Iowa Road Signs Test (2026)
Every road sign on the Iowa exam, with what it means. Free and unlimited.
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What this test covers
This draw of 40 questions breaks down like this:
- Traffic Signs & Signals — 18
- Right-of-Way & Intersections — 8
- Traffic Lanes, Passing & Turning — 5
- Speed Limits & Speed Management — 3
- Sharing the Road — 2
- Signaling & Communication — 2
- Alcohol, Drugs & the Law — 1
- Emergencies & Crashes — 1
Heaviest on Traffic Signs & Signals (18 of 40) — that is the section to revise first if you miss several here.
Every question here applies nationwide.
Each test on this site draws a different set, so Test 1, 2 and 3 never repeat a question.
Questions on this test
1. A 'DO NOT ENTER' sign means:
- Do not enter — you are facing traffic coming toward you
- Enter slowly
- Yield before entering
- Enter only to turn right
Show answer
Answer: Do not enter — you are facing traffic coming toward you
Do Not Enter means the roadway is closed to you; entering would put you against oncoming traffic.
2. A diamond-shaped sign showing a merging-arrow means:
- Added lane
- Traffic merges ahead
- Road ends
- No merging
Show answer
Answer: Traffic merges ahead
A merge sign warns that another road joins yours ahead.
3. An emergency vehicle is approaching with lights and siren on. You should:
- Continue at the same speed
- Stop immediately in your lane
- Pull over to the right edge of the road and stop until it passes
- Speed up to clear the intersection
Show answer
Answer: Pull over to the right edge of the road and stop until it passes
Pull to the right edge and stop until the emergency vehicle has passed.
4. When exiting a roundabout, you should:
- Signal your exit and watch for pedestrians in the crosswalk
- Speed up sharply
- Stop first
- Reverse
Show answer
Answer: Signal your exit and watch for pedestrians in the crosswalk
Signal before your exit and yield to pedestrians crossing at the exit.
5. As your speed increases, the distance needed to stop:
- Increases sharply
- Only matters at night
- Decreases
- Stays the same
Show answer
Answer: Increases sharply
Higher speed means a much longer stopping distance — roughly quadrupling when you double your speed.
6. A center lane marked with a solid yellow line and a dashed yellow line on each side is used for:
- Parking
- Making left turns only (from either direction)
- Through driving
- Passing slower traffic
Show answer
Answer: Making left turns only (from either direction)
This is a two-way left-turn lane — used only to make left turns from either direction, never for through travel or passing.
7. Another driver is passing you. You should:
- Move left to block them
- Stay in your lane and do not increase your speed
- Brake hard
- Speed up so they can't pass
Show answer
Answer: Stay in your lane and do not increase your speed
When being passed, keep a steady speed (or slow slightly) and stay in your lane.
8. What does this sign mean?
- Tunnel
- Divided highway
- Narrow bridge ahead
- Road widens
Show answer
Answer: Narrow bridge ahead
A narrow-bridge warning — the bridge ahead is narrower than the road; use caution.
9. There is no amount of alcohol that is proven 'safe' before driving because:
- It's expensive
- It tastes bad
- Even small amounts impair skills you need
- Rules change
Show answer
Answer: Even small amounts impair skills you need
Impairment begins with the first drink — the safest amount before driving is none.
10. A blue sign with an 'H' or a bed symbol tells you:
- A speed limit
- Where to find services like hospitals or lodging
- A construction zone
- A warning
Show answer
Answer: Where to find services like hospitals or lodging
Blue guide signs point to services — hospitals, lodging, gas, food.
11. People with disabilities, seniors, and children may:
- Cross only at lights
- Need extra time to cross — be patient and yield
- Be ignored
- Always move fast
Show answer
Answer: Need extra time to cross — be patient and yield
Give vulnerable pedestrians extra time and space to cross.
12. You must dim your high beams when:
- Only in cities
- Within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle or 300 feet behind one
- Never
- Only when tired
Show answer
Answer: Within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle or 300 feet behind one
Lower your high beams within 500 ft of oncoming traffic and 300 ft when following.
13. An orange diamond with a downward arrow ('SLOW' / reduced speed) tells you to:
- Turn around
- Stop and park
- Speed up
- Reduce your speed for the work zone ahead
Show answer
Answer: Reduce your speed for the work zone ahead
Orange reduced-speed signs mean slow down for the upcoming work zone.
14. You are driving and see this red sign facing you. It means:
- Yield
- Continue
- Speed up
- You are going the wrong way — do not proceed; turn around
Show answer
Answer: You are going the wrong way — do not proceed; turn around
A red 'Wrong Way' sign means you're headed against traffic — stop and turn around safely.
15. What does this blue sign with a wheelchair symbol indicate?
- A bus stop
- Parking reserved for people with disabilities
- A hospital
- A ramp
Show answer
Answer: Parking reserved for people with disabilities
The blue wheelchair sign marks disabled parking — a valid permit is required.
16. A diamond-shaped sign with a truck on a downhill grade warns of:
- A truck stop
- A steep hill where trucks may move slowly
- A weigh station
- A no-truck zone
Show answer
Answer: A steep hill where trucks may move slowly
It warns of a steep downgrade; watch for slow-moving trucks.
17. A safe U-turn requires:
- A clear view of traffic in both directions and no prohibiting sign
- A red light
- A hill
- Heavy traffic
Show answer
Answer: A clear view of traffic in both directions and no prohibiting sign
Only make a U-turn where you can see well both ways and it isn't prohibited.
18. Turning right on red, you must yield to:
- No one
- Only bikes
- Pedestrians and cross traffic before turning
- Only cars
Show answer
Answer: Pedestrians and cross traffic before turning
Right-on-red is allowed after a full stop, yielding to pedestrians and cross traffic.
19. This sign shape warns of:
- A hospital
- A school zone or school crossing
- A railroad crossing
- A dead end
Show answer
Answer: A school zone or school crossing
The pentagon shape marks a school zone or school crossing ahead.
20. 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.
21. If your right wheels drift onto the shoulder, you should:
- Ease off the gas and steer back gently when it's safe
- Speed up
- Jerk the wheel back onto the road
- Brake hard
Show answer
Answer: Ease off the gas and steer back gently when it's safe
Don't jerk the wheel — slow down and steer back onto the pavement smoothly.
22. What does this sign mean?
- No U-turn
- Stop
- Yield
- Do not enter
Show answer
Answer: Yield
A downward triangle is a YIELD sign — slow down and give the right-of-way; stop if needed.
23. 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.
24. A motorcycle has the right to use:
- Half a lane
- Only shoulders
- Only bike lanes
- A full lane, like any vehicle
Show answer
Answer: A full lane, like any vehicle
Motorcycles are entitled to a full lane — never share it.
25. What does this hand signal mean?
- Right turn
- Left turn
- Speed up
- Stop or slow
Show answer
Answer: Left turn
Left arm straight out = a left turn.
26. What does this sign warn of?
- A detour
- A winding road — a series of curves ahead
- A one-way street
- A racetrack
Show answer
Answer: A winding road — a series of curves ahead
This warns of a winding road (several curves). Reduce speed.
27. A pedestrian is in a crosswalk as you approach. You must:
- Yield the right-of-way to the pedestrian
- Proceed if you get there first
- Honk so they hurry
- Only stop if a signal tells you to
Show answer
Answer: Yield the right-of-way to the pedestrian
Drivers must always yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in a crosswalk.
28. You must yield to pedestrians:
- Never
- Only at signals
- Only downtown
- In marked and unmarked crosswalks
Show answer
Answer: In marked and unmarked crosswalks
Yield to pedestrians in both marked and unmarked crosswalks.
29. A regulatory sign that is a white rectangle taller than it is wide is typically a:
- Speed limit or other traffic law
- Service sign
- Warning
- Guide sign
Show answer
Answer: Speed limit or other traffic law
Vertical white rectangles are regulatory — like a speed-limit sign.
30. What does this sign warn of?
- No right turn
- The right lane ends ahead — merge left
- Added lane
- Right turn only
Show answer
Answer: The right lane ends ahead — merge left
The right lane ends ahead; merge left when safe.
31. Total stopping distance is made up of:
- Only braking distance
- Tire pressure
- Only reaction time
- Perception + reaction + braking distance
Show answer
Answer: Perception + reaction + braking distance
Stopping distance = how far you travel while perceiving, reacting, and then braking.
32. In a roundabout, traffic flows:
- Clockwise
- Only when a light is green
- Counter-clockwise; yield on entry and signal to exit
- In both directions
Show answer
Answer: Counter-clockwise; yield on entry and signal to exit
Roundabout traffic moves counter-clockwise. Yield to traffic already circulating, then exit when you reach your street.
33. At a four-way stop, if the driver to your right stopped just before you, then:
- You both go
- The driver on the right goes first
- You go first
- Largest vehicle goes
Show answer
Answer: The driver on the right goes first
First to stop goes first; here the right-hand driver stopped first, so they proceed.
34. In a two-lane roundabout, you should choose your lane based on:
- Always the left
- The car ahead
- Your car color
- Where you plan to exit (signs show which lane for which exit)
Show answer
Answer: Where you plan to exit (signs show which lane for which exit)
Use lane-choice signs before the roundabout to pick the correct lane for your exit.
35. What does this sign mean?
- No U-turn
- No left turn
- Do not enter
- No right turn
Show answer
Answer: No right turn
This sign prohibits right turns.
36. When traffic ahead slows suddenly, having a proper following distance lets you:
- Pass immediately
- Ignore brake lights
- Tailgate safely
- Stop or slow without a rear-end collision
Show answer
Answer: Stop or slow without a rear-end collision
Space ahead gives you time to react and avoid rear-ending the car in front.
37. A yield sign is shaped as a(n):
- Downward triangle
- Rectangle
- Octagon
- Circle
Show answer
Answer: Downward triangle
The yield sign is a downward-pointing triangle.
38. A green light turns to a steady green arrow for your turn. This means:
- Turn is now prohibited
- Stop
- You now have a protected turn — oncoming traffic is stopped
- Yield to oncoming still
Show answer
Answer: You now have a protected turn — oncoming traffic is stopped
A green arrow gives a protected turn; opposing traffic is held.
39. What does this sign mean?
- Passing is allowed
- The road may be slippery when wet
- A sharp curve is banked
- A racetrack is ahead
Show answer
Answer: The road may be slippery when wet
This warning sign means the road can be slippery, especially when wet — slow down.
40. What does this sign warn of?
- A rest area
- A dead end
- A crossroad ahead where another road crosses
- A hospital
Show answer
Answer: A crossroad ahead where another road crosses
A cross-road warning shows an intersecting road ahead — watch for entering traffic.
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