MA Permit Practice Test 15

All 20 questions in test 15

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. You are turning at a Massachusetts intersection while a bicyclist rides straight through it. Who must yield?

   1. The bicyclist must yield to your turning vehicle
   2. Whoever reaches the intersection second goes next
   3. You must yield to the bicyclist going straight
   4. Neither road user, since both may proceed together
   Show answer

   You must yield to the bicyclist going straight. Turning across a through path puts the yielding duty on the driver. If you're turning, you must yield to bicyclists going straight through an intersection. Expecting the bicyclist to yield reverses that duty and invites a collision in the crossing. Drivers should also give bicyclists plenty of space and double check before proceeding. Pause your turn and let the straight-riding bicyclist clear the intersection ahead of you.

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

2. 2. Which brief lapse behind the wheel does Massachusetts guidance link to seriously injuring or killing a pedestrian?

   1. Checking a side mirror before changing lanes on a quiet street
   2. Slowing early for a marked crosswalk in daylight
   3. Scanning driveways while rolling through a neighborhood
   4. Getting distracted for just seconds, driving tired, or drifting out of a lane
   Show answer

   Getting distracted for just seconds, driving tired, or drifting out of a lane. The manual warns that getting distracted even for seconds, driving when tired, or drifting out of your lane can seriously injure or kill a pedestrian. Pay close attention in busy areas with many pedestrians. The manual recommends checking mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes; its pedestrian warning names distraction, tiredness, and lane drift. Slowing early for a crosswalk protects people on foot rather than endangering them.

   Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcycles and mopeds

3. 3. In Massachusetts, what penalty follows an initial offense for using a hand-held mobile electronic device while driving?

   1. $250 fine plus a distracted driving class
   2. $100 fine
   3. $500 fine plus an insurance surcharge
   4. Warning only with no fine
   Show answer

   $100 fine. A first offense for using a hand-held mobile electronic device while driving carries a $100 fine. A second offense carries $250 plus a mandatory distracted-driving educational program. Third and subsequent offenses carry $500, an insurance surcharge, and a mandatory distracted-driving program. That $500 amount plus surcharge belongs to later repeat conduct, not an initial offense. That $250 amount plus class belongs to repeat conduct, not an initial phone offense.

   Study this in the handbook: Hands free law and distracted driving

4. 4. You hold disabled person plates. May you park in the striped crosshatch area beside an HP-DV parking space?

   1. Yes, plates allow use of the striped area
   2. Yes, for up to ten minutes with hazard lights on
   3. No, parking there is barred even with disability plates or a placard
   4. Only when every marked space is occupied
   Show answer

   No, parking there is barred even with disability plates or a placard. You may not park in the striped crosshatch area next to an HP-DV space, even if you have disability plates or a placard. Plates grant the marked space privilege, not use of the striped access area. Hazard lights and a short stay do not convert an access aisle into parking. A full lot does not open the striped area to any vehicle. The cited passage states the point directly: In a striped crosshatch area next to an HP-DV space, even if you have disability plates or a placard

   Study this in the handbook: Parking rules and hills

5. 5. Where must a television installed in a Massachusetts vehicle be placed?

   1. On the dashboard, if the picture is dimmed
   2. On the windshield, below mirror height
   3. Anywhere, if only passengers watch it
   4. Behind the front seat and not visible to the driver
   Show answer

   Behind the front seat and not visible to the driver. Any television installed in a vehicle must be behind the front seat and not visible to the driver. The driver cannot be distracted by a television screen even when looking sideways. Dimming a screen or reserving it for passengers does not satisfy the placement and visibility requirements. The manual also advises avoiding loud noise inside the vehicle so you can hear emergency sirens.

   Study this in the handbook: Hands free law and distracted driving

6. 6. During a Class D road test, who may ride in the vehicle and where must each person sit?

   1. You, the examiner beside you, and your sponsor behind you, plus a language interpreter when allowed
   2. Applicant, examiner, sponsor, and children may all ride
   3. Only applicant and examiner; the sponsor waits outside
   4. Applicant and sponsor in front, examiner in back
   Show answer

   You, the examiner beside you, and your sponsor behind you, plus a language interpreter when allowed. During a Class D road test, the examiner sits beside you and your sponsor sits behind you. A language interpreter may also be allowed. Children are not allowed in the vehicle during the test. Children are not allowed riders during the test, even alongside the three permitted occupants. The examiner belongs beside the driver; the back seat is the sponsor position. The sponsor must ride along, seated behind the driver, not wait outside.

   Study this in the handbook: The road test

7. 7. Which winter items should Massachusetts drivers equip their vehicles with for cold and icy conditions?

   1. Beach towels and sunscreen
   2. Only a full fuel tank
   3. Sandbags without any clothing or tools
   4. Winter tires, an ice scraper, jumper cables, and extra warm clothing
   Show answer

   Winter tires, an ice scraper, jumper cables, and extra warm clothing. For Massachusetts winter conditions, equip your vehicle with winter tires, an ice scraper, jumper cables, and extra warm clothing. Fuel alone or sandbags without clothing or tools do not provide the listed equipment. Sandbags without clothing or tools miss the scraper, cables, and warm layers the list names. Beach items prepare for heat and sun, not ice, dead batteries, and cold waits. Fuel alone leaves tires, scraping, starting, and warmth unaddressed.

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

8. 8. You are stopped by a police officer at night. How should you set your lights?

   1. Leave your headlights on and switch the interior overhead light on
   2. Turn off every light so the officer is not blinded
   3. Open all doors and leave the hazards flashing
   4. Use high beams to light the shoulder for the officer
   Show answer

   Leave your headlights on and switch the interior overhead light on. If it is dark during a police stop, leave your headlights on and turn on the interior overhead light. Stay in the vehicle unless instructed to get out, and keep your hands in plain sight. Stay in your vehicle unless the officer instructs you to get out; at night, leave headlights on and turn on the overhead light. The manual calls for headlights and the interior overhead light, not high beams.

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

9. 9. At a stop you have no license or registration and then refuse to give your name and address, or give a false one. What fine applies?

   1. A $35 fine
   2. A $100 fine under Chapter 90, Section 25
   3. A $300 fine
   4. No fine can apply without documents present
   Show answer

   A $100 fine under Chapter 90, Section 25. Missing papers start one penalty, while stonewalling identity starts another. A driver who fails to supply a name and address, or offers a false name or address, can be fined $100 under Chapter 90, Section 25, and refusal can bring arrest plus criminal charges. Thirty five dollars prices only the failure to produce either document on a first offense. Identity answers cost nothing to give honestly. Speak your true name and address slowly, then let the officer sort the paperwork problem afterward.

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

10. 10. A stationary emergency vehicle with flashing lights is ahead on a Massachusetts highway with at least four lanes, at least two going your way. What must you do?

    1. Stay in the lane next to the emergency vehicle and maintain highway speed
    2. Move over to a lane that is not next to the lane the emergency, highway, or recovery vehicle occupies, when you can do so safely
    3. Stop in your travel lane until the emergency vehicle leaves
    4. Move over only when the highway has exactly two lanes in total
    Show answer

    Move over to a lane that is not next to the lane the emergency, highway, or recovery vehicle occupies, when you can do so safely. Approach cautiously when an emergency vehicle is stopped ahead with flashing lights and reduce speed to a reasonable and safe speed for conditions. On a highway with at least four lanes, at least two in your direction, safely move over to leave an open lane between your vehicle and the emergency vehicle. If moving over is not possible, continue cautiously at a reasonable and safe reduced speed.

    Study this in the handbook: Passing, school buses and the move over law

11. 11. Under Massachusetts law, for how long can the RMV suspend a license for using a false ID, even without a conviction?

    1. Up to six months
    2. Up to 30 days
    3. Up to five years
    4. It cannot act without a conviction
    Show answer

    Up to six months. Chapter 90, section 22(e) lets the RMV suspend a license for up to six months for a false or altered license or ID, and no conviction is required. If there is a conviction, the suspension is one year. Saying the RMV cannot act without a conviction is exactly backward. Thirty days is too short and five years too long. Penalties can apply even if the person never tried to buy alcohol.

    Study this in the handbook: Operating under the influence and chemical tests

12. 12. What instruction hours make up an RMV approved driver education and training program for a Massachusetts JOL applicant?

    1. 30 hours of classroom instruction, 12 hours behind the wheel, and 6 hours observing other student drivers
    2. 20 hours of classroom instruction, 20 hours behind the wheel, and 2 hours observing other student drivers
    3. 40 hours of classroom instruction, 6 hours behind the wheel, and 12 hours observing other student drivers
    4. 12 hours of classroom instruction, 30 hours behind the wheel, and 6 hours observing other student drivers
    Show answer

    30 hours of classroom instruction, 12 hours behind the wheel, and 6 hours observing other student drivers. An approved Massachusetts program combines 30 hours of classroom instruction, 12 hours of in car behind the wheel training, and six hours riding along while other student drivers practice. Swapping in 20 classroom hours and 20 driving hours invents an even split that the program never uses. Raising classroom time to 40 hours confuses separate supervised driving expectations with formal lessons. Putting 30 hours behind the wheel reverses the largest block, since classroom study holds that top figure. Picture thirty, twelve, six as a descending staircase from classroom down to observation time.

    Study this in the handbook: The Junior Operator License (ages 16 1/2 to 18)

13. 13. Your RMV application record matches the Problem Driver Pointer System. What happens to your application?

    1. It continues while you resolve the match during the next renewal cycle
    2. It is approved with a warning letter mailed to your home address
    3. It is denied permanently with no way to clear the record
    4. It cannot continue until all out-of-state suspensions or convictions are resolved
    Show answer

    It cannot continue until all out-of-state suspensions or convictions are resolved. If your record matches the Problem Driver Pointer System, you cannot continue the application process until all out-of-state suspensions or convictions are resolved. The system stores information about license suspensions and revocations in all 50 states. Denial is not permanent; resolving the underlying record lets the application proceed. Continuing to renewal would let an unresolved out of state suspension pass unchecked. A warning letter with approval does not satisfy the national pointer check.

    Study this in the handbook: The learner's permit and permit exam

14. 14. A traffic light ahead is flashing red. How should you treat it?

    1. As a caution light; slow down and roll through
    2. As a green light for the busier street only
    3. The same as a STOP sign; come to a complete stop, obey right-of-way, then proceed when safe
    4. As a broken light that may be ignored at night
    Show answer

    The same as a STOP sign; come to a complete stop, obey right-of-way, then proceed when safe. A flashing red circle carries stop sign force. Come to a complete stop, follow right-of-way rules, and proceed only when safe, stopping before a stop line or crosswalk line when one is painted. Treating the light as mere caution invites a rolling entry, which is exactly what the stop requirement forbids. It also has nothing to do with which street is busier or with the hour of night. Read flashing red as a red octagon hanging over the lane.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and pedestrian signals

15. 15. At a railroad crossing with more than one track, where is the track count posted?

    1. On the round warning sign, in black numbers
    2. Painted on the pavement before the first rail
    3. Below the white crossbuck sign
    4. On the gate arm, facing side traffic
    Show answer

    Below the white crossbuck sign. The point where train tracks cross a road is marked with a white crossbuck sign. If more than one track crosses the road, the number of tracks is posted below the crossbuck. The stated location for the track count is below the crossbuck, not on the gate arm. The advance round sign warns of a crossing; the tally sits at the crossing itself. The manual places the track count below the crossbuck sign.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic sign colors and types

16. 16. With Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, who remains the most important safety feature?

    1. The assistance system itself
    2. The passenger who watches alerts
    3. The owner manual, once read
    4. The driver
    Show answer

    The driver. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems can make driving safer when used correctly. Learn about your vehicle’s systems before using them, starting with the owner’s manual. The driver is still the most important safety feature in the car. The manual identifies the driver, not a passenger watching alerts, as the most important safety feature. Assistance systems aid the driver; they do not take over the primary safety role.

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

17. 17. What does a steady red arrow control in Massachusetts?

    1. All traffic at the intersection in every direction
    2. Only vehicles going in the direction of the arrow, with the same meaning as a steady red circle for those vehicles
    3. Pedestrians only
    4. Turning traffic only when a sign is added
    Show answer

    Only vehicles going in the direction of the arrow, with the same meaning as a steady red circle for those vehicles. Arrow signals narrow a familiar command to one movement. A steady red arrow carries the same meaning as a steady red circular signal, except that it applies only to vehicles traveling in the direction the arrow points. Extending it to every approach would stop movements the arrow never addresses. Pedestrians follow their own signals rather than this vehicle arrow. Added signage is unnecessary because direction itself limits the audience. Read the arrow as a red light wearing a pointer: if your path matches its direction, stop and apply the turning on red rules.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and pedestrian signals

18. 18. You plow snow with your truck for pay. What plates must the truck have?

    1. Passenger plates are enough
    2. Farm plates in every case
    3. Commercial plates
    4. No plates are needed off public roads
    Show answer

    Commercial plates. If you have a truck and plow for compensation, you must have commercial plates. Passenger or farm plates are not the plate type specified by this rule. The stated rule for plowing for compensation requires commercial plates, not farm plates. Passenger plates do not cover a truck used to plow for compensation. Compensated plowing triggers the commercial plate requirement. The cited passage states the point directly: If you have a truck and plow for compensation, you must have commercial plates.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcycles and mopeds

19. 19. You have no Social Security number and the SSA denied your application. How recent must the written Denial Notice be when you present it?

    1. Not more than 30 days old
    2. Not more than 60 days old
    3. Not more than six months old
    4. Any age is acceptable
    Show answer

    Not more than 60 days old. If the SSA denied your application for a Social Security number, the manual requires the written Denial Notice to be no more than 60 days old. It also lists proof of current visa status, an I-94 Record of Arrival and Departure, and a current non-U.S. passport. Thirty days is not the stated notice limit, while six months is older than the allowed 60 days.

20. 20. What does a YIELD line look like on Massachusetts pavement?

    1. A series of triangles painted next to each other
    2. A single solid white line across the lane
    3. A row of white diamonds
    4. Two parallel yellow lines
    Show answer

    A series of triangles painted next to each other. Yield points announce themselves on the pavement as well as on signs. An intersection with a yield sign may have a YIELD line painted across it, and that line looks like a series of triangles painted next to each other. A single solid white line describes a stop line at a signal or stop sign instead. White diamonds mark special lane restrictions such as high occupancy vehicle or bus only lanes. Double yellow lines separate opposing traffic in the center of the road. Stop behind stop, yield, and crosswalk lines whenever the sign, signal, or a pedestrian requires it.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and special lanes