MA Permit Practice Test 10

All 20 questions in test 10

Every question below comes from the Massachusetts 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. According to the Massachusetts manual, can you be ticketed for driving 40 mph in a heavy rainstorm on a highway posted at 50 mph?

   1. No, because you are under the posted limit
   2. Only if you are also following too closely
   3. Yes, for driving too fast for conditions
   4. Only on a divided highway
   Show answer

   Yes, for driving too fast for conditions. The posted number is not a guarantee of safety. Massachusetts uses exactly this example: 40 mph in a heavy rainstorm on a 50 mph highway can draw a ticket because the speed is not reasonable and proper for the conditions. Being under the limit is not a defense, no second violation is required, and the road type does not matter. In rain, fog, snow or heavy traffic the law expects you to choose a speed that lets you stop within the distance you can see, whatever the sign says.

2. 2. According to the Massachusetts manual, how do rain and wet roads affect driving?

   1. They only affect visibility, not traction
   2. They make it harder to start, stop, and turn
   3. They shorten stopping distance because tires grip better
   4. They have no effect below 30 mph
   Show answer

   They make it harder to start, stop, and turn. Water changes what the tires can do. The manual says rain and wet roads make it harder to start, stop and turn, which is a traction problem, not just a visibility one, though hard rain, fog and mist also make it harder to see. Wet pavement never shortens stopping distance, and the effect does not disappear at low speed; the first minutes of rain on an oily road are slippery at any pace. Slow down, leave more room, and avoid sudden inputs.

3. 3. How much space does the Massachusetts manual tell you to keep behind a motorcycle compared with another vehicle?

   1. Two seconds
   2. The same three seconds
   3. At least four seconds
   4. One second, because motorcycles stop quickly
   Show answer

   At least four seconds. Motorcycles can stop faster than cars in good conditions and are harder to judge in bad ones, so the manual asks for at least four seconds behind a motorcycle instead of the usual three. Two seconds or one second leave no room if the rider brakes hard or falls. The extra second also gives the rider space to avoid a pothole or a patch of sand without you closing on them. Never share a lane with a motorcycle.

4. 4. What does a solid green turn arrow mean for a Massachusetts driver?

   1. You may go straight only
   2. You must stop and wait for a circular green
   3. Turns are prohibited
   4. You can make a protected turn in the direction of the arrow
   Show answer

   You can make a protected turn in the direction of the arrow. The green arrow is the protected phase. It tells you that you can turn in the arrow's direction and that the signal is holding pedestrians and oncoming traffic on red while you do. It does not restrict you to going straight, you do not wait for a circular green, and it is the opposite of a prohibition. Still glance across the intersection before turning, because the protection depends on everyone else obeying their red.

5. 5. After an emergency vehicle passes you on a Massachusetts road, what should you check before pulling back into traffic?

   1. That no other emergency vehicles are approaching
   2. That your headlights are on
   3. That you signaled for at least five seconds
   4. That the vehicle behind you has also pulled over
   Show answer

   That no other emergency vehicles are approaching. Emergency vehicles often travel in groups, a fire engine followed by a ladder truck or an ambulance followed by a police car. The manual tells you to make sure no other emergency vehicles are approaching before you move back into the lane. Headlights and signal timing are not the issue, and the car behind you is responsible for itself. Look in your mirrors, listen for a second siren, then merge back when the road is clear.

6. 6. A Massachusetts crosswalk signal has a countdown timer. Who has the right of way when the count reaches zero?

   1. Pedestrians who are already in the crosswalk
   2. Vehicles going straight on green
   3. Vehicles turning across the crosswalk
   4. No one, the crosswalk is closed
   Show answer

   Pedestrians who are already in the crosswalk. The countdown tells pedestrians how long they have to start crossing, not how long they have to finish. Anyone already in the crosswalk when it hits zero keeps the right of way and must be allowed to reach the curb. Turning and through vehicles must wait for them, and the crosswalk is not closed to someone who is already in it. As a driver, watch for slower pedestrians who entered late and give them the time they need.

7. 7. A funeral procession is moving through an intersection in Massachusetts. Which vehicles must it yield to?

   1. Any vehicle already stopped at the intersection
   2. Vehicles on the right
   3. Emergency vehicles with flashing lights or sirens, or as directed by law enforcement
   4. Trucks and buses
   Show answer

   Emergency vehicles with flashing lights or sirens, or as directed by law enforcement. A funeral procession keeps the right of way at intersections so it can stay together, and other drivers may not cut between its vehicles. The one exception is emergency traffic: the procession must yield to vehicles with flashing lights or sirens and to law enforcement directions. Stopped cars, vehicles on the right and large vehicles all wait for the procession. If the lead vehicle legally enters an intersection, the rest may follow even if the light changes.

8. 8. How high can the reinstatement fee be for a Massachusetts suspension caused by a serious offense?

   1. As high as $1,200
   2. $25
   3. $100
   4. There is no fee
   Show answer

   As high as $1,200. Fees for suspensions caused by serious offenses may be as high as $1,200, on top of any course, road test or attitudinal retraining requirements. The reinstatement fee depends on the offense. A junior operator suspended for violating the passenger or night restriction pays $100 to reinstate, while a junior operator convicted of drag racing pays $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for a later one, along with a new permit exam, a Driver Attitudinal Retraining course and a new road test. Avoiding the offense is far cheaper than paying to get the license back.

9. 9. How close to a fire may a Massachusetts driver drive by or park?

   1. No closer than 100 feet
   2. No closer than 800 feet
   3. No closer than 300 feet
   4. No closer than 500 feet
   Show answer

   No closer than 800 feet. Massachusetts makes it illegal to drive by or park within 800 feet of a fire. Three hundred feet is the rule for following an emergency vehicle responding to an alarm. One hundred and five hundred feet are not the fire distance. Drivers also may not run over an unprotected fire hose unless a firefighter or public safety official directs it.

10. 10. What does this NO LEFT TURN sign, a red circle with a diagonal slash over an arrow, mean in Massachusetts?

    
    1. A left turn is allowed only after stopping
    2. The left lane is closed
    3. Left turns are allowed for buses
    4. A left turn is prohibited here
    Show answer

    A left turn is prohibited here. Massachusetts reads the red circle with a diagonal slash as a universal prohibition: whatever is drawn inside is not allowed. Over a left arrow it forbids the left turn at that location, with no stop and go exception and no vehicle class exemption. It does not close a lane; it forbids a movement. The same symbol over a U shaped arrow bans U-turns and over a right arrow bans right turns, so read the arrow inside the circle before you commit to the lane.

11. 11. What is the minimum age to apply for a Class D or Class M learner's permit in Massachusetts?

    1. 17
    2. 15
    3. 16 1/2
    4. 16
    Show answer

    16. The Massachusetts ladder starts at 16 with the learner's permit for a car or motorcycle. Fifteen is too young, sixteen and a half is the earliest age for the Junior Operator license itself, and seventeen has no special meaning in the sequence. The permit lets the holder practice with a licensed operator who is at least 21 in the passenger seat, and the six months of holding it, plus driver education for those under 18, come before the road test.

12. 12. A Massachusetts Junior Operator is convicted of reckless or negligent operation. What additional suspension applies for a first offense, beyond any other suspension required by law?

    1. 180 days
    2. 30 days
    3. One year
    4. No additional suspension
    Show answer

    180 days. Junior Operators carry an extra layer of consequences. For offenses such as drag racing, reckless or negligent operation, loaning a license or permit, or motor vehicle homicide, the RMV adds a 180 day suspension for a first offense and a full year for any later one, on top of whatever the offense itself carries. Thirty days is too short to match the rule, and the idea of no extra suspension is exactly what the JOL law rejects. The add on does not apply when the teen already received an additional suspension for failing or refusing a breath test.

13. 13. On a two-way Massachusetts road with a broken yellow center line, when may you cross into the oncoming lane?

    
    1. Any time the lane looks empty
    2. Temporarily, to pass a vehicle, if it is safe to do so
    3. Never
    4. Only to turn left into a driveway
    Show answer

    Temporarily, to pass a vehicle, if it is safe to do so. The broken yellow line is a conditional permission. You may cross it temporarily to pass a vehicle when it is safe, which means enough sight distance, no oncoming traffic, and room to return before the line becomes solid. An empty looking lane is not by itself safe on a hill or curve, the line is not limited to driveway turns, and never describes the solid line, not the broken one. Complete the pass promptly and move back to the right.

14. 14. How does Massachusetts require parking brakes to be tested for a road test vehicle?

    1. They are not tested
    2. By rolling downhill
    3. By pulling the lever while parked on flat ground
    4. By accelerating the motor to 1,200 to 1,300 RPM with the vehicle in the lowest gear
    Show answer

    By accelerating the motor to 1,200 to 1,300 RPM with the vehicle in the lowest gear. Massachusetts regulation 540 CMR 4.04(4) requires that parking brakes be tested by accelerating the motor to 1,200 to 1,300 RPM with the vehicle in the lowest gear; the brake must hold. The examiner also checks lights, horn, signals and belts, and a vehicle registered out of state must show insurance equal to the Massachusetts minimums before the test begins. A vehicle that fails the check cannot be used.

15. 15. You are not sure whether the van ahead with flashing red lights is a school vehicle. How does the Massachusetts manual describe school pupil transport vehicles?

    1. They are always yellow buses
    2. They display orange triangles
    3. They have flashing red lights and SCHOOL BUS signs on top
    4. They use blue flashing lights
    Show answer

    They have flashing red lights and SCHOOL BUS signs on top. Not every school vehicle is a big yellow bus. Massachusetts treats vans, station wagons and family sedans used as school pupil transport vehicles the same way when they carry flashing red lights and a SCHOOL BUS sign on top, and the stop requirement applies to them. Orange triangles mark slow moving vehicles and blue lights belong to emergency vehicles. If the red lights are flashing and the sign is there, stop as you would for a full size bus.

16. 16. What happens to a Massachusetts Under 21 license when the holder turns 21?

    1. It expires on the 21st birthday
    2. It must be replaced within 30 days
    3. It remains valid until its expiration date
    4. It becomes invalid for driving
    Show answer

    It remains valid until its expiration date. Vertical licenses and identification cards printed with the words Under 21 are issued to anyone who obtains or renews a license or ID while under 21, and the card remains valid to its expiration date even after the holder turns 21. The vertical format helps officers and retailers spot young drivers at a glance, and the same design is used for ID cards.

17. 17. What do green signs do on Massachusetts highways?

    1. Warn of hazards ahead
    2. Give highway directions and guide you through highway interchanges
    3. List motorist services
    4. Mark work zones
    Show answer

    Give highway directions and guide you through highway interchanges. Green is the direction color: route markers, distance and destination signs, and the overhead signs that guide you through interchanges. Hazards are yellow, motorist services are blue, and work zones are orange. Reading green signs early lets you choose your lane well before the exit, which is safer than a last second change across traffic. In Massachusetts, numbered state routes appear on white shields while interstate signs are blue, red and white shields.

18. 18. What does an orange sign mean in the Massachusetts sign color code?

    1. Stop or prohibition
    2. Construction or maintenance warning
    3. Motorist service
    4. Direction
    Show answer

    Construction or maintenance warning. Orange is reserved for construction and maintenance. It marks work zones where lanes shift, speeds drop and workers stand close to traffic, and speeding fines are doubled in posted work zones. Red is stop or prohibition, green is direction, and blue is motorist services. When orange appears, slow down, follow the flaggers and temporary signs, and expect people on foot.

19. 19. A Massachusetts driver under 18 fails a chemical test in a first OUI case. How can the extra one-year suspension be shortened?

    1. To 180 days, by entering an approved alcohol education program
    2. It can be waived entirely by paying a fine
    3. To 30 days, by winning the court case
    4. It cannot be shortened at all
    Show answer

    To 180 days, by entering an approved alcohol education program. Drivers under 18 who fail a chemical test are suspended for 30 days plus one more year. In a first OUI case, that year can be reduced to 180 days upon entry into a Department of Public Health approved alcohol education program. Winning the court case does not change the requirement, because the extra suspension exists to get young drivers into alcohol education. A fine does not waive it, and saying it can never be shortened is wrong.

20. 20. This SIGNAL AHEAD sign warns of a traffic light ahead. If that light shows a steady yellow circle as you approach, what does it mean?

    
    1. The signal is broken
    2. Speed up to clear the intersection
    3. Turns are prohibited
    4. The signal is changing from green to red
    Show answer

    The signal is changing from green to red. The advance sign tells you a signal is coming; the steady yellow circle tells you it is about to turn red. Yellow is not a malfunction and it is not an invitation to accelerate; it is the moment to stop if you can do so safely, and to clear the intersection only if you are already too close to stop. Turns are governed by arrows and posted signs, not by the yellow phase. Seeing the SIGNAL AHEAD sign, ease off so a yellow does not catch you at full speed.