Washington Road Signs Cheat Sheet.
The night-before summary, built like the exam.

The Numbers to Remember

• The test has 40 questions total.
• You need 32 correct to pass — that's the 80% passing standard.
• That means you can afford up to 8 wrong answers and still pass — but don't plan on using all 8.
• Scoring is one overall percentage, not broken out by topic, so a weak spot in one area can be balanced by strength in another.
• There's no separate signs-only sub-score to track — one test, one combined score, 32-of-40 to clear it.

Sign Shapes at a Glance

• Red octagon = stop, no exceptions.
• Red-and-white triangle (point down) = yield.
• Yellow diamond = general warning ahead.
• Orange = construction / work zone.
• White rectangle = regulatory rule (speed, one-way, parking).
• Green rectangle = guide/direction sign.
• Pentagon = school zone or crossing.
• Round sign = railroad crossing warning.
• When in doubt, shape and color tell you the category before you even read the words.

Right-of-Way in One Breath

• No signs? First to arrive goes first; tie goes to the driver on the right.
• Pedestrians in a crosswalk beat turning or through traffic, marked or not.
• Already in a roundabout beats trying to enter one.
• Merging traffic yields to the lane it's merging into.
• Lights-and-siren emergency vehicles always win — pull right, stop.
• At a four-way stop, first stopped is first to go; right beats left on a tie.

Top Traps

• "Posted limit is a max, not a target" — rain, fog, or traffic means slow below the limit, and going the limit in bad conditions can still be unsafe driving.
• Reduced zones apply even when empty — a school or work zone limit is enforced whether or not anyone's visible.
• Shape before words — if you can't read a sign in time, its shape and color already tell you stop, yield, warning, or rule.
• Fatigue counts as impairment — drowsy driving slows reactions similarly to alcohol, and test questions treat it that way.
• Distraction is broader than phones — eating, adjusting controls, or a heated conversation all count.
• Following distance grows in bad weather — wet or icy roads call for a longer gap than the good-conditions baseline.
• 32 of 40, not more, not less — don't overthink the score you need; just clear it with margin by reviewing every practice-test miss before test day.