G1 practice test: 40 questions with answers

How to use this practice test

• Choose your answer before you open it. Guessing and then checking teaches you less than committing first.
• Aim for at least 16 out of 20 in each part. That’s 80%, the pass mark on the real test.
• Write down every question you miss, look the rule up in the Handbook, and come back tomorrow.

Part 1: Rules of the road

1. If there’s no speed limit sign, what’s the limit in a city, town or village?

   1. 40 km/h
   2. 50 km/h
   3. 60 km/h
   4. 70 km/h
   Show the answer

   B. 50 km/h. With no sign, the limit is 50 km/h in cities, towns and villages, and 80 km/h elsewhere.

2. With no sign posted, what’s the speed limit outside cities, towns and villages?

   1. 60 km/h
   2. 70 km/h
   3. 80 km/h
   4. 90 km/h
   Show the answer

   C. 80 km/h. Outside built-up areas, the default is 80 km/h. A posted sign always takes priority.

3. In ideal conditions, what’s the minimum following distance behind the vehicle ahead?

   1. One second
   2. Two seconds
   3. Five seconds
   4. Ten metres
   Show the answer

   B. Two seconds. At least two seconds, and only in ideal conditions. Leave more room in bad weather, behind motorcycles and large trucks, or with a heavy load.

4. You may not park within how many metres of a fire hydrant?

   1. 1 m
   2. 2 m
   3. 3 m
   4. 5 m
   Show the answer

   C. 3 m. Three metres. Other no-parking distances in the Handbook include 9 m from an intersection (15 m if it has traffic lights) and 15 m from a level railway crossing.

5. A school bus ahead of you stops with its red lights flashing. How far back must you stop?

   1. At least 5 m
   2. At least 10 m
   3. At least 15 m
   4. At least 20 m
   Show the answer

   D. At least 20 m. At least 20 m. Wait until the bus moves, or its lights stop and the stop arm folds away.

6. A school bus coming toward you has its red lights flashing. The road has no median. What must you do?

   1. Slow down and pass carefully
   2. Stop until the bus moves or the lights stop
   3. Sound your horn and continue
   4. Stop only if you see children
   Show the answer

   B. Stop until the bus moves or the lights stop. Traffic in both directions must stop. Only on a road with a median can traffic going the other way keep moving. Passing a stopped school bus costs 6 demerit points.

7. A train is coming. How far from the nearest rail must you stop?

   1. At least 2 m
   2. At least 5 m
   3. At least 10 m
   4. At least 30 m
   Show the answer

   B. At least 5 m. At least 5 m from the nearest rail, or from the gate. Never drive around or under a lowered gate.

8. Your car stalls on a railway track. What should you do first?

   1. Keep trying to start the engine
   2. Get everyone out, move well away from the tracks, then call police
   3. Push the car off the tracks
   4. Turn on your hazard lights and wait
   Show the answer

   B. Get everyone out, move well away from the tracks, then call police. Get everyone out right away and move at least 30 m from the tracks. Then call police.

9. What blood alcohol level must a G1 or G2 driver have?

   1. Under 0.08
   2. Under 0.05
   3. Zero
   4. Under 0.02
   Show the answer

   C. Zero. Zero. G1 and G2 drivers, and every driver aged 21 or under, can have no alcohol at all.

10. The person beside a G1 driver must be fully licensed with at least how many years of experience?

    1. One
    2. Two
    3. Four
    4. Six
    Show the answer

    C. Four. Four years. They must be the only other person in the front seat, and their blood alcohol must be under 0.05, or zero if they’re 21 or under.

11. When can’t a G1 driver drive?

    1. Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
    2. Between midnight and 5 a.m.
    3. After sunset
    4. On weekends
    Show the answer

    B. Between midnight and 5 a.m. G1 drivers can’t drive between midnight and 5 a.m.

12. When must your headlights be on?

    1. Only when it’s completely dark
    2. From half an hour before sunset to half an hour after sunrise, and whenever you can’t clearly see 150 m ahead
    3. From 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
    4. Only in rain or snow
    Show the answer

    B. From half an hour before sunset to half an hour after sunrise, and whenever you can’t clearly see 150 m ahead. From half an hour before sunset to half an hour after sunrise, and any time people or vehicles can’t be clearly seen at 150 m or less.

13. You must switch from high beams to low beams when an oncoming vehicle is within:

    1. 60 m
    2. 100 m
    3. 150 m
    4. 300 m
    Show the answer

    C. 150 m. 150 m of an oncoming vehicle, and within 60 m of a vehicle you’re following.

14. An ambulance is coming toward you with its siren on. What should you do?

    1. Speed up to get out of its way
    2. Stop where you are in your lane
    3. Pull over as close to the right edge as you can, clear of intersections, and stop
    4. Move into the left lane
    Show the answer

    C. Pull over as close to the right edge as you can, clear of intersections, and stop. Stop as close as practical to the right edge, parallel to it and clear of any intersection. If you’re about to turn in an intersection, go straight through, then pull over.

15. A tow truck is stopped on your side of a highway with its amber lights flashing. You have two lanes in your direction. What must you do?

    1. Keep your speed and your lane
    2. Slow down, and move over a lane if it’s safe
    3. Stop behind it
    4. Sound your horn to warn the driver
    Show the answer

    B. Slow down, and move over a lane if it’s safe. Ontario’s Move Over law covers stopped emergency vehicles and tow trucks: slow down, pass with caution, and move over a lane if you safely can.

16. How close may you follow a fire truck that’s responding to an alarm?

    1. 50 m
    2. 100 m
    3. No closer than 150 m
    4. Any distance, if you’re careful
    Show the answer

    C. No closer than 150 m. Never within 150 m.

17. A pedestrian is crossing at a pedestrian crossover. When may you drive on?

    1. Once they’ve passed your lane
    2. Once they’re completely off the road
    3. After waiting five seconds
    4. When the car beside you goes
    Show the answer

    B. Once they’re completely off the road. Wait until the pedestrian is completely off the road. Breaking this rule costs $300 to $1,000 and 4 demerit points.

18. How much space should you leave when passing a cyclist?

    1. 30 cm
    2. 50 cm
    3. At least 1 m, where practical
    4. At least 3 m
    Show the answer

    C. At least 1 m, where practical. At least 1 m where practical, measured from the side of your car, mirrors included. Not doing so is 2 demerit points.

19. Can you turn right on a red light in Ontario?

    1. Never
    2. Yes, after a complete stop and once the way is clear, unless a sign forbids it
    3. Yes, without stopping, if the way is clear
    4. Only at night
    Show the answer

    B. Yes, after a complete stop and once the way is clear, unless a sign forbids it. Yes, after a full stop and once it’s clear, unless a sign says otherwise. Yield to pedestrians and cyclists.

20. Two cars stop at a four-way stop at the same time. Who goes first?

    1. The car on the right
    2. The car on the left
    3. The bigger vehicle
    4. Whoever is going straight
    Show the answer

    A. The car on the right. When two vehicles stop at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. Otherwise, the first to stop goes first.

Part 2: Signs, signals and road markings

1. What does this sign mean?

   1. Slow down and go if it’s clear
   2. Come to a complete stop
   3. Stop only if other cars are coming
   4. Yield to pedestrians only
   Show the answer

   B. Come to a complete stop. Stop at the stop line. With no line, stop at the crosswalk; with no crosswalk, at the edge of the sidewalk; with neither, at the edge of the intersection.

2. What does this sign mean?

   1. Stop, then go
   2. Let traffic in or near the intersection go first, stopping if you need to
   3. Merge without slowing down
   4. No entry
   Show the answer

   B. Let traffic in or near the intersection go first, stopping if you need to. A yield sign means slow down, stop if necessary, and let other traffic go first.

3. What does a five-sided sign like this mean?

   1. A playground nearby
   2. A school zone
   3. A pedestrian crossover
   4. A hospital zone
   Show the answer

   B. A school zone. Five-sided signs mark school zones. Slow down and watch for children. A school zone speed sign means a lower limit applies when its yellow lights are flashing.

4. What does this sign mark?

   1. A four-way stop
   2. A railway crossing
   3. A closed road
   4. An intersection ahead
   Show the answer

   B. A railway crossing. The crossbuck marks a railway crossing. The advance warning sign before one is a yellow diamond.

5. What kind of sign is a yellow diamond like this one?

   1. A rule you must follow
   2. A warning of a hazard ahead
   3. A construction zone
   4. Directions to a city
   Show the answer

   B. A warning of a hazard ahead. Yellow diamonds are warning signs. This one warns that the road ahead curves.

6. What does an orange diamond sign tell you?

   1. A school nearby
   2. A temporary condition, usually construction
   3. A tourist attraction
   4. A truck route
   Show the answer

   B. A temporary condition, usually construction. Orange diamonds are temporary condition signs, usually for construction. Speeding fines are doubled in a construction zone when workers are present.

7. What does this sign mean?

   1. Left turn ahead
   2. No left turn
   3. The left lane ends
   4. Left turns only
   Show the answer

   B. No left turn. A red circle with a line through it means the activity shown isn’t allowed. A green circle means you may, or must, do it.

8. You see this sign on the back of a vehicle. What does it mean?

   1. It carries dangerous goods
   2. It’s a slow-moving vehicle, travelling at 40 km/h or less
   3. It’s an emergency vehicle
   4. It’s a school vehicle
   Show the answer

   B. It’s a slow-moving vehicle, travelling at 40 km/h or less. The orange triangle marks a slow-moving vehicle, such as farm equipment, that travels at 40 km/h or less.

9. What does this sign tell you?

   1. Police are watching the area
   2. The community has flagged a special risk to pedestrians, and fines are increased
   3. Speed cameras are in use
   4. Pedestrians aren’t allowed
   Show the answer

   B. The community has flagged a special risk to pedestrians, and fines are increased. In a community safety zone, speeding fines double during the posted times, and many other minimum fines are higher too.

10. What do green signs with white letters do?

    1. Warn of hazards
    2. Give information and directions
    3. Mark school zones
    4. Show rules you must follow
    Show the answer

    B. Give information and directions. Green signs are information and direction signs. Other colours point to services and attractions.

11. A traffic light is flashing green. What does it mean?

    1. Go straight only
    2. You may turn left, go straight or turn right, while oncoming traffic has a red light
    3. The light is broken, so treat it as a four-way stop
    4. Pedestrians may cross
    Show the answer

    B. You may turn left, go straight or turn right, while oncoming traffic has a red light. A flashing green light, or a green left arrow with a green light, is an advance green. Pedestrians may not cross on it unless their own signal says so.

12. What should you do at a flashing red light?

    1. Slow down and go
    2. Come to a complete stop, then go when it’s safe
    3. Stop only if traffic is coming
    4. Wait for it to turn green
    Show the answer

    B. Come to a complete stop, then go when it’s safe. Treat a flashing red light like a stop sign.

13. What does a flashing yellow light mean?

    1. Stop
    2. Drive with caution
    3. Speed up to get through
    4. Pedestrians only
    Show the answer

    B. Drive with caution. Proceed with caution.

14. The traffic lights at an intersection are out because of a power failure. What should you do?

    1. Drive through at normal speed
    2. Treat it like an all-way stop
    3. Sound your horn and go
    4. Turn around
    Show the answer

    B. Treat it like an all-way stop. Yield to vehicles already in the intersection and to vehicles coming from your right, and use it like an all-way stop.

15. The light turns amber as you approach. What should you do?

    1. Speed up to beat the red
    2. Stop if you can do it safely; otherwise go through with caution
    3. Stop immediately, wherever you are
    4. Keep going at the same speed
    Show the answer

    B. Stop if you can do it safely; otherwise go through with caution. Stop if you can safely. If you’re too close to stop safely, go through with caution.

16. A traffic signal shows a white vertical bar. What does it mean?

    1. All traffic may go
    2. It’s for buses and other transit vehicles, and other traffic must yield to them
    3. Pedestrians may cross
    4. The lane is closed
    Show the answer

    B. It’s for buses and other transit vehicles, and other traffic must yield to them. It’s a transit priority signal. Other traffic and pedestrians must yield to the transit vehicle.

17. Yellow lines on the road separate:

    1. Traffic going the same direction
    2. Traffic going in opposite directions
    3. Parking spaces
    4. Bike lanes
    Show the answer

    B. Traffic going in opposite directions. Yellow lines separate traffic going in opposite directions. White lines separate traffic going the same way.

18. There’s a solid line on your side of the centre line. What does it mean?

    1. You may pass when it’s clear
    2. It’s unsafe to pass
    3. The road is ending
    4. You’re in a bike lane
    Show the answer

    B. It’s unsafe to pass. A solid line on your side means it’s unsafe to pass. A broken line means you may pass if the way is clear.

19. You’re turning, and a pedestrian is still crossing when the orange hand starts flashing. Who has the right-of-way?

    1. You do, because the hand is flashing
    2. The pedestrian, who may finish crossing
    3. Whoever is faster
    4. Nobody
    Show the answer

    B. The pedestrian, who may finish crossing. The flashing hand tells people not to start crossing. Anyone already crossing still has the right-of-way.

20. Two chevrons painted above a bicycle symbol in a lane (a “sharrow”) mean:

    1. Bicycles aren’t allowed
    2. Cyclists and drivers share the lane
    3. The lane is for bicycles only
    4. Bicycle parking
    Show the answer

    B. Cyclists and drivers share the lane. Sharrows mark a lane that cyclists and drivers share.

How did you do?

• 36 to 40: you know this material well. Read the Handbook once more and go take the test.
• 32 to 35: you’re right around the pass mark. Review every question you missed until you can explain the answer.
• Under 32: spend a few evenings with the Handbook, starting with the signs, then try again.

Signs gave you trouble? The road signs guide lays them out by shape and colour. Intersections? Try the right-of-way guide.