Washington CDL — General Knowledge practice
Washington CDL — General Knowledge: Road Signs practice test
Learn the shapes, colors, and meanings of regulatory, warning, and guide signs — from stop and yield to construction and school-zone signs.
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026
14 questions · pass with 11 correct. You get instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.
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12 sample Road Signs questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.
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1. At a highway-rail grade crossing, what does an X-shaped crossbuck sign require a driver to do?
Correct answer: Give the right-of-way to any train that is coming
The crossbuck marks the grade crossing and requires you to yield the right-of-way to any approaching train.
Source: Washington CDL Guide — Section 2: Driving Safely (Warning Signs and Devices)
2. A round warning sign with a black symbol on a yellow background posted ahead of a railroad crossing tells a commercial driver to do what?
Correct answer: Slow down, look and listen for a train, and be prepared to stop
The round black-on-yellow advance warning sign means reduce speed, watch and listen for a train, and be ready to stop at the tracks if one is coming.
Source: Washington CDL Guide — Section 2: Driving Safely (Railroad-highway Crossings)
3. At some crossings a small sign mounted below the crossbuck displays a number. What does that number tell you?
Correct answer: The number of tracks that cross the roadway there
The sign below the crossbuck states how many separate tracks cross the road at that location.
Source: Washington CDL Guide — Section 2: Driving Safely (Warning Signs and Devices)
4. On a long mountain downgrade you pass signs pointing out an escape ramp. What is that ramp for?
Correct answer: A ramp of soft material to stop a runaway vehicle safely
Escape ramps use a long bed of loose material, often on an upgrade, to safely stop a runaway vehicle that has lost braking power.
Source: Washington CDL Guide — Section 2: Driving Safely (Mountain Driving)
5. What shape identifies a hazardous materials placard displayed on the outside of a vehicle?
Correct answer: A diamond standing on one of its points
Placards are diamond-shaped signs, turned to stand on one point, that identify the hazard class of the cargo.
Source: Washington CDL Guide — Section 2: Driving Safely (Lists of Regulated Products)
6. On a steep downgrade you see a sign reading 'Maximum Safe Speed.' How should you treat that posted number?
Correct answer: Never exceed the speed shown on the sign
A posted speed limit or 'Maximum Safe Speed' sign on a grade sets a ceiling you must never go above, even if your vehicle feels controllable.
Source: Washington CDL Guide — Section 2: Driving Safely (Mountain Driving)
7. On a two-lane road, pavement markings showing a large 'X' with the letters 'RR' painted on the surface mean what?
Correct answer: A railroad crossing is coming up on the road ahead
The painted 'X' and 'RR' carry the same message as the advance warning sign: a railroad crossing lies ahead.
Source: Washington CDL Guide — Section 2: Driving Safely (Warning Signs and Devices)
8. A vehicle displays a diamond placard reading 'Corrosive' with the number 8. Which cargo matches that hazard class?
Correct answer: Battery fluid
Hazard Class 8, Corrosives, includes materials such as battery fluid and hydrochloric acid.
Source: Washington CDL Guide — Section 2: Driving Safely (Hazard Class Definitions)
9. When a vehicle is required to carry hazardous materials placards, how many placards must be displayed and where?
Correct answer: Four matching placards on the front, rear, and both sides
A placarded vehicle must show four identical placards, one on the front, one on the rear, and one on each side.
Source: Washington CDL Guide — Section 2: Driving Safely (Lists of Regulated Products)
10. A sign marks a stretch of highway as a 'chain/approved traction device control area.' What does this tell a commercial driver?
Correct answer: That this is a designated area where chains may be required
These signs mark areas designated by the state where chains must be carried and may be required, such as mountain passes.
Source: Washington CDL Guide — Section 1: Introduction (Tire Chains)
11. At a railroad crossing, the red lights on the signal begin to flash. What are they telling you?
Correct answer: Stop, because a train is coming and you must yield
Flashing red lights at a crossing mean stop, a train is approaching, and you must yield the right-of-way to it.
Source: Washington CDL Guide — Section 2: Driving Safely (Warning Signs and Devices)
12. What does the slow-moving vehicle emblem look like, and what does it warn you about?
Correct answer: A red triangle with an orange center marking a slow-moving vehicle
A red triangle with an orange center is the slow-moving vehicle symbol, warning that the vehicle ahead travels well below normal speeds.
Source: Washington CDL Guide — Section 2: Driving Safely (Drivers Who Are Hazards)
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