MD Permit Practice Test 7

All 20 questions in test 7

Every question below comes from the Maryland question bank on this page. Open a question to see the correct answer and the explanation. Nothing here is hidden behind a signup.

1. 1. A school bus stops on the other side of a physical barrier on a multiple-lane road. What should you do?

   
   1. Stop only if a child is visible near the barrier
   2. Stop at least 20 feet from the median barrier
   3. Continue without stopping for the bus on the other side
   4. Reverse until the bus driver waves you through
   Show answer

   Continue without stopping for the bus on the other side. On a multiple-lane road divided by a physical barrier, traffic does not stop when the school bus is on the opposite side of that barrier. This differs from an undivided road, where vehicles in both directions must stop for the bus. Do not use the absence of visible children as a test. Identify whether a real physical divider separates the directions, then follow the matching rule.

2. 2. At a Maryland yield sign, what must you do before proceeding?

   1. Stop every time, even when the road is empty
   2. Slow down and yield to pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles
   3. Accelerate so other traffic must wait
   4. Proceed without looking if your lane is open
   Show answer

   Slow down and yield to pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles. A yield sign calls for a slower approach and a careful look to both sides. Give way to pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles, and continue only when doing so is safe. A complete stop may be needed, but stopping every time is not the sign's automatic instruction. Accelerating or skipping the scan would reverse the protective purpose of the sign. Remember the triangle: it signals a conditional stop and right-of-way decision, unlike the octagonal sign that requires a complete stop in every approach situation.

3. 3. What minimum following distance does the Maryland MVA recommend under ideal driving conditions?

   
   1. One second
   2. 3 to 4 seconds
   3. 10 seconds in every situation
   4. One car length
   Show answer

   3 to 4 seconds. Under ideal conditions, Maryland recommends leaving a three to four second gap behind the vehicle ahead. Choose a fixed object such as a sign or overpass, begin counting after the leading vehicle reaches it, and check whether you reach that object before the count is complete. One second gives too little reaction time, while a single car length changes meaning with speed and is not the manual's method. Ten seconds is not required for every normal situation, although buses, delivery vans, and poor conditions call for additional space.

4. 4. If a vehicle begins to hydroplane, which response is recommended?

   1. Accelerate sharply to force the tires through the water
   2. Apply the brakes firmly while turning toward the shoulder
   3. Take your foot off the gas and keep the vehicle straight
   4. Turn quickly from side to side to regain contact
   Show answer

   Take your foot off the gas and keep the vehicle straight. Hydroplaning occurs when the tires lose contact with the pavement on a sheet of water. Ease off the accelerator, avoid braking, keep the vehicle going straight, and slow until control returns. Firm braking or quick steering can make the loss of traction worse, and acceleration adds speed while the tires are already floating. Before wet weather, maintain the tires and reduce speed so hydroplaning is less likely. If it starts, the calm response is to remove power and wait for grip to return.

5. 5. When driving in Maryland, how may you carry your valid insurance identification card?

   1. Only after a police officer requests it
   2. Only as a paper card issued within the past 30 days
   3. Only as a photograph stored on another driver's phone
   4. In paper or electronic format
   Show answer

   In paper or electronic format. Maryland requires a driver to have a valid insurance identification card while operating a motor vehicle, and the card may be electronic. A paper card is also acceptable, but it is not limited to a recent 30-day issue or to another person's device. The obligation exists before a traffic stop, so waiting for an officer to ask does not remove the requirement. Keep the card accessible in the vehicle or in a phone you can safely show when stopped, and present it if law enforcement requests proof.

6. 6. Why should a driver leave extra space when passing a motorcycle?

   1. A motorcycle may be passed only at an intersection
   2. A motorcycle must remain at the far edge of its lane when passed
   3. Wind gusts and drafts from a passing vehicle can affect the motorcycle
   4. A motorcycle rider must signal the passing vehicle to continue
   Show answer

   Wind gusts and drafts from a passing vehicle can affect the motorcycle. The manual warns that wind gusts and drafts from a passing vehicle can affect a motorcycle. Leaving plenty of space reduces the chance that air movement will unsettle the rider. The motorcycle is not required to stop, and it is allowed to use the whole lane, so those choices misunderstand its road rights. Complete the pass with room, then wait until the motorcycle's headlight appears in your rear-view mirror before returning to the lane.

7. 7. A Maryland minor has no parent or legal guardian. Who else may co-sign the license application?

   1. A spouse who is 18 or older, or a responsible adult such as an employer
   2. Any licensed friend over 16
   3. The driving school instructor only
   4. No one, so the minor must wait until 18
   Show answer

   A spouse who is 18 or older, or a responsible adult such as an employer. Maryland requires a co-signer for applicants under 18. If the minor is married and the husband or wife is 18 or older, the spouse can co-sign with proof of marriage. With no parent, guardian or spouse, a responsible adult may co-sign, and the manual names an adult employer as an example, with proof such as a death certificate or emancipation papers. A friend over 16 is not an adult. The manual does not single out instructors, and the minor does not have to wait until 18.

8. 8. A Maryland co-signer cancels a minor's license. When can the minor drive again?

   1. After 30 days
   2. Immediately, with a new photo
   3. When they turn 18, unless a co-signer signs a new application
   4. Never
   Show answer

   When they turn 18, unless a co-signer signs a new application. A co signer may cancel a minor's license by submitting a written request to the MVA's Administrative Adjudication Division. The license remains canceled until the minor reaches the age of 18, unless a co signer who meets the qualifications co signs a new application. The co signer, usually a parent or guardian, takes on responsibility for the minor's driving, which is why they hold this power.

9. 9. What can affect how alcohol affects a driver's body, according to Maryland's manual?

   1. Only the number printed on the beverage container
   2. Weight, food, fatigue, mood, and medications, among other factors
   3. Only whether the vehicle has an automatic transmission
   4. Nothing once the driver has consumed water
   Show answer

   Weight, food, fatigue, mood, and medications, among other factors. A driver's BAC and impairment cannot be predicted simply by counting drinks. The manual names weight, body fat, how recently and how much the person ate, tiredness, mood, and medications as factors that can change alcohol's effects. Water or a vehicle's transmission does not erase those variables. Because personal estimates are unreliable, the safe decision is not to drive after drinking.

10. 10. Under Maryland's Move Over Law, what should you do when approaching a stopped vehicle with flashing lights?

    1. Pass close to it at the posted speed limit
    2. Move to a lane that is not immediately next to it, if safe
    3. Stop in the lane beside it until the lights turn off
    4. Use the shoulder without checking traffic
    Show answer

    Move to a lane that is not immediately next to it, if safe. Maryland requires drivers to move over when approaching a vehicle stopped, standing, or parked on a road with its lights flashing. Choose a lane that is not immediately adjacent to the stopped vehicle whenever conditions make that safe. If moving over is not safe or possible, slow to a safe speed instead. Passing close at the limit leaves no protective space, stopping beside the vehicle creates a hazard, and entering the shoulder without checking can cause another collision. Consider weather, road conditions, traffic, and pedestrians when choosing the response.

11. 11. A funeral procession has its headlights and hazard lights on. What must other drivers do?

    1. Yield until the procession has passed, unless they can safely proceed without crossing it
    2. Enter the intersection first if their signal is green
    3. Yield only to the lead vehicle
    4. Pass the procession on the shoulder when traffic is slow
    Show answer

    Yield until the procession has passed, unless they can safely proceed without crossing it. Other drivers must yield to vehicles in a funeral procession, even when their own signal is green. The duty continues until the procession passes, unless a driver can proceed safely without crossing its path. A green signal therefore does not give permission to cut through the group. Watch for the procession’s lights, remain patient, and make sure your path will not intersect the moving line of vehicles.

12. 12. If fog becomes too thick to drive safely in Maryland, what should the driver do?

    1. Speed up to leave the fog before other traffic arrives
    2. Stop in the travel lane with high beams on
    3. Pull completely off the road at a safe location and turn on emergency flashers
    4. Follow the center line using high beams
    Show answer

    Pull completely off the road at a safe location and turn on emergency flashers. When fog prevents safe travel, the manual directs the driver to leave the traffic path completely and use emergency flashers to warn others. Stopping in a lane exposes the vehicle to a rear-end collision, while speeding reduces the time available to react to hidden traffic. High beams can worsen glare in fog and do not solve the visibility problem. Reduce speed before visibility collapses, use low beams, and choose a safe place fully off the road rather than stopping where moving vehicles expect a lane to remain open.

13. 13. How much space does the Maryland manual recommend between the steering wheel and your chest?

    1. 2 to 3 inches
    2. At least 24 inches
    3. As little as possible
    4. 10 to 12 inches
    Show answer

    10 to 12 inches. Sit as far back from the steering wheel as possible and try to keep 10 to 12 inches between the steering wheel and your chest, so a deploying air bag does not strike you during its most forceful first inches of inflation. Use the air bag together with the lap and shoulder belt. Pregnant women should wear the lap belt low under the abdomen across the hips.

14. 14. What does a steady yellow traffic signal indicate?

    1. Stop if you can do so safely, or continue carefully if too close to stop
    2. Accelerate every time to beat the red signal
    3. Stop only after entering the intersection
    4. Treat the signal as a green light until it turns red
    Show answer

    Stop if you can do so safely, or continue carefully if too close to stop. A steady yellow means the signal is changing from green to red. It gives time to stop safely and lets vehicles already in the intersection clear before red. If the vehicle is too close to stop safely, the driver should carefully continue through. The acceleration choice encourages rushing into a changing intersection. The key cue is distance: stop when safe, but do not create a dangerous sudden stop when already too close.

15. 15. What is the purpose of Maryland's Provisional Driver's License?

    1. To permit unsupervised driving with restrictions for new drivers
    2. To replace the learner's permit for commercial drivers only
    3. To allow unrestricted driving before any testing
    4. To authorize driving only when a parent is in the vehicle
    Show answer

    To permit unsupervised driving with restrictions for new drivers. The provisional credential is the graduated licensing step for a new driver who has never held a license. It allows driving without supervision, but restrictions control situations such as passengers, nighttime travel, and wireless device use. It is not an unrestricted license and is not limited to commercial applicants. Think of it as supervised experience carried forward into a restricted independent stage.

16. 16. After each moving violation conviction or PBJ, what must a Maryland provisional driver start over before getting a full license?

    1. A new 45-day permit period
    2. A new 18-month conviction-free period
    3. A new 60-hour practice log
    4. A new knowledge test
    Show answer

    A new 18-month conviction-free period. The manual says that after each conviction or probation before judgment for a moving violation, the provisional driver must begin a new 18-month conviction-free period before the license can be restored or upgraded. This matches the rule that a full license requires 18 months with no moving violation convictions. A 45-day permit period and the 60-hour practice log belong to the learner stage. Passing all licensing tests again is tied to a minor's fourth offense revocation, not to this rule.

17. 17. What does the round railroad warning sign tell a driver?

    
    1. A railroad crossing is ahead
    2. The vehicle must enter a roundabout
    3. A railroad crossing has just ended
    4. Trains have priority only at night
    Show answer

    A railroad crossing is ahead. The round sign is a railroad warning sign used before a crossing. It tells the driver that tracks are ahead, so the driver should reduce speed, search for a train, and be ready to stop. It does not direct a vehicle into a roundabout, mark the end of tracks, or limit train priority to nighttime. The round shape is the recognition cue for advance railroad information. The crossbuck is different because it identifies the crossing itself, so do not confuse the two locations.

18. 18. If Maryland offers the knowledge test in an applicant's language, what must happen before using an interpreter?

    1. The applicant must pass the English test twice
    2. The applicant must first obtain a court order
    3. The applicant must use an interpreter on the first attempt
    4. The applicant must take that language version at least five times
    Show answer

    The applicant must take that language version at least five times. When the MVA offers the knowledge test in the language the applicant speaks, the applicant must take that version at least five times before using an interpreter. The rule does not require an English pass, a court order, or an interpreter on the first attempt. This is a testing-language sequence, so identify whether the requested language is already offered before choosing the accommodation path.

19. 19. What do Maryland traffic signs use to communicate information?

    
    1. Only flashing lights
    2. Engine sounds and tire size
    3. Symbols and words
    4. Vehicle registration numbers
    Show answer

    Symbols and words. Maryland states that traffic signs use symbols and words to communicate information. Drivers should quickly identify signs by their shapes, colors, words, numbers, and symbols. A sign is not interpreted from engine noise, tire size, or a vehicle registration number, and not every sign uses a flashing light. Slow enough to recognize the sign before acting, then combine the visual elements to understand whether it warns, regulates, guides, or identifies a service. This habit helps prevent a driver from reacting to only one part of the sign.

20. 20. When a KEEP RIGHT instruction is posted, where should you drive unless passing?

    1. Across the median to avoid traffic
    2. In the left-hand lane at all times
    3. On the shoulder beside the obstruction
    4. In the right-hand lane or lanes
    Show answer

    In the right-hand lane or lanes. Maryland directs drivers in areas with stay-right signs to use the right-hand lane or lanes unless they are passing a vehicle. The instruction does not mean driving on the shoulder, crossing a median, or remaining in the left lane. A keep-right message often works with an obstruction or divided roadway, so positioning early helps preserve a clear path and reduces last-second lane changes. After passing, return to the right when safe. Read the sign as a lane-position instruction, not as permission to leave the roadway.