MA Permit Practice Test 6

All 20 questions in test 6

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. This STOP AHEAD sign warns of a stop sign you cannot yet see. Once you reach that stop sign, when may you enter the intersection?

   
   1. Only after coming to a complete stop
   2. After slowing to walking speed
   3. Immediately if no traffic is visible
   4. After flashing your headlights
   Show answer

   Only after coming to a complete stop. The warning sign buys you braking distance; the stop sign itself still demands a complete halt before you enter the intersection. Rolling through at walking speed is the most common stop sign violation and it is still a violation. Seeing no traffic does not excuse the stop, since the sign exists for the cars and pedestrians you cannot see. Flashing headlights is not a substitute for stopping. Begin slowing at the STOP AHEAD sign so the stop is smooth.

2. 2. This five-sided school sign marks a school zone. What is the Massachusetts speed limit on roads near schools?

   
   1. 20 mph
   2. 25 mph
   3. 30 mph
   4. 15 mph
   Show answer

   20 mph. The pentagon means children, and near schools Massachusetts sets the limit at 20 mph. Fifteen is lower than the state uses, twenty five is a city option for thickly settled areas, and thirty is the thickly settled default that the school zone reduces. The manual tells you to look closely for signs marking the approach to a school zone, because the reduced limit often applies before the school building is in sight and the fine for speeding there is a surchargeable offense.

3. 3. According to the Massachusetts manual, what share of crashes happen at speeds of 40 mph or less?

   1. Two out of ten
   2. Half
   3. Eight out of ten
   4. One out of ten
   Show answer

   Eight out of ten. Speed feels like a highway problem, but the manual points out that eight out of ten crashes happen at 40 mph or less. Most collisions occur on ordinary streets at ordinary speeds, in intersections, driveways and parking lots. Two in ten and one in ten invert the statistic, and half understates it. The lesson is that a windshield strike at 30 mph is like a three story fall, so belts and attention matter on the slow trips as much as on the interstate.

4. 4. Railroad crossing lights in Massachusetts begin to flash. Where must you stop?

   1. At least 15 feet before the light post or gate
   2. Right at the gate arm
   3. At least 5 feet before the tracks
   4. At least 50 feet before the gate
   Show answer

   At least 15 feet before the light post or gate. When the lights begin to flash, you must stop at least 15 feet before the light post or gate and stay stopped until the gate rises and the lights stop. Stopping right at the gate or five feet from the tracks leaves too little room. Fifty feet is not the stated rule. Failure to stop is a violation with a heavy fine, and drivers must never go around a lowered gate even if no train is visible.

5. 5. During which parts of the Massachusetts JOL night restriction is enforcement secondary, meaning police must first stop the driver for another reason?

   1. The whole period from 12:30 to 5:00 a.m.
   2. 12:30 to 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 to 5:00 a.m.
   3. Midnight to 1:00 a.m. only
   4. There is no secondary enforcement
   Show answer

   12:30 to 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 to 5:00 a.m.. Junior Operators may not drive from 12:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. without a parent or guardian. Between 12:30 and 1:00 a.m. and between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m., police enforce the rule only after lawfully stopping the driver for some other violation. Driving then is still illegal. The law names only those two windows for secondary enforcement, so the whole period is not secondary. Midnight is not part of the restriction.

6. 6. A Massachusetts road has a single broken yellow center line. Where must you normally drive, and when may you cross it?

   1. Drive on either side freely
   2. Cross it only to park
   3. Stay left of the line
   4. Stay to the right of the line, crossing only temporarily to pass when it is safe
   Show answer

   Stay to the right of the line, crossing only temporarily to pass when it is safe. A broken yellow line separates opposing traffic, so your lane is to the right of it. The line's break is what permits crossing, but only briefly and only to pass when the way is clear. Driving on either side freely or staying left puts you in the oncoming lane, and the line has nothing to do with parking. Complete the pass before a solid line or an intersection and return to the right promptly.

7. 7. What does it cost to convert an out of state Class D license to Massachusetts?

   1. Nothing
   2. $50
   3. $140
   4. $115, plus $3 per year to add motorcycle privileges
   Show answer

   $115, plus $3 per year to add motorcycle privileges. Out of state conversion fees are $140 for Class A, B or C and $115 for Class D or Class M only, with an additional $3 per year to add Class M motorcycle privileges to another class; converting a Class D or M permit costs $30. All fees are subject to change. A regular Class D license issue or renewal is $50.

8. 8. An aggressive driver confronts you on a Massachusetts road. What does the manual advise?

   1. Make eye contact and gesture back
   2. Attempt to get out of their way and do not challenge that person
   3. Brake to block them
   4. Follow them to get their plate
   Show answer

   Attempt to get out of their way and do not challenge that person. The advice is to defuse, not compete: get out of the way, do not challenge the driver, avoid eye contact, ignore rude gestures and keep your safety belt on. Staring, gesturing or blocking escalates a confrontation with someone who has already shown poor judgment, and following them puts you in a chase. If it becomes an emergency, call the State Police at 911 and let them handle it. Control your own anger so the situation does not get worse.

9. 9. Where does the Massachusetts manual tell drivers to be especially careful because children may be present?

   1. On limited access highways
   2. Near school zones, parks, bus stops, and playgrounds
   3. In tunnels
   4. At toll plazas
   Show answer

   Near school zones, parks, bus stops, and playgrounds. Children appear where children gather. The manual singles out school zones, parks, bus stops and playgrounds as places to be careful, because a child can step into the road without looking and is small enough to be hidden by a parked car. Highways, tunnels and toll plazas have their own hazards but not this one. Slow in these areas even when the school zone limit does not formally apply, and cover the brake when you see a ball, a bicycle or a group of kids.

10. 10. If your vehicle breaks down on a Massachusetts highway, where should you move it?

    1. To the left lane, where traffic is fastest and will see you
    2. Leave it in the travel lane with the doors open
    3. To the center median
    4. To the breakdown lane or shoulder, as far from the travel lane as you can
    Show answer

    To the breakdown lane or shoulder, as far from the travel lane as you can. A stalled car in a travel lane is the most dangerous object on the highway, so the manual's instruction is to get it into the breakdown lane or onto the shoulder and as far from moving traffic as possible. The left lane is the worst place to stop, leaving it in the lane invites a rear end crash, and the median is usually not reachable or safe. Once you are off the road, use the emergency flashers so other drivers can see the vehicle, and stay away from the traffic side.

11. 11. How many questions are on each Massachusetts learner's permit exam?

    1. 18 multiple-choice questions
    2. 40 true or false questions
    3. 50 multiple-choice questions
    4. 25 multiple-choice questions
    Show answer

    25 multiple-choice questions. Each learner's permit exam contains 25 multiple choice questions covering alcohol misuse, suspensions, JOL violations, rules of the road and road signs. Eighteen is the number you must get right, not the number asked, and fifty or forty questions overstate the exam. The test allows about a minute per question, for a 25 minute limit, and is offered on automated testing kiosks and online in several languages for Class D and M permits.

12. 12. This pennant-shaped NO PASSING ZONE sign marks the start of a no-passing stretch. Which pavement marking carries the same prohibition in Massachusetts?

    
    1. Two solid yellow lines
    2. A broken yellow line
    3. Broken white lines
    4. A single solid white edge line
    Show answer

    Two solid yellow lines. The pennant on the left side of the road and the double solid yellow line on the pavement say the same thing: do not cross to pass. A broken yellow line allows a temporary pass when it is safe, broken white lines separate same direction lanes, and the solid white edge line marks the side of the road. No passing zones are placed where hills, curves or intersections cut sight distance, so the prohibition holds even when the road looks empty.

13. 13. What is the one situation in which a Massachusetts driver may cross a double yellow line?

    1. When passing a slow vehicle
    2. When the road is empty
    3. When turning left
    4. When driving a motorcycle
    Show answer

    When turning left. Double yellow lines forbid passing in both directions, but they do not seal off the driveways and side streets on the far side of the road. The manual's rule is that you do not cross a double yellow line unless you are turning left. Passing a slow vehicle, an empty road and the type of vehicle do not change the marking. Signal early, check for oncoming traffic, and cross at a right angle rather than driving along the wrong side.

14. 14. What fine does Massachusetts set for having an open alcoholic drink inside a vehicle?

    1. $25 to $50
    2. $1,000 to $2,000
    3. $100 to $500
    4. No fine if a passenger holds it
    Show answer

    $100 to $500. You may not drink while driving or have an open alcoholic drink in the vehicle, even if someone else is holding it. A conviction brings a fine of $100 to $500. Anyone under 21 is also arrested, fined and suspended. The idea that a passenger holding the drink avoids the fine is exactly what the law rules out. Twenty-five to fifty dollars is too low, and $1,000 to $2,000 is too high.

15. 15. A Massachusetts 19-year-old is caught carrying alcohol without a parent or guardian. What license suspension can follow?

    1. 90 days to one year
    2. No suspension, only a fine
    3. Exactly 30 days
    4. Five years
    Show answer

    90 days to one year. Anyone under 21 who buys alcohol, has someone buy it, or possesses, carries or transports it without a parent or guardian faces a license suspension of 90 days to one year, plus fines. A fine alone understates the law, and 30 days and five years are not the stated range. Buying or trying to buy alcohol carries its own 180-day suspension. These rules apply even when the person was not driving.

16. 16. On a Massachusetts road with one solid and one broken yellow center line, which drivers may pass?

    1. Drivers on the side with the solid line
    2. Drivers on the side with the broken line, when it is safe
    3. Drivers on both sides
    4. No one
    Show answer

    Drivers on the side with the broken line, when it is safe. The pair tells each direction its own rule. Drivers with the broken line on their side may cross to pass when it is safe; drivers with the solid line closer to them cannot cross. Both sides are never free at once with this marking, and no one is wrong because the broken side is open. The marking changes along the road as sight distance changes, so check which line is nearest your lane before you commit to a pass.

17. 17. A Massachusetts driver does not respond to a traffic citation within 20 days. What happens?

    1. The citation is dismissed
    2. The driver is found responsible and charged a large late fee
    3. A hearing is scheduled automatically
    4. The fine is cut in half
    Show answer

    The driver is found responsible and charged a large late fee. Ignoring a citation does not make it go away. After 20 days without a response, Massachusetts treats the driver as responsible for the offense and adds a large late fee on top of the fine, and the responsibility goes on the driving record as if the driver had paid. The citation is never dismissed for silence, no hearing is scheduled without a request, and the fine grows rather than shrinks. Pay or request a hearing inside the 20 days.

18. 18. What is the permit suspension for a Massachusetts junior operator's first speeding conviction?

    1. One year
    2. 30 days
    3. 90 days, with the permit exam retaken before reinstatement
    4. No suspension
    Show answer

    90 days, with the permit exam retaken before reinstatement. For junior operators ages 16 and a half to 18, a first speeding conviction brings a 90 day permit suspension, driving without a licensed driver or violating the night restriction brings 60 days for a first offense and 180 days for a second, and drag racing brings one year for a first offense and three years after that. All offenses require retaking the learner's permit exam.

19. 19. According to the Massachusetts manual, should a driver assume they automatically have the right of way?

    1. Yes, on any road with a posted speed limit
    2. Yes, when driving the larger vehicle
    3. No, the driver must always give the right of way to an animal being led, ridden, or driven, among others
    4. Yes, when traveling straight
    Show answer

    No, the driver must always give the right of way to an animal being led, ridden, or driven, among others. Right of way is something you give, not something you take, and the manual lists situations where you must yield even when you might expect priority. One example is any animal that someone is leading, riding or driving: you always give it the right of way. Posted limits, vehicle size and going straight do not confer priority. Slow near horses and livestock, do not honk, and pass only when the animal is calm and the road is clear.

20. 20. You park facing downhill against a curb in Massachusetts. Which way should the front wheels point?

    
    1. Outward, toward the travel lane
    2. Straight ahead
    3. It does not matter on a downhill grade
    4. Inward, toward the curb
    Show answer

    Inward, toward the curb. Facing downhill, a rolling car moves forward, so the front wheels are turned inward toward the curb; if the brake lets go, the front tire rolls into the curb and stops. Outward is the uphill against a curb answer and would steer the car into the lane, straight wheels provide no backstop, and the grade is exactly why wheel position matters. The manual pairs this with setting the parking brake and shifting into park, or leaving a manual transmission in gear.