Traffic Signs: Reading the Road Before You Reach It
Traffic signs in Ethiopia follow international conventions, so a candidate should be able to classify any sign by its shape and colour before reading its symbol. Red circles are prohibitions (no entry, no overtaking, speed limit). Red-bordered triangles are warnings of a hazard ahead. Blue circles are mandatory instructions (turn left only, minimum speed). Blue squares and rectangles give information or guidance. Yellow or orange diamonds and rectangles mark temporary works or school and pedestrian zones. Octagons mean stop; inverted triangles mean give way.
The common trap is confusing a warning triangle with a prohibition circle, or assuming a sign applies only where it stands. Many signs, such as speed limits and no-overtaking, remain in force until a new sign cancels them or an intersection resets the rule. Another trap is the supplementary plate under a sign: it can restrict the sign to certain hours, vehicle classes, or distances, and questions often hinge on that plate rather than the main sign.
A reliable rule of thumb: shape tells you the type of message, colour tells you the urgency, the symbol tells you the action. For example, a red-bordered triangle containing a pedestrian means 'pedestrians may cross ahead - slow down'; the same symbol in a blue square means 'pedestrian crossing located here'.
Practice by naming the shape, then the colour, then the symbol, then the required action, every time you see a sign.