MA Permit Practice Test 17

All 20 questions in test 17

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. After stopping at flashing railroad-crossing lights and a lowered gate, when may you continue?

   1. When the gate rises and the lights stop flashing
   2. As soon as the last visible railcar passes
   3. When the gate begins to rise, even if lights still flash
   4. After waiting one minute without seeing a train
   Show answer

   When the gate rises and the lights stop flashing. Wait for both conditions: the gate must rise and the lights must stop flashing. Seeing the rear of a train pass is not by itself permission to continue. The handbook also warns never to go around a lowered gate or ignore the flashing lights, even if no train is visible. Watch the crossing controls rather than relying on a guessed waiting period or the apparent end of one train.

   Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossings and work zones

2. 2. A learner permit applicant is found responsible for cheating on the permit exam. What licensing consequence follows?

   1. A warning letter with a retest the next day
   2. A bar on holding any license or permit for 60 days
   3. A bar on holding any license or permit for six months
   4. A fine only, with the passing score still counted
   Show answer

   A bar on holding any license or permit for 60 days. If you are found responsible for cheating on the learner’s permit exam, you will not be allowed to hold any type of driver’s license or permit for 60 days. Being caught cheating or trying to cheat also means failing the exam and being subject to further investigation. A warning plus a next day retest understates the consequence, since a sixty day bar applies after a responsibility finding.

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

3. 3. What credential is required for a limited use vehicle classified as a motorcycle?

   1. A Class D license or permit alone
   2. A Class M license or permit
   3. A commercial Class A license only
   4. No license if its speed stays below 40 mph
   Show answer

   A Class M license or permit. Limited use vehicles can be classified as motorcycles or passenger vehicles depending on their wheels. When the vehicle is a motorcycle, the operator needs a Class M license or permit. A Class D credential applies to the passenger-vehicle classification instead. The vehicle’s limited speed does not eliminate the credential requirement. Check the classification before deciding which license is sufficient, rather than treating every limited use vehicle as a passenger car.

4. 4. What does blood alcohol content measure?

   1. The amount of unprocessed alcohol in your body
   2. The total volume of liquid you drank
   3. The time since your last alcoholic drink
   4. The amount of food remaining in your stomach
   Show answer

   The amount of unprocessed alcohol in your body. Blood alcohol content describes alcohol still in the body, rather than the size of a drink or the time shown on a clock. A blood or breath test can measure it. Body weight, food eaten before drinking, the amount consumed, time spent drinking, and the rate of processing alcohol all affect BAC. Counting ounces of liquid alone misses the distinction between the beverage and its alcohol content.

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

5. 5. What speed limits apply on limited-access highways such as interstate routes, and on smaller highways?

   1. Limited-access highways run 50 to 65 mph, while smaller highways run 55 mph or lower
   2. Limited-access highways run 40 to 50 mph, while smaller highways run 65 mph
   3. Both road types allow up to 65 mph everywhere
   4. Smaller highways have no upper speed limit
   Show answer

   Limited-access highways run 50 to 65 mph, while smaller highways run 55 mph or lower. Limited-access highways, such as interstate routes, have speed limits from 50 to 65 mph. Smaller highways have limits of 55 mph or lower. Obey posted limits and drive more slowly when conditions require it. The manual gives 50 to 65 mph for limited-access highways and 55 mph or lower for smaller highways, not 40 to 50 mph and 65 mph. Smaller highways do not share the 65 mph top end allowed on limited-access roads.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed limits and the dangers of speeding

6. 6. Up to what speed are big Massachusetts rotaries designed to handle traffic?

   1. Up to 25 miles per hour
   2. Up to 55 miles per hour
   3. Walking speed only
   4. Up to 40 miles per hour
   Show answer

   Up to 40 miles per hour. Big rotaries are designed to handle traffic traveling at up to 40 mph. Traffic travels counterclockwise. Yield to vehicles already in the rotary unless signs or police officers direct otherwise, and yield to pedestrians. Use your right turn signal to exit. Smaller roundabouts require speeds of 25 mph or less. The manual says roundabouts require speeds of 25 mph or less; big rotaries are designed for traffic traveling at up to 40 mph.

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

7. 7. In which direction must bicyclists normally ride relative to traffic?

   1. Against traffic on every road
   2. Either direction if staying close to the curb
   3. Against traffic only when no bicycle lane exists
   4. In the same direction as traffic
   Show answer

   In the same direction as traffic. Bicyclists must normally travel in the same direction as traffic. The handbook allows a different direction only when signs or markings indicate it. Riding close to the curb or being on a road without a bicycle lane does not create an exception. This differs from the instruction for a pedestrian walking on a shoulder when there is no sidewalk. Identify whether the road user is riding a bicycle or walking before applying the direction rule.

8. 8. In Massachusetts, where must a motorized scooter stay while riding, including while passing?

   1. To the right side of the road, even when passing another vehicle
   2. In the center of the lane like a full size motorcycle
   3. On the left side near the center line for better visibility
   4. On sidewalks whenever traffic is heavy
   Show answer

   To the right side of the road, even when passing another vehicle. Motorized scooter riders must always stay to the right side of the road, even when passing another vehicle. Riding on the left near the center line conflicts with the requirement to stay to the right side of the road. Sidewalks sit outside the roadway positioning duty Massachusetts assigns to scooter riders. The scooter rule requires staying to the right side of the road, even when passing.

9. 9. On a highway with at least four lanes, including at least two in your direction, you approach a stationary emergency vehicle with flashing lights. What must you do?

   1. Keep your speed and stay in the lane beside it
   2. Slow down only if a worker is standing outside
   3. Stop in the travel lane until the lights turn off
   4. Proceed cautiously and reduce speed; safely move to a lane that leaves an open lane between you and the emergency vehicle if possible.
   Show answer

   Proceed cautiously and reduce speed; safely move to a lane that leaves an open lane between you and the emergency vehicle if possible.. Proceed cautiously and reduce to a reasonable and safe speed for road conditions. When the highway has at least four lanes with two in your direction, safely move over to leave an open lane between you and the stationary emergency vehicle when possible. If moving over is not possible, continue cautiously at a reduced, reasonable and safe speed. Be ready to stop if necessary.

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

10. 10. How young a child may never be transported on a bicycle in Massachusetts?

    1. A child under three years old
    2. A child under five years old who weighs 40 pounds or less
    3. Any child who can reach the pedals and handlebars
    4. A child under one year old
    Show answer

    A child under one year old. Bicycle passenger rules set a hard age floor for carrying youngsters. A child younger than one year may never be transported on a bicycle in any setup. A passenger age one through four, or weighing 40 pounds or less, must use an attached baby seat with a harness, an upright seating position, and protection for hands and feet from the spokes; children under one remain prohibited. The under-five/40-pound choice is wrong because it treats a baby-seat requirement as a complete transport ban. Remember the floor as a birthday rule: no bicycle transport before age one.

11. 11. You stop at a red light in Massachusetts where green pavement marks a bicycle conflict area. Where should your vehicle wait?

    1. On the green pavement, since the light is red
    2. Straddling the green pavement with two wheels
    3. Not on the green pavement
    4. Past the green pavement, inside the crosswalk
    Show answer

    Not on the green pavement. Green paint marks ground where bicycles and motor vehicles can conflict. At a red light, you should not stop on green pavement. Waiting on the green pavement because the light is red puts a stopped car exactly where bicyclists need clear space. Drivers should also watch for bicyclists before crossing such paint. Hold your stop short of the green area and leave that space open.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and special lanes

12. 12. You want to pass a bicycle but the lane is too narrow to pass safely. What should you do?

    1. Squeeze past slowly close to the rider
    2. Honk continuously until the rider moves onto the shoulder
    3. Wait for oncoming traffic to pass or for the lane to get wider
    4. Straddle the center line into oncoming traffic
    Show answer

    Wait for oncoming traffic to pass or for the lane to get wider. If there is not enough room to pass a bicycle or moped safely, wait for oncoming traffic to pass or for the lane to get wider. Leave plenty of room between your vehicle and the rider. If there is not enough room to pass safely, wait rather than squeeze past. Opposing traffic creates a head on risk at the center line. Noise creates no physical passing space in the lane.

13. 13. During which hours may a motorized scooter be driven in Massachusetts?

    1. At any hour if the scooter has a headlamp
    2. Not after sunset and not before sunrise
    3. After sunset when the rider wears a helmet
    4. Until one hour after sunset on lit streets
    Show answer

    Not after sunset and not before sunrise. Do not drive a motorized scooter after sunset or before sunrise. The manual separately requires a helmet meeting or exceeding the US DOT standard; wearing one does not extend the permitted hours. One extra hour rewrites the sunset and sunrise boundary. A headlamp does not extend scooter hours into darkness. Helmet use does not authorize riding after sunset. The cited passage states the point directly: Do not drive after sunset or before sunrise.

14. 14. How are Massachusetts parking violations handled compared with civil motor vehicle infractions?

    1. Parking violations are CMVIs handled by the RMV
    2. Parking violations go to criminal court in all cases
    3. Parking violations never affect renewal
    4. Parking violations are not CMVIs; the city or town that issued the citation or ticket handles them
    Show answer

    Parking violations are not CMVIs; the city or town that issued the citation or ticket handles them. Parking enforcement lives locally rather than inside the civil infraction system. Parking violations are not civil motor vehicle infractions. They are handled by the city or town that issued the citations or tickets. Sending payment or disputes to the RMV as though they were moving infractions misroutes the case. Criminal court treatment in every case overstates routine parking enforcement. Renewal consequences do exist, since unpaid parking matters can block license or registration renewal through separate channels. Read the ticket for the issuing municipality and resolve it there, promptly, before renewal time exposes the balance.

    Study this in the handbook: Citations, surchargeable events and suspensions

15. 15. When must you stay between lane lines on a Massachusetts roadway?

    1. Unless you are turning, exiting a highway, or changing lanes, always stay between lane lines
    2. Only on highways
    3. At all times without exception
    4. Only when another vehicle is beside you
    Show answer

    Unless you are turning, exiting a highway, or changing lanes, always stay between lane lines. Unless you are turning, exiting a highway, or changing lanes, always stay between lane lines. The rule is not limited to highways or to times when another vehicle is beside you. Turns, exits, and lane changes are stated exceptions to staying between lines. Empty neighboring space does not license drifting across lane lines. Streets require lane discipline too, not highways alone. The cited passage states the point directly: Unless you're turning, exiting a highway, or changing lanes, always stay between lane lines.

    Study this in the handbook: Railroad crossings and work zones

16. 16. May you park in front of a driveway or in a crosswalk?

    1. Yes, for up to five minutes
    2. Yes, if you stay in the driver seat
    3. No, parking is prohibited in both places
    4. Yes, if the emergency flashers stay on
    Show answer

    No, parking is prohibited in both places. The prohibited-parking list includes crosswalks and the area in front of a driveway. These are separate locations from the twenty-foot intersection restriction. Remaining inside the vehicle, keeping flashers on, or planning a short stay does not provide an exception in the handbook’s list. When choosing a place to park, check the actual space as well as nearby intersections. A space can be unacceptable because it blocks a driveway or occupies a crosswalk.

    Study this in the handbook: Parking rules and hills

17. 17. How long is a Massachusetts learner permit valid while you practice for the road test?

    1. Six months only
    2. Up to two years
    3. Five years
    4. Until age 21
    Show answer

    Up to two years. A Massachusetts learner’s permit is valid for up to two years. The six-month permit-holding and clean-record requirements for junior licensing are separate from permit validity. When practicing with a Class D permit, you must be accompanied in the adjacent passenger seat by a licensed operator who is at least 21, holds a valid Massachusetts or other state license, and has at least one year of driving experience.

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

18. 18. How can you tell a child passenger restraint meets required standards?

    1. The seller says it passed a store test
    2. It matches the vehicle interior color
    3. It has a sticker saying it meets U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213 or 49 C.F.R. 571.213
    4. Any restraint sold before 2020 qualifies automatically
    Show answer

    It has a sticker saying it meets U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213 or 49 C.F.R. 571.213. A child restraint must have a sticker stating that it meets U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213 or the standards in 49 C.F.R. 571.213. A seller’s statement, matching color, or date of sale does not replace that required sticker. Store talk does not replace the federal standards sticker on the restraint itself. Sale date alone never certifies compliance with the cited federal standard.

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

19. 19. About how far must you back the vehicle in a straight line when showing the backing maneuver?

    1. About 25 feet
    2. About 50 feet
    3. About 100 feet
    4. Backing is not tested
    Show answer

    About 50 feet. During a Class D road test, you must be prepared to back the vehicle approximately 50 feet. Other listed skills include hand signals, starting and stopping, parallel parking, turns, hill driving, a three-point turn, and entering and leaving intersections. Twenty-five feet is half the stated backing distance, and 100 feet is twice it. Twenty five feet is half the backing distance used in the test.

    Study this in the handbook: The road test

20. 20. Where should you store a car safety kit so it helps during an emergency?

    1. Locked in the trunk under luggage
    2. At home until a long trip is planned
    3. In an accessible part of the vehicle from the inside
    4. Only in a roof cargo box
    Show answer

    In an accessible part of the vehicle from the inside. Store the safety kit where it is accessible from inside the vehicle and within reach of the driver or passengers. The manual suggests the glove compartment, under the passenger seat, or a dedicated storage area inside the vehicle. The manual recommends storage accessible from inside the vehicle and within reach of the driver or passengers. A roof cargo box does not satisfy the recommendation to keep the kit accessible from inside the vehicle.

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