Most Tested Road Rules in Georgia

Right of way shows up everywhere on the Georgia permit test. It’s also where people lose points because the question stacks details: yield sign here, stop sign there, unmarked intersection, somebody turning left. It gets messy fast.

At a four-way stop, the first vehicle to stop goes first. If two vehicles arrive together, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. Simple. Usually.

Left turns are another favorite. If you’re turning left, you normally yield to oncoming traffic going straight. Always assume the test wants the safe, legal answer—not the “they’ll probably slow down” answer.

Speed limits matter too, but the DDS loves the exceptions. School zones, work zones, and quick drops near busy corridors show up in questions because they catch real drivers every day. Posted signs win. Every time.

School bus rules are high-stakes and heavily tested. If the bus is stopped with red lights flashing and the stop arm out, you must stop. On an undivided road, traffic in both directions stops. On a divided highway with a median or barrier, oncoming traffic may continue with caution.

Know the divider rule. Cold.

A few more rules that repeat a lot:

• Georgia’s Hands-Free law: you can’t hold or support a phone while driving
• Move over for emergency, tow, utility, and DOT vehicles stopped with flashing lights
• Keep right except to pass (Georgia’s “Slowpoke” rule expects you to move out of the left lane for faster traffic)
  This one trips people up.

Headlights are another sneaky one because it’s not just “at night.” Georgia expects headlights from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, and when visibility is poor. If your wipers are on in rain, don’t overthink it—turn headlights on.

Short question. Big points.

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Question Format and Passing Score Requirements

The Georgia DDS knowledge exam is multiple choice and pulled straight from the Georgia Driver’s Manual. Some questions are obvious. A few aren’t. That’s normal.

Time pressure makes you misread, especially when the question asks what you should do “first.” One word. Different answer.

You’ll get a set number of questions and you’ll need a minimum number correct to pass. Exact totals can change with updates and test versions, so check DDS guidance before you go in. Early, not the night before.

Your best strategy stays the same: don’t aim to barely pass. Aim high so one confusing scenario doesn’t sink you.

How to handle the format without getting rattled:

• Read the last line first so you know what it’s asking
• Cross out two wrong choices before you pick
• Be cautious with words like “always” and “never” unless the rule truly is absolute
  This one trips people up.

You’ll also see scenario-style questions—merging onto I-16 near Savannah, sudden slowdowns on Atlanta’s Downtown Connector, or deciding what to do when a school bus stops on a two-lane road outside Macon. The test isn’t trying to be cute. It’s checking judgment.

One rule at a time.

And if you’re already thinking about the Georgia driving road test, good. These same rules show up behind the wheel: full stops, correct yielding, lane choice, and hands-free compliance are easy for an examiner to spot.

Fast.

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Common Mistakes on the GA Permit Test

The biggest mistake is mixing up right of way. People answer based on politeness instead of law. On the test, politeness can be wrong.

If you have a stop sign and the other driver doesn’t, you yield. Even if they wave you through. The rule wins on paper.

Another common miss is special Georgia laws and penalties—because they’re not “just trivia.” They’re test material. Hands-Free enforcement and repeat-offense consequences show up. So does Super Speeder: 75+ on a two-lane road or 85+ on any road can trigger an extra $200 state surcharge on top of the ticket, and ignoring it can lead to suspension.

It adds up.

People also miss questions about the left lane. Georgia’s keep-right-except-to-pass expectation means you should move over when a faster vehicle is overtaking you, even if you think you’re going “fast enough,” with limited exceptions. The DDS loves that wording.

Another easy point to lose: school zones and school buses. Drivers assume the rule is the same everywhere. It isn’t. Divided vs undivided matters. Posted school zone hours matter. A “median” in the question is not decoration.

Watch that word.

A few final mistakes that show up over and over:

• Guessing based on what drivers “usually do” in traffic
• Skimming words like “median,” “barrier,” “first,” or “closest”
• Forgetting “Steer It, Clear It”: after minor crashes, you’re expected to move vehicles out of travel lanes when it’s safe
  This one trips people up.

Practice until the rules feel automatic. Then test day feels like another practice run, whether your appointment is near Athens, South Fulton, Sandy Springs, or downtown Atlanta.

Breathe. You’re ready.