The Wisconsin road signs test, called the Highway Signs Test in the Wisconsin Motorists' Handbook, has 15 questions, and you need 12 correct (80%) to pass. It is separate from the 50-question knowledge test on traffic laws, which also needs 80%. Learn the sign shapes and colors below, then use the 10 practice questions to check yourself.
Quick answer: what the Wisconsin highway signs test is
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) runs driver licensing through its Division of Motor Vehicles (wisconsindot.gov). Its handbook lists two written tests for a Class D instruction permit: the knowledge test and the Highway Signs Test.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Agency | Wisconsin DMV, part of WisDOT (wisconsindot.gov) |
| Highway Signs Test | 15 questions. You need 12 correct (80%) |
| Knowledge test | 50 questions. You need 40 correct (80%) |
| Appointment | The handbook says you do not need one for the signs test |
| Cost | Tests taken at a DMV customer service center are free |
| Online option | Ages 15 to 17 can take the knowledge test online with a parent or guardian for $10 per attempt, after finishing the classroom part of driver's ed |
Sign shapes and colors
Wisconsin uses the national sign standard, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) from the Federal Highway Administration, so the shapes and colors below are the same ones in the Motorists' Handbook. A few shapes belong to one sign only, which makes them easy points.
Octagon (8 sides)
- Red with white letters: STOP.
- No other sign uses this shape, so you can recognize it from behind or in snow.
Triangle, point down
- Red and white: YIELD.
- Slow down and stop if needed to let traffic and pedestrians go first.
Diamond
- Yellow with black symbols: a warning.
- Curves, hills, merging traffic, slippery roads, deer and similar hazards ahead.
Pentagon (5 sides)
- School zone or school crossing.
- Usually fluorescent yellow-green. Slow down and watch for children.
Pennant (sideways triangle)
- Yellow: NO PASSING ZONE.
- Posted on the left side of the road, where you would see it while thinking about passing.
Circle
- Yellow with an X and two Rs: railroad crossing ahead.
- This is an advance warning. The crossing itself comes later.
Crossbuck (X shape)
- White X at the tracks: the railroad crossing itself.
- Treat it like a yield sign for trains.
Vertical rectangle
- Usually regulatory: speed limits, turn rules, lane use.
- White signs give rules you must obey.
Horizontal rectangle
- Guide and information signs: green for directions, blue for services, brown for parks and points of interest.
What each color means
| Color | What it means |
|---|---|
| Red | Stop, yield or something you must not do (DO NOT ENTER, WRONG WAY, red circle and slash) |
| White | Regulatory: a rule you must obey, such as a speed limit |
| Yellow | General warning: a hazard or change ahead |
| Fluorescent yellow-green | School, pedestrian and bicycle warnings |
| Orange | Work zones and temporary traffic control |
| Green | Guide signs: directions, exits and distances |
| Blue | Motorist services: gas, food, lodging, hospital |
| Brown | Recreation and cultural sites: parks, historic sites |
| Black | Used with white on some rule signs, such as ONE WAY |
Signs that are more Wisconsin than anywhere else
- State highway markers: the handbook describes the Wisconsin state road sign as one that "looks like a milk jug with a spout at the bottom."
- Flex lanes: on some highways you may use the paved shoulder as a travel lane when signs allow it. A green arrow means the lane is open.
- Diverging diamond interchanges: the handbook lists several, including I-39/90 at WIS 11 and WIS 26 near Janesville, WIS 441 at Oneida Street in Appleton, and I-39/90 at WIS 81 in Beloit. Follow the signs and lane markings through the crossover.
The signs people miss most
From our time teaching new drivers, the misses are rarely STOP or YIELD. They are the warning signs that look alike and the signs you only meet on highways or country roads:
- NO PASSING ZONE pennant: a yellow sideways triangle on the left side of the road. Do not start a pass here.
- Round yellow railroad sign: the crossing is ahead, not here. Slow down, look and listen.
- Crossbuck: the crossing itself. Yield to any train, and stop if one is coming.
- Pentagon school sign: school zone or crossing. Slow down and expect children.
- Yield sign: you do not always have to stop, but you must let others go first and stop if needed.
- Divided highway begins and divided highway ends: two signs that look alike. On "ends", traffic will soon come toward you with no median.
- Lane ends or merge: the lane you are in is ending, or traffic will join from the side. Adjust speed and make room.
- Keep right of divider: pass on the right side of the median or island ahead.
- Yellow advisory speed plate under a curve sign: the suggested safe speed for that curve, not the posted limit.
- DO NOT ENTER and WRONG WAY: you are about to enter a one-way road or ramp against traffic. Turn around safely.
Wisconsin farm roads often have hills and curves with no passing zones. If you are not sure the pennant applies yet, do not pass.
Practice: 10 wisconsin road sign test practice questions
Cover the answers, say each answer out loud, then check. On the real test you can miss only 3 of 15, so aim for 10 out of 10 here.
- Which shape is used only for the stop sign?
- You see a yellow, sideways triangle on the left side of the road. What does it mean?
- A round yellow sign with a black X and two letter Rs means what?
- What does a five-sided (pentagon) sign tell you?
- What color are work zone signs?
- A yellow diamond-shaped sign is what kind of sign?
- What does a red and white triangle pointing down mean?
- What do blue signs show?
- What color are guide signs that give directions and exits?
- What does a white rectangular sign usually give you?
Answers
- An octagon (eight sides).
- No passing zone. Do not start to pass.
- A railroad crossing is ahead.
- You are near a school zone or school crossing.
- Orange.
- A warning sign about a condition or hazard ahead.
- Yield: slow down, let others go first, and stop if needed.
- Motorist services such as gas, food, lodging or a hospital.
- Green.
- A rule you must obey, such as a speed limit or turn rule.
How the signs section fits into the full test
For a Class D instruction permit, the handbook lists two written tests: the 50-question knowledge test and the 15-question Highway Signs Test. The road test comes later, when you go for your license.
If you are 15 to 17 and taking the knowledge test online, WisDOT describes it as a two-part exam covering rules of the road and road signs, taken at home with a parent or guardian. You need 80% or better, it costs $10 per attempt, and you get two attempts online. Your driver training school has to tell the DMV you finished the classroom part first.
How many questions are on the Wisconsin drivers test?
The knowledge test has 50 questions and the Highway Signs Test has 15, so 65 written questions in all. Each needs 80%: 40 of 50 and 12 of 15. The handbook does not state a waiting period after a failed test, so ask the DMV before you leave.
Wisconsin road signs test FAQ
What is the road sign test?
It is a short test where you identify traffic signs by their shape, color and symbol and pick what they mean. In Wisconsin it is called the Highway Signs Test: 15 questions, 12 correct to pass.
How many questions are on the Wisconsin drivers test?
The knowledge test has 50 questions (40 correct to pass) and the Highway Signs Test has 15 (12 correct to pass).
How many can you miss on the Wisconsin highway signs test?
Three. You need 12 of 15 correct.
Is the Wisconsin DMV road signs test free?
The handbook says tests taken at a DMV customer service center are free. The online knowledge test for ages 15 to 17 costs $10 per attempt.
Do I need an appointment for the Wisconsin permit road sign test?
The handbook says you do not need an appointment for the signs test. Check wisconsindot.gov for your service center's hours.
