MA Permit Practice Test 8

All 20 questions in test 8

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 DIVIDED HIGHWAY sign announces a change ahead. How does the Massachusetts manual define a divided highway?

   
   1. A highway with separate roadways for traffic in opposite directions
   2. A road with a two-way center turn lane
   3. A highway with a posted limit above 55 mph
   4. Any road with more than two lanes
   Show answer

   A highway with separate roadways for traffic in opposite directions. A divided highway is defined by its layout, not its speed or lane count: separate roadways for each direction, split by a median or barrier. A four-lane road with only a painted center line is not divided, a center turn lane is a shared lane rather than a division, and the speed limit has nothing to do with the definition. The sign matters because on a divided highway you keep to the right roadway, and the yellow line will be on your left edge.

2. 2. Your Massachusetts vehicle has antilock brakes and they fail to respond even with the pedal fully pressed. What does the manual tell you to do?

   1. Pump the brake pedal rapidly
   2. Turn off the ignition to slow the engine
   3. Downshift to a lower gear, working down to the lowest gear if necessary
   4. Steer into oncoming traffic to get attention
   Show answer

   Downshift to a lower gear, working down to the lowest gear if necessary. With antilock brakes, pumping does nothing because the system already modulates pressure, so the manual's first step when the pedal has no effect is to downshift and let the engine slow the car, going down through the gears as far as needed. Turning the ignition off can lock the steering and kill power assist, and steering toward oncoming traffic trades one emergency for a worse one. After downshifting, use the parking brake gradually and get off the road.

3. 3. A vehicle is driving toward you head on in your lane. What does the Massachusetts manual tell you to do first?

   1. Steer left into the oncoming lane
   2. Flash your high beams and stay in your lane
   3. Slow down and pull to the right
   4. Stop in the middle of the road
   Show answer

   Slow down and pull to the right. When a car comes at you in your own lane, the manual's first two moves are to slow down and pull to the right. Slowing reduces the closing speed and pulling right moves you out of the path the other driver is most likely to correct back into. Flashing lights may help but does not move you out of danger, steering left puts you where the other driver will go when they wake up, and stopping in the lane leaves you a stationary target. Sound the horn as you move right.

4. 4. How does the Massachusetts manual define a thickly settled district for speed limit purposes?

   1. Any area inside city limits
   2. Any street with a sidewalk on both sides
   3. An area with more than 1,000 residents per square mile
   4. An area where buildings are fewer than 200 feet apart for a distance of 1/4 mile or more
   Show answer

   An area where buildings are fewer than 200 feet apart for a distance of 1/4 mile or more. The thickly settled definition is about spacing, not population or municipal boundaries. If buildings sit less than 200 feet apart for at least a quarter mile, the road is thickly settled and the 30 mph default applies even with no sign in sight. City limits and population density are not part of the test, and sidewalks do not decide it either. The practical skill is to notice when houses and storefronts start crowding the road and to drop to 30 before a sign tells you.

5. 5. How many people died in drowsy driving crashes in 2020, according to the Massachusetts manual?

   1. 633
   2. About 10,000
   3. About 5
   4. About 10
   Show answer

   633. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 633 people died in 2020 from drowsy driving related crashes. Fatigue slows reaction time and judgment much like alcohol. Plan rest stops, share the driving on long trips, and pull over at the first signs of drowsiness. Dial 511 for road and travel information before leaving, and never rely on caffeine to replace sleep.

6. 6. Which of these counts as a vulnerable road user under Massachusetts law?

   1. A driver of a pickup truck
   2. A passenger in a bus
   3. A roadside worker
   4. A motorcyclist on a highway
   Show answer

   A roadside worker. The Massachusetts definition lists pedestrians, roadside workers, bicyclists, people riding horses or horse drawn carriages, and people using wheelchairs, personal mobility devices, motorized bicycles, scooters, skateboards and roller skates. A roadside worker is on the list. A pickup driver and a bus passenger are inside motor vehicles, and motorcyclists are not named in the definition. Every listed user gets the four foot passing distance.

7. 7. How long must a Massachusetts JOL applicant keep a clean driving record before the road test?

   1. At least 30 days
   2. At least three months
   3. At least one year
   4. At least six consecutive months
   Show answer

   At least six consecutive months. A Junior Operator applicant must hold a valid learner's permit for at least six consecutive months and keep a clean driving record for at least six consecutive months before the road test. Any suspension invalidates the permit, and the six months restart when it is lifted. Thirty days, three months and one year are not the stated periods. Driver education and 40 supervised hours are also required.

8. 8. Until what age or height must a Massachusetts child ride in a federally approved child passenger restraint?

   1. Until age 4 or 40 pounds
   2. Until at least eight years old or at least fifty-seven inches tall
   3. Until age 12 regardless of height
   4. Until age 6 or 50 inches
   Show answer

   Until at least eight years old or at least fifty-seven inches tall. Infants and children must ride in a federally approved child restraint until they are at least eight years old or at least fifty-seven inches tall. After that they must wear safety belts correctly. Age 4 and 40 pounds, age 6 and 50 inches, and age 12 are not the Massachusetts thresholds. A violation of the child restraint law can bring a $25 fine.

9. 9. This DO NOT ENTER sign guards the wrong end of a one-way roadway. On a one-way street in Massachusetts, what may a single yellow line mark?

   
   1. A bus stop
   2. The center of the roadway
   3. A bicycle lane
   4. The left edge of the pavement
   Show answer

   The left edge of the pavement. DO NOT ENTER stands at the end of a one-way road you would be entering against traffic. Once you are traveling the right way on a one-way street, the pavement confirms it: Massachusetts uses a single yellow line to mark the left edge of the pavement on one-way streets and divided highways, because there is no oncoming traffic to separate. Center lines, bicycle lanes and bus stops are marked in white. If yellow is on your right instead, you have entered against the flow.

10. 10. What does the RMV approved driver education and training program for a Massachusetts JOL applicant include?

    1. 10 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours behind the wheel
    2. 30 hours of classroom instruction, 12 hours behind the wheel, and six hours observing other student drivers
    3. 20 hours of classroom instruction and a written exam only
    4. A single eight hour online course
    Show answer

    30 hours of classroom instruction, 12 hours behind the wheel, and six hours observing other student drivers. The program has three parts: 30 classroom hours, 12 hours of in car training behind the wheel, and six hours in the car observing other students drive. The 40 hour figure that people mix in here is the separate supervised practice a parent certifies, not part of the course. There is no eight hour shortcut and no classroom only version. Completing the program is one of the conditions for the Junior Operator License, along with holding the permit for six months and passing the road test.

11. 11. Massachusetts requires you to stop before which painted line when a stop sign has one?

    1. The yellow center line
    2. The edge line on the right
    3. Any line within 20 feet
    4. The white stop line or crosswalk line
    Show answer

    The white stop line or crosswalk line. Stop lines and crosswalk lines are painted where a stopped vehicle leaves the crossing clear and can still be seen from the side street. When one is present you must stop before it. The yellow center line separates opposing traffic and has nothing to do with stopping, the right edge line marks the shoulder, and there is no 20 foot zone. After the full stop behind the line you may edge forward for a better view if the crossing is clear.

12. 12. A center lane on a two-way Massachusetts road is marked as a common left-turn lane. What may you not do in it?

    
    1. Turn left from it
    2. Travel in the center turning lane
    3. Enter it from either direction
    4. Use it to begin a left turn
    Show answer

    Travel in the center turning lane. A two-way left-turn lane is shared by both directions for one purpose: setting up left turns. Drivers from either side may enter it to turn left, so those are permitted uses. What the manual forbids is traveling along it as if it were a through lane, which puts you head on with someone entering from the other direction. Enter close to your turn, signal, and wait there for a gap.

13. 13. According to the Massachusetts manual, what do roundabouts reduce the need for?

    1. Changing lanes
    2. Yielding to pedestrians
    3. Using turn signals
    4. Slowing down
    Show answer

    Changing lanes. Roundabouts are designed so you choose your lane before entering, based on the signs on the approach, and then stay in it until your exit. That is why the manual says they reduce the need to change lanes. Turn signals are still used to show your exit, pedestrians at the crossings still have the right of way, and you still slow on the approach. Pick the lane the sign gives for your exit, yield to circulating traffic, and hold that lane through the circle.

14. 14. Your gas pedal sticks while driving in Massachusetts. What does the manual say to do first?

    1. Turn off the ignition immediately
    2. Put the car in neutral and press the brake pedal to slow down
    3. Pull the parking brake hard
    4. Open the door and jump out
    Show answer

    Put the car in neutral and press the brake pedal to slow down. Neutral disconnects the engine from the wheels, so the racing engine cannot push the car while you brake. Shutting off the ignition can lock the steering and kill the power brakes, yanking the parking brake at speed can spin the car, and leaving a moving vehicle is far more dangerous than stopping it. After you are in neutral and slowing, try to free the pedal with your foot, reapply the brakes if needed, and pull to the side when safe.

15. 15. In the Massachusetts sign color code, what does yellow indicate?

    1. General warning
    2. Motorist services
    3. Recreation
    4. Direction, showing where you can go
    Show answer

    General warning. The color code lets you sort a sign before you can read it. Yellow is general warning, green is direction, blue is motorist services and brown is recreation, historic or scenic sites. A yellow sign means a hazard or change ahead, so ease off and look for the specific condition it names. Fluorescent yellow-green is reserved for school zones, bicycle and pedestrian warnings.

16. 16. What suspension does a Massachusetts driver under 18 face for a chemical test showing 0.02 or higher?

    1. 30 days plus an additional one year
    2. Six months
    3. Until age 21
    4. 30 days only
    Show answer

    30 days plus an additional one year. Massachusetts has a zero tolerance law for drivers under 21, who face administrative sanctions at a BAC as low as 0.02. Drivers age 18 to 21 lose the license for 30 days plus an additional 180 days, and drivers under 18 lose it for 30 days plus an additional one year, on top of any criminal OUI penalties at 0.08 or higher.

17. 17. How close to a fire hydrant or fire lane may you park in Massachusetts?

    1. No closer than 5 feet
    2. No closer than 15 feet
    3. No closer than ten feet
    4. No closer than 20 feet
    Show answer

    No closer than ten feet. Massachusetts prohibits parking within ten feet of a fire hydrant or fire lane. Fifteen feet is a tempting guess, but it is not the Massachusetts hydrant distance. Twenty feet is the Massachusetts distance from an intersection, and five feet is too close. The same list bars parking in a crosswalk, in front of a driveway, and facing the wrong way.

18. 18. What corrected vision may qualify a Massachusetts driver for a daylight only license?

    1. 20/40 or better
    2. Worse than 20/100
    3. Between 20/50 and 20/70 in the better eye
    4. Any vision with glasses
    Show answer

    Between 20/50 and 20/70 in the better eye. If your corrected vision is between 20/50 and 20/70 in the better eye, you may be eligible for a daylight only license, while 20/40 is the standard for unrestricted driving. Medical Affairs handles other vision and physical qualifications and the voluntary reporting procedure for medical conditions. Have your eyesight checked every year or two, since vision loss is gradual and easy to miss.

19. 19. At a Massachusetts four-way stop, several vehicles arrive at slightly different times. Who has the right of way?

    
    1. The vehicle on the left
    2. The first vehicle in the intersection or at the four-way stop
    3. The vehicle going straight, regardless of arrival order
    4. The largest vehicle
    Show answer

    The first vehicle in the intersection or at the four-way stop. Arrival order settles most four-way stops: the first vehicle to reach the intersection has the right of way once it has stopped, and the others follow in turn. The vehicle on the left yields to the right only when two vehicles arrive at the same moment, size never confers priority, and going straight does not override an earlier arrival. Make eye contact, take your turn deliberately, and do not wave others through out of turn.

20. 20. Massachusetts asks you to allow extra following space in which of these situations?

    1. Only on sunny days
    2. Only on one-way streets
    3. Only when you are late
    4. Rain, snow, ice, or other poor weather or road conditions
    Show answer

    Rain, snow, ice, or other poor weather or road conditions. The three second rule is the minimum for good conditions, and the manual lists when to add more: poor weather or road surfaces such as rain, snow and ice, following motorcycles or heavy equipment, driving at night, and when the driver ahead seems unpredictable. Sunny days are the baseline, being late is a reason to leave earlier, and one-way streets change nothing about stopping distance. When traction drops, the extra space is what lets you stop without skidding.