you.
- Ride offensively.
Answer: B. Assume other drivers can’t see you.
You should assume other drivers can't see you when you ride a motorcycle. The manual says most drivers are not looking for motorcycles, so a good approach is to act as if you are invisible. If you assume motorists cannot see you, you stay more alert to what is happening around you. The manual also warns that even when a driver seems to see you, you are not necessarily safe, because smaller vehicles can look farther away and drivers may pull out thinking they have time. You can still take steps to help others recognize you, but you should not count on being seen.
2. When riding, you should:
- Turn your head and shoulders to look through turns.
- Keep your arms straight.
- Keep your knees away from the gas tank.
- Turn just your head and eyes to look through turns. ✓
Answer: D. Turn just your head and eyes to look through turns.
When riding through a turn, turn just your head and eyes to look through the turn. The manual's turn steps say to look through the turn to where you want to go. It specifically says to turn just your head, not your shoulders, and to keep your eyes level with the horizon. That matches turning only your head and eyes. The other choices either add a body movement the manual warns against or describe arm or knee positions the passages do not give as riding rules.
3. If you find yourself riding alongside another vehicle, you should:
- Speed up or slow down. ✓
- Wave at the other driver.
- Stay alongside the vehicle until the next exit and then exit.
- Let the other driver worry about it.
Answer: A. Speed up or slow down.
Speed up or slow down so you are not traveling right alongside the other vehicle. The manual tells you to create more space and cut the harm from a hazard by adjusting your speed, either accelerating, stopping or slowing, and by adjusting your position, such as changing lanes or moving within your lane. A vehicle sitting beside you leaves you no room to move if something goes wrong ahead, so the fix is to change your speed and get out of that side-by-side spot. Nothing in the manual says to stay there.
4. Swerving a motorcycle:
- Requires a lot of traction. ✓
- Requires little traction.
- Is a slow maneuver.
- Should be done to avoid a hazard on a slippery road.
Answer: A. Requires a lot of traction.
Swerving requires a lot of traction. The manual describes a swerve as a sudden change of direction made of quick turns or a rapid side shift. It also says not to brake during the swerve. Since turning uses some of the tire's available traction, a sudden direction change depends on having enough grip. That is why the answer points to traction rather than a slow maneuver.
5. When stopped behind another vehicle, you should:
- Get as close as possible to the vehicle.
- Maintain a space cushion between your motorcycle and the other vehicle. ✓
- Not use your rearview mirrors to monitor traffic behind you.
- Look for opportunities to squeeze through the stopped traffic.
Answer: B. Maintain a space cushion between your motorcycle and the other vehicle.
When stopped behind another vehicle, keep a space cushion between your motorcycle and that vehicle. The manual tells riders to stay well behind the vehicle ahead even when stopped. It explains that following distance gives you room to stop or swerve if the driver ahead stops suddenly, and it says to open up more space when conditions call for it. It also notes that staying back leaves a cushion if the vehicle ahead backs up and makes it easier to move out of the way if someone approaches from behind. That supports keeping a space cushion rather than closing in.
6. A motorcyclist's cushion of space:
- Should always stay the same.
- Should vary according to riding conditions. ✓
- Is not necessary in most situations.
- Should be avoided to keep traffic moving safely.
Answer: B. Should vary according to riding conditions.
A motorcyclist's cushion of space should vary according to riding conditions. The manual tells riders to vary lane position as conditions warrant and to change position as traffic situations change. It also says to pick the part of the lane where you are most likely to be seen and can keep a space cushion around you. That means the cushion is not fixed; you adjust your position and the room around you when traffic or other conditions change.
7. Crashes are more likely to occur among:
- Experienced riders.
- Beginning riders. ✓
- Those familiar with their motorcycle.
- Those who have completed a safety course.
Answer: B. Beginning riders.
Crashes are more likely to occur among beginning riders. The manual says crashes happen more often to beginning riders, especially during the first months of riding. It also notes that more than half of all crashes involve riders with less than five months of experience. A separate passage repeats that crashes can occur particularly among untrained, beginning riders. That direct link between inexperience and crash risk is why the beginning rider is the correct choice.
8. To lessen your chances of being involved in a crash, you should:
- Use your turn signals to indicate that you plan to change lanes. ✓
- Tailgate other drivers.
- Keep your eyes focused no more than 15 feet in front of your motorcycle.
- Not use a headlight during the day.
Answer: A. Use your turn signals to indicate that you plan to change lanes.
Use your turn signals to indicate that you plan to change lanes, because signaling tells other drivers what you intend to do. The manual lists communicating your intentions as one of the ways to reduce your crash risk, and it names the proper signals as the tool for that job. It also notes that a rider is more vulnerable than a car driver, so signals matter even more, and that a blinking signal makes you easier to spot. That is why signaling before a lane change is the answer here: it lets the traffic around you know your plan before you move.
9. When entering a curve, a group should:
- Ride in a single-file formation. ✓
- Ride in a staggered formation.
- Ride in pairs.
- Ride on the shoulder.
Answer: A. Ride in a single-file formation.
When entering a curve, the group should ride in a single-file formation. The manual says staggered formation is the usual way to keep the group close while leaving a space cushion. But it specifically advises moving to single file when riding in curves and turns. That gives each rider more room and time to adjust to the curve. The freeway passage follows the same idea for entering and exiting: use single file while the group merges or deals with ramp conditions. So the single-file choice matches the handbook's guidance for curves.
10. A three-wheeled motorcycle:
- Handles curves about the same as a two-wheeled motorcycle.
- Handles curves differently than a two-wheeled motorcycle. ✓
- Should not be operated in curves.
- Should use the shoulder when taking a curve.
Answer: B. Handles curves differently than a two-wheeled motorcycle.
A three-wheeled motorcycle handles curves differently than a two-wheeled motorcycle. The manual says three-wheel motorcycles handle and steer differently from two-wheel motorcycles. Because a conventional three-wheeler cannot lean, it cannot countersteer the way a two-wheeler does. Instead, the rider points the front wheel in the direction they want to go. The manual also notes that during turning or tight maneuvers, weight can shift outside the tip-over lines, so load and passenger positioning matter for stability. That is why the answer is that it handles curves differently, not the same.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook