MA Permit Practice Test 23

All 20 questions in test 23

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. How wide are Massachusetts bicycle lanes, and when may motor vehicles drive in them?

   1. Five feet wide, and motor vehicles may drive in them only when turning on or off the road
   2. Three feet wide, whenever traffic is heavy
   3. Eight feet wide, for parking at night
   4. Five feet wide, for passing slow vehicles
   Show answer

   Five feet wide, and motor vehicles may drive in them only when turning on or off the road. Bicycle lanes reserve road space with measured dimensions. They are portions of the roadway intended for bicyclist use, typically marked by solid white lines with pavement markings and signs, and they are five feet wide. Motor vehicles may only drive in these lanes when turning on or off the road, and before crossing one you must look carefully for bicyclists and cross with care. Three feet shrinks the lane and heavy traffic creates no entry right. Night parking and passing both treat reserved space as general roadway, which the lane marking forbids.

   Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and special lanes

2. 2. A junior operator under 18 converts a license to Massachusetts after holding a valid out-of-state license for a full six months without suspension or revocation. What happens to the passenger restriction?

   1. It applies for a fresh six months starting at conversion
   2. It applies until the driver turns 21
   3. It does not apply to that driver
   4. It applies only while driving after midnight
   Show answer

   It does not apply to that driver. For a junior operator converting a license, a record showing a valid license for a full six months without suspension or revocation removes the passenger restriction. The other provisions of the Massachusetts Junior Operator License law still apply. Age twenty one is not the trigger here; the exception turns on six months licensed without suspension or revocation. Night driving limits are separate junior operator rules and do not define this passenger restriction exception.

3. 3. A license suspension lasted two years or longer. What testing is required to reinstate?

   1. Only a new road test, with no written exam
   2. Passing a learner permit exam plus a road test, with identification documents provided
   3. Only a vision screening at a service center
   4. No testing whenever reinstatement fees are paid in full
   Show answer

   Passing a learner permit exam plus a road test, with identification documents provided. For a license suspension of two years or more, you must pass a learner’s permit exam and a road test to reinstate your license. You must provide identification documents to take these tests. A reinstatement fee is also required; most fees are $100, and fees for serious offenses may reach $1,200. Vision screening cannot substitute for the knowledge and driving examinations demanded after two years or more.

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

4. 4. How does marijuana affect night driving ability?

   1. Problems get worse after dark because marijuana also causes a bad loss of night vision
   2. It improves night vision after dark
   3. It affects only daytime response to sounds
   4. Night vision is the one ability marijuana protects
   Show answer

   Problems get worse after dark because marijuana also causes a bad loss of night vision. Marijuana impairment deepens when light fades. Smoking or eating marijuana already makes responding to sights and sounds harder and weakens handling of rapid task sequences, especially unexpected events such as a car entering from a side street or a child running from between parked cars. Those problems get worse after dark because marijuana also causes a bad loss of night vision. Claiming improvement or protection reverses the stated effect. Limiting harm to daytime sound response ignores both darkness and vision. Night plans after marijuana use need a sober driver, not confidence built on feeling alert under streetlights.

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

5. 5. How should lap and shoulder belts be worn in Massachusetts?

   1. Lap belt loose over the stomach and shoulder belt under the arm
   2. Shoulder belt behind the back for comfort
   3. Either belt alone is enough on short trips
   4. Lap belt low, tight, and flat over the hips, not twisted; shoulder belt across the shoulder and chest, never under the arm or across the face or neck
   Show answer

   Lap belt low, tight, and flat over the hips, not twisted; shoulder belt across the shoulder and chest, never under the arm or across the face or neck. Wear a lap belt low, tight, and flat over the hips, without twisting. Wear the shoulder belt across the shoulder and chest, never under the arm or across the face or neck. The manual recommends always wearing both lap and shoulder belts. A loose stomach position and an underarm shoulder route both misplace belts away from hips and chest. Both belts are needed together; a short trip does not make one belt sufficient.

6. 6. Under Massachusetts law, may a driver under 18 use an electronic device in hands-free mode while driving?

   1. Yes, hands-free use is allowed at any age
   2. Yes, if a parent is in the vehicle
   3. Yes, but only for navigation
   4. No routine use, even hands-free; emergency reporting is an exception
   Show answer

   No routine use, even hands-free; emergency reporting is an exception. Massachusetts prohibits routine electronic-device use by drivers under 18, including hands-free calls. The statute provides an emergency defense for reporting a disabled vehicle, needed medical assistance, a safety emergency requiring responders, or an accident. Navigation is not carved out, and a parent in the passenger seat does not change the rule. The reasoning is that a new driver has little spare attention to give a conversation or a screen. Set the route before moving, and let calls wait until the car is parked.

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

7. 7. You hold a full license (not a Junior Operator License) and are found guilty for three speeding violations inside one year in Massachusetts. What license action follows automatically?

   1. Your license will be suspended automatically for 30 days
   2. A warning letter with no suspension unless a fourth violation occurs
   3. Suspension only when the three violations happen on highways
   4. A $25 fine for each violation with no time off the road
   Show answer

   Your license will be suspended automatically for 30 days. Three speeding findings inside a 12 month period bring an automatic 30 day license suspension, with the year counted from when you pay or are found guilty for the earliest citation. Waiting for a fourth violation before any time off the road would erase the trigger written at three. Limiting suspension to highway speeding narrows a rule that counts speeding violations generally. Fines alone leave out the mandatory pause in driving privileges that defines this penalty. A Junior Operator license instead draws 90 days for a first speeding citation and one year for any later citation. Mark the date of the earliest finding, because that date starts the twelve month window holding all three.

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

8. 8. In Massachusetts, what must a company that rents bicycles do for each renter?

   1. Require the renter to buy a new helmet before riding
   2. Keep helmets available only for riders under age 12
   3. Provide a helmet only after the renter signs a crash waiver
   4. Offer a helmet that meets all safety requirements
   Show answer

   Offer a helmet that meets all safety requirements. Massachusetts requires companies renting bicycles to offer helmets meeting all safety requirements for renters. Handing over a bike without that helmet offer leaves the rental incomplete, even when an adult renter feels confident riding bareheaded. A version limiting helmets to riders under age 12 fails because the duty covers renters generally rather than a narrow age band. Purchase demands and crash waivers also add burdens the rental rule never mentions. Picture staff holding out a properly rated helmet beside every rental bike before wheels roll.

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

9. 9. About how far ahead do high beam and low beam headlights normally let a Massachusetts driver see?

   1. High beams about 250 feet and low beams about 75 feet
   2. High beams about 500 feet and low beams about 200 feet
   3. High beams about 350 feet and low beams about 100 feet
   4. Both beam settings about 300 feet
   Show answer

   High beams about 350 feet and low beams about 100 feet. High-beam headlights normally let you see about 350 feet ahead, while low beams normally let you see about 100 feet ahead. The other numerical pairs do not match those figures. Use high beams only in dark areas, and drive at a speed that lets you react and stop safely within the distance you can see. Both figures in this pairing sit below the normal seeing distances stated for each beam.

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

10. 10. How many Class D road tests may a Massachusetts applicant attempt within a 12 month period?

    1. Three attempts
    2. Four attempts
    3. Six attempts
    4. Unlimited attempts
    Show answer

    Six attempts. For a Class D license, you may attempt no more than six road tests in a 12-month period. Three and four attempts are below that ceiling, and unlimited attempts exceed it. For a Class M license, failing two road tests requires successfully completing a beginner rider course before scheduling another test. Three attempts understates the six attempt ceiling for Class D. Four attempts also falls short of the stated allowance.

    Study this in the handbook: The road test

11. 11. What lane rules apply to motorcyclists riding in Massachusetts traffic?

    1. Ride along pavement lines between lanes and ride three abreast
    2. Do not ride along pavement lines between lanes, and ride no more than two abreast
    3. Share a lane space with a car whenever it fits
    4. Ride on sidewalks to avoid traffic
    Show answer

    Do not ride along pavement lines between lanes, and ride no more than two abreast. Motorcyclists must not ride along pavement lines between lanes of traffic and must ride no more than two abreast. Car drivers must never share a lane with a motorcycle; riders need room to maneuver safely. The stated motorcycle lane rules are to avoid riding between lanes along pavement lines and to ride no more than two abreast; using sidewalks is not the instructed response.

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

12. 12. A white diamond is painted on a lane. What does it tell you?

    1. The lane is for parking only
    2. The lane ends in 500 feet
    3. There is a special lane restriction, like high occupancy vehicle only or bus only
    4. Bicycles must leave the roadway
    Show answer

    There is a special lane restriction, like high occupancy vehicle only or bus only. A white diamond symbol means there is a special lane restriction, such as high occupancy vehicle (HOV) only or bus only. The diamond reserves a travel lane with restrictions; it does not create parking. The diamond states lane restrictions like HOV or bus use, not a bicycle ban. No 500 foot distance is encoded in the white diamond symbol. The cited passage states the point directly: A white diamond symbol means there is a special lane restriction, like “high occupancy vehicle (HOV) only” or “bus only.”

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and special lanes

13. 13. At a confusing four way stop, what should you try to do with other drivers?

    1. Avoid looking at other drivers and proceed quickly
    2. Wave every other driver through at once
    3. Try to make eye contact with other drivers to judge their intentions and avoid crashes
    4. Honk twice to claim the intersection
    Show answer

    Try to make eye contact with other drivers to judge their intentions and avoid crashes. At a four-way stop, yield to a vehicle that has already stopped and to a vehicle directly on your right that stopped at the same time. If the situation is confusing, try to make eye contact with other drivers to judge their intentions and avoid crashes. Waving all drivers through invites simultaneous entry into the same intersection. Avoiding eye contact removes the intention cues that prevent four way confusion.

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

14. 14. What does the right-of-way concept mean for a Massachusetts driver when another driver fails to follow the rules?

    1. Yield to the other driver instead of claiming the right-of-way as yours to take
    2. Take the right-of-way whenever the rules assign it to you
    3. Sound the horn and proceed because the rules give you enforceable rights
    4. Stop in every case until a police officer assigns the right-of-way
    Show answer

    Yield to the other driver instead of claiming the right-of-way as yours to take. Right-of-way rules help drivers handle situations not controlled by signs or signals. The manual says these rules are based on safety and courtesy and do not give you any rights to take the right-of-way. If another driver does not follow the rules, give the right-of-way. The rules grant no right to insist on going; yielding remains required when another driver errs. No officer assignment is required; drivers must yield to each other by rule.

15. 15. Your vehicle begins to skid. What should you do with the gas pedal and gear selection?

    1. Press the brakes hard and hold them
    2. Slowly remove your foot from the gas pedal and shift into neutral
    3. Accelerate gently to regain traction
    4. Shift into park while the vehicle is sliding
    Show answer

    Slowly remove your foot from the gas pedal and shift into neutral. For a skid in either a front- or rear-wheel-drive vehicle, slowly remove your foot from the gas pedal and shift into neutral. Do not hit the brakes, because that makes the skid worse. Steer in the direction of the skid; further left and right corrections may be needed to regain control. The manual says not to hit the brakes because doing so makes the skid worse.

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

16. 16. A driver on a Massachusetts state highway has no posted minimum speed yet keeps slowing traffic. What may a police officer do?

    1. Nothing, because no minimum speed is posted
    2. Order the driver to speed up to the speed limit
    3. Issue a parking ticket once the driver stops
    4. Order the driver to the side of the highway
    Show answer

    Order the driver to the side of the highway. Even without a minimum speed, a police officer may order a driver to the side of a state highway if the driver is slowing traffic. The manual describes an order to pull to the side of the highway, not a parking ticket. The action described in the manual is ordering the driver to the side of the highway. A missing minimum speed sign leaves police power intact when a driver slows traffic.

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

17. 17. When passing a bicycle in Massachusetts, what minimum passing distance does the manual require?

    1. At least four feet away
    2. At least two feet away
    3. At least three feet away
    4. At least six feet away
    Show answer

    At least four feet away. When a shared lane leaves too little room for a safe pass beside a bicycle, patience becomes the required move until an adjacent lane opens or passing within your lane turns safe. During the pass itself, keep at least four feet between your vehicle and the bicycle. Three feet sounds familiar to many drivers, yet that shorter gap falls one foot below the distance Massachusetts requires in this narrow lane setting. Hold back, watch the gap grow wide enough, and pass only with four clear feet alongside.

18. 18. At a Massachusetts crash scene, someone is bleeding and help has not yet arrived. What should you do about the bleeding?

    1. Move the person to shade before treating the wound
    2. Put pressure directly on the wound and maintain pressure until help arrives
    3. Wait for responders without touching the wound
    4. Cover the person with a blanket instead of pressing the wound
    Show answer

    Put pressure directly on the wound and maintain pressure until help arrives. If an injured person is bleeding, put pressure directly on the wound and maintain it until help arrives. Cover the person with a blanket or coat to provide warmth and prevent shock. Do not move an injured person unless absolutely necessary; if movement is needed because of a life-threatening situation, fully support the head and spine. The manual says not to move an injured person unless absolutely necessary and to maintain direct pressure on a bleeding wound until help arrives.

19. 19. What lights must a bicycle carry in Massachusetts from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise?

    1. Any white light visible from 100 feet
    2. A white lamp in front visible from up to 500 feet and a rear facing red light or reflector visible up to 600 feet
    3. A red front lamp and white rear lamp
    4. Lights only after full midnight darkness
    Show answer

    A white lamp in front visible from up to 500 feet and a rear facing red light or reflector visible up to 600 feet. From half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, a bicycle must have a white front lamp visible from up to 500 feet and a rear-facing red light or reflector visible up to 600 feet. The required colors are white in front and red at the rear; the lighting period does not begin at midnight. The lighting duty begins half an hour after sunset, not at midnight.

20. 20. Which identification documents will the RMV accept when you apply for a Massachusetts permit, license, or ID?

    1. Photocopies are fine if they are clear
    2. Laminated originals are preferred
    3. Documents already on file never need to be shown again
    4. Originals unless otherwise indicated; photocopies will not be accepted and laminated documents are not acceptable
    Show answer

    Originals unless otherwise indicated; photocopies will not be accepted and laminated documents are not acceptable. Identification documents must meet the RMV requirements. You may need to present them for each different document type you apply for, even if you already hold a Massachusetts permit, license, or ID. Documents must be originals unless otherwise indicated; photocopies and laminated documents are not accepted under the stated rule. Starting the application online can save time. Laminated documents are not acceptable, so they cannot be preferred.