MA Permit Practice Test 13

All 20 questions in test 13

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. As you enter a highway from a ramp, who has the right-of-way?

   1. The entering vehicle in every case
   2. Drivers already traveling on the highway
   3. Whichever driver signals first
   4. The driver whose lane is ending
   Show answer

   Drivers already traveling on the highway. Entering traffic must yield to vehicles already using the highway. Matching the highway traffic’s speed is part of entering, but it does not transfer priority to the merging driver. A signal communicates the intended move rather than requiring another vehicle to give way. Get into the proper lane well in advance, observe highway traffic, and merge while respecting its right-of-way. An ending entrance lane does not reverse this responsibility.

   Study this in the handbook: Signaling, lane use and highway driving

2. 2. In Massachusetts, when may the RMV suspend a learner's permit or driver's license right away on public safety grounds?

   1. After a court conviction for a criminal driving offense
   2. When the RMV believes the driving is an immediate threat to public safety
   3. After three surchargeable events are recorded
   4. Only when unpaid parking fines block renewal
   Show answer

   When the RMV believes the driving is an immediate threat to public safety. Massachusetts treats driving as a privilege, and the RMV may act at once when it believes a person's driving is an immediate threat to public safety, suspending a learner's permit or driver's license immediately. A claim that a court conviction must happen beforehand adds a step the rule omits, since the danger itself triggers action. Waiting for three surchargeable events also delays protection beyond what the immediate threat ground allows. Unpaid parking fines concern renewal eligibility, a separate paperwork problem. Picture a driver weaving through traffic today: safety action need not wait for a later court date.

3. 3. A moped rider has only a learner permit. May the rider carry a passenger?

   1. Yes, during daylight hours
   2. Yes, if the passenger is at least 21
   3. Yes, if the passenger wears a helmet
   4. No passengers may be carried
   Show answer

   No passengers may be carried. The moped rules prohibit carrying passengers when the operator is using a learner permit. A passenger being an adult or wearing a helmet does not change that restriction. Daylight also does not create an exception. The condition to notice is the operator’s permit status. This passenger limit appears separately from the general helmet requirement, so satisfying one rule does not remove the need to follow the other.

4. 4. At night, where should you direct your gaze instead of looking straight at oncoming headlights?

   1. Directly into the approaching headlights
   2. Toward the lower right side of your lane
   3. Toward the center of the opposite lane
   4. At the interior rearview mirror until the car passes
   Show answer

   Toward the lower right side of your lane. For night driving, the handbook advises against staring straight into approaching headlights. Look toward the lower right side of your own lane instead. Turning attention to the opposite lane or staring at the interior mirror is not the recommended response. Keep windows and headlights clean and drive at a speed that lets you react and stop within the distance you can see. The gaze direction helps focus attention within your travel lane.

   Study this in the handbook: Stopping distance, headlights, night and bad weather

5. 5. A driver or passenger in Massachusetts opens a vehicle door into an oncoming bicycle. What fine can apply?

   1. A fine of up to $25
   2. A fine of up to $300
   3. No fine when the door was opened from the passenger side
   4. A fine of up to $100
   Show answer

   A fine of up to $100. Opening a vehicle door into traffic puts approaching bicyclists at direct risk beside parked cars. Both drivers and passengers face a fine reaching up to $100 when a door swings into an oncoming bicycle. Checking behind the vehicle before releasing the latch helps confirm no bicyclist is closing in along the curb side. Exempting passenger side doors would erase responsibility for people exiting on that side, though the penalty covers passengers too. Pause with your hand on the handle, glance backward, and open only into an empty path.

6. 6. A medicine label leaves you unsure whether the drug affects driving. What should you do?

   1. Assume nonprescription medicines cannot affect driving
   2. Use a smaller dose and drive without asking
   3. Drive first to see whether you become sleepy
   4. Ask your doctor or pharmacist before driving
   Show answer

   Ask your doctor or pharmacist before driving. Medicine can affect the skills needed to drive even when it is sold without a prescription. Read the label and understand its side effects before getting behind the wheel. If the warning is unclear, ask a doctor or pharmacist. Testing your reaction by driving first leaves you operating before you know the effects. Cold medicines, pain medicines, sedatives, and other drugs discussed in the handbook can make driving dangerous.

   Study this in the handbook: Zero tolerance and under 21 alcohol laws

7. 7. An emergency vehicle approaches from any direction with siren or flashing lights. How must you yield?

   1. Pull as close as possible to the right side, stop until it passes; slowly rolling is not acceptable
   2. Slowly roll toward the left shoulder
   3. Stop immediately in the middle of the intersection
   4. Speed up to clear the road ahead
   Show answer

   Pull as close as possible to the right side, stop until it passes; slowly rolling is not acceptable. Yield to an emergency vehicle using a siren or emergency flashing lights by pulling as close as possible to the right side and stopping until it passes. Slowly rolling is not acceptable. If you are in an intersection, drive through and pull over as soon as it is safe. Before merging back, signal left, make sure the lane is clear, and check for other approaching emergency vehicles.

   Study this in the handbook: Emergency vehicles, skids, brake failure and breakdowns

8. 8. From which lane may you begin a U-turn on a Massachusetts road?

   1. From any lane with your turn signal on
   2. From the breakdown lane after checking mirrors
   3. From the far right lane for a wider swing
   4. Only from the lane closest to the center line
   Show answer

   Only from the lane closest to the center line. You may make a U-turn only from the lane closest to the center line, when your path is clear and it is safe. Do not make one where a NO U-TURN sign is posted. Make sure there is enough room and do not create a hazard for oncoming vehicles. Do not make a U-turn at a hillcrest, near a curve, or anywhere drivers cannot see 500 feet away.

   Study this in the handbook: Turns, right of way and rotaries

9. 9. Railroad crossing lights flash and the gate lowers, yet you cannot see any train coming. What must you do in Massachusetts?

   1. Drive around the gate slowly if the track looks clear
   2. Cross quickly before the train arrives
   3. Never drive around a lowered gate or ignore the flashing lights
   4. Stop only if a bell is also ringing
   Show answer

   Never drive around a lowered gate or ignore the flashing lights. If railroad crossing lights begin flashing, stop at least 15 feet before the light post or gate. Remain stopped until the gate raises and the lights stop flashing. Failure to stop carries a heavy fine. Even if you cannot see a train, never drive around a lowered gate or ignore flashing lights. The rule does not depend on a bell ringing.

   Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossings and work zones

10. 10. A Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon shows two steady red lights at the top. What must you do?

    1. Proceed cautiously without stopping if you see no pedestrian
    2. Slow down but keep moving
    3. Stop only if a vehicle ahead stops
    4. Stop for pedestrians
    Show answer

    Stop for pedestrians. Two steady red lamps are the stop phase of a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon. The handbook distinguishes them from flashing yellow, which requires slowing, and flashing red, which permits proceeding cautiously after a stop if clear. Do not apply the flashing-red procedure before recognizing the actual phase. A driver ahead is not the signal to obey. Watch the beacon itself and stop for the pedestrian crossing when the upper red lights are steady.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and pedestrian signals

11. 11. Your Massachusetts license expired while you were on active service. How long after honorable discharge may you drive on the expired license, and what must you carry?

    1. Up to 60 days, carrying the expired license and proof of discharge
    2. Up to 30 days, carrying only the expired license
    3. Up to 45 days, carrying deployment orders
    4. Up to one year, carrying discharge papers alone
    Show answer

    Up to 60 days, carrying the expired license and proof of discharge. If your Massachusetts license expired during active service, you may drive with it for up to 60 days after honorable discharge. Carry both the expired license and proof of discharge when driving. The separate 45-day rule applies to a license issued by an Armed Forces branch based in another country when returning from active duty outside the United States. One year far exceeds sixty days, and discharge papers without the expired license miss half the requirement.

12. 12. Before starting a three point turn in Massachusetts, what traffic gap should you wait for?

    1. A 5 to 10 second gap
    2. Any gap between two cars
    3. A 20 to 30 second gap
    4. A full minute gap
    Show answer

    A 20 to 30 second gap. A three point turn belongs only where the street is narrow, visibility is good, no public driveways offer an easier option, traffic is light, the turn is legal, and no other choice remains. Positioning close to the right curb, signal left, then check traffic and pedestrians in both directions including the blind spot. Wait until you have a 20 to 30 second gap to complete the turn before moving slowly with the wheel turned quickly left. Five to ten seconds rushes three separate maneuvers. Any gap ignores duration entirely. A full minute overstates the stated window.

13. 13. When parking in a Massachusetts business or residential district where angled parking is not allowed, how close to the curb must your vehicle be?

    1. No more than 12 inches from the curb
    2. Within 24 inches of the curb
    3. Against the curb, touching it
    4. Within 18 inches on either side of the street
    Show answer

    No more than 12 inches from the curb. In a business or residential district, your vehicle must be no more than 12 inches from the curb, except where angled parking is allowed. The rule sets a maximum distance and does not require the vehicle to touch the curb. Twenty four inches places the vehicle too far from the curb; the limit is 12 inches. No rule demands touching the curb; the limit is no more than 12 inches from it.

    Study this in the handbook: Parking rules and hills

14. 14. Why do bridges and highway overpasses need extra care during Massachusetts winter weather?

    1. They freeze before the rest of the road and can be very slippery
    2. They stay warmer than the road and dry out first
    3. They are salted first, so ice never forms on them
    4. They freeze only after snow has covered the whole road
    Show answer

    They freeze before the rest of the road and can be very slippery. Bridges and highway overpasses freeze before the rest of the road and can be very slippery because the ground does not insulate them. The manual advises lowering your speed and driving carefully in winter conditions. The manual says bridges and overpasses freeze before the rest of the road because the ground does not insulate them. The manual identifies earlier freezing than the rest of the road, not snow covering the whole road, as the hazard.

    Study this in the handbook: Stopping distance, headlights, night and bad weather

15. 15. This skidding-car sign warns of a slippery road. What does the Massachusetts manual say can happen when a road is slippery?

    
    1. Your brakes become more effective
    2. Your steering becomes more responsive
    3. Your tires can lose traction and the car can hydroplane
    4. Nothing changes below 40 mph
    Show answer

    Your tires can lose traction and the car can hydroplane. The sign is posted where water, ice or oil makes the surface treacherous. The manual's warning is that a slippery road lets the tires lose traction, and on water the car can hydroplane, riding on a film with almost no grip. Brakes and steering do not improve; they lose effect. Speed is not a safe harbor, since roads are often most slippery when rain first mixes with oil. Slow before the marked stretch, avoid sudden inputs, and leave extra room.

    Study this in the handbook: Stopping distance, headlights, night and bad weather

16. 16. You drive above 60 mph on a Massachusetts trip. How does fuel use change with speed?

    1. Fuel use rises about five percent for every ten miles per hour above 60 mph
    2. Fuel use rises about five percent for every five miles per hour above 60 mph
    3. Fuel use falls about five percent for every five miles per hour above 60 mph
    4. Fuel use stays flat until 75 mph, then rises sharply
    Show answer

    Fuel use rises about five percent for every five miles per hour above 60 mph. Above 60 mph in Massachusetts driving guidance, each added five miles per hour raises fuel consumption by about five percent, roughly like paying an extra 30 cents per gallon. Stretching the step to ten miles per hour halves the stated penalty and understates what steady highway speed costs. Holding cruise control near 60 keeps the penalty from stacking with every small speed increase. Watch the speedometer settle at 60 before engaging cruise on long stretches.

17. 17. What does an unattested Massachusetts driving record cost, and where can it be ordered?

    1. 8 dollars, and only online
    2. 20 dollars, at any service center
    3. 8 dollars, by mail only
    4. Free, at any service center
    Show answer

    8 dollars, and only online. An unattested Massachusetts driving record costs $8 and is available only online. An attested copy costs $20 and is stamped as an authentic RMV document suitable for official purposes. Checks or money orders for mail orders must be payable to MassDOT. The manual lists an $8 fee for an unattested record and a $20 fee for an attested record. The 8 dollar unattested record is available only online, not by mail only.

18. 18. What minimum lawful presence must a REAL ID applicant show, and what happens if presence will last a shorter time?

    1. Six months, and no card can issue below that floor
    2. Five years, matching full license validity
    3. Twelve months minimum; a card can still issue to someone proving that floor even if present for a shorter period
    4. No minimum applies to REAL ID applicants
    Show answer

    Twelve months minimum; a card can still issue to someone proving that floor even if present for a shorter period. Federal compliance ties card length to authorized stay, with a twelve month floor for eligibility. The minimum acceptable period of lawful presence is 12 months. An applicant who proves that minimum can receive a REAL ID license or ID even when actual presence will be shorter, with fee and expiration adjusted accordingly. Six months halves the floor. Five years confuses maximum validity with the presence threshold. Claiming no minimum erases the screening step altogether. Hold two numbers apart: twelve months to qualify, five years as the longest ordinary term.

19. 19. You pass the road test after prepaying license fees with no outstanding obligations. What does the examiner validate, and how long does it last?

    1. Your permit becomes a temporary license valid for 30 days only
    2. Your permit becomes a temporary license valid up to 60 days, unless the permit expires sooner
    3. You receive the permanent photo license on the spot
    4. Your permit stays a permit until the card arrives, with no driving allowed
    Show answer

    Your permit becomes a temporary license valid up to 60 days, unless the permit expires sooner. If you pass the road test, have prepaid for your license, and have no outstanding obligations, the examiner validates your learner’s permit. It becomes a temporary license valid for up to 60 days, unless the permit expires sooner. The RMV manufactures and mails the permanent photo-image license. The permanent card is manufactured and mailed later; the examiner validates the permit instead. A validated permit after a prepaid pass does authorize driving as a temporary license.

    Study this in the handbook: The road test

20. 20. What minimum tire tread depth does Massachusetts require?

    1. At least 4/32 inches
    2. At least 1/32 inch
    3. At least 2/32 inches
    4. No set depth, as long as no cords show
    Show answer

    At least 2/32 inches. Tires must have at least 2/32 inches of tread depth in the proper grooves and no fabric breaks or exposed cords. Driving with extremely worn or damaged tires is dangerous and illegal. A 4/32-inch minimum is not the stated requirement, and 1/32 inch is below it. A set depth does apply, alongside the ban on fabric breaks and exposed cords. One thirty second of an inch falls below the required tread depth.

    Study this in the handbook: Seat belts, child seats and safe following distance