Tennessee: Alcohol and drugs — Part 1 Practice Test
Questions in this part include: “According to the manual, which drivers are more likely to be on the road at night?” · “A BAC of .08 means that for every 10,000 drops of blood in a person's body, how many drops are alcohol?”
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Questions are original and based on the official manual "Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual" (March 2025 printing), Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
All 19 questions in this practice test
Take the test above first, then use this list to study. Tap “Show answer” to see the correct answer and explanation.
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According to the manual, which drivers are more likely to be on the road at night?
- Learner permit holders
- School bus drivers
- Drinking drivers
- Delivery truck drivers
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Correct answer: Drinking drivers
Besides fatigue and poor vision, night driving is more dangerous because drinking drivers are more likely to be on the road at night.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 71 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 71)
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By Tennessee law, at least what share of the questions on the knowledge test must deal with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol?
- At least 25 percent
- At least 10 percent
- At least 40 percent
- At least 50 percent
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Correct answer: At least 25 percent
State law requires at least 25 percent of the knowledge test questions to cover driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)
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How does spacing your drinks over a longer period of time affect the rate at which you become intoxicated?
- It speeds up the rate at which you become intoxicated
- It has no effect on how fast you become intoxicated
- It slows the rate at which you become intoxicated
- It cancels the effect of the earlier drinks right away
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Correct answer: It slows the rate at which you become intoxicated
Drinking the same number of drinks over a longer time slows intoxication, which is why the manual calls it responsible drinking.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)
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Alcohol begins to be absorbed into the bloodstream within about how long after an alcoholic beverage is consumed?
- About 15 minutes
- One to two minutes
- About 30 minutes
- About one hour
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Correct answer: One to two minutes
Alcohol starts entering the bloodstream within one to two minutes after drinking, then accumulates in the blood.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)
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According to the manual, when does intoxication occur?
- When you drink alcohol on an empty stomach only
- When alcohol leaves the bloodstream and reaches the brain
- When you drink more than two drinks in a single day
- When you drink alcohol faster than the liver can oxidize it
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Correct answer: When you drink alcohol faster than the liver can oxidize it
The liver can only oxidize alcohol at a limited rate, so drinking faster than that rate leaves alcohol building up in the blood.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)
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About how much alcohol can the liver oxidize in one hour?
- About one drink
- About two drinks
- About three drinks
- About half a drink
Show answer
Correct answer: About one drink
The liver can only oxidize about one drink per hour.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)
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What is the only thing that can sober a person who has been drinking?
- Coffee
- A cold shower
- Time
- Exercise
Show answer
Correct answer: Time
The rate at which the liver removes alcohol cannot be increased by coffee, exercise or a cold shower; only time sobers a person, and it is a slow process.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)
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What does Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) measure?
- The number of drinks a person has had in a day
- The percentage of alcohol in the blood
- How quickly the liver oxidizes alcohol
- The weight of alcohol in the stomach
Show answer
Correct answer: The percentage of alcohol in the blood
BAC is the percentage of alcohol in a person's blood, and a higher number means the person is more impaired.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)
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What happens as the percentage of alcohol in your blood increases?
- You become more alert
- Your coordination improves
- You become more sober
- You become more intoxicated
Show answer
Correct answer: You become more intoxicated
A higher alcohol percentage in the blood means greater intoxication and greater impairment.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)
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Under Tennessee's DUI law, driving is unlawful when the alcohol concentration of the driver's blood or breath is at what level or higher?
- .08 percent
- .10 percent
- .12 percent
- .15 percent
Show answer
Correct answer: .08 percent
Tennessee treats .08 as the level of intoxication that is always illegal, and its DUI law covers an alcohol concentration of .08 percent or higher.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 81 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 81)
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A BAC of .08 means that for every 10,000 drops of blood in a person's body, how many drops are alcohol?
- Eighty
- Eighteen
- Eight
- Four
Show answer
Correct answer: Eight
At .08, there are eight drops of alcohol for every 10,000 drops of blood.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)
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How does body weight affect the amount of alcohol it takes to raise a person's BAC?
- The heavier the person, the less alcohol it takes
- The heavier the person, the more alcohol it takes
- Body weight has no effect on BAC
- Only height decides how fast BAC rises
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Correct answer: The heavier the person, the more alcohol it takes
A heavier person needs more alcohol to reach the same BAC, so a smaller person who matches friends drink for drink will probably be affected sooner.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)
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Two people weigh the same and each has the same number of drinks. Which one will show signs of intoxication first?
- The one with less body fat
- The one who is taller
- Both show signs at exactly the same moment
- The one with more body fat
Show answer
Correct answer: The one with more body fat
Alcohol is absorbed in water, not fat, so a person with more body fat has less water to dilute it and shows intoxication first.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)
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What effect does food in the stomach have on alcohol?
- It causes alcohol to be absorbed more slowly
- It keeps alcohol from ever reaching the blood
- It makes alcohol be absorbed faster
- It lets the liver oxidize alcohol faster
Show answer
Correct answer: It causes alcohol to be absorbed more slowly
Food slows down the rate and amount of intoxication, but all the alcohol still ends up in the blood eventually.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)
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About what percentage of the alcohol in the body does the liver oxidize?
- About 50 percent
- About 30 percent
- About 90 percent
- About 75 percent
Show answer
Correct answer: About 90 percent
The liver oxidizes approximately 90 percent of the alcohol in the body, which is why it is so vulnerable to alcohol's harm.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)
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If the liver is damaged or diseased, what happens to the rate at which it oxidizes alcohol?
- It increases, so alcohol leaves the body faster
- It is reduced, so alcohol stays in the body longer
- It stays the same, since only time sobers a person
- It is unaffected, but BAC drops faster
Show answer
Correct answer: It is reduced, so alcohol stays in the body longer
A damaged liver oxidizes alcohol more slowly, so the alcohol stays in the body longer and the BAC stays higher for longer.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)
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Which diseases can the effects of alcohol on the liver lead to?
- Diabetes and asthma
- Pneumonia and bronchitis
- Measles and mumps
- Hepatitis and cirrhosis
Show answer
Correct answer: Hepatitis and cirrhosis
The manual says alcohol's effects on the liver can lead to hepatitis and cirrhosis.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)
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Compared with a sober driver, how much more likely is a driver with a BAC of .10 percent to cause a crash?
- Seven times
- Two times
- Three times
- Ten times
Show answer
Correct answer: Seven times
At a BAC of .10 percent a driver is seven times more likely to cause a crash than a sober one.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)
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As a driver's BAC increases to .15 percent, the chance of causing a traffic crash increases to how many times that of a sober driver?
- 5 times
- 10 times
- 25 times
- 50 times
Show answer
Correct answer: 25 times
At .15 percent BAC the chance of causing a crash rises to 25 times normal.
Source: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (March 2025 printing), page 79 · Open this page in the manual (Manual page 79)