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. Which signs list motorist services such as gas, food, and lodging?

   1. Blue signs
   2. Purple signs
   3. Brown signs
   4. Orange signs
   Show answer

   Blue signs. Guide signing splits services from recreation by color. Blue signs list motorist services like gas, food, and lodging, while brown signs point toward public recreational areas, state and national parks, points of interest, and scenic sites. Choosing brown trades fuel and beds for parks and viewpoints, which sends a tired driver hunting in the wrong category. Orange handles construction warnings and purple handles electronic toll collection. Scan for blue when tanks and stomachs start asking questions.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic sign colors and types

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. Between 12:30-1:00 a.m. and 4:00-5:00 a.m. of the Junior Operator night rule in Massachusetts, when may police enforce that rule?

   1. At any moment, through routine patrol stops aimed only at young drivers
   2. Only after the young driver has been lawfully stopped for another violation or offense
   3. Never, because those hours fall outside the rule entirely
   4. Only when a parent phones in a report about the trip
   Show answer

   Only after the young driver has been lawfully stopped for another violation or offense. For the shoulder periods at either end of the Junior Operator night window, enforcement is secondary, meaning an officer acts on the night rule only after a lawful stop for another motor vehicle violation or some other offense. Patrolling solely to hunt young drivers during those hours reverses the limit the legislature placed on enforcement. Saying those hours sit outside the rule goes too far the other way, since driving then without a parent or legal guardian remains illegal. A phone report from home plays no role in the roadside standard. Anchor on the stop that came before any night rule charge.

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

4. 4. A driver under 18 fails a chemical test in a first OUI case and enters an approved alcohol education program. What happens to the added one year suspension?

   1. It can be reduced to 180 days upon entry into the program
   2. It stays a full extra year with no change
   3. It converts into a three year refusal penalty
   4. It is waived entirely on the day of entry
   Show answer

   It can be reduced to 180 days upon entry into the program. For drivers under 18, a failed chemical test results in 30 days of suspension plus an additional year. In a first OUI case, the additional year can be reduced to 180 days upon entry into a Department of Public Health-approved alcohol education program. In a first OUI case, the added year can be reduced to 180 days upon entry into an approved program. Three years belongs to refusal penalties, not to this failed test reduction.

   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. Under the at fault crash definition, what payment level helps mark a driver as more than 50 percent at fault?

   1. Any payment above $100
   2. Payments above $500 for property damage alone
   3. Payments only count after $5,000 in combined losses
   4. More than $1000 paid for collision or limited collision coverage or damage to another person's property, or more than $1000 for bodily injury when no such collision or property payment over $1000 came from the same incident
   Show answer

   More than $1000 paid for collision or limited collision coverage or damage to another person's property, or more than $1000 for bodily injury when no such collision or property payment over $1000 came from the same incident. The manual’s at-fault crash definition requires both an insurer’s fault finding under one of the 19 Standards of Fault and qualifying payments. Payments must exceed $1,000 for collision, limited collision, or damage to someone else’s property, or exceed $1,000 for bodily injury if the same incident has no collision or property-damage payment over $1,000. Five hundred dollars still falls short, and the threshold also covers collision and bodily injury payments.

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

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: Emergency vehicles, skids, brake failure and breakdowns

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. How close to an intersection may you park, and what else shares that banned list?

    1. Within 5 feet is allowed outside downtown areas
    2. Twenty feet applies only when a stop sign faces your street
    3. Parking within 20 feet of an intersection is banned, along with parking in a crosswalk or in front of a driveway
    4. Only the corner itself is banned, with no distance stated
    Show answer

    Parking within 20 feet of an intersection is banned, along with parking in a crosswalk or in front of a driveway. You may not park within 20 feet of an intersection, in a crosswalk, or in front of a driveway or handicap-access ramp. The intersection distance is not conditioned on a stop sign. A measured 20 foot distance is stated, so the corner only claim fails. Five feet shrinks the stated 20 foot buffer beside intersections. The 20 foot ban stands alone without any stop sign condition.

    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