Free Iowa Permit Practice Test 3 (2026)
Real questions from the official Iowa driver handbook, each with a plain-English explanation. Free, unlimited retakes, no signup.
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Get Smart Review & Mock ExamsWhat this test covers
This draw of 20 questions breaks down like this:
- Traffic Signs & Signals — 9
- Adverse Conditions — 2
- Emergencies & Crashes — 2
- Right-of-Way & Intersections — 2
- Safe Driving — 2
- Traffic Lanes, Passing & Turning — 2
- Alcohol, Drugs & the Law — 1
Heaviest on Traffic Signs & Signals (9 of 20) — that is the section to revise first if you miss several here.
1 are Iowa-specific questions, drawn from the state handbook rather than general road rules.
Each test on this site draws a different set, so Test 1, 2 and 3 never repeat a question.
Questions on this test
1. Texting while driving in Iowa is:
- Legal on highways
- Illegal and dangerous
- Legal
- Fine at stops
Show answer
Answer: Illegal and dangerous
Texting while driving is illegal and dangerous.
2. If you smell smoke or see flames from your engine, you should:
- Pull over, shut off the engine, get out, and move away
- Keep driving
- Speed to a station
- Open the hood immediately
Show answer
Answer: Pull over, shut off the engine, get out, and move away
Stop, turn off the engine, evacuate, and move well away from the vehicle.
3. A steady yellow light warns that the signal is about to turn:
- Off
- Flashing
- Red
- Green
Show answer
Answer: Red
Yellow means red is coming — stop if you safely can.
4. A stop sign is the only sign shaped as a(n):
- Pentagon
- Circle
- Diamond
- Octagon
Show answer
Answer: Octagon
Only the stop sign is an octagon.
5. Two lanes merge into one ahead. The courteous, safe method is:
- Block the other lane
- Stop and wait
- Alternate (zipper) merge, one car from each lane
- Speed up to cut in
Show answer
Answer: Alternate (zipper) merge, one car from each lane
Zipper merging — taking turns — keeps traffic moving safely.
6. Even one or two drinks can:
- Only affect vision
- Slow reaction time and impair judgment
- Improve driving
- Have zero effect
Show answer
Answer: Slow reaction time and impair judgment
Impairment starts with the first drink — reaction and judgment suffer before you feel drunk.
7. A red arrow turning to a flashing yellow arrow means you may:
- Turn without yielding
- Never turn
- Stop permanently
- Turn after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians
Show answer
Answer: Turn after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians
A flashing yellow arrow permits the turn once you yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.
8. At a crosswalk, if the car ahead of you stops, you should:
- Speed around
- Honk
- Pass it
- Not pass — it may be stopping for a pedestrian you can't see
Show answer
Answer: Not pass — it may be stopping for a pedestrian you can't see
Never pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk; it may be yielding to a pedestrian.
9. A shared-lane marking (a bicycle with two chevrons above it) means:
- Bicycles and cars share that lane — watch for cyclists
- No bikes
- A bike lane ends
- Bikes only
Show answer
Answer: Bicycles and cars share that lane — watch for cyclists
A 'sharrow' shows that bikes and cars share the lane; watch for and share with cyclists.
10. A flashing yellow traffic light means:
- Stop completely
- Slow down and proceed with caution
- The light is out of order
- Turn left only
Show answer
Answer: Slow down and proceed with caution
Flashing yellow means proceed with caution — slow down and be ready to yield.
11. In any condition that reduces visibility, the first thing to do is:
- Turn on high beams
- Change lanes
- Slow down
- Speed up to clear it
Show answer
Answer: Slow down
Reduced visibility means reduce speed first.
12. The far left lane on a multilane highway is intended mainly for:
- Slow driving
- Passing
- Trucks
- Parking
Show answer
Answer: Passing
Keep right except to pass; the left lane is for passing.
13. Construction/work-zone signs are what color?
- Orange
- Green
- Blue
- Brown
Show answer
Answer: Orange
Work-zone signs are orange.
14. A flashing red light at a railroad crossing means:
- Go if you don't see a train
- Stop — a train is approaching; do not cross
- The crossing is closed permanently
- Slow and proceed
Show answer
Answer: Stop — a train is approaching; do not cross
Flashing red at a crossing means stop and wait; never try to beat a train.
15. At a steady green light, you should:
- Proceed, but yield to pedestrians and vehicles still in the intersection
- Speed through before it changes
- Stop and check both ways first
- Always turn right
Show answer
Answer: Proceed, but yield to pedestrians and vehicles still in the intersection
Green means go — but you must still yield to pedestrians and any vehicles already in the intersection.
16. You must stop and give information after a crash that involves:
- Only at night
- Injury, death, or property damage
- Only your own car
- Only injuries
Show answer
Answer: Injury, death, or property damage
Stop and exchange information for any crash involving injury, death, or property damage.
17. If heavy rain makes it impossible to see, you should:
- Pull safely off the road and turn on hazards until it eases
- Stop in the lane
- Tailgate to follow lights
- Drive faster
Show answer
Answer: Pull safely off the road and turn on hazards until it eases
Get off the road safely, use hazards, and wait out blinding rain.
18. What does this sign mean?
- No parking
- Yield
- U-turns are not permitted here
- One way
Show answer
Answer: U-turns are not permitted here
This regulatory sign prohibits U-turns.
19. On a one-way street, you may turn left on red into another one-way street that moves left, after:
- Honking
- Only with an arrow
- Never
- Stopping and yielding, unless a sign prohibits it
Show answer
Answer: Stopping and yielding, unless a sign prohibits it
Left-on-red from a one-way onto a one-way is allowed after stopping, unless posted otherwise.
20. Eating, grooming, or reaching for objects while driving are examples of:
- Safe multitasking
- Required tasks
- Distractions that take attention off driving
- Good time management
Show answer
Answer: Distractions that take attention off driving
These take your eyes, hands, or mind off driving — do them before or after, not while driving.