The answer options
- Approaching the end of the motorway
- Approaching the end of a dual carriageway
- Approaching a hidden level crossingCorrect
- Approaching a hidden speed-limit change
Why the other options are wrong
- “Approaching the end of the motorway” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which approaching a hidden level crossing does. Picking it in the real test costs a mark you cannot get back, and with a pass mark of 43 out of 50 you only have seven to spare.
- “Approaching the end of a dual carriageway” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which approaching a hidden level crossing does. Picking it in the real test costs a mark you cannot get back, and with a pass mark of 43 out of 50 you only have seven to spare.
- “Approaching a hidden speed-limit change” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which approaching a hidden level crossing does. Picking it in the real test costs a mark you cannot get back, and with a pass mark of 43 out of 50 you only have seven to spare.
Why that is the answer
These red and white slanting countdown markers warn you that you are approaching a concealed or hidden level crossing. Each bar represents about a third of the distance to the tracks, giving you time to reduce your speed and prepare to stop safely. Do not confuse them with blue and green countdown markers, which are used to show the distance to motorway or primary route exits.
What rules of the road covers
- · National speed limits for cars, cars towing, and built-up areas
- · Priority at crossroads, roundabouts and unmarked junctions
- · Where waiting, loading and stopping are prohibited
- · One-way streets, bus lanes and contraflow systems
Mistakes learners repeat on this topic
- · Assuming street lighting always means 30mph without checking for repeater signs
- · Forgetting the reduced limits when towing on dual carriageways and motorways
- · Believing a roundabout always gives priority to the right regardless of markings
- · Parking within 10 metres of a junction because there were no yellow lines
Instructor tip: When a limit question names a vehicle type, answer for that vehicle — the trap is applying the car limit to everything.
How this comes up in the real test
Questions from rules of the road appear throughout the 50-question multiple-choice section, and the wording changes between versions. Learn the rule rather than the sentence: the DVSA can ask the same point from the opposite direction, and a memorised answer falls over the moment the phrasing moves.
The pass mark is 43 out of 50, so seven wrong answers is your entire margin. If a whole category is shaky, run the topic practice below until you are getting every question right for the right reason, then go back to full mocks under the clock.
More rules of the road questions
- A single carriageway road has this sign. What’s the maximum permitted speed for a car towing a trailer?
- At a roundabout, how should you signal that you're going straight ahead?
- At an un-marked crossroads, who has priority?
- How else can you indicate to other drivers besides using direction indicators?
- How far are you allowed to reverse?
- How should you park at night on a road with a 40mph speed limit?