MA Permit Practice Test 24

All 20 questions in test 24

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. A nearby pedestrian cannot hear your car approaching. Even though you hold the right of way, what is the safer course?

   1. Keep your speed, since the right of way is yours
   2. Yield anyway, because yielding beats creating an unsafe condition
   3. Honk repeatedly until the person turns around
   4. Pass at once before the person steps out
   Show answer

   Yield anyway, because yielding beats creating an unsafe condition. Do not assume that a pedestrian, bicyclist, or other driver can hear your car and will yield or move away. The manual says it is always safer to yield, even when you have the right-of-way, than to create an unsafe condition. Speed on a legal claim of priority risks hitting someone who never heard you. Rushing past before a step-out gambles on timing you cannot control.

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

2. 2. You become a Massachusetts resident while holding a valid license from another state. How long may you keep driving on that license?

   1. You may drive for 30 days while you arrange the transfer
   2. You may drive for 60 days while you arrange the transfer
   3. You may drive until the out of state license expires
   4. There is no grace period; you must obtain a Massachusetts license to retain driving privileges
   Show answer

   There is no grace period; you must obtain a Massachusetts license to retain driving privileges. Becoming a resident ends reliance on a license issued elsewhere. Massachusetts gives no grace period in that situation, so retaining driving privileges requires obtaining a Massachusetts license. Thirty days and sixty days both invent a waiting window the rule never grants. Driving until the other card expires treats residence as irrelevant, which reverses the requirement. A practical cue is the change of residence itself: once Massachusetts becomes home, the Massachusetts credential is the one that must support driving here, without a borrowed month or two in between.

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

3. 3. Before crossing a broken yellow line to pass on a two way Massachusetts road, how far ahead must you see clearly?

   1. At least 200 feet
   2. At least 100 feet
   3. Only to the passed vehicle bumper
   4. At least 400 feet
   Show answer

   At least 400 feet. Before you cross a broken yellow line to pass, you must be able to see clearly at least 400 feet ahead. Keep a safe following distance, check that the passing lane is clear, and check your mirror and blind spot before signaling left. The 200-foot figure applies later: return to the right lane before an oncoming vehicle comes within 200 feet.

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

4. 4. Your car runs into deep water and begins to sink. How should you get out?

   1. Open a door at once and swim out
   2. Stay belted until the car settles, then open a door
   3. Unfasten your belt and escape through a window
   4. Climb onto the roof through the sunroof only
   Show answer

   Unfasten your belt and escape through a window. Unfasten your safety belt and escape through a window. Open power windows quickly before water stops them from working. Do not open a door, because water would rush in and the vehicle could flip over. If the vehicle sinks before you escape, climb into the rear seat, where an air pocket may form. When the vehicle settles, take a deep breath and escape through a window.

5. 5. How are advisory bicycle lanes marked, and what must motor vehicles do there?

   1. Solid on both sides, and cars keep priority
   2. Painted red, for buses only
   3. Unmarked, and bicyclists must yield to all cars
   4. Dashed on one or both sides; motor vehicles may use the space when necessary but must always yield to bicyclists first
   Show answer

   Dashed on one or both sides; motor vehicles may use the space when necessary but must always yield to bicyclists first. Advisory bicycle lanes are used on streets too narrow for a full bicycle lane but with a lot of bicycle traffic. They are dashed on one or both sides to show that motor vehicles may use the space when necessary, but must always yield to bicyclists first. Ordinary bicycle lanes are typically marked with solid white lines. Red pavement is used for public transit lanes or station stops.

   Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and special lanes

6. 6. You collect three surchargeable events inside two years in Massachusetts. What may follow from the RMV?

   1. Your license may be suspended, and the RMV will send a letter directing you to complete a Driver Retraining course
   2. Nothing, because surchargeable events only affect insurance pricing
   3. Your vehicle registration is canceled instead of any license action
   4. You must retake the road test within ten days or lose your license
   Show answer

   Your license may be suspended, and the RMV will send a letter directing you to complete a Driver Retraining course. Three surchargeable events within a two year period can lead to license suspension, and the RMV will send a letter telling the driver to complete a Driver Retraining course. Treating these events as pricing only overlooks the licensing consequence that grows alongside any insurance effect. Canceling a registration swaps the credential at risk and names the wrong document entirely. A ten day road test deadline appears nowhere in this rule and invents both the test and the clock. Count violations and at-fault crashes together on one rolling two year tally to see the trigger coming.

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

7. 7. What must an applicant present to convert an out of state Class D or M learner permit to a Massachusetts permit?

   1. A current permit issued under two years ago plus a certified driving record no older than 30 days
   2. A permit of any age plus a utility bill from the prior state
   3. A certified driving record up to one year old plus a fresh permit exam score
   4. Only a parent signature, with records checked later
   Show answer

   A current permit issued under two years ago plus a certified driving record no older than 30 days. To convert an out-of-state Class D or M learner’s permit, meet the RMV’s identification requirements and present a current permit issued less than two years ago and a certified driving record no more than 30 days old. Applicants under 18 need a parent or guardian’s signature. No learner’s permit exam is required, but the applicable fee must be paid. For an applicant under 18, a parent or guardian’s signature is required in addition to the current permit, recent certified driving record, and identification requirements.

8. 8. You enter a paved road from a private road, driveway, or unpaved road. What must you do first?

   1. Roll slowly into traffic and merge
   2. Honk once and proceed
   3. Yield only to trucks and buses
   4. Stop, then give the right of way to pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles on the road you are entering
   Show answer

   Stop, then give the right of way to pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles on the road you are entering. Traffic on the paved thoroughfare holds priority over entries from lesser ways. A driver entering from a private road, driveway, or unpaved road must stop. After stopping, the driver gives the right of way to pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles already on the road being entered. Rolling merges skip the required halt. A honk warns without conferring priority. Limiting yields to large vehicles abandons people walking and riding plus ordinary cars. Treat every driveway exit like a minor intersection: wheels still, eyes across sidewalk and roadway, movement only into a genuine gap.

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

9. 9. While parking or stopped, how much clear roadway must you leave for passing traffic?

   1. At least 8 feet
   2. At least 10 feet
   3. At least a 12 foot wide clear roadway
   4. No minimum if hazard lights are on
   Show answer

   At least a 12 foot wide clear roadway. You must not create a traffic hazard while parking or while stopped. Always leave at least a 12-foot-wide clear roadway for traffic to pass. Eight or ten feet is below this minimum, and using hazard lights does not meet the clearance requirement. Hazard lights warn others but do not waive the 12 foot clearance. Eight feet leaves less than the required 12 foot clear roadway.

   Study this in the handbook: Parking rules and hills

10. 10. When may a highway breakdown lane be used as a travel lane in Massachusetts?

    1. Use is very restricted, and hours of use are posted clearly
    2. Whenever traffic is heavy
    3. At night only
    4. Whenever the shoulder looks wide enough
    Show answer

    Use is very restricted, and hours of use are posted clearly. As a general rule, do not use a highway breakdown lane for travel or passing. On some highways, travel is allowed during specific times. This use is very restricted, and the hours are posted clearly. Width does not authorize travel; posted hours control the restricted exception. Permission depends on the posted hours of use, not a general night-only rule. Congestion alone does not open a breakdown lane outside posted travel hours.

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

11. 11. The round railroad warning sign appears ahead and you see or hear a train coming. What must you do?

    1. Speed up and beat the train to the crossing
    2. Stop only after reaching the crossbuck
    3. Pass the train on the shoulder
    4. Slow down and prepare to stop; do not speed up to beat the train
    Show answer

    Slow down and prepare to stop; do not speed up to beat the train. When you see the round railroad warning sign, slow down and prepare to stop. If you see or hear a train coming, do not speed up and try to beat it to the crossing. The round advance warning sign tells you to slow down and prepare to stop before you reach the crossing. The required response is to slow down and prepare to stop, not to pass on the shoulder.

    Study this in the handbook: Traffic sign colors and types

12. 12. How often should you have your eyesight checked, and what should you do about problems you find?

    1. Every ten years, only if night driving feels hard
    2. Only when renewing the license
    3. Every year or two, fixing vision problems immediately
    4. Vision checks are unnecessary for licensed drivers
    Show answer

    Every year or two, fixing vision problems immediately. Have your eyesight checked every year or two and fix vision problems immediately. As you get older, your vision may get worse or seeing at night may become harder. Do not wait only for license renewal to check your eyesight. Renewal screening is too infrequent; checks belong every year or two with prompt fixes. Holding a license does not keep vision stable, so checks remain necessary.

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

13. 13. A driver over 21 with no prior OUI offense refuses a chemical test. How long is the refusal suspension?

    1. 30 days
    2. 90 days
    3. 180 days
    4. Three years
    Show answer

    180 days. For drivers older than 21 with no prior OUI offense, refusing a chemical test results in a 180-day suspension. For that age group, one prior OUI offense means three years, two mean five years, and three or more mean lifetime suspension. A prior OUI offense includes a conviction or a court-ordered assignment to an alcohol education program; test refusals do not count as prior OUI offenses.

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

14. 14. How many Massachusetts driver licenses or ID cards may you hold at one time?

    1. Two, if one is a REAL ID and one is standard
    2. Only one license or ID card at a time
    3. One license plus one ID card
    4. One of each class you qualify for
    Show answer

    Only one license or ID card at a time. You may hold only one driver’s license or ID card at a time. A REAL ID and a Standard Massachusetts card are alternatives, not permission to hold both. Qualifying for more than one vehicle class does not change the one-card rule. REAL ID and standard are alternatives for one card, not permission to carry both at once. Classes belong on the single license; they do not authorize one card per class.

15. 15. What does it cost to add the Veteran indicator to a Massachusetts license or ID card?

    1. Nothing; there is no additional fee for the Veteran indicator
    2. 25 dollars, like a duplicate license
    3. 50 dollars, like a license issue fee
    4. 3 dollars per year
    Show answer

    Nothing; there is no additional fee for the Veteran indicator. Honorable service earns a no cost card marking. A veteran of the US Armed Forces who was honorably discharged can choose to have the word Veteran printed on the license or ID card, with proof such as a DD-214, DD-215, or Honorable Discharge form whose information is typed rather than handwritten. The indicator can be added when applying, renewing, or ordering a duplicate, and there is no additional fee for it, with a free duplicate available when the license is not yet eligible for renewal. The other figures belong to different transactions.

16. 16. You miss your exit on a Massachusetts highway. What must you do?

    1. Stop and back up along the shoulder to the exit
    2. Do not stop; never back up on the highway, get off at the next exit and follow signs to rejoin in the other direction
    3. Cut across the median to the exit ramp
    4. Wait in the breakdown lane for a gap
    Show answer

    Do not stop; never back up on the highway, get off at the next exit and follow signs to rejoin in the other direction. If you miss a highway exit, do not stop or back up. Get off at the next exit and look for signs showing how to rejoin the road in the other direction. When exiting, signal at least 500 feet before the ramp and slow to its posted speed limit. After a missed exit, the manual directs you to continue to the next exit and follow signs to rejoin in the other direction.

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

17. 17. What minimum speeds apply on the Massachusetts Turnpike and in the Boston Harbor tunnels?

    1. 20 mph on the Turnpike and 40 mph in the tunnels
    2. No minimum speeds apply anywhere
    3. 40 mph on the Turnpike and 20 mph in the tunnels
    4. 65 mph on the Turnpike and 45 mph in the tunnels
    Show answer

    40 mph on the Turnpike and 20 mph in the tunnels. Some roadways carry minimum speeds as well as maximums. There is a minimum speed of 40 mph on the Massachusetts Turnpike, and a minimum speed of 20 mph in the Boston Harbor tunnels, namely the Callahan, Sumner, and Ted Williams tunnels. Swapping the two figures puts the faster floor on the confined tunnel roadway. Claiming no minimums exist erases both stated floors. Those higher figures are not the stated minimum speeds for either roadway. Even without a posted minimum, an officer may order a driver slowing traffic to the side of a state highway.

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

18. 18. You pass the Massachusetts road test but delay paying the license fees. What can happen after 60 days?

    1. Nothing; the pass never expires
    2. You may be required to retake the road test at your own expense
    3. The RMV mails the license without payment
    4. Only a small late fee applies
    Show answer

    You may be required to retake the road test at your own expense. If you pass the road test but have not prepaid for your license, you must pay online or take the permit with the test results to a service center within 60 days. If you do not pay within 60 days, you may have to retake the road test at your own expense. Paying online without visiting a service center does not provide a temporary license.

    Study this in the handbook: The road test

19. 19. There is a fire in a Massachusetts tunnel and you must leave your vehicle. What should you do with your keys?

    1. Leave the keys in the vehicle to help emergency personnel
    2. Take the keys and lock the vehicle before leaving
    3. Hand the keys to the driver stopped behind you
    4. Leave the keys on the roof where crews can spot them
    Show answer

    Leave the keys in the vehicle to help emergency personnel. If there is a tunnel fire, stop, turn off the engine, and exit the vehicle. Leave your keys in the vehicle to help emergency personnel, and leave your belongings inside for your safety. Call 911, follow official instructions, and exit at the nearest tunnel entrance unless directed otherwise. The manual specifically says to leave your keys in the vehicle to help emergency personnel. The cited passage states the point directly: To help emergency personnel, leave your keys in the vehicle.

20. 20. You are turning left and a motorcycle approaches from the opposite direction. What should you do?

    1. Turn quickly whenever the gap looks barely enough
    2. Let the motorcycle pass through the intersection first
    3. Flash your headlights and complete the turn slowly
    4. Honk and turn in front of the motorcycle at low speed
    Show answer

    Let the motorcycle pass through the intersection first. Let the motorcycle safely pass through the intersection first. Motorcycles can be hidden by other vehicles, and their speed and position can be hard to judge. Even if you have time to turn, the rider may not have time to change speed safely. Let the motorcycle safely pass through the intersection first; its rider may not have time to change speed safely. Headlight flashes do not confirm the rider can slow safely.

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