MA Permit Practice Test

How to use this MA practice test

1. Take the 25 question exam-length practice test above once, untimed, to find your weak topics.
2. Work through the numbered 20 question sets below. Each one is fixed, so a second attempt is a fair comparison.
3. Read the explanation on every miss. The wording comes from the Massachusetts Driver's Manual, which is what the examiners use.
4. When you pass three sets in a row at 72 percent or better, book the real test.

MA practice tests, 20 questions each

Fixed sets in a fixed order so you can retake one and compare your score.

1. Test 1
2. Test 2
3. Test 3
4. Test 4
5. Test 5
6. Test 6
7. Test 7
8. Test 8
9. Test 9
10. Test 10

Printable MA practice test with answer key

All 25 questions, MA exam length

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. What does a solid green turn arrow mean for a Massachusetts driver?

   1. You may go straight only
   2. You must stop and wait for a circular green
   3. Turns are prohibited
   4. You can make a protected turn in the direction of the arrow
   Show answer

   You can make a protected turn in the direction of the arrow. The green arrow is the protected phase. It tells you that you can turn in the arrow's direction and that the signal is holding pedestrians a Full explanation in Test 1

2. 2. How close may a Massachusetts driver follow an emergency vehicle responding to an alarm?

   1. No closer than 100 feet
   2. No closer than 500 feet
   3. No closer than 800 feet
   4. No closer than 300 feet
   Show answer

   No closer than 300 feet. It is illegal to follow closer than 300 feet behind an emergency vehicle responding to an alarm. Full explanation in Test 2

3. 3. According to the Massachusetts manual, how do rain and wet roads affect driving?

   1. They only affect visibility, not traction
   2. They make it harder to start, stop, and turn
   3. They shorten stopping distance because tires grip better
   4. They have no effect below 30 mph
   Show answer

   They make it harder to start, stop, and turn. Water changes what the tires can do. The manual says rain and wet roads make it harder to start, stop and turn, which is a traction problem, Full explanation in Test 3

4. 4. In the Massachusetts sign color code, what are fluorescent pink signs used for?

   1. Electronic toll collection
   2. Incident management
   3. School zones
   4. Scenic routes
   Show answer

   Incident management. The manual's color list gives fluorescent pink a single job: incident management signs. Full explanation in Test 4

5. 5. How much instruction on the driver education curriculum must a parent or guardian of a Massachusetts JOL applicant take?

   1. Thirty minutes
   2. Six hours
   3. Two hours
   4. Twelve hours
   Show answer

   Two hours. A parent or guardian must take part in two hours of instruction on the driver education curriculum, unless they did so within the past five Full explanation in Test 5

6. 6. You break down on an undivided Massachusetts highway. Besides 10 feet and 100 feet behind your vehicle, where should a warning triangle or LED flare go?

   1. On the roof of your vehicle
   2. 500 feet behind your vehicle
   3. 100 feet in front of your vehicle
   4. Nowhere else; two devices are enough
   Show answer

   100 feet in front of your vehicle. On a road where traffic runs in both directions, a disabled car can be approached from the front as well as from behind. Full explanation in Test 6

7. 7. 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 head on in your own lane, the manual's steps are to slow down, pull to the right, and sound your horn to alert the o Full explanation in Test 7

8. 8. In which direction does traffic travel in a Massachusetts rotary?

   1. Counter-clockwise
   2. Clockwise
   3. Either direction, depending on the exit
   4. Straight through the center
   Show answer

   Counter-clockwise. Because Massachusetts drives on the right, every rotary is travelled counter-clockwise: you enter with a right turn, keep the island on your Full explanation in Test 8

9. 9. 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. Full explanation in Test 9

10. 10. According to the Massachusetts manual, can you be ticketed for driving 40 mph in a heavy rainstorm on a highway posted at 50 mph?

    1. No, because you are under the posted limit
    2. Only if you are also following too closely
    3. Yes, for driving too fast for conditions
    4. Only on a divided highway
    Show answer

    Yes, for driving too fast for conditions. The posted number is not a guarantee of safety. Full explanation in Test 10

11. 11. 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 oth Full explanation in Test 1

12. 12. What does the Massachusetts manual say to do before changing lanes?

    
    1. Change lanes first, then signal
    2. Sound the horn and move over
    3. Signal early and check twice
    4. Slow down sharply before moving
    Show answer

    Signal early and check twice. A lane change goes wrong in the blind spot, so the manual's advice is short: signal early, then check twice, once in the mirrors and once ov Full explanation in Test 2

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

    
    1. Inward, toward the curb
    2. Outward, toward the travel lane
    3. Straight ahead
    4. Toward the sidewalk
    Show answer

    Outward, toward the travel lane. Uphill against a curb is the one case where the wheels turn outward. Full explanation in Test 3

14. 14. Unless posted otherwise, what is the Massachusetts statutory speed threshold on an undivided highway outside a thickly settled or business district?

    1. 30 mph
    2. 50 mph
    3. 40 mph
    4. 55 mph
    Show answer

    40 mph. An unposted, undivided highway outside a thickly settled or business district has a 40 mph statutory threshold in Massachusetts, measured ov Full explanation in Test 4

15. 15. What is the Massachusetts fine for a first offense of failing to produce your license or registration when an officer asks?

    1. $5
    2. $35
    3. $100
    4. $500
    Show answer

    $35. Chapter 90, section 11 requires drivers to keep their license and registration handy, and failing to produce either brings a $35 fine for a Full explanation in Test 5

16. 16. What penalty does the Massachusetts manual list for parking in a posted bus stop?

    1. A $25 penalty
    2. A $100 penalty
    3. A $300 penalty
    4. A $15 penalty
    Show answer

    A $100 penalty. A bus stop is on the Massachusetts list of places where you may not park, and it is one of the few entries on that list where the manual nam Full explanation in Test 6

17. 17. What is the fine for a first offense of parking in a Massachusetts space posted for disabled person or disabled veteran parking without plates or a placard?

    1. $300
    2. $25
    3. $100
    4. $1,000
    Show answer

    $300. Parking in a zone posted for HP-DV parking without the right plates or placard brings a $300 fine for a first offense. Full explanation in Test 7

18. 18. Under Massachusetts's move-over law, what must you do when approaching a stationary emergency vehicle displaying its flashing lights?

    
    1. Stop completely behind the vehicle
    2. Proceed with caution and reduce your speed to one that is reasonable and safe for the road conditions
    3. Maintain the posted limit so traffic keeps flowing
    4. Sound the horn to alert the responders
    Show answer

    Proceed with caution and reduce your speed to one that is reasonable and safe for the road conditions. Massachusetts framed its 2008 move-over law around caution and speed. Full explanation in Test 8

19. 19. What does Massachusetts charge for the learner's permit exam and the road test?

    1. Both are free
    2. $30 for the permit exam and $35 for the road test
    3. $100 each
    4. $10 for both together
    Show answer

    $30 for the permit exam and $35 for the road test. The learner's permit exam fee is $30, covering application processing and the exam, and it is charged again if you fail or the permit expire Full explanation in Test 9

20. 20. What does a STOP sign always mean in Massachusetts, and to whom does it apply?

    1. Slow to a crawl, and only the first vehicle in line must stop
    2. Come to a complete halt, and it applies to each vehicle that comes to the sign
    3. Stop only if cross traffic is present
    4. Yield, unless the intersection is clear
    Show answer

    Come to a complete halt, and it applies to each vehicle that comes to the sign. A stop sign never softens into a yield. The manual says it always means come to a complete halt, and the duty applies to each vehicle that r Full explanation in Test 10

21. 21. A school bus is stopped with red lights flashing on the opposite side of a Massachusetts road that has only a painted center line. What must you do?

    1. Slow to 20 mph and pass
    2. Continue, because the bus is on the other side
    3. Stop, because the exception applies only to a divided highway with a barrier
    4. Stop only if children are crossing
    Show answer

    Stop, because the exception applies only to a divided highway with a barrier. Traffic in both directions stops for a school bus unless a barrier physically separates the two roadways. Full explanation in Test 1

22. 22. What should a Massachusetts driver do on seeing a YIELD sign?

    1. Slow down and be prepared to stop
    2. Speed up to merge ahead of traffic
    3. Come to a complete halt every time
    4. Stop only if a police officer is present
    Show answer

    Slow down and be prepared to stop. The yield sign asks for judgment rather than an automatic stop. Full explanation in Test 2

23. 23. Unless posted otherwise, above what speed is driving not reasonable and proper in a Massachusetts school zone?

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

    20 mph. School zones sit at the bottom of the Massachusetts default list at 20 mph. Full explanation in Test 3

24. 24. On a two-way Massachusetts road with a broken yellow center line, when may you cross into the oncoming lane?

    
    1. Any time the lane looks empty
    2. Temporarily, to pass a vehicle, if it is safe to do so
    3. Never
    4. Only to turn left into a driveway
    Show answer

    Temporarily, to pass a vehicle, if it is safe to do so. The broken yellow line is a conditional permission. Full explanation in Test 4

25. 25. What surcharge is added to every Massachusetts civil motor vehicle infraction fine under Chapters 89 or 90?

    1. Nothing
    2. A $50 court fee
    3. A $5 public safety surcharge
    4. A $100 surcharge
    Show answer

    A $5 public safety surcharge. Every fine for a civil motor vehicle infraction that comes from Chapter 89 or 90 of the General Laws carries an added $5 public safety surch Full explanation in Test 5